News Releases
Saskatoon Fire - News Releases
Traffic moving onto McOrmond Drive & College Drive interchange tomorrow
October 16, 2018 - 4:02am
The McOrmond Drive and College Drive interchange will open to traffic on Wednesday, October 17, 2018, alleviating congestion on priority roads that have become busier as the city continues to grow.
“Once open, traffic at the McOrmond Drive and College Drive intersection will be free flowing with all interchange ramps operational,” says Bryan Zerebeski, the City’s manager for the Saskatoon Interchange Project. “Due to a wet September, some work surrounding the interchange will now resume in the spring.”
Southbound traffic on McOrmond Drive exiting onto College Drive will continue to use the existing ramp. All traffic exiting from College Drive onto McOrmond Drive northbound and southbound must use the right lane. (see attached gif)
The Boychuk Drive and Highway 16 interchange partially opened to traffic on September 30, nearly a year ahead of schedule. Construction on both interchanges started in April 2017 and both are expected to be totally complete by the end of July 2019.
Drivers are reminded that the speed limit through work zones at both interchange sites is 60 km/h. For more information about the project, including renderings and video updates, visit saskatoon.ca/interchanges.
City cautions residents about Saskatoon Light & Power phone scam
October 12, 2018 - 8:27am
The City of Saskatoon is cautioning customers about a new telephone scam. Customers are receiving calls where the caller claims to represent Saskatoon Light & Power. The caller’s specific request is unclear.
The City of Saskatoon is reminding customers that credit card or bank account information is never collected over the telephone. The City of Saskatoon will send in the mail notices regarding outstanding utility account balances, and use an automated dialer to remind customers to contact Corporate Revenue before utility services are impacted.
All Saskatoon Light & Power staff wear identifiable uniform indicating they work for the utility and can also provide identification if requested.
Customers are asked to report suspicious calls by contacting Corporate Revenue at 306-975-2400, report online to Saskatoon Police Service, or contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. Saskatoon Light & Power customers can continue to call 306-975-2414.
Fire Prevention Week – Cooking Safety
October 12, 2018 - 6:17am
- Fires start when your attention stops; always be alert and aware when cooking,
- Keep combustible materials a safe distance from all cooking appliances that are capable of producing heat,
- Never wear loose fitting clothing when cooking,
- Use a timer to remind you to monitor your cooking,
- Always remain in your home when you are cooking,
- Keep the handles of pots and pans turned inwards when cooking,
- Smother small fires in pots and pans by covering them with a lid and turning off the stove,
- Suffocate small oven fires by turning off the oven and keeping the door closed, and
- If you are unable to extinguish a fire on your own, leave your home immediately and call 911; stay outside while you wait for the Saskatoon Fire Department to arrive.
Fire Prevention Week is wrapping up, but that doesn’t mean that practicing fire safety and prevention has to! This week, we’ve focused on three basic principles: Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere. Topics including smoke alarms, home escape plans, and heating safety have been linked to the importance of remembering to LOOK, LISTEN, and LEARN when considering fire safety and prevention.
Today, we’ll look at cooking safety to learn of how you can keep your dreams of becoming a professional chef from going up in smoke! Whether you’re cooking up a package of Kraft Dinner for yourself or a turkey feast for your friends and family, the Saskatoon Fire Department has the following tips for you:
In an emergency, seconds count; cooking responsibly and knowing what to do if things turn sideways on you can be the difference in preventing a tragedy in your home.
Always remember: Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere.
In an emergency, call 911 immediately.
Fall sweeping begins Monday; nine neighbourhoods affected
October 11, 2018 - 10:16am
Sweeping begins Monday on streets with a dense tree canopy to collect leaves that can block catch basins and prevent proper drainage during the spring snow melt. Neighbourhoods included are Buena Vista, Caswell Hill, City Park, Holiday Park, King George, Mayfair, Nutana, Riversdale and Varsity View.
Look for yellow No Parking signs in advance of street sweeping, beginning with City Park Streets and Varsity View Avenues on Monday. Vehicles remaining on a scheduled street at 8 a.m. will get a parking ticket and be relocated.
“I urge people to plan ahead and pay attention to the parking restriction signs to help manage the program budget,” says Brandon Harris, Director of Roadways & Operations. “Towing costs are not fully recovered by parking tickets, and can affect how much sweeping we do if we can’t lower those expenses for next year.”
In 2017, the sweeping locations were adjusted to concentrate on areas with the highest risk for flooding. As a result more than 230 properties were protected from potential flood damage in the spring.
“Now that we are confident in the neighbourhood selection, we are changing up our tactics for a portion of the sweep to test and compare new methods of debris pickup, reduce the risk related to temperature, and keep our production rate higher later into the season,” says Harris.
The first eight days of the program will remain the same as in other years, with sweeping scheduled in all nine neighbourhoods. On October 25, staff will be reassigned for a week to finish winter operation preparations. As long as crews aren't cleaning up snow, leaf removal will resume on skipped roads in the same neighbourhoods using different equipment, going around parked vehicles.
Don’t get swept away this fall! Find your sweep date at saskatoon.ca/sweep with our new look-up application.
Fire Prevention Week – Heating Safety
October 11, 2018 - 6:27am
- Do not leave space heaters running when you leave the room or go to sleep,
- Never use space heaters to dry combustible items,
- Do not use your oven to heat your home,
- Keep children and pets at least one metre away from fireplaces and space heaters,
- Do not store combustible materials within one metre of your furnace or other heating equipment,
- Keep all heat sources free from dust, lint, and chemical product,
- Place a screen in front of your wood-burning or gas fireplace, and
- Have a reputable and qualified company install and maintain all heating equipment; inspect gas or oil burning furnaces annually.
This Fire Prevention Week, the Saskatoon Fire Department has been emphasizing three basic principles of fire safety and prevention: Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere. We’ve covered the importance of needing to LISTEN for the sound of your smoke alarm and LEARN the details of your home escape plan; today, we will examine heating safety and why it’s important to LOOK around your home for potential fire hazards.
Winter in Saskatchewan can often have us looking to heat our homes in a hurry! Heating equipment is a key contributor to home fires and burn injuries over the winter months. Consider the following safety tips when warming up this winter:
The Saskatoon Fire Department wants you to stay warm this winter, but we want you to stay safe, too! When looking around your home for potential fire hazards, be sure to check your heating equipment thoroughly while considering the above noted tips for heating safety.
In an emergency, seconds count; being cautious when it comes to heating can be the difference in preventing a tragedy in your home.
To finish off Fire Prevention Week, we’ll look at the leading cause of home fires: Cooking; tune in tomorrow to learn of how you can keep your dreams of becoming a professional chef from going up in smoke!
Always remember: Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere.
In an emergency, call 911 immediately.
Fire Prevention Week – Home Escape Plans
October 10, 2018 - 5:21am
- Visualizing the layout of your home; clearly identify all doors and windows on your plan,
- Finding two ways out of every room and clearing the path to all doors and windows,
- Not including the use of an elevator in your plan,
- Selecting a safe meeting location outside of your home,
- Remembering to call 911 once you are safely out of your home, and
- Confirming that occupants and guests are familiar with your home escape plan.
The 2018 theme for Fire Prevention Week is Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere. Yesterday, the Saskatoon Fire Department shared information on smoke alarms in your home and why it’s important to LISTEN for its sound; smoke alarms are also a key component to an effective and reliable home escape plan. Home escape planning is critical in ensuring you are prepared to safely exit your home in the event of an emergency; be sure to LEARN the details of your home escape plan and practice it during the day, as well as at night.
Important tips to consider when developing a plan that suits your home and its occupants include:
When your smoke alarm sounds, follow your home escape plan to safely exit your home. It’s important that you get out immediately and stay out while you wait for the Saskatoon Fire Department to arrive.
In an emergency, seconds count; having an effective and reliable home escape plan can be the difference in preventing a tragedy in your home.
Tomorrow we’ll learn about heating safety, and how you can safely keep warm this winter!
Always remember: Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere.
In an emergency, call 911 immediately.
Fire Prevention Week – Smoke Alarms
October 9, 2018 - 5:26am
- Be tested at least monthly,
- Have the batteries replace yearly, and
- Be replaced every 10 years, even if they are hard-wired.
Fire Prevention Week puts the focus on practical and informative topics related to fire safety and prevention. This year’s theme is Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere. The Saskatoon Fire Department knows that smoke alarms save lives and are therefore worth knowing a bit more about! Smoke alarms are a key component to one’s home, and it’s important you LISTEN to know their sound and leave your home when they are sounding.
Each smoke alarm may produce a slightly different tone; however, all smoke alarms are intended to alert you to the possibility of a fire in your home. To keep your smoke alarms in good working order, they need to:
Smoke alarms must be installed on every level of your home where people sleep. Place them on a ceiling or high up on a wall close to every sleeping area. It’s best to keep smoke alarms a reasonable distance away from cooking appliances to avoid false alarms. Listen for the sound of your smoke alarm when testing it to familiarize yourself with its tone. If you are hard-of-hearing or otherwise unable to hear the alarm, consider installing a smoke alarm that is equipped with a strobe light to alert you to the potential danger.
In an emergency, seconds count; a functioning smoke alarm can be the difference in preventing a tragedy in your home. Smoke alarms are also an integral element to home escape plans; be sure to check back tomorrow for the Saskatoon Fire Department’s Fire Prevention Week information around home escape plans!
Always remember: Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere.
In an emergency, call 911 immediately.
Fire Prevention Week – October 7th to 13th
October 5, 2018 - 10:34am
- It’s important to look for places that a fire could start in your home.
- Do you know what your smoke alarm sounds like? Be sure to familiarize yourself with the sound of your smoke alarm so that you are aware in the event of an emergency.
- Are you able to find two ways out of each room? Check to make sure all doors and windows are clear and can be easily accessed.
- Smoke Alarms,
- Home Escape Plans,
- Heating Safety, and
- Cooking Safety
This year, Fire Prevention Week runs from October 7th to October 13th. The Saskatoon Fire Department will be sharing information each day of the week related to fire safety and prevention.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has made this year’s Fire Prevention Week’s theme Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere. This theme focuses on the importance of education in three simple areas of fire safety and prevention.
LOOK!
LISTEN!
LEARN!
When an emergency occurs, every second counts. Educating yourself on fire safety and prevention could prevent tragedy in your home. This week, the Saskatoon Fire Department will be sharing fire safety and prevention information on:
Find additional resources and information from the NFPA on Fire Prevention Week here!
Always remember: Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere.
In an emergency, call 911 immediately.
WintercityYXE Grants Awarded and New WintercityYXE Website
October 3, 2018 - 3:09am
- Broadway Business Improvement District – Little Stone Light Conservatory
- Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan – Honouring the Complexity of Treaty 6 Territory
- Friends of the Broadway Theatre – Winterruption
- Saskatoon Triathlon Club – Winter Family Friendly Triathlon
- Saskatoon Cycles – BicicleFest 2019
- King George Community Association - King George Winter Carnival
- Wanuskewin Heritage Park – Kona Festival
- Greystone Heights Community Association – Winter Fun Fest
- Play Sask – Yukigassen Tournament
- Saskatoon Open Door Society – S is for Snow Series
- Saskatoon Council on Aging – Warm up to Winter
As part of WintercityYXE, $50,000 is allocated to non-profit organizations, ad hoc groups, businesses or for-profit organizations implementing initiatives that support the WintercityYXE goals and objectives. The WintercityYXE grant categories include: winter comfort and access, winter design, and winter activities.
The City is pleased to announce that the following groups have been awarded grants for their WintercityYXE 2018/19 initiatives:
“The WintercityYXE grant program supports community led initiatives that help make winter an enjoyable and vibrant season” said Brenda Wallace, Director of Environmental & Corporate Performance.
Full information on the grant program, can be found on the newly redesigned WintercityYXE Webpage. Along with the grant program, the webpage also includes information on the WinterCityYXE Strategy, winter events, and winter facilities & activities.
The WinterCityYXE Strategy supports the Strategic Goal of Quality of Life, Sustainable Growth, Moving Around and Economic Diversity and Prosperity
Saskatoon completes historic bridge-building project
October 1, 2018 - 1:56pm
Today, the City of Saskatoon celebrates the completion of its largest-ever bridge-building project with the community invited to participate.
The three orders of government funded the $238.8 million Bridging to Tomorrow Project which includes Chief Mistawasis Bridge, McOrmond Drive and Central Avenue extensions, and the Traffic Bridge. The Government of Canada is contributing up to 25 per cent of eligible costs, the Government of Saskatchewan is contributing $50 million toward the Chief Mistawasis Bridge, and the City is funding the remainder.
“The Bridging to Tomorrow Project is a great example of what can be achieved through strong partnerships between all levels of government,” said the Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. “This new infrastructure is an essential addition to Saskatoon’s transportation network that will greatly improve commuter connections among key parts of the city. It will not only help get people and goods where they need to go safely and efficiently, but reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support economic growth for years to come.”
“The provincial government’s $50 million investment in Chief Mistawasis Bridge demonstrates our commitment to ensuring Saskatoon remains one of the fastest growing cities in Canada and continues to offer a good quality of life for all citizens. The new bridge will improve traffic flow for commuters and ease congestion for shippers. Congratulations to everyone involved in the successful completion of the project,” said the Honourable Scott Moe, Premier of Saskatchewan.
“The opening of these two new bridges is a huge step forward in creating a more connected community,” said His Worship Charlie Clark, Mayor of Saskatoon. “Both of these bridges are very significant for our city. The Chief Mistawasis Bridge is a key element for our future growth and success, and the naming of the bridge was a journey itself toward living up to the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. The Traffic Bridge reconnects a historic link between the two sides of the river for vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists alike. I would like to thank the federal and provincial governments for their funding that helped to make this happen in our community.”
“The Bridging to Tomorrow project was an investment in the future of our city for the benefit of everyone,” said Jeff Jorgenson, City Manager. “Our plans for growth are founded in sustaining a great quality of life for Saskatoon residents. These projects are foundational infrastructure improvements that help us create a city that is vibrant and attractive to citizens today and for future generations.”
Chief Mistawasis Bridge opening celebrations included a grand entry with local Indigenous leaders, dignitaries, elders, survivors and students, and an opportunity for visitors to explore the bridge deck.
“The naming of Chief Mistawasis Bridge provides a lasting legacy of hope and reconciliation for the community and a source of great pride for our children and generations to come,” said Anthony Blair Dreaver Johnston, University of Saskatchewan School of Environment and Sustainability Indigenous Mentor and great-great-great grandson of Chief Mistawasis.
For the Traffic Bridge opening, a community bridge party will feature a variety of cultural entertainment, food trucks and a bridge and project history display.
“We’re pleased to be a partner in the development of this historic infrastructure project, and look forward to continuing our long-term relationship as a valued service provider to the City of Saskatoon,” said Grant Beck, CEO, Graham Commuter Partners.
The Chief Mistawasis Bridge will open to traffic later in the day on Tuesday, October 2. The Traffic Bridge will open to traffic on Wednesday, October 3.
To commemorate the project, a detailed video showcasing the Bridging to Tomorrow project, and the construction of the bridges and roadways is available at saskatoon.ca/bridging.