News Releases

The City and Thunderchild First Nation have cleared a path to designate the First Nation’s Retro Petro Gas Station and Convenience Store at the corner of Idylwyld Drive and 33rd Street as an urban reserve.

Mayor Charlie Clark and Chief Delbert Wapass, along with the Council of Thunderchild First Nation, today signed the agreements at a special meeting of City Council.

“I want to thank Thunderchild First Nation for choosing to invest in our community with the development of the Retro Petro and the establishment of an urban reserve at this busy Saskatoon intersection,” says Mayor Charlie Clark.  “Our long history of establishing urban reserves has proven the shared benefits they bring in investment, job creation, and services that benefit the Indigenous community and all citizens of the community.  Tangible partnerships like these are meaningful steps in the journey of Reconciliation.”

The agreement will address:

• services the City will provide;
• service fees Thunderchild First Nation will pay the City in lieu of property taxes; and
• compatible land-use and development standards. 

“We are very excited to finally conclude the urban reserve process with the City of Saskatoon,” says Chief Delbert Wapass.  “This would not be possible without the prayers and support of our Elders/membership and the hands-on support of our Mayor Charlie Clark and his Council.  Today is a good day and the beginning of a new chapter in Thunderchild First Nation’s road to economic sovereignty.”

Decisions on reserve designation are made by the federal government.  If the property is designated as a reserve, it would become the sixth urban reserve in Saskatoon.  When a property transfers to reserve status, it is no longer under City jurisdiction.

For more information on urban reserves, please visit saskatoon.ca/urbanreserves.

About Thunderchild First Nation
​Thunderchild First Nation is an independent Cree First Nation whose home reserve is located approximately 200 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon near Turtleford, Saskatchewan.  A signatory of Treaty No. 6, Thunderchild First Nation has 2,800 members.  Approximately 1,300 members reside on the home reserve, and 1,500 members live in other communities throughout the province.  

It is time to say farewell to Thorn and Shruikan as the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo (Zoo) begins preparations for the Komodo dragons to return to the Calgary Zoo.

The Komodo Island Exhibit opened to the public on April 1, 2017, giving visitors an opportunity to learn more about Komodo dragons while also getting an up-close look at these larger-than-life lizards.

Although the Komodo Island Exhibit was only a temporary home for the dragons, Thorn and Shruikan settled into the Zoo family quite well.

“The dragons were a great addition to our collection, and it has been amazing to watch them grow over the past year,” said Tim Sinclair-Smith, Zoo Manager.  “When the dragons first arrived, Thorn weighed 21.40 kg while Shruikan weighed 23.25 kg.  Since then, the dragons have grown to be 32.25 kg and 31.00 kg respectively.”

The Zoo invites everyone to come and see the Komodo Island Exhibit one last time before it closes on Thursday, February 15, 2018.  The Zoo is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and admission is by donation until March 31.

Additional information regarding the Zoo can be found at saskatoon.ca/zoo.

The City is proud to be recognized as one of the province’s top employers for 2018, and to be selected among the top employers for the seventh year in a row. Enhancing workplace culture is our Strategic Goal as an employer dedicated to continuous improvement, diversity and inclusion.

“We recognize our people are the driving force behind an outstanding level of service in all divisions”, says Dan Willems, Acting General Manager of Corporate Performance. “Our employees continue to set the bar higher each year, and it only adds to that positive performance we are taking forward into the future.”

The City of Saskatoon was evaluated on eight criteria, the same used for the Canada Top 100 Employer’s competition:

1. Physical Workplace
2. Work Atmosphere & Communications
3. Financial Benefits & Compensation
4. Health & Family-Friendly Benefits
5. Vacation & Personal Time Off
6. Employee Engagement
7. Training & Skills Development
8. Community Involvement

Employers are compared with other organizations in their field to determine which ones offer the most progressive and forward-thinking programs.

Saskatchewan’s Top Employers 2018 are highlighted in the January 24, 2018 editions of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix and Regina Leader-Post. 

The international rating agency S&P Global (formerly Standard and Poor’s Rating Services) has reconfirmed the City of Saskatoon’s ‘AAA’/Stable credit rating, based on the 2016 financial statements and operating results as well as the current outlook for Saskatoon.

“As a city and community we have worked hard through a slower economy to keep finances in order while building quality of life that continues to attract talent and investment,” says Mayor Charlie Clark. 

“S&P Global’s reconfirmation of our ‘AAA’ credit rating and stable outlook is a testament to the hard work of many people. We will continue to work to build confidence in the future for all residents and our business community,” adds Mayor Clark.

S&P Global expects that the City’s “…creditworthiness will be largely unchanged because the City's budgetary performance will continue to be solid, debt burden will remain much less than 60% of operating revenues, and liquidity will remain healthy.”

The credit rating agency also notes “…that the city will continue to benefit from a supportive institutional framework, sound financial management, and a robust economy.”

“Receiving the ‘AAA’ credit rating provides the City with financial certainty and the budgetary flexibility necessary to maintain and add infrastructure,” says Chief Financial Officer Kerry Tarasoff. “Saskatoon is growing toward half a million people. We remain committed to balancing the City’s future needs with today’s financial realities.”

Every year, S&P Global reviews the City’s finances and delivers a rating in a report based on that study. The City has received the ‘AAA’/Stable credit rating every year for more than a decade allowing the City to borrow money at lower interest rates.

View the full report from S&P Global on saskatoon.ca.

Saskatoon Transit has 15 new buses on the road with the help of the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund (PTIF). The new buses are included in the total $24 million contribution towards fleet renewal in Saskatoon.

“The focus of our Fleet Renewal Strategy is to improve rider experience while decreasing operating costs," says Jim McDonald, Director of Saskatoon Transit.  “With this funding, we were able to purchase 26 new 40 foot buses over the last 12 months.”

The new 12 metre (40 foot) buses are fully accessible, have automated passenger counters, contain the latest Intelligent Transportation System technology and are more fuel efficient. 

 “Investing in public transit infrastructure shortens commute times, reduces congestion, protects the environment and helps the community access services and job opportunities,” says the Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency.  “I’m very pleased that these modern, fuel-efficient buses are hitting the streets in Saskatoon, providing residents with better transit service.”

The buses leave a smaller environmental footprint because of improved emissions, but also because they are paint free.  They also come with lower long term operating costs, due to the use of more durable materials.

“Saskatoon residents will enjoy travelling in these new buses while reducing their environmental footprint,” says the Honourable Larry Doke, Minister of Government Relations.  “Investments like this, which is funded under the PTIF program administered by the Government of Saskatchewan, will improve the quality of life for our citizens for years to come.” 

Upgrading the Saskatoon Transit fleet with new buses instead of 10 year old buses saves approximately $40,000 per year, per bus.  With fleet updates over the last five years, Saskatoon Transit has realized a fuel consumption savings of approximately $165,000 per year (based on today’s fuel prices). 

Over the next 10 years, Saskatoon Transit plans to:

• Ensure every bus is fully accessible (by the end of 2018);
• Reduce its average bus age from 12 to 7 years, which will reduce maintenance costs and fleet size (i.e. fewer “spares” required);
• Offer air conditioning and other improved amenities on every bus;

Saskatoon Transit will also be receiving eight smaller 9 metre (30 foot) buses this year funded by PTIF.  Two will be added to Access Transit’s fleet and the remaining will be used for conventional transit.