News Releases

The City of Saskatoon is inviting residents to help create a new approach to how we perceive winter in Saskatoon. WinterCityYXE, Saskatoon’s Winter City Strategy, will identify ways in which we can work together as a community to make Saskatoon a great place to live in the winter time.

“The Winter City YXE Strategy will help make our city more accessible in the winter so that everyone can participate in winter life, identify ways to create more activity and bring more energy to the winter season,” says Brenda Wallace, Director of Environmental & Corporate Initiatives. “We want to create a more resilient economy outside of the summer and Christmas seasons, so we are asking our community stakeholders to help us identify what changes are necessary, and to work with us in making these changes in our community for the benefit of residents, businesses and visitors.”

The City is engaging residents, business owners, community groups and other stakeholders to develop a ‘blizzard’ of ideas in the following areas:

• Winter Life: How can we celebrate the inviting and fun quality of life we have here, even in the coldest months of the year?
• Winter Design: How can we improve community comfort and accessibility for everyone, even in the ice and snow? 
• Winter Culture: How can we build enthusiasm for winter, take advantage of winter opportunities, and tell the story of our winter city?
• Winter Economy: How can we address challenges associated with winter to create a more vibrant economy in the winter?

Citizens are invited to provide their ideas and comments online, by e-mail or by mail and will be provided with tools to host their own “Kitchen Table Talks.” The City will also host a number of roundtable sessions and meetings with stakeholder groups.  

To encourage creative thinking, the City created an inventory of winter facilities, activities and events that already exist in Saskatoon. The exercise will share experiences from other cities, including Edmonton, which recently launched a major winter city initiative gaining recognition around the world. Results from this phase of engagement, and a plan to move forward with the Strategy development will be presented to City Council in the spring.

In addition, the City is making available grant funding totalling $35,000 to support pilot initiatives which advance learning in this area or move core concepts of the Strategy forward.  Grant dollars are available for new winter program or design initiatives that add a new dimension to existing initiatives, pilot an urban design concept in a high-use public area, and/or facilitate linkages between existing initiatives to create new outcomes.

For more information on the Winter City Strategy, grant funding opportunities, or the community engagement process, visit Saskatoon.ca/wintercityyxe.

From the January 9, 2017 Meeting

From the January 9, 2017 Meeting

7.1.1 Naming Requests – ‘Mohyla’ and ‘Figley’ and Naming Advisory Committee Quarterly Report

Decision

*The Committee approved the addition of the names ‘Mohyla’ and ‘Figley’ to the Names Master List and is forwarding the report to City Council for information.

Background

*All names proposed for the Names Master List are screened by the Naming Advisory Committee and meet City Council guidelines for name selection.  
*The St. Pedro Mohyla Institute celebrated its 100^th Anniversary in Saskatoon in 2016.
*Lorne Figley has recently been awarded the Guinness World Record as the oldest active plumber. He has owned and operated Broadway Heating Ltd. In Saskatoon since 1951.

7.2.2 Jan Coleman – Entrance Sign to Honour Joni Mitchell

Decision

*The Committee referred the matter to the Naming Advisory Committee for review and report.

Background

*An e-mail requesting “Home of Joni Mitchell” signs be established at Saskatoon entrances from Jan Coleman was received.

7.3.1 Home Ice Campaign Committee and U of S Proposal

Decision

*The Committee requested that the Administration undertake communication with the University of Saskatchewan and report back at the January 30, 2017 meeting of the SPC on PDCS with options to provide up to $3 million further financial support for the Home Ice proposal.

Background

*The Home Ice Campaign Committee and the University of Saskatchewan submitted a proposal requesting the City consider significantly increase financial support for the twin ice surface, multi-sport facility.

Current weekend weather forecasts for the area in and around Saskatoon are unstable and predict light snow mixed with ice pellets early Saturday morning. Roadways & Operations is monitoring the changing weather system and are ready to deploy all available winter maintenance equipment to keep drivers moving.

“Our crews are ready to apply salt and pre-wet salt mixture to high-traffic roads and Priority streets,” says Brandon Harris, Director of Roadways and Operations. “With the expected temperatures being warm enough, the salt and pre-wet salt mixture should really help prevent ice formation and provide traction.”

If ice pellets or freezing rain are followed by a heavy snowfall, plowing will occur to remove accumulations and slippery sections will be treated with sand and magnesium chloride. In addition, the solid layer of residual magnesium chloride currently on Priority street surfaces will help reduce ice formation.    

Circle Drive will be proactively salted in advance of the forecasted ice pellets and light snow.

What you can expect:

• City crews will apply sand and salt to high-traffic roads and Priority streets, starting with Circle Drive and freeways as required.
• Periodic sections of slippery roadways and slow-moving traffic.
• Even with the use of salt and sand, extra moisture from snow may cause slippery conditions during peak driving times, especially on bridges where ice particles may be in the air above the river. 
• Extra staff will be called in if required.
• Priority one streets and bridge decks are inspected and treated as necessary.

What you can do:

• Please slow down and use extra caution.
• Watch for blue and amber flashing lights on snow maintenance equipment. If you encounter equipment on the road, slow down, remain at least 15 metres (2.5 car lengths) behind, and be ready to stop.
• When safe to do so, drivers can report icy locations to the 24-hour Customer Service Centre at 306-975-2476 or email snow@saskatoon.ca.
• Sidewalk users are also encouraged to use extra caution.

“City crews will be out there day and night,” says Harris. “Please watch for flashing lights that signal winter maintenance equipment is working ahead. Slow down and be ready to stop for your safety, and the safety of everyone around you.”

The first of 58 girders for the North Commuter Parkway (NCP) Bridge arrived in Saskatoon today.

“We’re excited to see this phase of the project begin,” says Dan Willems, Director of Major Projects. “People have been waiting for this for many years and it’s finally taking shape.”

As the Bridging to Tomorrow project has entered its second year; two of three piers on the North Commuter Parkway are now complete and work on the first bridge span (Span 2) will be underway as girders continue to arrive in the following weeks.

Each span is constructed of 58.5 girders and each girder measures 3 metres tall by 1 metre wide and 33.5 metres long; they weigh 52,182 Kg. With the arrival, the construction of Span 2 will begin this afternoon. 

The Bridging to Tomorrow project also includes the construction of the new Traffic Bridge downtown. Willems says significant progress has been made on both bridges over the past year. At the Traffic Bridge site, the final components of the original bridge were demolished and the final two piers (Pier 1 and Pier 2) were completed in December.

“With completion of the final two piers at the Traffic Bridge our contractor, Graham Commuter Partners, can start building the new spans,” Willems says. “The in-river berm has been modified to create an island in the middle of the river, with a temporary steel bridge connecting to the north bank, to allow construction of the two centre spans.”

Construction of the new south span (Span 4) at the Traffic Bridge was completed last fall. Construction of the two centre spans (Span 2 and Span 3) will start next week, and scheduled to be complete by mid-April. The final span will be constructed this spring. Construction of the bridge deck will follow.

“When it’s finished, the new Traffic Bridge will support the growing city centre by allowing drivers, pedestrians and cyclists to cross the South Saskatchewan River,” Willems says. “It’ll 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. Construction of new roads to connect Marquis Drive to Central Avenue and McOrmond Drive will continue next spring.

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).

International bond rating agency Standard & Poor’s Global Ratings (S&P) has again reaffirmed the City of Saskatoon’s ‘AAA’/Stable credit rating.

“The stable outlook reflects S&P’s expectations that Saskatoon is well positioned to benefit from a very strong economy,” says His Worship Mayor Charlie Clark. “Along with our ability to pay for programs and services, S&P says City Council has maintained a strong budgetary performance, and kept debt low.”

Every year, S&P reviews the City’s finances and delivers a rating in a report based on that study.

The bond rater says even though “a significant decline in commodity prices has dampened Saskatoon’s economic performance,” the City’s solid economic accomplishment has lessened the impact.

 “This is very encouraging news,” says Chief Financial Officer Kerry Tarasoff. “As it has for many, many years, the S&P rating underlines our managerial performance with prudent financial policies, robust budget documents and borrowing plans.”

The S&P report also notes the City’s historically stable budgetary performance and it outlines a healthy financial picture for the immediate future.

“We expect the City will continue to generate robust operating surpluses relative to those of its peers,” the report says.

The agency again points to the City’s culture of transparency and disclosure backed with “good” audited annual financial statements as other key reasons to maintain the rating.

The City has received the ‘AAA’/Stable credit rating every year for more than a decade allowing the City to borrow money at lower interest rates.

View the full January 2017 Report from S&P Global on saskatoon.ca.

From the January 10, 2017 Meeting

From the January 10, 2017 Meeting

Fentanyl and opioid overdose continue to be described as a national health and addictions crisis which Saskatoon is not immune to; in light of this, the Saskatoon Fire Department is taking a proactive step to protect life.

“According to provincial health statistics, overdose deaths have risen dramatically for the past six years,” says Assistant Chief Rob Hogan. “This is the stark reality of our job; we want first responders to have every ability to treat patients in dire need, and so our Primary Care Paramedics are now equipped with Naloxone.”

Naloxone (nuh-LOCKS’-own) is a drug used to counteract the effects of a fentanyl (FEN’-tuh-nil) or other opioid drug overdose.

As noted, the number of deaths from the illicit use of fentanyl and carfentanil (CAR’-fen-tuh-nil) has risen dramatically in the province and across Canada.

“These drugs are extremely powerful and deadly,” Hogan says.  “Fentanyl is up to a hundred times more toxic than morphine, and carfentanil is 100 times stronger than fentanyl.”

Hogan, who started his firefighting career as a Primary Care Paramedic, points out that due to the powerful nature of these opioids, everyone responding to an overdose call is also at risk.  He stresses the smallest, micro-exposure to residue or powder on a patient could kill a paramedic or another emergency worker. 

“The availability of Naloxone on fire trucks will enable firefighters to help the patient as well as other first responders like themselves, ambulance workers or police officers,” he says.

As one of the Saskatoon Fire Department’s community partners, Saskatoon Health Region’s Mental Health and Addictions Services is supportive of this initiative which will certainly help to save the lives of those who struggle with opioid addictions.

The Saskatoon Fire Department is one of the largest employers of pre-hospital care providers in the province.  Primary Care Paramedics are in place to fulfill the Department’s commitment to mitigate life-threatening emergencies.

Fire Department Primary Care Paramedics are licenced to administer Naloxone in addition to other lifesaving medications by the Saskatchewan College of Paramedics.

Saskatoon City Council is opening up its Strategic Planning process to the public with a discussion on global trends facing the City. Let's Talk is a series of engagement opportunities between City Council and the public as part of this planning process. Kicking off the series is a conversation on trends exploring how Saskatoon will be shaped into the future. 

“We live in a changing world, and cities are at the forefront of navigating these changes,” says Mayor Charlie Clark. “From the global economy and resources, to climate change, income inequality, and technology, trends in these areas all impact how the City is able to provide a quality of life to its citizens.”

This new City Council is identifying the priorities it wants to achieve over the next four years. These priorities also need to be consistent with longer term plans that address complex trends affecting Saskatoon over the next 20 years.
To assist with this assessment, Karen Thoreson, President of the Alliance for Innovation, a network of innovative cities and counties across the United States, is being brought in. The Alliance’s new research, “The Next Big Things: The Next 20 Years in Local Government” highlights 44 trends that could impact communities in the next generation. They are categorized in the areas of Resource, Technology, Demographic, and Governance Trends.

“Many communities are deeply affected by change and disruption, often in a negative way. These 44 trends and the tools in The Next Big Things will help cities be prepared and proactive, whatever the future brings,” says Thoreson.

Thoreson will be working with staff and City Council to identify what trends are most likely to have a major impact on the City of Saskatoon, as part of the City’s strategic planning process for both the next four years as well as updating the longer-term 2013 – 2023 Strategic Plan. She says this is the first time a City Council and members of the public have been involved in this type of planning process with her, as it is usually only done by city administration.

The public is invited to the evening session of City Council’s Governance and Priorities Committee meeting where Thoreson will be presenting alongside 11 local experts offering local perspectives on key trends. The presentations are from 6:00 pm until 8:30 pm and will be followed by informal conversations in the City Hall lobby.  Parking is available at the back of City Hall on 4^th Avenue North.

Local presenters include:

• Innovation and Partnerships - Felix Thomas, Tribal Chief of Saskatoon Tribal Council and Peter Stoicheff, President of University of Saskatchewan
• Crime and Safety – Craig Nyirfa, President of Birchwood Consulting Inc., former Executive Director of the Centre of Responsibility (HUB/COR) and member of the Saskatoon Police Service.
• Community Well-being – CeCe Baptiste, Vice-Chair, United Way of Saskatoon and Area
• Inclusion and Diversity – April Sora, Immigration, Diversity and Inclusion Consultant
• Economic Development – Stephanie Yong, Director at the Wilson Centre for Entrepreneurial Excellence
• Sustainable Growth and Planning – Ryan Walker, U of S professor of urban planning
• Downtown Development - Tom McClocklin, President and Managing Director, Saskatchewan, Colliers International
• Transportation – Carl Kuhnke, Managing Director, Saskatchewan Centre of Excellence For Transportation and Infrastructure
• Environmental Sustainability – Kathleen Aitkens and David McGrane, members of Saskatoon Environmental Advisory Committee

“Saskatoon citizens care about their community and want to help shape its future,” says Mayor Clark. “It is important to engage them in these conversations about what will Saskatoon look like in four years from now, to seven generations from now.”

More information on Let’s Talk Trends can be found at www.saskatoon.ca/LT2020