News Releases

Saskatoon’s first pink fire truck will be patrolling city streets to raise awareness and money for breast cancer research. Firefighters have long seen their colleagues, mothers, wives and daughters fight breast cancer and want to make a difference.

Fire Engine 12 is painted a traditional red but it will be wrapped in pink for the month of October. Saskatoon residents will be able to sign the pink fire truck in exchange for a $10 donation to breast cancer research. Please make sure the truck is not involved in an emergency before approaching.

Engine 12 will continue to be an integral part of the Saskatoon Fire Department’s fleet during October.  If possible, the pink truck will be at following events:

• Woman’s World Show at Prairieland Park on October 1.
• Ladies Optimist Gala at TCU Place on October 15.
• C95 Radio Marathon for Breast Cancer Research at the Circle Centre Mall on October 21.
• Breast Health Comedy Night at the Parktown Hotel on October 21^st

The pink truck is the result of a three-way partnership between the Saskatoon Fire Department, IAFF Local 80 and Cowan Imaging Group who donated the costs associated with installing the wrap.

All proceeds will be donated to the C95 Radio Marathon for Breast Cancer Research to fund research being done right here in Saskatoon.

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Today, the City and SaskCulture celebrated the start of Saskatoon’s 7^th Annual Culture Days at River Landing.

“Culture Days is a chance for all of us to recognize the role that arts and culture has in making our city a better place to live, work, and play,” says Community Development Manager, Kevin Kitchen.  “Cultural activities are important as they bring people from all across our community to participate in the arts, to learn more about other cultures, and to celebrate our community and all it has to offer.”

The public is encouraged to create, participate, experience, and celebrate culture in Saskatoon with free activities and workshops being held to celebrate Culture Days from Friday, September 30, to Sunday, October 2, 2016.

The City is offering other activities throughout the weekend in support of Culture Days.  All are welcome and all events are free.

Friday, September 30
Sutherland Culture Fair
11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Sutherland Hall (1112 Central Avenue)
*New public artwork, meet the artist, farmers’ market, SaskCulture Community Engagement Animateur Zoe Fortier, artist-led activities, Remai Modern Art Caravan, and cultural demonstrations.

Indian and Métis Friendship Centre
5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
168 Wall Street
*Engage in First Nations and Métis cultural activities, hands-on workshops, and SaskCulture Community Engagement Animateur Zoe Fortier.

Saturday, October 1
I Am The Bridge
7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
River Landing under Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge
*Short film screening in collaboration with PAVED Arts, Moving Stories YXE documentary premiere, and meet the artist (participants should bring their own lawn chairs).

Sunday, October 2
Public Art Bike Tour
1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Downtown, Riversdale, and River Landing
*Guided bike tour of new and existing public artworks and meet the artist (meet at 1:00 p.m. downtown at Drinkle Mall, 22^nd Street East and 3^rd Avenue South).

Many more events will be happening in Saskatoon throughout the weekend, focusing on our city’s vibrant cultural scene, some of which are listed below.  For a complete list of activities, visit the official Culture Days website at http://www.culturedays.ca/en/celebration-schedule.

Culture Days is a national initiative intended to raise awareness of arts and culture in communities across Canada.

The off-ramp from Circle Drive northbound to Attridge Drive eastbound will be closed Thursday, September 29 from 4:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. as final paving and tie-in work is completed for the new ramp.

“Drivers who normally take this route to access residential areas or the University Heights Shopping Centre should reroute their commute on Thursday,” says Dan Willems, Director of Major Projects. “We’re suggesting drivers take one of the alternate routes from Circle Drive to Attridge which include Preston Avenue, Central Avenue or McOrmond Drive. This work will not affect the off-ramp from Circle Drive northbound to Preston Avenue for drivers taking this route to the University of Saskatchewan or Preston Crossing.”

The off-ramp access is being realigned as part of the upgrades and widening at Central Avenue and Attridge Drive to minimize traffic congestion. Milling and paving of the realignment of the right turning lane from Central Avenue to Attridge Drive eastbound is ongoing. Other progress at this location includes realignment of the right turning lane from Attridge Drive to Central Avenue southbound, which will be reopening later today following paving that was completed on Monday.

“The next phase of work includes realignment of the right turning lane from Attridge Drive to Central Avenue northbound,” Willems says. “This phase of work is scheduled to be completed by late October.”  

Final work includes realigning the concrete medians at the intersection. This will complete modification of the intersection to include dual left turn bays for eastbound to northbound turning vehicles.

The North Commuter Parkway will support the transportation needs of citizens who live in Saskatoon’s northeast and work in the Marquis and North Industrial areas. The work at Attridge Drive and Central Avenue is expected to wrap up by November of 2016.  

Bridging to Tomorrow project updates, including detailed monthly summaries, links to live cameras at each bridge site, and quarterly video updates, are available at saskatoon.ca/bridging.

The City this evening learned a majority of the Transit union membership turned down an opportunity to vote on the City’s fair and final offer.

“This is extremely disappointing news,” says Catherine Gryba, General Manager of Corporate Performance.  “I’ve said it before, but in the current economic downturn, a ten per cent wage increase is certainly above what many workers would receive elsewhere in the marketplace.”

"However, we have exchanged e-mails with the Transit union this evening and as we've said before, we are always willing to get back to the bargaining table," Gryba says. 

At this point no job action has happened.

"We will do everything we can to provide full Transit service to our customers each day,” says Jeff Jorgenson, General Manager of Transportation and Utilities.  “Transit customers should sign up for service alerts, or check our web site every day for updates on any service changes should the Transit union chose to withdraw services.”

The City believes Access Transit is protected by Essential Services legislation and will continue to operate regardless of what actions the Transit union attempts.  

Saskatoon Transit will keep customers informed by issuing service alerts when we are made aware of any service disruptions or delays.

For more information and facts on the Final Offer, please go here. 

The first of three piers on Saskatoon’s new North Commuter Parkway (NCP) is nearly complete and work has started on the second one. Dan Willems, Director of Major Projects, says significant progress has been made on both the NCP and the new Traffic Bridge since the City’s Bridging to Tomorrow Project began less than a year ago.

“We have moved beyond several months of site mobilization and preparation,” says Willems. “From now on, we will really start to see both bridges taking shape with concrete pier construction and steel spans being put into place. The first North Commuter Parkway span may even be up before the end of this year.”

Willems says construction of new roads to connect Marquis Drive to Central Avenue and McOrmond Drive will continue throughout the winter, and improvements to the Central Avenue and Attridge Drive intersection to accommodate increased traffic will wrap up this November.

“We know roads and traffic congestion are top concerns for people, and that’s why the City is doing this work,” Willems says. “We know there have been delays as a result of the Attridge Drive and Central Avenue construction, and we appreciate commuters’ patience, but once complete, the intersection will be wider -- with double turning lanes for people turning northbound – and that’s going to greatly improve traffic flow.”

At the Traffic Bridge, both the north and south abutments walls have been completed and the south span will be put into place over the coming weeks. Following that, a November demolition is planned for the last remaining span of the old Traffic Bridge.  Previously, the contractor had planned a demolition with explosives, however Graham Commuter Partners (GCP), which is in charge of the Bridging to Tomorrow Project, believes it can perform a tear-down from the containment berm.

“So, there’s definitely going to be a lot of action at both bridge sites throughout winter,” says Willems.

The new Traffic Bridge will support the growing city centre by allowing drivers, pedestrians and cyclists to cross the South Saskatchewan River. Once complete, it will resemble the original bridge, but will be wider to accommodate larger vehicles like fire trucks and buses.

The North Commuter Parkway will support the transportation needs of citizens who live in Saskatoon’s northeast but work in the Marquis and North Industrial Areas.

Bridging to Tomorrow project updates, including detailed monthly summaries, links to live cameras at each bridge site, and quarterly video updates, are available at saskatoon.ca/bridging. In person, anyone can watch Traffic Bridge progress at the River Landing viewing area. North Commuter Parkway construction can be viewed from the Meewasin Trail just east of the cul de sac at the north end of Kinnear Avenue (north of Silverwood Golf Course).

Wages and other issues have been resolved and all that remains between us reaching an agreement is the Transit union’s demand for a better pension deal than anyone else received.

The transit union served the City with a 48 hour strike notice late Friday; it and the City bargained for most of the weekend and made progress towards a collective agreement.    The union executive has refused to take the City’s last offer to its membership.

“The City remains open and wants to continue with the discussions because we are very interested in getting an agreement,” says Catherine Gryba, General Manager of the Corporate Performance Department.  “A ten per cent wage increase is very fair and in the current economic downturn, it’s certainly above what many workers would receive elsewhere in the marketplace.”

Here’s what a Transit operator is being offered in 2016 in Saskatoon compared to what a Transit operator is being paid in Regina and Winnipeg:  

In addition, the City proposes to pay employees that obtain the Professional Bus Operators Certification an additional $0.45/hour effective the first month after ratification.  This would mean those operators would be the highest paid of Regina and Winnipeg at $26.78 per hour.  Based on 40 hours per week this works out to $55,702.40 per year.

Pension

We care about all our employees.  We need to manage and protect the Plan over the long-term for all employees to have a reliable pension.

It remains a defined benefit pension plan. This means at retirement, the plan provides its members with a predictable monthly dollar amount which is based on a combination of their service, age and average earnings. 

“It is not a targeted benefit plan,” Gryba says. “The City is not able to change the current defined benefit plan into a targeted benefit plan under the legislation. No one will lose their pension.”

The City and eight other unions and professional associations in the plan have come to terms on the Pension Plan; everyone recognized it was not on solid financial ground and it needed to be updated to keep it healthy. Employees still have their pensions and their pensions continue to be part of a very good plan. There have been rumours that employees will be losing their pensions, this is simply not true.

“So, the pension agreement is based on shared responsibility between the City and the unions and associations which ensures the plan is protected in the long term,” she says.

The Transit union has refused and wishes to leave all the responsibility on the taxpayers for any future shortfall.

The City cannot move on the pension plan. We have a responsibility to current transit employees, others in the pension plan and tax payers – the Transit union executive doesn't.

For more information and facts on the Final Offer, please go here. 

The Amalgamated Transit Union, 615 (ATU) has served the City of Saskatoon 48-hour strike notice, meaning citizens can expect service disruptions as early as Sunday, September 18, 2016 at 5:00 p.m.

“We are disappointed to receive strike notice since we have been bargaining all week and have made significant progress,” says Marno McInnes, Director of Human Resources.  “We have narrowed the gap between the parties and just provided the Transit union with another offer.”

The City has a responsibility to protect taxpayers’ dollars and the benefits of all City employees. In that spirit, the City has worked hard at presenting a fair and competitive offer to the ATU.

For more information and facts on Transit Contract Negotiations, please go here.

In July 2016, the Government of Canada announced the designation of 13 new nationally significant persons, places, and events that helped define Canada’s history.  Saskatoon’s Montgomery Place and Marr Residence are among those designated.

The Marr Residence received its national historic designation under the category of Developing Economies.  Constructed in 1884, the Marr Residence is the second oldest building in Saskatoon.  It is also part of the history of the Temperance Colonization Society, which established the first major European settlement in the area, facilitated by cooperation with the resident First Nations population.  The Marr Residence is the only survivor of three houses that were part of a field hospital established during the North-West Rebellion of 1885.

Montgomery Place received its national historic designation under the category of Military History.  Saskatoon’s Montgomery Place neighbourhood was developed following World War II as part the Veterans’ Land Act (Act) of 1942, which provided most veterans, ex-servicemen and women, and those with disabilities with a wide range of benefits later extended to veterans of the Korean War.  The Act’s main goal was to provide veterans with the means to become financially independent after their return to civilian life, and it included assistance to build their own homes.

Montgomery Place was built in 1946, on 230 acres of rural land previously in the Rural Municipality of Cory.  The neighbourhood featured small homes on generous, half-acre (minimum) lots, where veterans were expected to plant gardens to supplement their incomes.

2016 marks the neighbourhood’s 70^th anniversary.  To celebrate, the Montgomery Place Community Association is hosting a “Back to the 1940s!” event on Saturday, September 17, 2016.  For event details, visit montgomeryplace.ca.

Other National Historic Sites in the Saskatoon area include the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo, the Next-of-Kin Memorial Avenue, and Wanuskewin Heritage Park.

For more information on heritage properties and programs, visit saskatoon.ca/heritage.

The City’s new Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) system was activated in July for Saskatoon Light & Power and Saskatoon Water customers that have been connected. Meter replacements and water module installations are still underway; however, approximately 42,000 electricity customers and 4,500 water customers are now being charged using actual consumption on their monthly utility bill.

“Our customers can now use this timely, real data to understand how much electricity and water they use,” says Kevin Hudson, Manager of Metering and Sustainable Electricity for Saskatoon Light & Power. “As they make changes to reduce electricity and water consumption, customers can track the usage on their utility bills and save money.”                                                                                                          

The benefits of the new metering system:

• Opportunity to track and understand how much electricity and water is being used so changes can be made to save money;
• Early warning signs of an issue with an appliance or leaking plumbing when irregular usage is recorded; and
• No requirements to provide access to their property for regular meter reading and tenancy changes, or submit actual meter-reads because they will be done remotely.

The City’s new model of citizen service – called Service Saskatoon – is a City-wide shift in how we will deliver front line service, respond to requests and improve services into the future. As part of our Service Saskatoon model, the transition from manual meter-reading to AMI allows us to improve the quality of service to our customers now and into the future.

“In the years ahead, we will be able to use data transmitted by the meters to see where power issues or outages are occurring, which will result in faster response and restoration times,” says Hudson. “And, more importantly, better electrical and water service for residents.”

The City has been installing smart electricity meters since 2008 and is expecting to have all customers converted to the new system by the end of 2017. Water meter and communications module installations started in May 2016, by neighbourhood. Over the next three years, water customers will receive a letter from Saskatoon Water, advising when they can go online to book their appointment.

Learn more about the AMI system for both electricity and water customers at saskatoon.ca.

Starting Monday, September 19, the City will close Spadina Crescent West between Avenues A and D to conduct water main lining work. The work is expected to take about 10 days, weather permitting, and barring any unforeseen circumstances.

“A full closure of Spadina Crescent West within this area is necessary because we need to dig access pits at the intersections of Avenues A, B and C,” says Rob Frank, Engineering Manager of Asset Preservation. “We are piloting a new product to line the water main to a ‘like new’ condition while continuing to maintain the quality of water that citizens expect.”

The piloted water main liner leverages a new technology and may be used on future projects around the city. “The technique we are using is intended to be faster and economical, allowing us to rehabilitate specific types of water mains more efficiently,” says Frank. “This will help extend the service life of this water main in a less disruptive more cost effective way to residents, area businesses, and drivers.”

The water main lining work will not impact water service to residents or businesses in the area; there won’t be any temporary water lines nor water advisories in effect

Farmers’ Market parking lots will remain accessible throughout the work period, although at times there may be some minor parking restrictions. Drivers are encouraged to use 19th Street to access Avenues A, B and C between 19th Street and Spadina Crescent West.

As always, drivers are reminded to slow down, pay attention and obey signage around work zones at all times. For more information, please visit saskatoon.ca/betterroads.