News Releases
Saskatoon Fire - News Releases
City details emergency preparedness plans in the event of severe winter storm forecast for this weekend
November 5, 2020 - 8:29am
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Clear sidewalks as best you can.
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Exercise caution when in the proximity of snow maintenance equipment.
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Report power outages, fallen tree limbs, or icy road patches to 306-975-2476.
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Have a 3-day supply of what your family needs on-hand including water, food, any medical requirements.
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Avoid travel – stay home
The City is planning for the strong possibility that Saskatoon will be hit by a severe winter storm this weekend. The City’s Emergency Management Organization (EMO) is overseeing the necessary emergency preparedness.
“The winter storm that is being predicted is one that has the potential to interfere in our residents’ ability to safely navigate the city this weekend,” says Pamela Goulden-McLeod, EMO Director. “For this reason, we need to all prepare for the possibility that we might need to stay home for a few days and plan accordingly.”
City snow crews are on standby and are prepared to begin clearing and de-icing when needed. During the snowfall, efforts will be focused on the busiest streets and access to emergency services. To respond to this storm, a combination of city crews and contractors will be used, including: 15 graders, 10 plows with sanders, 4 underbelly plows, 20 sanders, 11 sidewalk plows and a number of loaders, dozers and snow- blowers. The City will bring in additional contractors if necessary.
“We’ll have as many as 200 workers out clearing the city, and that’s pretty significant,” says Terry Schmidt, General Manager of Transportation and Construction. “If the snow is as bad as predicted, it’s possible that streets may get snowdrifts or icy conditions between passes from our equipment. Drivers will need to take great care and even stay off the streets if they can.”
Polls are scheduled to be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day (Nov. 9th) for voters to attend in-person. We encourage voters to follow safety precautions and plan to have lots of time to get to and from voting locations taking into account road conditions.
There is the possibility that a severe enough storm could result in power disruptions due to wet, heavy snow interfering with power lines. Saskatoon Light & Power staff are ready to respond as needed.
With the substantial snowfall expected over the weekend, Saskatoon Transit will do everything possible to maintain schedules but there could be delays while crews are working to clear streets. Transit service alerts, real-time bus locations, and arrivals are available on third party apps like Transit and Google Transit on desktop. Access Transit may be affected by heavy snow on residential streets.
There is also a possibility that, because leaves are not fully off the trees, wet heavy snow may cause limbs to fall. Parks crews are ready to deal with any issues that arise.
How residents can help:
City Hall closed until noon Tuesday: critical incident debriefing
November 2, 2020 - 12:18pm
There was a serious incident today inside the lobby at City Hall and a man was injured. City staff are now being offered mental health supports in the wake of this event.
The Saskatoon Police Service publicly shared the following details:
At approximately 2:00 p.m., November 2, 2020, Police responded to City Hall after reports that a man was in the lobby and threatening to cause harm to himself. The man then did produce a knife and caused injury to himself before police could intervene. There were no threats made against any other persons. The 21-year-old man was transported to hospital for treatment and is believed to be in stable condition at this time.
City Manager Jeff Jorgenson says there were many staff members who saw this happen and some may be deeply affected by this traumatic incident. “We understand what our staff members and first responders are going through, and we support them,” he says. “Our thoughts are also with the man that paramedics took to the hospital.”
Jorgenson says counselling resources are available to everyone touched by this. Most immediately, Jorgenson says one-on-one sessions are being arranged with trained counsellors for staff who need someone to talk to.
Additionally, to further help provide the necessary support and counselling to staff, City Hall and the customer care line will be closed on Tuesday, November 3rd from 8:00 a.m. to noon. Online services are available.
The advance polling station at City Hall, accessible through door 1A, will stay open.
We greatly appreciate everyone’s understanding and compassion at this time.
City Council to review options for school and playground zones
November 1, 2021 - 11:08am
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New playground zones with reduced speed limit of 30 km/h;
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Year-round lower speed limits in both school and playground zones 7 days a week from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
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Adjustments to posted signs and length of current school zones; and
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Removal of lower speed school zones from high schools, designating them a “school area” where U-turn are still restricted.
Year-round school zones and the introduction of playground zones with reduced speed limits were endorsed at City Council’s Standing Policy Committee on Transportation today. City Council will debate the merits of the recommended options for these zones and vote at its November 22 meeting.
The recommendation would align the City’s school zone policy with national guidelines and implement other best practices for pedestrian safety, including:
There is no recommendation to develop a lower speed limit in areas with more seniors. Other measures such as traffic calming or pedestrian crossing devices will continue to be used to ensure pedestrian safety at important crossings near these facilities.
Project information is available at saskatoon.ca/engage/speed-limit-review.
Dingoes and grizzly bears gearing up for colder weather
October 30, 2020 - 4:39am
With the colder temperatures kicking in, the dingoes and grizzly bears at the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo (Zoo) are settling into their new daily routines. Grizzly bears Mistaya (miss‑TIE’‑yuh) and Koda (KOH’-dah) are preparing for their annual deep sleep and dingoes Maple and Euci will be heading inside for warmer temperatures.
“Native areas for dingoes typically do not see temperatures below minus 5 degrees Celsius,” says Zoo Manager Jeff Mitchell. “Since Maple and Euci have not adapted to our cold weather in Saskatoon, we will be providing them access to one of our indoor facilities.”
Mitchell notes, while the dingoes will still have access to outside, they will likely stay indoors once colder temperatures set in.
As for the grizzlies, it is business as usual for Mistaya and Koda as the bears prepare for their annual deep sleep called torpor.
“The bears have been steadily building up their fat reserves during hyperphagia – a time when they eat over 10,000 calories a day and drink up to five gallons of water,” says Jeff Mitchell. “Once their deep sleep begins, we expect to see their heart rate and breathing rates decrease along with their body temperature.”
During torpor, bears can sleep for more than 100 days without eating, drinking or passing waste. It is expected that Mistaya and Koda will begin their deep sleep in the coming weeks.
Cameras will once again be live in the bear dens so that the Zoo can closely monitor behavior, activity levels, and breathing patterns. The Zoo will be working closely with Canada's Accredited Zoos and Aquariums Nutrition Advisory and Research Group to carefully monitor the bears throughout the winter.
The Zoo is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and admission is by donation until March 31. For more information on the Zoo, please visit saskatoon.ca/zoo.
City Council defeats The COVID-19 Gathering Bylaw, 2021 No.9782
October 29, 2021 - 10:53am
- Red: 16% reduction in gathering size but no decrease in proportion of people mixing in the community.
- Olive: 43% reduction in gathering sizes but no decrease in proportion of people mixing in the community.
- Green: modest reduction in people mixing in community.
- Blue: greater reduction in people mixing in community (half of pre-pandemic mixing).
- Magenta: greater reduction in people mixing in community (half of pre-pandemic mixing).
- Proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or negative test within 72 hours are mandatory for ages 12 and over within all Leisure Centre areas and indoor arenas as per a Public Health Order and subsequent Council direction.
- A Public Health Order requires masks to be worn in all indoor public spaces including all City facilities.