News Releases

Over the next three weeks, the following road restrictions will be in place on 51st Street while crews repair underground water and sewer infrastructure and perform roadway improvements.

June 12-16 - 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. (road will remain closed for duration of work)
Starting on June 12, 51st Street eastbound lanes will be closed from Wentz Avenue to Millar Avenue while crews work on water and sewer connections in these lanes.  Eastbound traffic will be detoured by way of 50th Street. Access to businesses facing 51st Street will be restricted, but will be maintained on side and back entrances.

When the repair is complete, the area will be paved.  It will later be removed during the reconstruction process, but the layer of asphalt is required for properly removing the top layer of roadway.

June 15-28 – 7:00 p.m.–6:00 a.m. (overnight restrictions)
Starting on June 15, 2014, there will be lane restrictions on 51st Street and Faithfull Avenue while crews resurface the road.  

To minimize the impact to traffic and inconvenience to businesses in the area the work has been scheduled to take place between 7:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. each night. All lanes will be open during the day.

The work will be done in the following phases:

Phase 1 - Faithfull Avenue from 50th Street to 51st Street and the intersection of Faithfull Avenue and 51st Street (Approximate duration: 2 nights)
Beginning June 15

- Faithfull Avenue will be closed from 50th Street to 51st Street, access for local traffic maintained.
- Left turns at the intersection from 51st Street onto Faithfull Avenue will not be permitted.

Phase 2 - 51st Street from Faithfull Avenue to Wanuskewin Road (eastbound)
(Approximate duration 4 nights)
Expected start: June 17

- Curb (outside) and centre lanes will be closed. Traffic merges to median (inside) lanes in both directions.
- Traffic in the direction of construction will be diverted to alternate routes. Left turns will be restricted as required.

Phase 3 - 51st Street from Wanuskewin Road to Faithfull Avenue (westbound)
(Approximate duration 4 nights)
Expected start: June 21

- Curb (outside) and centre lanes will be closed. Traffic merges to median (inside) lanes in both directions.
- Traffic in the direction of construction will be diverted to alternate routes. Left turns will be restricted as required.

Phase 4 - 51st Street left turn lane from Faithfull Avenue to Wanuskewin Road (Approximate duration: 3-4 nights)
Expected start: June 25

- Left turn lane will be closed in both directions.

Residents are advised that, depending on circumstances and road condition, this work may progress faster or slower than anticipated which could affect the start date of the next phase. 

It is expected the work will be completed on Saturday, June 28, weather permitting and barring any unforeseen circumstances.

The City would like to thank everyone for their patience.

Slow down, pay attention and respect work zones. Watch for pedestrians and work crews, and for everyone’s safety, please obey all detours, signs and barriers.

Know before you go! Find traffic detour information on our website at www.saskatoon.ca/go/traffic. You can also follow us on Twitter @cityofsaskatoon and with #betterroadsYXE and like Saskatoon City News on Facebook.

Make a splash this summer!  Lathey Pool, Riversdale Pool, and the Play Village at Kinsmen Park, which includes a supervised paddling pool and accessible playground, will open for the season on Saturday, June 14.  George Ward Pool and Mayfair Pool will open on Monday, June 16.

General admission to the outdoor pools provides access to a variety of aquatic drop-in activities (i.e. public, lane, Parent and Tot swims, and Aquafitness classes) for people of all ages.  Children five years and under are admitted free to outdoor pools when accompanied by a parent or guardian.  There is no admission charge to the Kinsmen Play Village. 
Also available for the summer are special outdoor pool bulk tickets.  Buy in bulk and save.  Purchasing a pack of 10 outdoor pool passes provides a 20% discount off regular general admission rates.  Get them while it’s HOT!
Swimming lessons are offered for all ages and abilities at each of the outdoor pools, except Kinsmen Play Village.  Please refer to the City of Saskatoon’s Summer Leisure Mini Guide (www.saskatoon.ca/go/leisureguide) for more details.

A reminder that outdoor pools will be cleared immediately if lightning occurs and will close during steady rain conditions or if temperatures are 14 degrees or lower.  Check Drop-in Online (www.saskatoon.ca/go/dropinonline), and sign up for Service Alerts for updates.

To find an outdoor pool location near you, please visit www.saskatoon.ca and look under “O” for Outdoor Pools.

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 (City) reminds residents to keep basic water conservation tips in mind when watering lawns and gardens this summer.

 “Being water wise helps the environment,” says Brenda Wallace, Director of Environmental & Corporate Initiatives.  “Rainwater and treated water from excess watering of lawns and gardens both end up in the storm sewer system, and eventually the South Saskatchewan River.  Ensuring lawns and gardens are not overwatered can lessen the amount of water entering our storm sewers.”

Being water wise also saves energy and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.  Energy is required to treat water and wastewater and emissions from water use by residents in 2013 are estimated at 24,690 tonnes CO₂e or the equivalent of the emissions generated by 5,140 passenger vehicles each year.

Conserving water also preserves the City’s water systems.  During periods of high water demand, the treatment plants and distribution systems are in high use so conserving water will extend the life of our water and wastewater treatment plants.

In 2013, Saskatoon residents consumed 234 litres of water per capita per day (LCD).  The median water use for Canadian municipalities is 231 LCD.  In the summertime, water use for irrigation makes up the majority of the total demand for water in Saskatoon.

The City of Saskatoon is committed to being a leader in water conservation and uses low-maintenance and low-watering gardening practices throughout the summer.  The City also collects and uses rainwater to supplement watering resulting in cost, energy, and GHG emissions savings by not using treated water from the water treatment plant.  For instance, Saskatoon Transit is capturing rainwater to wash busses at the Access Transit Storage Garage.  As well, raw water from the river is used for irrigation at several City golf courses.

For more information on how to “Be Water Wise”, visit www.saskatoon.ca and click on “W” for Water Conservation.  Check out “The Importance of Water” video on this site for more information on how the City works to ensure a safe water supply for residents.

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 Immediate Release: June 9, 2014

UPDATE: COLLEGE DRIVE & CIRCLE DRIVE, JUNE 10-11

Starting at 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 10, the following restrictions on the College Drive westbound on ramp to Circle Drive will be in place while crews pave the road.

- College Drive eastbound and westbound turn lanes and on ramps to Circle Drive will be closed.
- Circle Drive northbound curb (outside) lane between College Drive and 108th Street will be closed.

The Zipper Merge will be used at this location. As drivers approach the “lane closed ahead” sign and traffic starts to back up, stay in your current lane up to the point of merge. Then take turns in "zipper" fashion with other drivers to safely and smoothly ease into the remaining lane. Drivers in the through lane must take turns merging.

The road is expected to reopen by 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 11.

1ST AVENUE ON RAMP TO IDYLWYLD DRIVE, JUNE 10-11

Beginning at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 10, the following restrictions will be in place on 1st Avenue and 19th Street while crews work on the road.

- 1st Avenue southbound on ramp to Idylwyld Drive will be closed from 20th Street.
- Access to Midtown Plaza parking lot will be maintained.
- The left turn bays from 19th Street and 20th Street westbound onto 1st Avenue southbound will be closed. 

The work is expected to take 2 days.

33RD STREET, JUNE 10-12

Beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 10, 33rd Street will be closed between Avenue P and Edmonton Avenue while crews work on water and sewer connections. A detour will be in place.

The work is expected to take 3 days.

51ST STREET WESTBOUND AT WENTZ AVENUE, JUNE 10-11

Beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 10, 51st Street curb (outside) and centre lanes will be closed at Wentz Avenue while crews replace a storm sewer manhole and a hydrant. Wentz Avenue will also be closed between 51st Street and 50th Street.

The work is expected to last 2 days.

All restrictions will be lifted as indicated, weather permitting and barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Slow down, pay attention and respect work zones. Watch for pedestrians and work crews, and for everyone’s safety, please obey all detours, signs and barriers.

Know before you go! Find traffic detour information on our website at www.saskatoon.ca/go/traffic. You can also follow us on Twitter @cityofsaskatoon and with #betterroadsYXE and like Saskatoon City News on Facebook.

A regularly scheduled quarterly status update regarding the 2014 Corporate Business Plan and Budget projects a deficit of $1.947 million to year-end. 

“With the harsh winter we had last year we made some adjustments to our snow and ice budget for this year,” says Director of Finance, Kerry Tarasoff.  “As the season progressed we had to further enhance snow removal and a good portion of the deficit can be traced to those necessary costs.”

Civic departments have identified continuous improvement initiatives and have embarked on process improvements that are expected to be completed in 2014.  These initiatives are expected to improve the efficiency and increase the effectiveness of civic operations resulting in improved customer service and savings of $1.4 million in 2014.

Following a recent policy change, quarterly reports are prepared to make sure City Council and the Administration are aware of challenges or emerging business plan and budget issues so they can react accordingly.

“Whenever we see deficits in our projections the Administration begins looking for ways to save or for lessening the impact of a shortfall,” Tarasoff says.  “That is why the City moved to quarterly reports; it gives us time to work on eliminating a deficit so it doesn’t have to be passed on to taxpayers at budget time.”

The following is a summary of the main items contributing to the projected variance:

Snow Removal: An estimated $1.1 million deficit is being projected as a result intensified snow removal operations.  Significantly more resources were spent on removal than in typical years, due in part to a reassignment of crews following the formation of ice pack on residential streets and removing snow against freeway barriers.  A $489,000 reserve balance would exist at year-end to help cover a portion of the deficit leaving a net impact of $580,000.  The Administration will strive to reduce this impact through deferral of purchases, deferral of discretionary spending and reduced contract costs in late 2014.

Fleet Services: Pricing on unleaded fuel is about $1.20 per litre compared to budget of $1.08, causing an over-expenditure of $215,000.  However, the Fuel Stabilization Reserve has a $1 million balance and will cover this deficit at year-end for a net zero impact.

Waste Handling Service: Increased equipment rentals for the landfill, as well as lower revenues, are contributing to a projected $382,000 deficit. 

Property Levy: Assessment growth was $486,000 higher than the anticipated amount of $5 million due to increased construction activity.

The report also provides highlights of key projects (by March 31, 2014) as they relate to City Council’s Strategic Goals:

Continuous Improvement

Three Civic Service Reviews (CSR) will be completed in 2014; Roadways, Parks and Waste Management.  CSRs for Roadways and Parks started in March and the Waste Management is scheduled to start in the second quarter.

Continuous Improvement (CI) initiatives are underway throughout the corporation.  Process reviews were undertaken in Purchasing, Business Licensing and at the Water Treatment Plant.

The pilot project for Service Saskatoon, Report a Pothole, was launched in March 2014, allowing citizens to make service requests online and also allowing civic staff to report back when the work is complete.

Asset and Financial Sustainability

Twelve civic facilities now have energy and water monitoring systems.  The information gathered by these systems will lead to utility reductions and productivity improvements within building operations.  Results will be reported in December.  Combined Heat and Power units will be installed by early 2015.

A snow storage facility is part of the COC.  This P3 project is in the Request for Proposals phase.  Development of a facility for the South East quadrant of the City continues in conjunction with other future growth initiatives.

Quality of Life

The Age Friendly Saskatoon Phase 2 report was presented to City Council in January.  The report contains a series of recommendations for how to make Saskatoon more age friendly.

The Atoske Alumni group was formed and is working on enhanced training opportunities for Aboriginal youth.

As a benchmarking exercise, Saskatoon was one of seven mid-sized Canadian cities to participate in the measurement of its cultural investments between 2009 and 2012.  Over the four-year study period, Saskatoon ranked first in operating, second in overall investment, fourth in capital investments and sixth in grants.

Environmental Leadership

Through membership in Municipal Collaboration for Sustainable Purchasing, a ten-step action plan has been drafted and includes the identification of pilot purchases that will use environmental criteria for decision making.  The next steps will be to develop tools such as training for staff and templates for purchasing documents.

The Landfill Gas Collection project was commissioned in March 2014 and operation of the Power Generation Facility also began in March.

Sustainable Growth

The Saskatoon North Partnership for Growth (P4G) held its kickoff meeting which was attended by elected officials in February 2014.  Staff from the five partnering municipalities have been working on a Draft Terms of Reference, Work Plan, Communications and Engagement Strategy, and Budget for a Regional Plan.

The Intermediate Strategy for infill development will be prepared as part of the Growing Forward! project through the corridor identification and densification opportunities.

Moving Around

A comprehensive approach to transit market research has been incorporated into the Growing Forward! Initiative.  A complete market study and functional design for an updated transit system has been included in this work.  In the interim, route enhancements will be made to make sure the existing service adapts to changing transit patterns and city growth.

Economic Diversity and Prosperity    

Building permit numbers are slightly ahead of permits than in the first quarter of 2013 by 4.9%.  The value of construction associated with those permits in the first quarter of 2014 is slightly behind the numbers achieved at the end of the first quarter in 2013 by 23.9%.

Building permits issued to the end of March 2014 represent the creation of 665 new residential units, compared to 401 for the same time period in 2013.

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.