News Releases

A report to the Tuesday, March 7, 2023, Standing Policy Committee meeting on Environment Utilities and Corporate Services provides specific timelines on the delivery of green carts in Saskatoon.

On Monday, March 13, the cart manufacturer, Toter, will begin delivering the roll-out carts along with a kitchen pail, 10 Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) certified compostable bags and an information package to households that currently have roll-out black garbage carts and blue recycling carts. More than 60,000 carts will be delivered before the end of April, with the first cart collection dates starting in May.

“Each household will receive a green cart that will accept more materials than the previous subscription program,” says Director of Water and Waste Operations, Brendan Lemke. “Residents who already have green carts from the previous subscription program will continue to use them but will still receive the kitchen pail, BPI bags and information package.”

On Tuesday, March 7, an online map will be available for residents to pinpoint exactly when cart deliveries are taking place in their neighbourhood. Green carts will be delivered to the front of each property and can be placed for pick-up in the location where their black and blue cart collection happens.

Green Prairie Environmental (GPE) is currently building an organics processing facility, which is expected to handle about 20,000 tonnes or 3,300 truckloads of material from the green cart program every year. GPE plans to have the facility ready by May 1, however the City is developing a contingency plan for an alternate processing facility to ensure there are no interruptions in launching the program.

Lawn clippings, leaves, meat, dairy and paper towels are among the many things that residents will be able to divert from their garbage to the green cart. Because more than half of what we throw away can be composted, garbage cart collection will continue on a biweekly schedule once the green cart service begins.

A monthly average fee of $6.73 will appear on City utility bills beginning in May. The fee covers collection, composting, cart maintenance, education programs and program management. Plans for a multi-unit residential organics program are in the works, but for now, residents who utilize the large communal garbage and recycling bins are not affected by these changes and will not be charged monthly. This summer, businesses and organizations that generate food or yard waste as part of their operations will be required to separate it from the garbage.

For more information about green carts, and to download the ‘Saskatoon Waste Wizard’ app where you can check collection dates and sign up for collection reminders, please visit saskatoon.ca/greencart.

As it faces a preliminary deficit of just under two per cent, the City Administration has recommended a strong financial plan to offset the shortfall. The plan is outlined in a report to be presented on March 8 to the Standing Policy Committee on Finance. Under provincial law, municipalities are not allowed to operate with a deficit.

The 2022 preliminary year-end financials show a 1.94% deficit ($10.99 million) in the civic operating programs and a 0.84% surplus ($3.16 million) in the City’s utility programs, before the year-end audit confirmation. The report also highlights $3.25 million in Administration savings.

The preliminary year-end deficit includes $1.97 million of expenditures related to the December 2022 Snow Event. 

“We knew early in 2022 that a significant deficit was possible.  The Administration brought forward a comprehensive plan to City Council in early 2022 which included spending decreases and anticipated funding sources for a projected deficit.  The strategy we are putting in place now is based largely on the plan prior approved by Council in March 2022” says Kari Smith, Director of Finance.

The key variances by business line and service line are highlighted in Appendix 2: Detailed Overview of Preliminary 2022 Year-End Financial (Mill Rate) Results.

Administration is recommending the City’s remaining deficit of $9.02 million, after deducting the $1.97 million borrowing for the December 2022 Snow Event, be funded by:

• Waiving the transfer to reserve for the following items:
  • $14,220 to the Internal Audit Program Reserve;
  • $17,659 to the Animal Service Reserve; and
  • $173,247 to the Reserve for Unexpended Youth Sports Subsidy Funds.
• $710,740 reduction in the transfer from the Roadways Operating program to the Paved Roadways Infrastructure Reserve;
• $500,000 to be transferred from the Special Events Reserve - Profile Saskatoon;
• $924,395 to be transferred from the Land Operations Reserve; and
• $6.68 million to be transferred from the Fiscal Stabilization Reserve.

“The City continued to face significant inflationary pressures in 2022 and although some non-tax revenues like Transit Operations were higher than budgeted, other areas like Parking and Leisure Centres were lower with all three of these areas lower than pre-pandemic levels.  Favourably, several of our business and service lines achieved surpluses in 2022 including our Waste Services Utility and Saskatoon Light & Power,” Smith adds.

2022 Preliminary Year-end Utility-Related Program results

• Waste Services Utility reported a surplus of $ 1.79 million
• Saskatoon Light & Power (SL&P) reported a surplus of $1.22 million 
• Wastewater Utility reported a surplus of $1.08 million
• Storm Water Management Utility reported a surplus of $657,233
• Saskatoon Water Utility reported a deficit of $1.59 million 

Throughout  2022, the City Administration looked for several ways to keep costs down on training and its discretionary spending. Through these measures, City staff found one-time savings of $3.25 million through reduced staff training, materials, office supplies and discretionary hiring decisions.  The Administration reduced these expenses with an across-the-board directive for all departments due to lower revenues and other budgetary pressures the City experienced such as higher fuel costs and overall inflation.

Strong financial management will continue to support planning for a bright future

The City’s financial standing continues to be strong and sound overall, with its ‘AAA’/Stable credit rating reaffirmed for the 21^st consecutive year by S&P Global in January 2023. In planning for a bright and sustainable future, the City is committed to making City operations more efficient every year, creating greater ongoing savings across the organization and managing inflationary pressures.

The external audit of the 2022 financial statements is expected to be completed in June 2023. Following the external audit, the audited financial statements will be presented to City Council for approval.  At that time, the year-end financial results will be confirmed or adjusted based on the recommendations of the external audit and presented in the 2022 Annual Report which will be made available online later this year.

For more on the City’s Budget and Finances, visit saskatoon.ca/finance.

The City’s Technical Advisor on the Downtown Event and Entertainment District has outlined a growing trend of centrally located event and activity zones in many North American city-core areas. A community information session was held at the Roxy Theatre Tuesday, February 28.

“From ancient times to roughly the mid-twentieth century, the colosseum, theatre, arena and similar gathering places were in the centre of the city or town,” says Simon O’Byrne, Stantec Senior Vice President, Community Development. “We saw a suburban arena development trend in the last half of the twentieth century that did not support the area in a larger way. That has reversed with downtowns again benefiting from more animation, amenities and both population and business growth.”

Stantec has partnered with the international expertise of HOK and LMN, who have a wealth of experience in entertainment district design projects, including Rogers Place and Edmonton’s ICE District, the Seattle Convention Centre and the Calgary BMO Centre Expansion in Calgary.

“We’re confident the expertise we have retained will keep us moving toward a successful project,” says Dan Willems, Director of Technical Services. “Developments like the one we’re planning will help rejuvenate downtown and other traditional business areas, creating jobs and opportunities.”

The meeting heard the concept of a district goes far beyond anchors like an event or convention centre.

“The District will broaden the perspective of Downtown development,” says Councillor Cynthia Block, who represents the area and is Council’s Strategic Lead on Downtown Development and co-chair of the Advisory Group. “It will be a destination for our city, our province and beyond. It is also a strategic plan to drive density to the core and help Saskatoon become a more efficient city.”

Planning continues toward a more detailed design, construction procurement model and project scope scheduled for discussion in the late summer and fall. The City is seeking a private partner and other funding tools for a financially sound project that does not impact property tax.

For more information visit the Downtown Event & Entertainment District website.

The City of Saskatoon is launching a pilot program for gardening on centre medians to provide additional access for residents to garden in public spaces. Centre medians are paved, planted, or landscaped strips in the centre of a road that separate lanes of traffic.

Engagement surveys have indicated that there is a demand for this kind of public space gardening from many who live in multi-unit buildings like apartments, where a yard is not available.

“Adding these kinds of small, community-supported green spaces helps to create more habitat for pollinators like bees, assist in managing storm water, and can create community as neighbours or friends collaborate on creating and maintaining these gardens” says Director of Sustainability Jeanna South. “We have worked across several departments including parks, transportation, and bylaw compliance to ensure safety for gardeners and drivers, with guidelines specifying plant height and other important details.”

With this pilot, Saskatoon joins Vancouver in providing gardening opportunities in unique places for residents with green thumbs.

"It will be exciting to see what types of median garden plans our community members are inspired to create. We hope to see a number of applications, and people can get started as soon as spring weather permits,” says South. “We have created a native plant guide to help identify plants that fit within the height restrictions and have low maintenance water requirements.”

Details about the Boulevard Gardening Program and Centre Median Pilot, including guidelines and application forms, are available on the City’s website at Saskatoon.ca/BoulevardGardens.

Additional resources for gardening can be found at Saskatoon.ca/HealthyYards.

As part of a one-year pilot project, the City of Saskatoon is making public (free) WiFi available in an area that includes parts of the Pleasant Hill and Meadowgreen neighbourhoods. The network, named “YXEPublicWiFi”, was activated on February 16, 2023. Anyone inside the pilot area, which includes approximately 1,500 residents, may now connect using a WiFi-enabled device such as a laptop, tablet, or phone.

On Feb. 2, 2022 the City announced its intention to explore free public WiFi through a pilot project. The intent is to assess how the provision of public (free) WiFi can improve the quality of life for residents previously unable or significantly constrained in their ability to access the Internet due to barriers such as cost.

“There is a growing recognition in countries around the world that the ability to access basic services and programs and participate in today’s digital world requires access to the internet,” says Drew Bell, the City’s Interim IT Director. “This pilot project will help us discover how the provision of free internet impacts people’s lives and help us decide if this initiative is worthy of further consideration, including expansion.”

The isolation imposed by COVID highlighted how the internet can sometimes be the only means of communicating or accessing things such as: legal and medical services, housing information, important safety information and public health orders, day-to-day transactions, and work and study opportunities.

The free WiFi is intended to cover the area between 19th St W and 21st St W and between Witney Ave S and Ave U S. This area was selected based on population data (including high percentage of youth, seniors, newcomers, Indigenous persons), the needs of area students, consultation with external organizations, and the proximity to City-owned infrastructure where the necessary equipment could be installed.

While the network has been tested extensively, the City notes that the WiFi’s performance – much like any WiFi network – won’t perform the same on all devices and in all locations. For example, the network signal will be stronger closer to the access points installed on the light poles in the pilot area. The age and performance of the personal device might also impact the WiFi’s performance. As well, there are some unknowns about how the network will perform during the changing seasons – like how heavy foliage might impact the signal strength.

“While there are many jurisdictions across Canada, the U.S., and Europe that have implemented or are undertaking similar projects, this is actually a relatively new area of exploration for Saskatoon,” notes the City’s Interim IT Director. “We’re expecting to learn a lot through this pilot. We’re optimistic that we’ll see some great uptake and that we’ll be impacting residents’ lives in a very tangible and positive way.”

At the end of the one-year pilot, its success will be measured by assessing usage, quality of service, adoption, and feedback from residents. More information is available at saskatoon.ca/PublicWiFi.

Construction is starting a little earlier than usual this year. On Tuesday, February 28, a nine-month-long rehabilitation will begin on the 40-year-old Circle Drive North Bridge. The project will start with a full closure of the westbound lanes with two-way traffic being accommodated in the eastbound lanes.

“When construction wraps up on the westbound side of the bridge in approximately four months from now, it will then reopen to accommodate two-way traffic while work happens on the eastbound side,” says Todd Grabowski, Engineering Manager, Asset Preservation. “It is unusual to start construction so early in the year, but because this is a major, months-long project on one of Saskatoon’s busiest roadways, we need to start early so we can finish during one construction season rather than extending the work over two.”

Grabowski says the City’s preservation plan, with the results of the Deck Testing Program, identified the need for the rehabilitation of the Circle Drive North Bridge to optimize the service life and diminish the overall capital lifecycle costs.

“Certain elements of the bridge are nearing the end of their typical lifecycle, so this is a proactive construction project to ensure it lasts for years to come. Work will include replacing asphalt and barriers, improvements to drainage and concrete, and repairs to the piers and abutments.”

The pedestrian bridge underneath the Circle Drive North Bridge will not be impacted during the rehabilitation project. A section of Spadina Crescent underneath the bridge will close at some points during construction to accommodate scaffolding.

“We know this construction project is going to be a pain in the asphalt because moving through this area of Circle Drive will be much slower than usual. We will continually monitor traffic and adjust signals throughout the city as necessary to minimize delays and disruptions as much as possible,” says Grabowski.

The 275-metre-long bridge opened in 1983 at a cost of $11.8 million. In 2005, additional lanes were added on each side of the bridge and in 2007, the pedestrian bridge opened.

For more information about the Circle Drive North Rehabilitation project, please visit saskatoon.ca/construction.

Construction has started on a dry storm pond in Weaver District Park. It’s the third of nine Flood Control Strategy (FCS) projects the City of Saskatoon has undertaken, and it will be completed in 2024. The FCS, aimed at reducing neighbourhood flooding during intense rainfalls, was approved by City Council in 2018.

The Government of Canada is contributing 40% of the eligible construction costs up to a maximum of $21.6 million toward the nine FCS projects. The City is funding the remaining construction costs through the Storm Water Utility Capital Program and revenue generated from Storm Water Utility charges.

“Prairie communities have long excelled at finding new and innovative ways to protect their citizens from flooding hazards,” said the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities. “We will continue to be guided by their expertise in delivering infrastructure projects that create more resilient communities, in Saskatchewan and across the country.”

Dry storm ponds hold water that would otherwise cause flooding in intersections and nearby properties during intense rainfalls. The water flows into the pond instead, then slowly drains into the storm sewer system. Whenever dry, it is used as recreational or park space.

“Once operational, the Weaver Park dry storm pond will reduce flooding to properties near the intersections of Cascade Street and Dufferin Avenue, and Bute Street and Dufferin Avenue,” said Russ Munro, Director of Saskatoon Water. “The project is being built in the north end of the park where a recreation field is also being incorporated into the design between the playground and dry storm pond.”

The City of Saskatoon opened the W.W. Ashley District dry storm pond in 2022 and the Churchill Park dry storm pond project will be completed later this year. Six more FCS projects will be built in Saskatoon over the next four years.

For more information about the FCS program and future project locations, visit saskatoon.ca/floodplan.

A city-wide initiative is rolling out this spring that will help divert up to 20,000 tonnes, or about 3,300 garbage truck loads, of organics from the Saskatoon landfill every year. Throughout March and April, all households with black garbage carts and blue recycling carts will receive a third cart - a green cart - specifically for materials like food and yard waste.

“Our studies show that up to fifty-seven percent of what the average Saskatoon household throws into the garbage can actually be put to good, sustainable use,” says Brendan Lemke, Director of Water and Waste Operations. “Lawn clippings, leaves, meat, dairy, and even soiled paper are among the many things that residents will be able to divert from their garbage to the green cart.”

When biweekly collection starts in May, green cart materials will be taken to a third-party processing facility that turns everything into nutrient-rich compost faster and at higher temperatures than at-home composting or a compost depot. Compost produced will meet the highest certification as a safe and healthy fertilizer for yards, gardens and farms.  

The green carts, with an information package and kitchen pail attached, will be delivered to the front of each home between mid-March and the end of April. Subscribers to the previous Green Cart Program will continue to use their existing carts but will also receive the kitchen pail. The pail is to collect food waste inside before transferring it into the green cart.

Because so much of what we throw away can go into the green cart, Lemke says garbage cart collection will continue on a biweekly schedule once the green cart service begins in May. Green carts will be collected at the same location as the black and blue carts.

“If they’re not already thinking about it, then now is a great time for residents to consider how they will get rid of waste going forward. Is it really garbage or can it go into the green cart? Is it recyclable or could it be reused? By asking ourselves these questions and putting our waste in the right place, we are helping protect the health of our land, air and water while reducing the need for a new landfill.”

A monthly average utility fee of $6.73 will appear on City utility bills beginning in May. The fee covers collection, composting, cart maintenance, education programs and program management. The City is planning a multi-unit residential organics program, but for now, residents who utilize the large communal garbage and recycling bins are not affected by these changes and will not be charged monthly. This summer, businesses and organizations that generate food and yard waste will be required to separate it from the garbage.

For more information about green carts, and to download the ‘Saskatoon Waste Wizard’ app where you can check collection dates and sign up for collection reminders, please visit saskatoon.ca/greencart.