News Releases

The roof of the 137-year-old Marr Residence was replaced after a leak was identified in 2020. City Council approved a plan to use the capital expenditures reserve, grant funding from the Saskatchewan Heritage Foundation, as well as donations from the public to fund the repairs and build capital for any future maintenance of the building.  

“The generous donations and support from the public and the grant from the Saskatchewan Heritage Foundation were essential to the successful completion of this project,” says Troy LaFreniere, Director of Facilities Management. “The oldest building in Saskatoon on it’s original site, an important heritage site for our community can continue to be maintained for many years to come for residents of Saskatoon and visitors to enjoy.” 

The entire roof of the Marr Residence was removed and replaced as well as replacement and repair of rotten wood, soffit and facia. The roof was rebuilt to match the prior structure to maintain the character and heritage of the building.  The total cost of the project was $88,689. With the new roof, the building remains in a good state of repair.  

“We’re so grateful for the generosity of all those who have donated to the project as the Marr Residence is a piece of history in our City and such an important part of Saskatoon’s story,” says Della Marshall, volunteer board chair for the Marr Residence. “We welcome everyone back to the house.”  
 

A report headed to the Standing Policy Committee on Environment, Utilities and Corporate Services will outline the advances the City has made toward greater sustainability and lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Climate Action Plan: Progress Report 2020 (2020 Progress Report) will be presented to the committee on April 6, 2021. It is a culmination of progress that has been made on the Climate Action Plan, which includes The Low Emissions Community Plan and the Corporate Climate Adaptation Strategy. 

“This report summarizes Saskatoon’s GHG emissions from 2019 and tracks the progress of the LEC and Adaptation actions that started in 2020,” says Jeanna South, Director of Sustainability. “While it’s too early to see significant greenhouse gas reductions, it’s important to stress that these first steps, including strategies, feasibility studies, and pilots, lay the groundwork to increase future emissions savings.” 

According to the report, emissions belonging to the City have increased, while Saskatoon’s overall community emissions have decreased. The LEC Plan is a 30-year roadmap with 40 actions and was received by Council in late 2019. The 2020 Progress Report finds that some actions have progressed as scheduled, while others are not yet meeting the pace set in the plan.   

Angela Gardiner, General Manager of Utilities & Environment, says it will take a bit of time before more benefits are noticeable. “While we have a number of initiatives under way or in early development, the results won't be seen until they are fully implemented.  For example, Saskatoon Light & Power is replacing streetlight fixtures with LED technology. To date the project has realized savings of 179 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions with estimated savings of 5,500 tonnes annually once all 17,000 fixtures have been replaced.” 

As the City moves toward the development of a Downtown Event and Entertainment District, anchored by a new arena and a new or renovated convention centre, the Downtown Event and Entertainment District Advisory Group has been established to foster connections between business, community partners, the provincial government and the City to support the successful implementation of the project. 

Planning for the development of a Downtown Event and Entertainment District is in the preliminary stages, with the current phase focused on the selection of a future site location for a new arena. While the City will retain overall ownership of these new facilities and infrastructure once constructed, numerous community partners, key project partners, and sponsors will be integral in driving the successful development and delivery of the project. 

“Having key community agencies represented on the Advisory Group will be tremendously important for the successful development and funding of this project,” says Dan Willems, Director of Technical Services. "In addition, having representation from the Province of Saskatchewan provides a reasonable balance of designated agency representation.” 

The open call for public applications to the Advisory Group resulted in an overwhelming response, and the Governance and Priorities Committee sincerely thanks all valued applicants for their interest. In considering the applications, the Governance and Priorities Committee recommended expanding the number of public representatives from five to six to capture a slightly broader cross-section of the community, while agreeing that the Advisory Group’s overall size and composition need limits to allow for the work of the group to be conducted efficiently and effectively.  

At its meeting Thursday, March 24, the Governance and Priorities Committee of City Council recommended appointment of the following individuals to serve as public representatives on the Advisory Group: 

More information about the Downtown Event & Entertainment District project can be found at saskatoon.ca/entertainmentdistrict.