News Releases

The City of Saskatoon is celebrating the spirit of giving at this time of year, and recognizing the Snow Angels who go above and beyond to help fellow neighbours keep sidewalks clear of snow and ice throughout winter.

His Worship, Mayor Donald Atchison today thanked and presented a gift to Glenn Hussey, this month’s winner of the Snow Angel program’s prize draw. Mr. Hussey was nominated as a Snow Angel by his neighbours, Peggy and Bob Woods.

“Twice last month, Glenn appeared with his snow blower and cleared our drive and sidewalk after a heavy snowfall,” says Mr. Woods. “My wife and I were both times sitting after breakfast trying to raise the energy and determination to do the job ourselves; the sound of his snow blower was both music to our ears and a relief.”

A City bylaw requires residential sidewalks be clear of snow and ice within 48 hours after a snowfall.

“Clearing sidewalks quickly after a snowfall makes it easier and safer for people to move around, and a friendly gesture from a neighbour goes a long way in improving accessibility and mobility for everyone,” says Colleen McKee, Marketing and Communications Manager for Transportation & Utilities. “The City is responsible for clearing sidewalks adjacent to civic facilities, the Meewasin Trail and lit pathways in City parks but we rely on our citizens to help keep people moving around in residential neighbourhoods.”

If residents receive help from a neighbour or relative, they can nominate them as a Snow Angel online, or by mailing their name and address to; Public Works, City of Saskatoon, 222 – 3rd Avenue North, S7K 0J5. The City will send them a thank you card signed by His Worship, Mayor Donald Atchison and they’ll be entered into a draw to win a one-month family pass to any City leisure centre.

“Saskatoon is a city full of wonderful people who help each other out; the Snow Angel program embodies the spirit of being good neighbours, which is something we take pride in,” says His Worship, Mayor Donald Atchison. “Glenn is just one of hundreds of incredible citizens nominated as a Snow Angel each winter, lending a hand to make Saskatoon a great place to live.”

For more City of Saskatoon Public Service Announcements, News Releases, Traffic Detours and Service Alerts, visit www.saskatoon.ca or connect with the City of Saskatoon on Twitter and Facebook.

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The following fee changes* will take place in the New Year:

Landfill (effective January 1, 2015)
Entrance Fee:             $10.00 per visit (no change)
General Tipping:          $100.00 per tonne ($5.00 increase)

Leisure Centres (effective January 1, 2015)
Adult Admission:          $9.80 (50 cent increase)
Youth/Child Admission:    $5.90 (30 cent increase)
Family Admission:        $19.60 ($1.00 increase)
Preschool:               FREE (no change)

*Visit saskatoon.ca for full list of Leisure Centre and Golf Course fee changes

Residential Recycling Collection (effective January 1, 2015)Roll-out Cart – Single Family Residential: $5.05 per month (16 cent increase)
Saskatoon Light & Power (effective January 1, 2015)
3% average overall increase (matching SaskPower)

Storm Water Utility Fee (effective January 1, 2015)Saskatoon property owners are charged a storm water utility fee based on the amount of hard surface area they have on their property. These are areas that easily collect storm water like sidewalks, driveways and paved walks. The rate structure is based on a standard method used by many municipalities for storm water utility billing. The unit of measure is called an Equivalent Runoff Unit, or ERU, and for Saskatoon, is 265.3 square meters. Visit this page to see the 2015 phase in rate.

Water / Wastewater (effective January 1, 2015)
9.5% increase. A typical monthly residential bill for water, wastewater and infrastructure charges increases by $7.50 to $79.02. In 2013, City Council approved water and wastewater rates to increase the average bill by 9.5% in 2014, 2015 and 2016.

Business Licenses (effective February 1, 2015)
New Business License:          $125.00 ($30.00 increase)
Change of Business Location:   $125.00 ($30.00 increase)
Annual Renewal:               $85.00 ($15.00 increase)
*There are no Animal Services, Building Permit, Plumbing Permit or Saskatoon Transit fee increases for 2015. Proposed parking fee increases have not been finalized*

NEW

PRESTON AVE NB & SB MEDIAN LANES CLOSED FROM COLLEGE DR TO 108TH ST
(Water main replacement)
Start: December 23, 9:00 a.m. End: December 23, 4:00 p.m.

IDYLWYLD DR NB EXIT TO HIGHWAY 16 CLOSED
(Light pole Repair)
Use Marquis Dr to access Highway 16
Start: December 23, 9:00 p.m. End: December 23, 11:00 p.m.
ONGOING
QUEEN ST EB CLOSED FROM 4TH AVE N TO 5TH AVE N
(Crane Lift)
4th Ave SB closed between Queen St & 26th St
Start: December 22, 7:00 a.m. End: December 23, 6:00 p.m.

All restrictions will be lifted as indicated, weather permitting and barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Slow down, pay attention and respect work zones. Watch for pedestrians and work crews, and for everyone’s safety, please obey all detours, signs and barriers.

Know before you go! Plan your route around road work by checking our Road Restrictions and Construction Projects interactive map. Find traffic detour information on our saskatoon.ca homepage or subscribe to our Traffic Detour Service Alerts. You can also follow us on Twitter @YXEServiceAlert and with #betterroadsYXE and like Saskatoon City News on Facebook.

The City of Saskatoon has made changes to its snow route declaration plan in order to quickly and effectively grade priority streets in the event of an extreme snowfall. Should a snow route parking ban be declared, vehicles must be removed from streets marked with a permanent No Parking Snow Route sign so the City can grade snow from curb-to-curb.

“Instead of having every vehicle off of a snow route at the same time for a 48-hour period as per the previous process, this year we divided the snow routes into two phases: the Green Circle and Blue Square snow routes. Each phase can last up to 24 hours, minimizing the disruption to residents by reducing the amount of time the parking ban is in effect,” says Pat Hyde, Director of Public Works. “We don’t intend to declare a snow route parking ban unless it’s absolutely necessary but, as we all know, Mother Nature is unpredictable and we want to ensure we are ready for whatever winter brings.”

The Green Circle snow route parking ban will always be declared first; and as the end of that ban approaches, the Blue Square snow route parking ban will be declared. There are only two times of day the City can make a declaration; 7:00 a.m. or 3:00 p.m. Residents will be informed of the time the Snow Route parking ban will come into effect. A minimum of 8 hours notice will be given for residents to remove their vehicle from marked streets. If vehicles are not moved in time, they may be ticketed and relocated.

“It is the responsibility of residents to know if they live or park on a Snow Route. Snow Routes are marked with permanent No Parking Snow Route Signs with a metal plate indicating if it’s a Green Circle or Blue Square route,” says Hyde. “There is no defined trigger point for when a snow route parking ban will be declared; a combination of a number of things including snow accumulation, drifting, and temperature could all be factors.”

A new interactive Snow Grading Map shows the Green Circle and Blue Square snow routes and provides information if a Snow Route parking ban is declared. The map also shows progress of snow grading operations during and after a snow event with no parking ban and will provide schedules later this season should a city-wide neighbourhood grading be required if the average snow pack is 15cm or more.

Businesses and residents located on a Snow Route should watch for a flyer with more information about snow routes to be delivered early in January. Residents are also encouraged to pay attention to saskatoon.ca and local radio channels following a significant snowfall to find out if a Snow Route parking ban has been declared. Residents can also register to receive an e-Notification every time a snow route parking ban is declared, and when it is lifted. To register email your full name to snow.route@saskatoon.ca.

The City is Plowing Ahead and ready for whatever winter brings this year! For more information on Snow Routes and to find the new interactive Snow Grading Map, visit Saskatoon.ca and click on Better Winter Roads.

For more City of Saskatoon Public Service Announcements, News Releases, Traffic Detours and Service Alerts, visit www.saskatoon.ca or connect with the City of Saskatoon on Twitter and Facebook.

NEW
QUEEN ST EB CLOSED FROM 4TH AVE N TO 5TH AVE N
(Crane Lift)
4th Ave SB closed between Queen St & 26th St
Start: December 22, 7:00 a.m. End: December 23, 6:00 p.m.

5TH AVE N CLOSED BETWEEN PRINCESS ST & DUKE ST
(Water & sewer connection)
Start: December 22, 7:00 a.m. End: December 22, 4:00 p.m.

3RD AVE SB CLOSED FROM 26TH ST TO 25TH ST
(Hydro-vaccing)
Start: December 22, 9:00 a.m. End: December 22, 12:00 p.m.

All restrictions will be lifted as indicated, weather permitting and barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Slow down, pay attention and respect work zones. Watch for pedestrians and work crews, and for everyone’s safety, please obey all detours, signs and barriers.

Know before you go! Plan your route around road work by checking our Road Restrictions and Construction Projects interactive map. Find traffic detour information on our saskatoon.ca homepage or subscribe to our Traffic Detour Service Alerts. You can also follow us on Twitter @YXEServiceAlert and with #betterroadsYXE and like Saskatoon City News on Facebook.

NEW SUNDAY
IDYLWYLD DR SB CURB (OUTSIDE) LANE CLOSED AT 24TH STREET INTERSECTION
(Signal light work)
Start: December 21, 6:15 a.m. End: December 21, 8:15 a.m.

CENTRAL AVE NB CURB (OUTSIDE) LANE CLOSED APPROACHING ATTRIDGE DR
(Light pole repair)
No right turn from College Dr NB to Attridge Dr EB
Start: December 21, 7:30 a.m. End: December 21, 9:00 a.m.

2ND AVE S SB LANES CLOSED FROM 22ND ST E TO 21ST ST E
(Crane Lift)
Start: December 21, 8:30 a.m. End: December 21, 10:30 a.m.

CIRCLE DR NB OFF RAMP TO COLLEGE DR CURB (OUTSIDE) LANE CLOSED
(Light pole repair)
Start: December 21, 9:00 a.m. End: December 21, 11:30 a.m.
IDYLWYLD DR S SB CURB (OUTSIDE) LANE CLOSED BETWEEN 20TH ST W & RIVER
(Light pole repairs)
Start: December 21, 9:00 a.m. End: December 21, 3:00 p.m.

All restrictions will be lifted as indicated, weather permitting and barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Slow down, pay attention and respect work zones. Watch for pedestrians and work crews, and for everyone’s safety, please obey all detours, signs and barriers.

Know before you go! Plan your route around road work by checking our Road Restrictions and Construction Projects interactive map. Find traffic detour information on our saskatoon.ca homepage or subscribe to our Traffic Detour Service Alerts. You can also follow us on Twitter @YXEServiceAlert and with #betterroadsYXE and like Saskatoon City News on Facebook.

Not sure if your used wrapping and packaging can be recycled? Here are some recycling tips for the holiday season to help keep household waste out of our landfill:

Gift and wrapping paper (except aluminum or shiny paper) can be recycled in your blue cart. There is no need to remove staples or tape.

Flatten boxes and packaging before tossing them into your blue cart and you’ll have more space for other recyclables.

Clean, metal cookie and chocolate containers are recyclable.

Give milk (and egg nog) containers a quick rinse, flatten them and they’ll be ready to recycle.

Have a look on the bottom of your plastic containers. If there’s a number between 1 and 7, rinse it and pop it into your recycling.

Unwanted electronics can be dropped off without charge at any SARCAN depot. Visit sarcan.ca for information. 

The following holiday items are not accepted in blue recycle carts or bins: shiny or foil wrapping paper, ribbon, plasticized gift bags, Styrofoam, toys, Christmas trees (real or artificial), Christmas lights, ornaments or decorations. Check Saskatoon.ca for drop-off locations for real Christmas Trees. Artificial trees should be taken to the Landfill for disposal.

Do you have too much recycling to fit in your blue cart?  The City’s recycling depots accept the same unsorted materials that go in your blue cart or bin: all paper, cardboard, plastics number 1 through 7, tin cans, milk jugs and cartons, legislated beverage containers, and glass. Visit Saskatoon.ca for recycling depot locations.   

Make sure your cart lid is fully closed and your cart is out by 7:00 am on collection day.

Reminder: There is no blue cart or black cart collection on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day so our operators can be with their loved ones for the holidays. If your normal recycling or garbage collection day falls on December 25 or on January 1, your cart will be emptied on the following Saturday (December 27 and January 3, respectively). Visit SaskatoonRecycles.ca to set up a handy reminder service for yourself for black cart and blue cart collections.

By recycling paper and packaging, and putting waste in the right place, together we can divert recyclables away from our Landfill and grow a greener Saskatoon.

For more information about recycling and waste handling, visit SaskatoonRecycles.ca.  

For more City of Saskatoon Public Service Announcements, News Releases, Traffic Detours and Service Alerts, visit www.saskatoon.ca or connect with the City of Saskatoon on Twitter and Facebook

For Immediate Release:  December 18, 2014

Household hazardous waste requires proper disposal to reduce risks to humans and animals, and prevent pollution of our land, water and air. These materials should not be placed in the garbage or recycling, poured down the drain or toilet, or released into the environment.

To ensure household hazardous materials are safely disposed of or recycled, the City of Saskatoon coordinates regular Household Hazardous Waste Days for residents to drop-off these materials. The next event will be held this Saturday, December 20, at SaskTel Centre parking lot (101 - 3515 Thatcher Avenue) from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. – this will be the last event until April 2015.

Common materials accepted include: pesticides, automotive oil, prescription medicine, batteries, aerosols, poisons, propane cylinders, household cleaners and mercury-containing items.

Please do not bring paint to Household Hazardous Waste Days. Empty paint cans, leftover paint and paint-related products are accepted without charge at all SARCAN recycling depots in Saskatoon. Find out what is and is not accepted through SARCAN’s paint program at www.sarcan.ca/pages/paint.

For a complete list of accepted and non-accepted materials, visit www.saskatoon.ca and click on “H” for Household Hazardous Waste Days.

For more City of Saskatoon Public Service Announcements, News Releases, Traffic Detours and Service Alerts, visit www.saskatoon.ca or connect with the City of Saskatoon on Twitter and Facebook.

NEW
33RD ST W WB LANES CLOSED & EB MEDIAN (INSIDE) LANE CLOSED FROM AVE P N TO EDMONTON AVE
(Hydrant repair)
Start: December 18, 9:30 a.m. End: December 18, 4:00 p.m.

All restrictions will be lifted as indicated, weather permitting and barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Slow down, pay attention and respect work zones. Watch for pedestrians and work crews, and for everyone’s safety, please obey all detours, signs and barriers.

Know before you go! Plan your route around road work by checking our Road Restrictions and Construction Projects interactive map. Find traffic detour information on our saskatoon.ca homepage or subscribe to our Traffic Detour Service Alerts. You can also follow us on Twitter @YXEServiceAlert and with #betterroadsYXE and like Saskatoon City News on Facebook.

The following are the hours of civic services and facilities for the 2014/2015 Holiday Season:

City Hall will be closed December 25, 26, and January 1.

Parking meters will not require payment.  Motorists are required to move their vehicles within the time period shown on parking meters, allowing for a constant turnover of parking availability.

Municipal Impound Lot will not be releasing vehicles to the public on December 25, 26, and January 1.

Saskatoon Landfill will be closed on December 25 and January 1. The Landfill will be open all other days with regular winter hours of 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Garbage and Recycling Collection will not occur on December 25 and January 1.  Carts scheduled for collection on these dates are rescheduled for December 27 and January 3, respectively.  Recycle Depots are open 24/7 for over-sized cardboard and wrapping paper; and weekly collection will occur December 15 - January 2, 2015.

All Saskatoon Public Library locations will close early at 5 p.m. on December 24; will close December 25 and December 26; will close early at 5 p.m. on December 31 and will close January 1.

Mendel Art Gallery & Civic Conservatory
Regular hours until December 23: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
December 24, Christmas Eve: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
December 25, Christmas Day: Closed
December 26-30, back to regular hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
December 31, New Year’s Eve: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
January 1, back to regular hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Gallery Shop
Regular hours until December 23: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
December 24, Christmas Eve: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
December 25, Christmas Day: Closed
December 26, back to regular hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
December 31, New Year’s Eve: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
January 1, back to regular hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
January 2: Closed for inventory

TRANSIT SERVICES

Saskatoon Transit will operate with regular Sunday/Holiday Service.

Access Transit will operate with regular Holiday Service from 8:15 a.m. to 11:45 p.m.  Trips must be booked in advance as per normal procedures.  Customers are reminded that subscriptions do not apply on Statutory Holidays.

Transit Customer Service Centre will be closed.

Transit Customer Service phone lines will be available from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

RECREATION & SPORT

Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo:  CLOSED December 25. Regular hours of operation December 26 and January 1.

Indoor Arenas:  All arenas CLOSED December 25, 26, and January 1.
For the modified holiday rink schedule, visit Drop-in Online at www.saskatoon.ca/go/dropinonline.

Clarence Downey Speed Skating: OPEN December 25 and January 1; CLOSED December 26 - 28 weather permitting. For extended holiday hours, please call 306-975-3318.

LEISURE CENTRES

Cosmo Civic Centre: FACILITY CLOSED December 25 and 26 January 1. Modified hours for December 24 and 31.

Fitness Circuit & Terry Fox Track (in the SaskTel Sports Centre): FACILITY CLOSED December 25, 26, and January 1. Check drop-in on-line for additional closures throughout the holiday season.

Lakewood Civic Centre: FACILITY CLOSED December 25; modified hours for December 24, 26, 31 and January 1. All fitness classes and child minding CANCELLED on December 26 and Jan 1.

Lawson Civic Centre: FACILITY CLOSED December 25; modified hours for December 24, 26, 31 and January 1.

Saskatoon Field House: FACILITY CLOSED December 25; modified hours for December 24, 26, 31, and January 1. Child minding CANCELLED December 26^th:  Holiday Fitness Class December 26^th and January 1^st.

Shaw Centre: FACILITY CLOSED December 25; modified hours for December 26 and January 1. All fitness classes and child minding CANCELLED December 24 and 31.

Harry Bailey Aquatic Centre:  FACILITY CLOSED December 25; modified hours for December 24, 26, 31, and January 1. All fitness classes and swim lessons CANCELLED on December 26.

For modified Lane, Public and Parent & Tot Swim times, please visit Drop-in Online at www.saskatoon.ca/go/dropinonline.  For more information on operating hours and programs, please contact the Leisure Centres or facilities.

For more City of Saskatoon Public Service Announcements, News Releases, Traffic Detours and Service Alerts, visit www.saskatoon.ca or connect with the City of Saskatoon on Twitter and Facebook.

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