News Releases

The first Compost Sale Saturday occurs this Saturday, May 17, 2014 between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.  Residents can go to the City of Saskatoon’s Compost Depot on Highway 7 and 11th Street to purchase compost and mulch (woodchips) for their lawn and gardens!  The cost is $5 for either a 20 Litre (5 gallon) bag of compost or a 40 Litre (10 gallon) bag of mulch.  There is no limit to the number of bags purchased.  Cash, credit card or debit is accepted at the Compost Depot.  Residents may bring their own containers but the cost will remain the same.

In 2014, there will be five Compost Sale Saturdays: May 17, May 24, May 31, September 6 and September 13.  Mark your calendars!

Since 2006, the City of Saskatoon has been accepting leaves, grass, non-elm tree and shrub branches, and garden waste that would otherwise end up in the landfill, at the Highway 7 and the McOrmond Drive compost depots.

“In 2013, 21,500 tonnes of material was delivered to these compost depots and about 13,500 tonnes, or 63% of that, was delivered by residents or brought in through the Green Cart program,” says Brenda Wallace, Director of Environmental and Corporate Initiatives.  “We are thanking our Green Cart subscribers by providing them with a free bag of compost and mulch this summer.”

“The sale of compost supports our City’s long-term strategy to eliminate the need for a new landfill and to increase revenue sources,” sales Wallace.  “The success of last year’s compost and mulch sales to residents gave us the impetus to offer it again this year with more dates that start earlier in the season.”

Compost is valuable, ready-to-use organic matter that can be added to your garden soil or lawn.  It acts as a natural fertilizer, improves soil structure, increases water retention, and boosts the amount of good microbes in your yard.  Mulch (e.g. woodchips) can be layered on top of the soil around flowers, vegetables, trees and shrubs to suppress weeds, retain moisture in the soil and help protect plants from fluctuating temperatures and extreme weather.  Adding compost and mulch to your yard will help you build a healthy lawn and garden that is resistant to pests, conserves water and does not require additional fertilizer.

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.

Beginning at 6:00 a.m. on Friday May 16, 2014, Spadina Crescent East between 2nd Avenue South and 3rd Avenue South will be closed to accommodate the Bowl Blitz community event. The road is expected to re-open by 3:30 p.m. the same day.

For Release: Thursday, May 15, 2014

SASKATOON FIRE DEPARTMENT RECOGNIZES LOCAL TEACHER

On Friday, May 2, 2014, while out jogging with his EcoQuest class, teacher Tyler Rittinger was witness to a person in the South Saskatchewan River near the Broadway Bridge.  Mr. Rittinger was able to assist the person out of the river, call 9-1-1 and provide assistance until emergency services arrived.

Earlier this morning Fire Chief Dan Paulsen attended the Buena Vista School assembly to present Mr. Rittinger with an award that acknowledged his actions by recognizing an emergency, calling 9-1-1 and providing assistance when confronted with a life safety situation.  The SFD members involved with this particular incident were thankful for all of Mr. Rittinger’s assistance.

Calling 9-1-1 sounds easy until you are in an emergency situation.  Our Dispatcher said “Tyler was the ideal caller that we hope to get when there is an emergency happening.  He was calm and soft spoken and able to get me all the information that I needed in order to send help in a timely fashion. He was able to speak to the patient in a calm and reassuring voice”.

The Saskatoon Fire Department’s dispatch centre answered approximately 17,000 incident calls in 2013 for Saskatoon and surrounding Rural Municipalities.  This number does not include the multiple calls they receive for each emergency. They answer all calls from the Safety & Property Maintenance Hotline, 9-1-1 transfers and direct calls.

Mr. Rittinger always tells his class to “help out by being eyes on our community”. Each student has the emergency numbers with them if they need but he has also advised the class to “help out if you can, but maintain your personal safety”.

The Saskatoon Fire Department reminds the public that swimming in the South Saskatchewan River is prohibited within city limits. Strong river current, a shifting riverbed and steep, slippery banks make playing and swimming in the river extremely dangerous.

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.

For Release: May 15, 2014

The City, in partnership with the Government of Canada, the Government of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon Tribal Council and the Gabriel Dumont Institute and Radius Community Centre, is pleased to congratulate the first graduating class of its pre-employment program, Trails to Success.

“We want to connect our Aboriginal citizens with Saskatoon’s growing economy,” says Gilles Dorval, Director of Aboriginal Relations.  “We are doing this through skills training and hands-on work experiences with the City of Saskatoon, the Meewasin Valley Authority and local businesses,” Dorval says.

A total of 18 men and women graduated from Trails to Success. Fifteen have found immediate employment, while three are taking further training.

The main objectives in the program are:

· To develop participants’ workplace Essential Skills through participation in: group-based personal management, teamwork skill building workshops, short-term certificate trainings, and additional schooling.

· To develop an individualized participant career action plan that includes goal development for employment and education.

· To job coach and liaise with the workplace to support participants in work experience to further promote their connection to a job.

· To demonstrate the value of community partners working together to build better employment opportunities for Aboriginal graduates.

“As proof of the program’s 85% success rate, the City has offered jobs to four Trails to Success graduates,” Dorval says.  “We’re confident this will be the first step in their journey towards a better quality of life for the grads and their families.”

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.

The City of Saskatoon today announced the major road and other infrastructure projects that will lead the 2014 season. Saskatoon’s most aggressive program of road construction, maintenance and rehabilitation is underway with over $50 million targeted to projects ranging from major roadwork to residential streets and sidewalks. The investment represents 47 per cent more than was budgeted last year.

“Approximately $23.8 million will be invested in road and sidewalk rehabilitation alone,” said Chris Hallam, Director of Construction & Design for the City of Saskatoon. “That’s 178 lane kilometers of road work – which is about the same distance from here to Kindersley and 100 kilometers more than we did last year.”

Through the City of Saskatoon’s 2013 Civic Services Survey, residents identified road conditions as the single most important issue facing the city.

Although road construction, repair and rehabilitation is the centrepiece of the City’s efforts this year, a number of other infrastructure projects will be addressed this season.

Approximately $8.2 million will be spent on rehabilitating nearly 14 kilometers of water mains, and storm and sanitary sewers, throughout the city. Soundwalls will be constructed along Circle Drive near Preston Avenue. Nearly $144 million will be spent on building and developing infrastructure for Saskatoon’s new neighbourhoods.

“As always, efficiency, quality, and safety will be our focus this construction season,” said Hallam, “Working efficiently, and helping residents get around the city as efficiently as possible will be key. Using the best quality materials to fix our roads, and keep them in better condition, for a longer period of time is important. Through it all, the safety of our crews, and everyone approaching or passing work zones, will be our top priority.”

Hallam pointed to the city’s Building Better Roads website, launched earlier this week, as a way for residents to get the latest information on road restrictions and work zones that could affect their daily commutes. The site also features updates and schedules on other areas like pothole repair, street sweeping and back lane rehabilitation.

Residents can view a list of the city’s 2014 construction projects at Saskatoon.ca by clicking “Building Better Roads”.

Drivers are reminded to allow extra time when travelling through the orange zone, watch for pedestrians and work crews, and for everyone’s safety, please obey all detours, signs and barriers.