News Releases

The Neighbourhood Level Infill Strategy (Strategy) made recommendations to address concerns regarding infill development that is currently occurring in established residential areas within Saskatoon. The Strategy recommended amending the development standards contained in the City of Saskatoon’s (City) Zoning Bylaw No. 8770 for primary dwellings (one-unit, two-unit, and semi-detached dwellings), and small multi-unit dwellings (up to four units) on corner lots.  The Planning and Development Division is proposing changes to the Zoning Bylaw that will ensure that these types of infill development are more compatible with existing residential development.

Residents are invited to attend a “come and go” open house to learn more about the proposed bylaw regulations, including development standards, design guidelines, and the approval process.  Civic staff will be in attendance to answer questions, gather feedback, and provide materials.

Open House for the Proposed Regulations for Primary Dwellings and Small Multiple-Unit Dwellings on Corners Lots
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
City Park Collegiate – Student Commons
820 9th Avenue North

Following the open house, background and information materials will also be available on www.saskatoon.ca, click “I” for Infill Development Strategy, along with the opportunity for residents to submit comments online.
The Strategy is one component of the overall Growing Forward! Shaping Saskatoon project to help guide investments to accommodate Saskatoon’s growth to half a million people.

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 City of Saskatoon today launched a city-wide public awareness campaign urging motorists to respect work zones as crews start repairing and maintaining city infrastructure this summer. The Respect Work Zones campaign will run from May to September, asking citizens to do their part to ensure the safety of work crews during the construction season.

“Our recently announced $50 million Building Better Roads Plan is the most aggressive program of road construction, road repair and road maintenance in Saskatoon’s history,” said Chris Hallam, Director of Construction & Design. “To complete this work, we need everyone to make safety a priority and respect the construction zones where our crews will be working.”

Building Better Roads, which coordinates a variety of construction projects means more construction this year than last and at times will result in up to 110 active work zones each day. According to Hallam, respecting work zones will allow the crews to focus on the job and safely complete this summer’s projects.   

“We care about the safety of our employees and everyone who uses Saskatoon’s roads,” said Hallam. “If everyone does their part, plans ahead and respects construction zones, we will be able to work through the 2014 season safely and successfully.”

Motorists can avoid delays and plan their commutes by clicking on the “Building Better Roads” button at saskatoon.ca and scanning the locations of current and future road projects.

The Respect Work Zones campaign is launching during North American Occupational Safety and Health Week (May 4-10) which promotes the importance of safety in workplaces, homes and communities.

While durable pavement markings have been used on roadways throughout Saskatoon for a number of years, in 2014, as part of the Building Better Roads campaign the City of Saskatoon is expanding the use of durable pavement markings to more high traffic roads.

The cost of the annual road painting program is $800,000 per year. In 2014, an additional $500,000 will be spent on durable markings that can last between 7 and 10 years.

To minimize traffic disruptions all work will be carried out between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.

This week, durable pavement markings will be installed at the following locations:

- 1st Avenue South between 20th Street East and 24th Street East

- Central Avenue between 107th Street West and 110th Street

- Circle Drive eastbound between Warman Road and Attridge Drive on ramp

Durable markings will also be installed on other high volume roadways following rehabilitation work through the construction season.  Further updates will be provided as the season progresses.

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.

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 #betterroads and like Saskatoon City News on Facebook.

The Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo switched to summer hours on Thursday, May 1, 2014.  The extended hours mean that the Forestry Farm Park gates will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and the Zoo will be open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.  The last person will be admitted to the Zoo one hour before closing.  The public is reminded that the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo is a pet-free park.
Watch for new animals arriving this year at the Zoo, including a new feature animal in the PotashCorp Ark exhibit, which houses animals never seen before in Saskatoon. 
For more information, please visit www.saskatoon.ca/go/zoo.
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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For Release: Monday, May 5, 2014

Starting at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, May 7^th, Saskatoon’s Emergency Measures Organization (EMO) will systematically test the NotifyNOW system. The purpose of the test is to give residents the opportunity to better understand the NotifyNOW system, to let people hear what a message will sound like and to encourage people to sign-up.  

“The test will give the EMO a vital opportunity to evaluate the features and functions of the NotifyNOW system in a non-emergency situation,” says Director of Emergency Planning, Ray Unrau.

The test notification will start at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, May 7^th and will send notifications throughout the city one quadrant at a time. Everyone with contact information linked to an address within that quadrant will receive the test notification message. After a short pause, the process will be repeated until the notifications have been sent to the three remaining quadrants. We expect the testing period to last most of the morning.

“It is also important to give an opportunity for residents to familiarize themselves with what a notification will sound like,” Unrau says. “By taking part in the test, residents will have some familiarity with the process and be ready to respond appropriately in a real emergency situation.”

The test will use information currently entered into the NotifyNOW database. That includes publically available information from the 2013/14 SaskTel phone book as well as contact information provided by residents who have signed up.

“Once the test is complete we ask that residents take note of how they received the notification message and whether the message was delivered the most effective way,” Unrau says. “For example, if they got a voice message on their home land line but would prefer to receive a text message on their cell phone they would need to sign-up or sign-in to NotifyNOW and update their account.”

We also expect that some residents will notice that they did not receive the test notification. In those instances, we will ask them to create an account by following the prompts on saskatoon.ca and provide their preferred contact information so we can reach them in the future.

Saskatoon’s Emergency Measures Organization is excited to move this project forward. The initial test is part of the process and will provide us with important technical information while demonstrating to individual residents what a targeted mass notification would sound like and how they can expect to be contacted.

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.

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