News Releases
Saskatoon Fire - News Releases
Mandatory water restrictions effective immediately – essential water use only: river sand blocking water intake
December 24, 2020 - 6:35am
*Corrects bathing information*
The City of Saskatoon is asking citizens to limit their water use effective immediately for essential use only.
Water quality is not affected -- it is safe.
Examples of essential use:
Cooking
Hand washing
Keeping surfaces clean
Washing dishes
Examples of Non-essential use:
Bathing
Washing vehicles
Flooding rinks
Several loads of laundry
Due to large amounts of sanding in the river, the primary intake of the Water Treatment Plant (WTP) has been significantly impacted, as a result this is also affecting filtration capacity at the WTP.
The WTP is currently switching to the backup intake on site and making adjustments at the water treatment plant to return them to normal operating conditions.
This change is more effective at lower flow rates and that is why we are requesting residents and business to limit their water use.
We are hopeful we will be able to have the upset conditions resolved in the next six hours.
The City of Saskatoon will notify residents when full plant capacity resumes.
The City thanks everyone for their patience and cooperation. Questions on the mandatory restrictions can be directed to our 24-hour Customer Care Centre at 306-975-2476.
Make a safe choice & ride the bus for FREE on New Year’s Eve
December 23, 2021 - 6:00am
Once again, SGI and Saskatoon Transit have partnered to offer free late-night transit service on New Year’s Eve.
“Having free Transit service on New Year’s Eve removes any financial barrier to planning a safe ride home after a night out,” says Jim McDonald, Director, Saskatoon Transit. “We encourage everyone to plan their route before heading out using the real-time mobile app Transit.”
Residents are encouraged to think about using a variety of transportation modes on busy nights like New Year’s Eve. Multi-modal options are available on the Transit app. You can plan your trip taking the bus out of the downtown or busy areas and book your ride share for the short distance home all from inside the app. Transit+ seamlessly integrates a Riide vehicle with a transit connection, hailing a Riide to connect your bus journey with a vehicle for hire.
By combining modes of transportation residents can minimize wait times and costs.
Free bus service will be available on Friday, December 31, from 7:00 p.m. until 3:00 a.m. on January 1 (times may vary slightly by route).
Masks are required on Transit. Click here for more information on current health and safety measures in place on Saskatoon Transit.
For a transit schedule go to SaskatoonTranist.ca/route-and-schedules, use the transit app or call 306.975.3100 for help with trip planning.
“I can’t stress this enough: plan for a safe ride home. There is no reason for impaired driving, especially on New Year’s Eve,” McDonald says. “We are thankful to have SGI as a partner in providing free transit service on New Year’s Eve.”
Access Transit is free for registered customers as well but must be reserved.
Light & Power swaps LED fixtures in 80% of street lights
December 18, 2020 - 8:39am
- 60% less energy used;
- Dark sky compliance;
- Reduced maintenance costs;
- 100,000 hours of light; and
- Increased lifespan.
- The City of Saskatoon is installing LED technology on all new street and pathway lighting.
- The LED fixtures use less energy than the existing HPS and metal halide fixtures.
- Low Carbon Economy Fund
- Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change
- Canada’s strengthened climate plan: A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy
Beginning in Fall 2020, Saskatoon Light & Power (SL&P) started a project to replace more than 17,000 of its current high-pressure sodium (HPS) street light fixtures with light-emitting diode (LED) technology in residential neighbourhoods, commercial areas and along major streets. The two-year project will cost $6.12 million with forty per cent of the cost paid for by the Federal Government’s Low Carbon Economy Fund.
“The Government of Canada is committed to supporting Saskatchewanians in rebuilding from the pandemic, creating jobs and building more resilient communities”, says the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Environment and Climate Change. “Today, our government is investing over $2.4M to help the City of Saskatoon install more than 17,000 LED lightbulbs in existing streetlights. Doing so will create jobs for the people of Saskatoon, reduce pollution and make our air cleaner. We are pleased to partner with Mayor Clark in this endeavor.”
Over the lifetime of this project, the City will see a cumulative reduction of about 114,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, the equivalent to removing approximately 35,000 passenger cars off the road for one year.
“There is a real opportunity to make changes in Saskatoon that will benefit residents, businesses and future generations by working to build a resilient and sustainable community. The LED streetlight conversion project is a concrete example of an initiative that reduces emissions, saves money and creates jobs—and this is only one of the many possibilities that exists as we tackle climate change” says Mayor Charlie Clark. “My thanks to the federal government for helping to make this initiative a reality in our community so we can see all of these benefits more quickly.”
The remaining $3.7 million will be covered by a green loan that would be paid back by cost savings, which are estimated at $849,000 a year once all the fixtures are replaced.
“Saskatoon Light and Power is excited to begin the LED conversion project, which is one of the goals set out in the Low Emissions Community Plan to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases produced in Saskatoon. To date, approximately five thousand LED fixtures have been installed under this program in neighbourhoods and roads served by Saskatoon Light & Power,” says Trevor Bell, Director of Saskatoon Light & Power.
As work commences, residents throughout Saskatoon will notice SL&P’s “What’s the Bright Idea” campaign, which aims to inform the importance of LED fixtures for the community, including:
The lights that are not addressed in the program include decorative lights downtown, lights along freeways, in pedestrian tunnels, under overpasses and floodlights.
Quick facts
Associated links
For more information on the project, visit: saskatoon.ca/slp.
For more City of Saskatoon news, program information, Service Alerts, Traffic Detours, and links to our social media channels, please visit saskatoon.ca.
Residential snow removal proceeding on schedule
December 10, 2020 - 6:26am
- Steer clear of crews and equipment while work is underway.
- Keep kids off snow piles and from building tunnels through snow piles; the piles can collapse, and the weight of that snow could be very dangerous.
- Remove any rubber driveway/curb ramps before removal on your street.
Since last Wednesday, the City has been removing snow from residential streets, improving our ability to safely navigate neighbourhoods. Piles of snow have been removed in five neighbourhoods.
“Snow crews have managed to stay true to the schedule and maintain progress as anticipated, removing snow on approximately one kilometre of streets, per crew, per day on average,” says Terry Schmidt, General Manager of Transportation & Construction. “Beginning today, we’re adding capacity in the form of newly contracted crews. We expect this will enable us to complete neighbourhood snow removal by the end of January.”
Priority streets are being addressed following the priority system, removing snow from the highest priority streets first then progressing through secondary streets (e.g. connecting streets). Since residential snow removal is taking place concurrently with removal on priority streets, it’s possible that some residential streets are cleared ahead of connectors. This means piles of snow may remain on some priority streets in a neighbourhood after the majority of snow from residential streets has been removed.
“This type of snow removal effort is unprecedented for our city and we expect snow crews to be removing snow across all 66 neighbourhoods and priority roadways into late January,” says Schmidt. “We’re seeing approximately 500 tandem loads of snow per day coming off residential streets and hauled to our snow storage sites.”
Residents will know when crews are coming to their neighbourhood when they see ‘No Parking’ signs go up along their street. The goal is to have these installed about 24 hours before the start of work. Similar to street sweeping, residents will need to move their vehicle off the street in advance of snow operations for the duration the sign is in place or their vehicle will be towed. This is to give equipment room to operate as well as to ensure the best result.
The progress of snow removal is slower than that of street sweeping, a similar maintenance program. Crews are striving to complete removal within 48 to 72 hours of the start date indicated on the signage.
Other ways residents can help:
Removal of snow on residential streets will not result in the same bare pavement conditions that we see on higher traffic priority streets. The end result in neighbourhoods will resemble a completed school zone with some non-hazardous snow piles remaining.
This neighbourhood clean-up is in response to the severe snow accumulation in November that left residential streets impassable. Neighbourhood snow management is not part of our city's standard operations. Existing levels of service for winter maintenance will apply to future snow events. In neighbourhoods, this means City snow crews are sent to local roads when ice rutting impedes mobility (reaches 15 cm or 6” in depth).
Free Saturday parking starts December 12; program runs through end of March 2021
December 9, 2020 - 10:13am
- a parking space for longer than the posted time limit
- reserved or accessible parking spaces without the required permit
- “No Stopping” or “No Parking” zones
- alleys (unless actively loading or unloading)
City Council recently approved free parking on Saturdays in City-managed public pay parking areas throughout Saskatoon starting December 12, 2020, and ending March 27, 2021.
Parking customers are reminded that all other parking requirements remain in effect, including parking time limits. Parking Enforcement staff will continue to monitor and ticket vehicles parked in:
Pay parking remains in effect on lots operated by third party operators or commercial lots.
For more information on Public Pay Parking, visit saskatoon.ca/payparking.