News Releases

Squeeze every last hour out of your day with Recreation and Sport’s new “Last Call” promotion.  Beginning Monday, September 1, 2014, patrons can take advantage of the final hour of operation at any City of Saskatoon Leisure Centre fitness and exercise room, walking track, and open gym seven days a week for a cheap $3 admission! 

The “Last Call” promotion is available at Cosmo Civic Centre, Harry Bailey Aquatic Centre, Lakewood Civic Centre, Lawson Civic Centre, Saskatoon Field House and Shaw Centre.  It is not offered at the Fitness Circuit & Terry Fox Track and excludes swimming and drop-in fitness classes.

For more information on the “Last Call” promotion and other Leisure Centre admission offerings, such as discounted Bulk Tickets and LeisureCards, visit www.saskatoon.ca/go/leisurecard.

For more City of Saskatoon Public Service Announcements, News Releases, Traffic Detours and Service Alerts, visit www.saskatoon.ca or connect with the City of Saskatoon on Twitter and Facebook.

For Release: August 29, 2014

Saskatoon Transit will not have sufficient buses available to run full transit service starting on Tuesday, September 2, 2014. There is a backlog of maintenance on our fleet which prevents us from running all services.

“Transit is doing everything possible to minimize the impact to customers”, says Bob Howe, Director of Saskatoon Transit “We are not operating in normal circumstances and the backlog is caused by a number of factors.”

“We are working hard to find solutions to address the backlog of buses which need maintenance”, Howe says. “We have sent out as many buses for repair to the private sector as we can. We have also been attempting to hire qualified mechanics to maintain our fleet”.

“It has been extremely difficult to attract mechanics to Saskatoon Transit. We have been advertising for vacant journeyman mechanics; however, in a highly competitive market it is difficult to recruit when still advertising 2012 wage rates”, Howe says.  Although the City has offered a 10% wage increase these rates cannot be advertised until there is a new collective agreement.  We have been in an environment of labour uncertainty for the last number of months which has proven to be challenging. 

At this time, all regular routes and Dart routes will still be operating. It is primarily the service upgrades we offer such as High School Specials, Direct services, and those extra buses to accommodate the large number of transit users on popular routes, during peak times.  We are regrettably not able to provide all of these services given the backlog of buses needing maintenance.

“In all situations where transit is being suspended, there are still other route options for getting to your destination,” Howe says.

There are a number of ways available for residents to find alternate bus routes:

• Transit Click & Go - Visit www.saskatoon.ca and search for route options using Transit Click & Go.
• Phone & Go – Call 306-975-7500 to access Phone & Go, a trip planning service available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  By following phone prompts, you can plan your transit trip using the most up-to-date information, or find the next buses servicing a stop.
• Customer Service Representative – Call 306-975-3100 to speak with a Customer Service Representative or visit our Saskatoon Transit Customer Centre, located at the Downtown Terminal on 23^rd Street. Visit www.saskatoon.ca for hours of operation.

The following services will be suspended or delayed effective Tuesday, September 2:

• All High School Specials (with exception of College Park to St. Joseph) will be suspended
• All Downtown Direct and University Direct services will be suspended
• Extra buses during peak travel times for popular transit routes will be suspended  (e.g. Route 80 – Kenderdine/City Centre)

The implementation of new routes will be delayed:

• Route 26 (Clarence/University)
• Express Routes for Parkridge, Willowgrove and Kenderdine Express

The following services will be running on Tuesday, September 2:

• All regular routes
• All Dart routes
• College Park to St. Joseph High School Special
• Caswell School Special

The following new temporary services will be provided starting Tuesday, September 2:

• Shuttle buses from Centre Mall to Holy Cross and Walter Murray Collegiate.
• Shuttle buses from Confederation Terminal to Bethlehem & Tommy Douglas Collegiate.

“All routes are anticipated to experience increased usage,” Howe says. “We encourage transit users to consider adjusting their trip times, if possible, to avoid peak morning and afternoon trip times.”

To find out if your routes are affected or to plan an alternate route please visit our website at www.saskatoon.ca, use our 24-hour automated Phone & Go service or call a Customer Service Representative. 

We will continue to provide service updates as soon as we have the fleet able to meet our enhanced service level beyond our core operations. 

The City of Saskatoon apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause.

For more City of Saskatoon Public Service Announcements, News Releases, Traffic Detours and Service Alerts, visit www.saskatoon.ca or connect with the City of Saskatoon on Twitter and Facebook.

Saskatoon Fire Department reminds the residents of Saskatoon that on Labour Day low-hazard fireworks can only be detonated on private property between the hours of dusk to 11:00pm.

Low-hazard or family fireworks are designed for public recreational use and include some roman candles, sparklers, fountains, wheels, volcanoes, mines and snakes that do not travel above 18m (60ft.). High-hazard fireworks are designed for professionals and can only be purchased by persons holding a valid Fireworks Supervisor – Level I or Level II card issued by Natural Resources Canada.

Before setting off fireworks on your private property choose your location wisely and carefully follow all of the instructions on the fireworks. You will need a wide clear site with no overhead obstructions. For example, a roman candle needs an area of about 30m (100ft) by 30m (100ft) with enough room for spectators around the perimeter. Keep in mind that you are responsible for any debris that may land on your spectators or another person’s property.

After dusk, when you are ready to fire, make sure that it is not windy, that everyone under 18 is supervised by an adult and that you always carefully light the fuse at its tip. Other than sparklers, never light or hold a lit firework in your hand.

Wait at least 30 minutes for the fireworks to cool before beginning the clean-up process. It is safest to dispose of used fireworks and debris in a pail of water. Never try to relight or fix the fuse on fireworks that didn’t ignite.

Detonating low-hazard fireworks outside of the specified timeframe or on public property is prohibited in the Fire and Protective Services Bylaw No. 7990. Please report unauthorized use or discharge of fireworks to the Saskatoon Fire Department by calling 306-975-3030.

Persons wanting to have a fireworks display that includes high-hazard fireworks, detonating low-hazard fireworks on public property, or any fireworks display outside of the designated times, must first obtain a Fireworks Permit. For information on Fireworks Permits, please contact the Marshal at 306-975-2520 or visit www.saskatoon.ca.

For more City of Saskatoon Public Service Announcements, News Releases, Traffic Detours and Service Alerts, visit saskatoon.ca or connect with the City of Saskatoon on Twitter and Facebook.

As a thank you to customers, admission will be free at the following City of Saskatoon summer leisure sites on Monday, September 1, 2014:
• Lathey Pool from 1 to 7 p.m.
• Riversdale Pool from 1 to 8 p.m.
Kinsmen Play Village will also be open regular hours from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, September 1, 2014.
General admission fees will still apply at the indoor pools in Lawson Civic Centre, Lakewood Civic Centre, Harry Bailey Aquatic Centre, and Shaw Centre.
For more City of Saskatoon Public Service Announcements, News Releases, Traffic Detours and Service Alerts, visit www.saskatoon.ca or connect with the City of Saskatoon on Twitter and Facebook.
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The provincial ban on pruning elm trees ends Sunday, August 31, 2014.  The ban was in place to ensure that elm bark beetles, which transmit Dutch Elm Disease (DED), were not attracted to trees freshly pruned throughout the summer months when the beetles were most active.

The provincial DED regulations also restrict elm storage because elm wood, especially firewood, is habitat for the elm bark beetle.  At any time of year, elm branches, logs, and firewood must be taken to the nearest approved disposal site.  In Saskatoon, the landfill is the only site approved for elm disposal.  Movement of infected firewood is the most likely way that DED would be brought into Saskatoon. 

Saskatoon does not have DED and the City of Saskatoon thanks all citizens for their support in preventing our city’s 25,000 boulevard and park elm trees from the disease. 

For more information, visit www.saskatoon.ca (under “D” for Dutch Elm Disease).
For more City of Saskatoon Public Service Announcements, News Releases, Traffic Detours and Service Alerts, visit www.saskatoon.ca or connect with the City of Saskatoon on Twitter and Facebook.

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