News Releases

The Low Emissions Community (LEC) Plan is a thirty-year roadmap to help Saskatoon reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The LEC Plan – prepared by national consultants, Sustainability Solutions Group, and City Administration – identifies possible actions to mitigate community and corporate emissions as a way to slow the effects of climate change, leading to a decreased need for adaptive actions. The plan will be presented to the Standing Policy Committee on Environment, Utilities and Corporate Services, on August 6.

“Climate change is an extremely complex global issue that is facing Saskatoon and Canada” says Jeanna South, Director of Sustainability. “The Low Emissions Community Plan is a roadmap of 40 actions which models how Saskatoon can achieve established greenhouse gas reduction targets over the next thirty years, through investments in policy changes, partnerships, programs and projects.”

As Saskatoon prepares for growth, the 40 actions to reduce emissions established in the LEC Plan will result in social and economic benefits for the community. Improved health; additional jobs; reduced expenses for residents, businesses and the municipality; and improved quality of life, are ways the Low Emissions Community Plan incentivizes a more diverse and resilient economy.

In 2015, Saskatoon signed the Covenant of Mayors, which highlighted the importance of early climate actions, instead of postponing action for future generations. Saskatoon committed to 80% GHG emissions reduction. From our 2014 baseline, that means drawing down from 3.85 million tonnes CO₂e per year to 780,000 tonnes CO₂e per year by 2050.

The Low Emissions Community Plan is the companion piece to the Local Actions Adaptation Strategy, which focuses on how the City can respond to climate change through infrastructure improvement projects and emergency response programs and was presented to Council earlier this year.

To learn more about Saskatoon’s Climate Action Plan visit saskatoon.ca/climatechange.

The Saskatoon Fire Department (SFD) has reached an agreement with the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) for the relocation of Fire Station No. 5 to the northeast corner of Preston Avenue and 108th Street. The move comes as a result of a review of SFD operations leading to the development of a new service model to make response times even better for the entire city. A report seeking approval for the execution of a long-term land lease agreement with the U of S goes to City Council on Monday, July 29.

“By using Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping, we’d previously identified that moving Station No. 5 to Preston Avenue north will provide a more optimal response model for the U of S and Varsity View, and at the same time, maintain responsive coverage to Sutherland,” says Morgan Hackl, Fire Chief.

The first phase of the new service model was the relocation of Fire Station No. 3. The second phase, the relocation of Fire Station No. 5, continues the establishment of an effective baseline for the delivery of emergency service to the community while keeping safety of the citizens and response personnel in the forefront. The model aims to ensure the delivery of services to citizens is done in the most effective and efficient way possible as the City looks to the future and how to provide emergency response service to a city of 500,000 residents.

Upon final approval by City Council and the Ministry of Advanced Education, a tender will be issued for the design of the new facility, followed by a construction tender and a contract award.  The anticipated start of construction is in the spring of 2020 with completion in spring of 2021. 

For more information, visit saskatoon.ca/NewServiceModel.

Saskatoon Fire Department’s new service model furthers the City’s Strategic Goal of Quality of Life for Citizens in prioritizing the safety of the entire community.

The Governance & Priorities Committee (GPC), at its June 17, 2019 meeting, resolved that the Administration bring back options for a municipal property tax target of less than the 3.94% for 2020 and 4.17% for 2021. The property tax targets presented at the June meeting would maintain existing services, correct the Waste Service budget shortfall, and begin the funding phase-in for a city-wide organics program.

The City’s Administration is proposing several options to reduce the municipal property tax targets for 2020 and 2021, based on:

• the ability to implement;
• having a positive impact on the mill rate; and
• not having a significant long term negative impact to service levels.

“At the July 29 City Council meeting, the Administration will present a number of options to help reduce the property tax in 2020 and 2021. These options will include opportunities to phase-in funding over a longer period, defer certain initiatives or take on slightly increased risk within the budget,” says Jeff Jorgenson, City Manager. “Setting these early property tax targets gives City Council an opportunity to start to plan for the priorities it wants to invest in at our first Multi-Year Business Plan and Budget Deliberation this November.”

City Council will be presented with nine options to consider, each aimed at reducing the property tax target increases earlier directed by GPC.

It is important to note that there have been some changes to the Administration’s original assumptions, including new SaskPower electricity rate information which negatively impacts taxes, which is partially offset by a lower budget estimate from the Saskatoon Police Service.  The net result of these changes is a negative impact of $455,600 to the City’s previously presented forecast equivalent to a 0.19% property tax increase.  However, as the Administration continues to work through finalizing the 2020/ 2021 Business Plan and Budget, every effort will be made to offset this impact.

“There will likely be other minor adjustments to the property tax estimates for 2020 and 2021 as more information becomes available, for example, as the Boards of the City’s Controlled Corporations and the Board of Police Commissioners finalize their budgets, and as more becomes known about federal pollution rebates,” adds Jorgenson. “The Administration will release its preliminary Multi-Year Budget in October 2019.”

Administration is recommending the following options to City Council, which provide a starting point for consideration: 

• Option 2 – implement a subsidized fee for civic services associated with special events;
• Option 4 – utilize Multi-Material Stewardship Western funding towards the Waste deficit;
• Option 6 – phase-in the Remai Civic Buildings Comprehensive Maintenance Reserve requirement over a longer period;
• Option 7 – defer the Recovery Park funding phase-in until 2023; and
• Option 8 – adjust the Major Transportation Funding/Bus Rapid Transit funding plan.

The Multi-Year Business Plan and Budget will provide greater certainty for residents about the future direction of property taxes, better alignment of the City’s longer-term goals, and improved financial stability, transparency and accountability.

City Council will set the final budget and associated municipal property tax rate through the 2020/2021 Multi-Year Business Plan and Budget Deliberations at the end of November 2019.

For more information on the City’s multi-year budget, visit saskatoon.ca/budget.

The City of Saskatoon's 2018 Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2018, is now available online.

The 2018 Annual Report provides an overview of:

• The City’s Audited Consolidated Financial Statements;
• Financial Discussion & Analysis of the City’s financial performance and forecasts;
• Updates on Major Projects and Initiatives by Business Line;
• Financial and statistical information about the City and related entities; and
• Updated Performance Measures.

Visit saskatoon.ca.

After travelling over 14,000 kilometers from Australia, the newest members of the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo (Zoo) have arrived and are getting ready to settle into their new permanent home.

“The addition of the dingoes provides a great opportunity for us to bring some exciting new animals to Saskatoon, allowing visitors of all ages to meet dingoes, most likely for the first time.  This is a great way to enhance our conservation, research and education opportunities at the Zoo,” says Tim Sinclair-Smith, Zoo Manager.

The Zoo has teamed up with the Australian Dingo Foundation and the Oakvale Wildlife Park in Australia to bring these animals to Saskatoon for the first time.

“The Dingo has kept the fragile balance of biodiversity unseen and unsung for around 16,000 years,” says Lyn Watson, Founder of the Australian Dingo Foundation.  “We are so heartened after a lifetime of work with them, to know that Canadians will now be able to observe Canis dingo in live form at the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park and Zoo.”

The dingoes will be taking over the previous wolf enclosure at the Zoo once they complete a 30-day Canadian Food and Inspection Agency (CFIA) quarantine.  The new exhibit is set to officially open to the public on Friday, August 9, 2019.

The Zoo is open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. until August 18, and from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. starting August 19.  Additional information regarding the Zoo can be found at saskatoon.ca/zoo.