News Releases

A unique, new light installation in Downtown will see Saskatoon shine day… and night! Made possible through a partnership with and funding from Downtown Saskatoon (the Business Improvement District) and local business and property owners, programmable fiberglass mesh light ‘orbs’ have been placed through a back alley, illuminating these spaces like never before.

“The City and Downtown Saskatoon continue to work closely to make Saskatoon’s Downtown an attractive, year-round destination,” says Lesley Anderson, Director, Planning & Development. “This one-of-a-kind lighting project invites residents and tourists to visit spaces less travelled and discover a side of the city they might have never seen before.”

Using the Chubb Block as a power source, the lighting is now installed on the back of the Hotel Senator (243 21^st St E) and the side of O'Shea’s Irish Pub (222 2nd Ave S). Together, these light up the back alley south of 21^st Street East between 2^nd and 3^rd Avenues South. Each orb will be lit with LED lighting and has an infinite number of programming options which will keep the light display fresh throughout the year.

Anderson says, “through the City’s Downtown Where You Belong consultations in 2018, one item we heard from residents and businesses that could be improved in the city’s centre were the back alleys, making them safer, brighter and more inviting. This initiative is one way we have supported this request.”

Additionally, the orbs support the City’s WintercityYXE Strategy. WintercityYXE celebrates what makes Saskatoon an inviting, vibrant, safe and prosperous place in the winter.

The City and Pelican Lake First Nation have cleared a path to designate the First Nation’s land at 1944 St. George Avenue, the site of Adam’s Lumber, as an urban reserve. 

Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark and Pelican Lake First Nation Chief Peter Bill, along with the Council of Pelican Lake First Nation, and Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners Chair, Jyotsna (Jo) Custead, today signed urban reserve agreements during a special signing ceremony.

“This exciting purchase of the historic Adams Lumber by Pelican Lake First Nation will create a new chapter for this business, the city and the province,” says Mayor Charlie Clark. “I have been impressed with the vision that Chief Bill and his Council have for creating opportunity in the lumber and building industry. I’m grateful that they have chosen to invest here in Saskatoon. The continued establishment of Urban Reserves in our city helps build opportunity for everyone into the future.” 

At its regularly scheduled meeting on November 21, 2022, City Council approved the Municipal Services and Compatibility Agreement negotiated with Pelican Lake First Nation. The Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners also approved the Police Services Agreement at their regularly scheduled meeting on November 17, 2022. These agreements fulfill the municipal requirements for urban reserve designation. 

The agreements address:

• municipal and police services the City will provide;
• service fees Pelican Lake First Nation will pay the City in lieu of property taxes; and,
• compatible land-use and development standards.  

“This is a significant achievement for Pelican Lake First Nation. It is an honour to work with the City of Saskatoon. They have opened their arms to us and worked with us,” says Chief Peter Bill. “This is just the beginning of our engagement with the City to create opportunities for our urban Band Members. During these times in which we are all attentive to Truth and Reconciliation and healing, we look forward to our participation in the economy and life in Saskatoon as a path to building strong and positive relationships. We are here to do business and commit to active participation in Saskatoon as we move forward together.”

As part of the signing ceremony, through a special livestream feed, the Pelican Lake First Nation proudly revealed and lit the Adams Lumber sign which originally graced the site and is highly visible from the Idylwyld Drive Freeway. The iconic sign has been beautifully restored to its original state.

Decisions on reserve designation are made by the federal government. Once the property is designated as a reserve, it will become the ninth urban reserve in Saskatoon. When a property transfers to reserve status, it is no longer under City jurisdiction.

For more information on urban reserves, please visit saskatoon.ca/urbanreserves.

About Pelican Lake First Nation

Pelican Lake First Nation is a member of the Agency Chiefs Tribal Council whose home reserve is located on Chitek Lake, Saskatchewan approximately 270 km northwest of Saskatoon. A signatory of Treaty No. 6, approximately 1277 members reside on the home reserve and 416 members live in other communities throughout the province.  

The City of Saskatoon has just launched its holiday recycling campaign, Naughty or Nice Recycling Advice, that encourages residents to keep waste reduction and diversion top of mind during the holiday season.

“Gifts, wrapping material, decorations, celebrations, and festive feasts can all result in a significant amount of waste over the holiday season, so we have to find opportunities to cut down on that waste and to effectively divert it from our landfill,” says Katie Burns, Education and Environmental Performance Manager. “Small changes can make a big difference in cutting down the amount of holiday waste, so whenever you’re unsure just ask the Saskatoon Waste Wizard for advice.”

Here are some helpful tips to ensure you are minimizing holiday waste in your household:

• Empty, rinse and flatten all containers
• Place recyclables loose in your blue bin, not in boxes or bags
• Reduce, re-use, re-gift whatever you can
• Skip the fancy wrapping and reuse paper, ribbons, bows, and bags
• Take large or excess recycling to a public recycling depot
• Take your natural Christmas tree to a City drop-off site
• Get naughty or nice recycling advice from the Saskatoon Waste Wizard

Residents are also reminded of the following important waste information over the holiday season:

• Don’t miss pick-up day! Set up reminders at saskatoon.ca/collectioncalendar or download the Saskatoon Waste Wizard from the App Store or Google Play.
• Spread some joy by helping your neighbours roll out their carts
• The City Landfill will be closed on December 25 and January 1
• Cut down on emissions by carpooling with friends and family, or get your ‘shop on’ and hop on the Jingle Bell Express for quick access to all the malls in Saskatoon

For more information and tips on holiday waste reduction and diversion visit saskatoon.ca/waste

The Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo (Zoo) is excited to introduce the newest pack in town – Arctic wolves Nuna, Anori and Inneq.

“Arctic wolves are beautiful animals, and we are so fortunate to have an opportunity for our guests to come and learn more about this magnificent species,” says Jeff Mitchell, Zoo Manager. “Arctic wolves are a sub species of grey wolf, and they have some fantastic adaptations including the ability to withstand the sub-zero temperatures and months of absolute darkness often experienced in their natural habitat.”

The three sisters arrived safely from Toronto Zoo last week, and the zookeepers have been slowly introducing the wolves to their new home at the Nutrien Ark.

“We want to give the wolves a chance to become familiar with their new home, so for the next several days they will be transitioning from their indoor space to the outdoor wolf habitat at the Nutrien Ark,” says Mitchell.

The Zoo has been preparing for the wolves’ arrival for several weeks, upgrades to the interior portion of the exhibit were completed, including a new training and enrichment area which allows zookeepers to work more closely with the wolves. Automatic heated water bowls were also added providing access to fresh, clean water. In the outdoor portion of their habitat, a new structure provides an opportunity for the wolves to den or climb up on top to get a better view of their space. In the summer, the wolves will also get the opportunity to explore an upgraded pond in the exhibit.

The Zoo is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and is admission by donation until March 31, 2022. Visit saskatoon.ca/zoo to plan your next visit or learn more about the Zoo Season Pass.

Hit all the malls this holiday season by taking Route 1225 - Jingle Bell Express! 

This is Saskatoon Transit’s sixth year providing special holiday service to all the malls. The service runs every weekend in December (except on December 25 and 31) and then again with free service on Boxing Day (December 26). Participating malls include Centre, Confederation, Lawson Heights, Market, and Midtown. 

“The Jingle Bell Express removes the hassle of driving and full parking lots while providing riders with access to malls they may not otherwise visit,” says Cory Shrigley, Customer Support and Engagement Manager of Saskatoon Transit.  

The Jingle Bell Express buses are decorated and play holiday music.  

Service 

• Weekends (Saturday and Sunday)  
  • 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.  
  • Regular fares apply  
• Boxing Day (fare free)  
  • 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.  

Use the Transit App or Google Maps Transit to plan a trip, or consult the route schedule on Transit’s website or call Transit Customer Service (306.975.3100) for help with trip planning. 

Jingle Bell Express riders who complete a short survey on the website will be in for a chance to win one of five $100 gift cards sponsored by the participating malls. 

Get your ‘shop on’ and hop on the Jingle Bell Express!  

City Administration is proposing the development of a new bylaw to improve the City’s ability to protect trees on public property. City Council’s Standing Policy Committee on Environment, Utilities and Corporate Services will consider a report at its meeting December 5, which recommends the development of a new tree protection bylaw, as well as revisions to the existing Trees on City Property Council Policy, to improve the protection, growth and preservation of public trees.

“While a bylaw will help address and formalize compliance issues, the City’s enforcement approach will always prioritize education and collaboration as our primary courses of action,” says Darren Crilly, Director of Parks. “Overall, a tree protection bylaw will help to sustain the health, beauty and safety of the City’s urban forest by providing an effective mechanism to protect and preserve trees on public property for future generations.”

Protecting Saskatoon’s urban forest is one of the key action areas identified in the City’s Pathway to a Sustainable Urban Forest Implementation Plan -- approved in principle -- by Council on October 31, 2022. The plan includes multiple recommendations with specific focus on the following areas:

• develop a new tree protection bylaw for trees on City property and update existing City Council Policy No. C09-011, Trees on City Property;
• develop a formalized tree protection process that ensures clear and consistent processes for stakeholders who conduct work near public trees; and
• update and consolidate tree protection specifications for work that takes place near public trees.

Upon approval by City Council, the City will work to develop the new bylaw and revise the existing policy for Council approval in late 2023.

For more information, visit saskatoon.ca/engage and search for Tree Protection Bylaw.

After two days of deliberations, Saskatoon City Council concluded its 2023 Budget review November 29, 2022, to finalize the City’s operating and capital budgets, boards, commissions and utility budgets for this second year of the 2022/2023 Multi-Year Business Plan and Budget cycle. The 2023 Operating and Capital Plan was prior approved in principle in 2021 but required formal approval by City Council at the 2023 Budget deliberations as per the Council Policy.

“Every year, Council deliberates the budget to bring in the lowest property tax rate, especially when we know times are tight for everyone.  We were able to bring down the proposed tax increase in 2023 from 4.38% to 3.93%,” says Mayor Charlie Clark. “We continue to recover from the challenges brought on by the pandemic and are now facing some of the highest inflationary pressures in generations. This strategic budget balances the need to be as prudent as possible and ensures we are providing the core services that residents rely on.”  

For a homeowner with a single-family detached home with an average assessed value of $344,000, the 3.93% municipal property tax increase equates to $6.53/month or $78.34/year in 2023.

To account for rising costs and global inflation the City is facing, Administration had recommended several adjustments to the 2023 Budget which resulted in a proposed property tax rate of 4.38%. This was the tax rate to maintain and deliver the existing service levels to the community and to ensure the City’s resources remained aligned for 2023. City Council has the flexibility in year two of the budget cycle to make any necessary budgetary corrections for events or circumstances requiring funding or resource adjustments.

City Council directed $1,640,000 be transferred from the Reserve for Capital Expenditures (RCE) to the Fiscal Stabilization Reserve and made the following adjustments to reduce the 2023 municipal property tax rate:

• $700,000 reduction to the corporate fuel increase assumptions
• $500,000 deferred reduction to the Return on Investment received from Saskatoon Light & Power
• Council deferred an $83,600 contribution to the Transit Vehicle Replacement Reserve which was possible because of a recent $6.5 million commitment in 2022 to fleet renewal as part of a comprehensive fleet asset management strategy approved by Council in 2022
• $68,700 reduced from the contribution to the Reserve for Major Special Events

2023 Budget adjustments and approvals:

• City Council increased ongoing operating funding of $100,000 to the Attainable Housing Program as well as provided one-time funding of $550,000 from dividends declared from the City’s Neighbourhood Land Development Fund
• Additional funding of $245,000 was also allocated to develop a Housing Strategy which will include Housing Needs Assessment, Best Practices Review and Engagement  
• $160,000 allocated from Reserves toward Heritage Program Updates
• $95,000 to fund a one-time operating contribution for a Shelter Services Support Grant to the SPCA
• Curbside Organics Program fee of $6.73 monthly per roll-out cart for green cart organics collection starting in spring 2023

“For the 2023 Budget, we’ve made important investments to address the escalating crisis of homelessness in the city and the growing need for affordable housing,” adds Mayor Clark. “City Council has allocated funds to work with housing providers to get more units built and to increase our capacity to work strategically with our community partners on coordinated housing solutions and extreme weather strategies.”

The City of Saskatoon wishes to thank all residents, organizations and business owners in Saskatoon who wrote in or spoke to City Council at budget deliberations, or in the weeks leading up to budget review. Public feedback through engagement is valued throughout the year.

The finalized 2023 Budget document will be made available on the City’s website at saskatoon.ca/budget once completed.

The eighth and final Wîcihitowin Indigenous Engagement Conference will take place November 28-29 at Saskatoon’s TCU Place. After two years of gathering virtually, this year’s conference marks the return of meeting in-person, although there’s also an option to attend virtually.

Between 2007 and 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Canada travelled to all parts of Canada to bear witness to residential school experiences, to create a permanent historical record, and to engage and educate the public about Survivor experiences and intergenerational impacts. The theme of the 2022 Wîcihitowin Conference will be Bearing Witness in acknowledgement of this critical aspect of reconciliation.

Joining as speakers this year are the former Commissioners of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission — The Honourable Murray Sinclair (video presentation), Dr. Wilton Littlechild, and Dr. Marie Wilson. Other noteworthy presenters include Chief Cadmus Delorme of Cowessess First Nation; Gilles Dorval, past Indigenous Initiatives Director for the City of Saskatoon; Merelda Fiddler-Potter, former CBC reporter; and nearly a dozen Residential School Survivors.

The conference will be co-hosted by April Sora, Diversity & Inclusion Consultant at the City of Saskatoon, and Neal Kewistep, Executive-in-Residence at the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy. The complete agenda is available here.

Wîcihitowin Conference youth panelist, Allison Forsberg says: “The Wîcihitowin Conference provides Survivors and their families with an opportunity to honour each other, acknowledge the experiences that our ancestors went through, and is a place where we can all listen and learn from one another. Even though this is the eighth and final year of this conference, we think this is the beginning of a new reconciliation journey for the community.”

Residential School Survivor, Gilbert Kewistep says: “I have appreciated being involved in the Wîcihitowin Indigenous Engagement Conference and the Saskatoon Survivors’ Circle over the past few years. It has provided me with a community to support me through my healing journey. Acknowledging and sharing the truth helps us Survivors in healing from our trauma. Sharing our teachings with the broader community helps others understand what we lost and what we are trying to regain. Although this conference’s journey is coming to an end, I see this as a bright step towards something new for our communities.”

City of Saskatoon Social Development Consultant and Co-Chair of the Wîcihitowin Conference Planning Committee, Roy Lavallee says: “The City and planning partners make a point to support this conference every year because we see the outcomes, year in and year out. The feedback we get from this event is always incredible – how it influenced individuals and organizations to change their thinking as well as their practices. Past participants feel that this conference has contributed to progress on Indigenous engagement and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.”

United Way Saskatoon & Area Director of Labour Partnerships & Community Impact and Wîcihitowin Conference Planning Committee member, Andrea Howe says: “Over the past eight years, the Wîcihitowin Conference has welcomed audiences from across Saskatchewan, Canada, and around the world. It has invested in education by bringing together First Nations and Métis people with professional, academic, and lived-experience expertise, and has showcased Indigenous culture through dance, song, and art. Thanks to its investors, partner organizations, Survivors, and all conference attendees, the conference has re-invested over $1.3-million dollars into the community and reconciliation efforts.”

In-person registration is full but tickets to attend virtually are available at wicihitowin.ca until midnight on November 24 or until sold out. For real time conference updates, follow Wîcihitowin YXE on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

With the combined presence of COVID-19 and flu cases in our community, the health of vulnerable Elders and Residential School Survivors is our top priority. Conference attendees are being urged to adhere to the following health precautions if attending in-person:

• Stay home if feeling unwell
• Go home if feeling unwell during the event
• Get vaccinated against both the flu and COVID-19 (you require a booster if it's been more than 6 months since your last vaccination)
• Mask-wearing is strongly recommended
• Avoid physical contact such as hugs and shaking hands
• Wash hands regularly and make use of hand sanitizer – particularly before eating

The Wîcihitowin Indigenous Engagement Conference is made possible through financial and human resource contributions by the City of Saskatoon, Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, Saskatchewan Health Authority, United Way of Saskatoon & Area, and the Saskatoon Public Library, with additional financial investments from Nutrien (premier investor), Saskatoon Community Foundation, and other community/partner/friend investors. Complete list of sponsors here.