News Releases

The City of Saskatoon has just launched its new Recycle Better in your Ugly Sweater campaign that encourages residents to keep waste reduction and diversion top of mind during the holiday season.

“Gifts, wrapping material, decorations, celebrations, and festive feasts can all result in a significant amount of waste over the holiday season, so we have to find opportunities to cut down on that waste and to effectively divert it from our landfill,” says Amber Weckworth, Education and Environmental Performance Manager, Utilities & Environment. “Our effort is to educate residents about all the ways they can cut down on their holiday waste in a fun and festive way.”

Here are some of the tips that the City will be promoting over the course of the campaign:

• Make memories by giving experiences over things
• Make homemade gifts out of old reusable material
• Regift old or unused items that might still bring joy to others
• Reuse or pass down your old decorations
• Skip the fancy wrapping and reuse paper, ribbons, bows, and bags
• Wrap gifts with newsprint and other unique material
• Reduce food waste by planning meals efficiently
• Take large or excess recycling to a City Recycling Depot, but please don’t overfill them
• Recycle your live Christmas Tree at a City drop-off site from December 26 to January 31
• Get the ‘how-to’ on holiday waste diversion by asking the Waste Wizard

Residents are also reminded of the following important waste information over the holiday season:

• Don’t miss pick-up day!
  • Check your Collection Calendar or download the Saskatoon Recycle & Waste app and never miss pick-up day again
  • Holiday Collections Reminder: December 25 garbage and recycling collections will happen on December 28. January 1 collections will happen on January 4
• Spread some joy by helping your neighbours roll out their carts
• The City Landfill will be closed December 25 and January 1
• Cut down on emissions by carpooling with friends and family, or get your ‘shop on’ and hop on the Jingle Bell Express for quick access to all the malls in Saskatoon

For more information and tips on holiday waste reduction and diversion visit saskatoon.ca/holidayrecycling.

The City of Saskatoon’s Emergency Management Organization (EMO) reports that this morning’s 10:00 a.m. city-wide notifynow TEST message was successfully delivered to 87,996 contacts using 141,029 message pathways (text, phone message, and email).

“Saskatoon’s population is now over 270,000 and growing. To date, we’ve had just over 26,000 residents customize their notifynow profile,” says Pamela Goulden-McLeod, Director of Emergency Management. “We have had an increase in sign-ups since we sent a notifynow message last month, but we would really like to see more residents customize their profile, telling notifynow how to best reach them. Notifynow can’t reach you and your family if you have incomplete or out-of-date contact information in the notifynow system.”   

Did you receive your notifynow TEST message today? Notifynow is a free service and these important safety messages can help you be prepared, connected and informed in the event of a city-wide emergency or one affecting only your neighbourhood.

“If you have a phone number that is publicly available, you may be in the notifynow system,” Goulden-McLeod says. “However, we encourage residents to visit the City’s website to tell us how they want to receive their notifynow public safety notification messages.”

Goulden-McLeod says people can receive notifynow messages on their cell phone, by text and email, and also register up to five different addresses that are important to them.

“To ensure you receive notifynow public safety information messages, you must have at least one address registered.”

It’s easy to customize your notifynow profile and your communication preferences. Signing-up lets you choose your preferred communication method. Help notifynow reach you - and more Saskatoon residents with timely, trusted and targeted public safety notification messages.

“Notifynow messages should play an important part of your family’s emergency preparedness plan,” adds Goulden-McLeod. “These public safety notification messages can tell you what to do, what to expect, or even where to go in an emergency situation, and this greatly helps to reduce stress for you and those you care about.”

Last month, at the request of the Saskatoon Police Service, a city-wide notifynow public safety notification was sent to alert Saskatoon residents on the escape of two inmates.

The notifynow system issued a public safety message to a localized area in August 2017 for a potential flooding situation, and again in November 2017 to a targeted neighbourhood area when a semi-tanker rolled-over on College Drive.

Visit saskatoon.ca/notifynow today to customize your communication preferences or call 306-975-3210 for more information.

Following three days of presentations, questions, and debate of the City’s first Multi-Year Business Plan and Budget, Mayor Charlie Clark and City Council have finalized the budget investments for 2020/2021. City Council’s Strategic Priorities, Strategic Plan and public input guided the multi-year budget process.
Notable Multi-Year Budget Investment Highlights

City Council started its budget review with a property tax increase of 3.14 per cent in 2020 and 3.52 per cent in 2021. City Council made several adjustments and adopted various options to minimize tax increases to ensure citizens would receive maximum benefits for their tax dollars invested for 2020 and 2021.

The municipal property tax has been finalized at 3.70 per cent for 2020 (the lowest increase in 10 years) and 3.87 per cent for 2021. In 2020, 1 per cent of the property tax is equivalent to $2.45 million, and $2.56 million in 2021.

Multi-Year Budget Property Tax Rates for Residential Property Owners

For a homeowner with a property assessment value of $371,000, in 2020, the 3.70 per cent increase equates to $5.82 per month or $69.87 for the year. In 2021, the 3.87 per cent increase equates to $6.28 per month or $75.35 for the year.

City Council Considered Various Budget Options

Approximately $19.0 million in funding was available to advance City Council’s priority projects in 2020 and 2021 comprised of: a one-time doubling of the Federal Gas Tax in 2019, available Reserve for Capital Expenditure (RCE) funding in 2020 and 2021, and funding from the Multi-Material Stewardship Western (MMSW) Program in 2020.

City Council had the option to allocate these funds based on its earlier prioritization results or retain any amount of reserve funds in anticipation of future needs or initiatives not yet identified.

At the recommendation of the Administration, $242,000 was left in reserves to be utilized for future contingency or other emerging issues. Notable capital investments include:

• $10.0 million in 2020 for the Curbside Organics Program
• $2.0 million in 2020 and $800,000 in 2021 for Growth Plan implementation and Corridor Planning/Infill Development
• $180,000 in 2020 for continued work on an intelligent transportation system that communicates rail crossing delays to first responders
• $150,000 in 2020 for a Downtown Stimulus Strategy
• $150,000 in both 2020 and in 2021 to make measurable progress on Green Infrastructure implementation

Operating Budget Adjustments

• A total of $1.8 million was phased-in for Asset Management Plans for Bridges, Parks and Sidewalks
• $175,000 increase for Transit expansion into Rosewood in 2020, and $175,000 to expand Transit into Brighton in 2021
• $250,000 increase for the Low Emissions Community Plan
• ​$178,900 increase for various items such as increases to the funding agreements with Saskatoon Crisis Intervention Services and Wanuskewin, dust issues on Beef Research Road, the Recreation Game Plan, anti-racism initiatives and Culture Plan implementation

This first Multi-Year Business Plan and Budget for 2020 and 2021 is an important first step to further improving the City’s strategic investments, transparency and ongoing accountability. City Council’s investment decisions in the priorities and services that matter most to citizens will ensure Saskatoon continues to be a great place to live, work, learn and play.

The finalized 2020/2021 Multi-Year Business Plan and Budget document will be on saskatoon.ca/budget as soon as it is available.