News Releases

With snow and cold weather setting in, the Saskatoon Fire Department (SFD) is reminding residents to keep an eye out for people living in encampments so they can be connected to safe supports.

“Encampments exist in every Saskatoon neighbourhood and we don’t always know about every single one,” says Deputy Chief Yvonne Raymer. “Reporting encampments through the City’s 24-hour Customer Care Centre helps us connect individuals living in unsafe conditions with supports. While we may not be able to respond immediately, we are doing everything we can to make sure people have a safe and warm place to stay.”

There are two overnight drop-in facilities where people can have food, warm up and be connected to other supports.

“We don’t want people living in unsafe conditions,” Raymer says. “As the weather gets colder, we see risky heating sources become more common in encampments: that’s why the Fire Department is involved. Just in the past two months, we have seen 90 encampment fires and some came very close to being fatal.”

The SFD continues to hear proposals for a large, centralized encampment as a safe option for people. The SFD consulted with other municipalities that allowed large tent cities. It revealed this approach is unsafe for those residents and surrounding neighbours, especially during winter when more fires are commonly used for warmth.

Municipalities have reported significant risks associated with centralized encampments, including:

• Fires, explosions, and injuries to camp residents and emergency workers
• Disease outbreaks
• Rodent infestations and bites
• Soil contamination from human waste and chemicals
• Gang activity and unsafe drug use
• Human trafficking
• Physical assaults and social disorder
• Theft and vandalism in nearby neighbourhoods
• Feelings of insecurity for camp residents and broader community
• Emergency workers requiring police due to safety threats

Managing sanctioned encampments can cost municipalities millions of dollars. Once a municipality sanctions an encampment area, it becomes responsible for servicing the space and providing resources such as water, toilets, power and clean-up, in addition to emergency services including police and firefighters.¹

The SFD’s current encampment response process works with community partners to engage with individuals in encampments and offer connections to health-related supports, transportation, and temporary housing options with the goal of transitioning to stable and longer-term housing.²

“The City will be working to develop an updated Encampment Response Plan to address the growing numbers of people experiencing homelessness,” Raymer says. “It will be coordinated among the many different organizations currently involved in encampment responses, including the Fire Department, other departments in the City, the Saskatoon Police Service, the Province, and community partners.”

If residents see someone in unsafe outdoor living conditions, please do not approach the encampment. Report the information to the City’s 24-hourt Customer Care Centre at 306-975-2476 to have your report added to the queue. Current response times for the encampment team are approximately one week and are prioritized according to levels of risks.

¹ The following costs were accrued by municipalities for encampment management, removal and clean-up:

• Halifax (2024):
  • $1 million spent on Victoria Park encampment cleanup
  • $771,000 on fencing
  • $172,680 on site remediation
  • $300,000 on garbage cleanup across designated and non-designated areas
• Edmonton (2022):
  • Estimated $2.1 million to operate a city-sanctioned encampment for 60 people over three months -- including social supports and 24/7 security

² Before any removal takes place, the City’s encampment team meets with the individuals in the encampment to problem-solve and identify the supports they need, working to connect them with the appropriate help.

The SFD currently has six inspectors devoted to clearing encampments. Demand for this work has continued to increase over the last four years.

The City celebrates the contributions to our community from persons with disabilities on December 3, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Persons with disabilities add to the richness and diversity of our community and bring unique perspectives and strengths that benefit us all. We strive to ensure everyone can fully participate in our community, whether at work, play, or in daily life.

In recognition of this day, the City of Saskatoon is releasing its first Multi-Year Accessibility Plan in support of the Accessible Saskatchewan Act. The City received feedback from over 500 individuals and community organizations, who shared their valuable insights and thoughts about the accessibility barriers they face in Saskatoon. 

"The sharing of these lived experiences helped the City build a stronger understanding of the hardships people face. They also provided direction for how best to address these concerns, without negating the great work that has already been done over the years to improve accessibility and address barriers at the City," says Stryker Calvez, Director of Reconciliation, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (REDI).

The City spoke with a few residents and employees who have disabilities about what the Multi-Year Accessibility Plan and the International Day of Persons with Disabilities means to them. We are grateful to these individuals for sharing their stories with us and for allowing us to share them with our community. You can watch their stories on our Accessibility Plan page and through the City’s social media channels.


 

Saskatoon City Council approved the City’s 2026/2027 Multi-Year Business Plan and Budget today. Council deliberated for over 30 hours, heard input from 30 speakers and considered over 75 written submissions.

The approved budget prioritizes core services like public safety and transportation infrastructure while addressing emerging priorities including affordable housing and homelessness.

“This budget reflects our commitment to building a strong, safe and inclusive Saskatoon,” says Mayor Cynthia Block. “At a time when inflation is putting real pressure on both households and City operations, Council made thoughtful, responsible choices that protect our core services and invest in what matters most - our roads and sidewalks, our parks and natural spaces and the safety and well-being of our residents.

“We are strengthening our police and fire services, supporting an Indigenous-led peacekeeping pilot in the core, and increasing our investment in affordable housing. These are investments in our future, and they ensure Saskatoon remains a vibrant, resilient city for everyone.”

Over the next two years, City Council’s approved initiatives will strengthen neighborhoods, expand infrastructure to support a growing city and promote long-term sustainability. 

Key investments include:

• $84.4M in 2026 and $89.4M in 2027 to resurface roadways, improve network reliability and maintain winter snow clearing standards across a larger service area.
• $18.17M in 2026 and $19.26M in 2027, the largest ever investment in the City’s Facility Maintenance Program to preserve and protect our assets such as City- owned buildings.
• $600,000 in 2026 and $1.00M in 2027 to provide Police support focused on Saskatoon Transit public safety.

Along with these investments, the 2026/2027 Budget maintains the City's decade-long commitment to fiscal discipline. When adjusted for inflation and population growth, Saskatoon's operating spending per resident in 2026 is approximately 10 per cent lower than in 2015. This budget continues this approach while still making the needed strategic investments to address both existing priorities and emerging opportunities.

To fund these investments, Council reduced the preliminary 2026 Budget by $4.92M, and the 2027 Budget by $549,100 to result in a final municipal property tax rate of 6.70 per cent in 2026 and 5.81 per cent in 2027. For a property owner with an average assessed value of $394,200, this means an increase of $13.18 per month ($158.19 annually) in 2026, and $12.20 per month ($146.45 annually) in 2027.

"City Council's budget decisions balance the opportunities and pressures that come with adding 25,000 residents in just two years," says City Manager Jeff Jorgenson. "The investments in this multi-year budget position the City to address our community's most critical infrastructure needs and service demands, while maintaining financial discipline. The collective decisions of City Council over this past week also enable us to continue our high-performance organizational journey by not just doing more work, but by doing it better. Administration is ready to deliver on Council's direction."

According to the Multi-Year Budget and Business Plan Policy, City Council retains flexibility to make budgetary adjustments in response to unforeseen events or circumstances. More information on this process will be provided in 2026.

The City thanks all residents, organizations, and businesses who shared input prior to and during budget deliberations. Your feedback helped shape investment decisions that matter most to our community.

The finalized 2026/2027 Multi-Year Business Plan and Budget document will be available at saskatoon.ca/budget in the new year.

Visit saskatoon.ca/budget to review key investment highlights from Council's approved 2026/2027 Budget.

The most recent one-day count of people experiencing homelessness in Saskatoon found there are more individuals without stable housing in the city tallied than ever before.

The City of Saskatoon, in partnership with Saskatoon Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP), conducted Saskatoon’s fifth Point-in-Time (PiT) Count on October 16, 2025.

The count identified 1,931 individuals experiencing homelessness in the city. This figure represents an increase of 432 individuals experiencing homelessness over the 2024 count.

• Unsheltered – 725
• Encampments – 151
• Emergency Shelters – 327
• Transitional Homes – 444
• Systems – 47
• Hidden Homelessness – 237
• TOTAL* – 1931

The PiT Count provides a snapshot of the minimum number of individuals experiencing homelessness, both sheltered and unsheltered, across Saskatoon. This year’s count focused on enumerating individuals rather than conducting full surveys.

“This count represents the minimum number of individuals currently experiencing homelessness in Saskatoon, both sheltered and unsheltered,” says Lesley Anderson, Director of Planning and Development. “Beyond providing numbers at a single point in time, the data and demographic insights collected are critical for understanding the complex challenges faced by those affected.”

Anderson says this information will guide the development of more responsive, community-driven solutions that address immediate needs while supporting long-term strategies.

“The findings also reveal a concerning upward trend in homelessness, reinforcing the need for continuous monitoring,” Anderson says. “Tracking these changes over time will help us measure progress, adapt interventions, and ensure that resources are directed where they can have the greatest impact.”

More than 250 volunteers were dispersed across the community to count individuals staying in emergency shelters, transitional housing and unsheltered locations such as encampments. The data collected through their efforts will help inform local strategies and support services aimed at addressing homelessness in Saskatoon.

“SHIP is very thankful to all the volunteers and agencies that helped out with the PiT count. While this year’s PiT count was well-organized and successful we are always mindful that the numbers reflect real people who are experiencing poverty, mental health issues, addictions, family violence and other social challenges,” says Robert LaFontaine, Executive Director of the Saskatoon Housing Initiatives Partnership.

“It is now our work as a community to provide opportunities for those people and families to change their circumstances. We thank the City of Saskatoon for coordinating the PIT count and we hope to continue our partnership.”

A comprehensive report with data collected from the 2025 PiT Count will be released in early 2026.

The PiT Count is funded by the Government of Canada through Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy.

For additional information about the PiT Count, visit saskatoon.ca/pit.

*Key Terms

Unsheltered Homelessness − Without any form of shelter and residing in public places (i.e. streets, park, vacant buildings) or in areas not fit for habitation (i.e. cars)

Encampments – Outdoor locations with a group of tents, makeshift shelters or other long-term outdoor settlements, where two or more individuals are staying.

Emergency Shelters – Individuals residing in emergency shelters. It may include people who receive hotel/motel vouchers in lieu of emergency shelter. It does not include people who have security of tenure or who are in social or supported/subsidized housing.

Transitional Housing − Intended to offer a supportive living environment for its residents, including offering them the experience, tools, knowledge, and opportunities for social and skill development to become more independent and transition from homelessness to secure housing. It is considered an intermediate step between emergency shelter and supportive or independent housing, and has limits on how long an individual or family can stay.

Systems − Refers to people experiencing homelessness who spend the night in a health or correctional facility, such as: an urgent care facility; emergency department; hospital inpatient ward; detox, treatment or rehabilitation centre; correctional facility; or police holding cell.

Hidden Homelessness − Individuals experiencing hidden homelessness include those living temporarily with others without guaranteed residency (i.e., couch surfing) and staying in short-term rentals without secure tenure (i.e., self-funded motel/hotel).

  Please note: This New Release has been re-issued to provide an updated Budget Agenda link to correct a typographical error in the Saskatoon Police budget report. The Saskatoon Police Budget capital ask was incorrectly stated as $4,607,000,000; the correct figure is $4,607,000.

City Administration has finalized the 2026 assessment growth revenue at $3.9 million, which is $2.5 million higher than the preliminary estimate of $1.4 million released earlier this month.

“This higher than anticipated revenue is very good news for the City and taxpayers; it helps to partially offset the added costs of responding to increased fire and police calls, maintaining more kilometers of roads and more hectares of park space that come with a growing city,” says Chief Financial Officer, Clae Hack. “It’s a positive indicator that reflects the continued strength and resilience of our local economy.”

Assessment growth refers to new property tax revenue generated from construction, major renovations and property improvements across the city. This growth expands the tax base, allowing the cost of City services and capital projects to be shared among more properties. As a result, the preliminary 2026/2027 budgetary tax increase for existing property owners in Saskatoon will be lower than Administration previously projected.

The stronger-than-expected assessment revenue is a positive development that reflects ongoing confidence in the Saskatoon economy. It will give City Council more financial capacity as it prepares for the 2026/2027 Budget deliberations set for November 25–27, 2025.

The 2026/2027 Budget agenda is now available online at saskatoon.ca/meetings.

The agenda includes the Administration’s report with more than 100 budget scenarios for City Council to review; all are aimed at lowering property tax rates in 2026 and 2027. It also features reports from the City’s Controlled Corporations and Statutory Boards, along with general reports and operating and capital options. Agenda items may change.

How to participate in the 2026/2027 Budget with City Council

Members of the public may submit comments or request to make a five-minute presentation, either in person or remotely, during City Council’s 2026/2027 Budget deliberations.

Deadline: Submissions will be received until 5:00 p.m., Monday, November 24, and will appear on the revised agenda.

Ways to participate:

• By email using the online form
• By mail or in person:
  Office of the City Clerk
  222 – 3rd Avenue North
  Saskatoon, SK S7K 0J5

For questions about the 2026/2027 Budget participation process, contact the City Clerk’s Office at 306-975-3240.

City Council’s 2026/2027 Budget deliberations will be live streamed for all residents at saskatoon.ca/livestream. Meetings will begin at 9:30 a.m. each day.

Visit saskatoon.ca/budget for additional budget-related information.

The City of Saskatoon is proud to announce that its green network project, Nourishing Community: Leif Erickson and Boughton Park Enhancements, received a Certificate of Merit for Landscape Architecture at the Design Council of Saskatchewan’s 2025 Premier’s Awards of Excellence in Design Gala, held on Friday, November 7, 2025, in Saskatoon.

Funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Natural Infrastructure Fund, this innovative project demonstrates how thoughtful design can strengthen communities, improve sustainability and enhance public spaces.

Constructed in 2025, the enhancements at Leif Erickson and Boughton Parks included:

• Food Forests – inviting spaces planted with fruit-bearing trees, shrubs and perennials to provide edible landscapes and increase canopy cover.
• Water Conservation Measures – adaptive irrigation systems and naturalized plantings to reduce water use and operational costs.
• Park Upgrades – new pathways, benches, bike racks, playground equipment (Boughton Park) and educational signage to improve accessibility and amenities.

By coordinating these complementary activities, the City reduced construction impacts, saved time and money and optimized external funding. The integrated approach also delivers multiple co-benefits, including addressing food insecurity, improving green space quality, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and supporting canopy cover targets.

“This project reflects our commitment to creating resilient, inclusive spaces that meet community needs,” says Jeanna South, Director of Sustainability. “We’re honoured to be recognized among Saskatchewan’s design leaders.”

For more information about the Premier’s Awards of Excellence in Design, visit: designcouncil.sk.ca/premiers-awards

For more information on the Leif Erickson and Boughton Park upgrade projects, visit:

saskatoon.ca/engage/boughton-park-upgrade

saskatoon.ca/engage/leif-erickson-park-upgrade

For more information on Saskatoon’s Natural Infrastructure Fund: Green Network Project, visit:

saskatoon.ca/naturalinfrastructurefund

After two consecutive years of record population growth that added 25,000 residents to Saskatoon, the City's Preliminary 2026/2027 Budget focuses on core services and infrastructure investments that keep pace with demand: repaving aging roads, expanding transit service and strengthening emergency response capacity.

The Preliminary 2026/2027 Multi-Year Business Plan and Budget and the Preliminary 2026/2027 Capital Project Budget prepared by City Administration, proposes strategic investments to enhance service delivery and support for a growing city.

Proposed Strategic Investment Highlights:

• Transportation Infrastructure – $84.4M (2026) and $89.4M (2027) to resurface roadways, improve network reliability and maintain winter snow clearing standards across a larger service area.
• Transit Development – $52.7M in capital investment to expand the bus fleet and advance LINK construction, and improve transit connections between growing neighborhoods and employment, healthcare and services.
• Public Safety – Additional firefighters for Fire Hall No. 11 and enhanced Fire Apparatus Reserve funding to reduce emergency response times as the city expands.
• Operations & Community Services – Sustained funding for recreation facilities, community programs, and civic operations maintains access to services residents rely on daily.

"These investments address the infrastructure gap that rapid growth creates," says Chief Financial Officer, Clae Hack.

“From 2022 to 2024, our city added 25,000 people — more than the populations of Yorkton and Humboldt combined — and we expect another 9,000 new residents in 2025. With that kind of growth, we need more buses, more road maintenance, and more fire halls to maintain our service levels. Administration’s proposed budget invests in the infrastructure and services needed to support our growing population.”

Hack notes that while inflation and expanding service demands place pressure on the operating budget, Saskatoon still maintains one of the lowest municipal property tax environments among major western Canadian cities—supported by the City's ‘AAA/Stable’ credit rating, which has been held for 23 consecutive years.

"Our credit rating reflects disciplined financial management that keeps the City’s borrowing costs low," Hack adds. "That means valued taxpayer dollars stretch further on capital projects."

In response to the Governance & Priorities Committee’s June 2025 direction, Administration developed multiple budget scenarios that demonstrate potential reductions to the preliminary municipal property tax rate, with corresponding service adjustments. These scenarios will provide City Council with clear options during its deliberations.

The Preliminary 2026/2027 Budget represents Administration's assessment of resources required to maintain service delivery and support for Council's strategic priorities. Final budget decisions will be made by City Council during deliberations scheduled for November 25–27, 2025.

Council’s 2026/2027 Budget deliberations will be live streamed.

Visit saskatoon.ca/budget for more information.

From neighbourhood parks to reliable services, Saskatoon residents say they appreciate the quality of life their city offers. Results from the City’s 2025 Civic Services Surveys show most residents continue to feel positive about life in Saskatoon while identifying key areas for improvement.

The Governance and Priorities Committee of City Council will receive a report detailing survey findings at its November 12 meeting.

“The surveys continue to confirm that residents value the services the City provides and feel a strong connection to their community,” says Carla Blumers, Director of Communications and Public Engagement. “At the same time, the results highlight areas where residents want to see more action, particularly around housing, homelessness and public safety.”

Eighty-two per cent of respondents say they are satisfied with life in Saskatoon, consistent with 2024. Nearly seven in 10 rate the city’s quality of life as good or very good. and more than half say things have improved or stayed the same over the past three years.

When asked about the most important issues facing Saskatoon, survey respondents say homelessness, crime and housing are priority areas. Homelessness is the top concern for 35 per cent of respondents, followed by crime and public safety at 21 per cent and housing at 11 per cent.

The majority of respondents – 80 per cent – say they are satisfied with the quality of services provided by the City. This is an increase of five percentage points from 2024. And 79 per cent say they receive good or very good value from the services provided. The survey further explored how respondents evaluated 31 City services. Top-rated City services include drinking water quality, fire protection, electrical reliability, water main break repairs and garbage collection.

Policing, snow and ice road maintenance and traffic management were identified as top priorities for improvement. This marks a shift from 2024, when only police services were highlighted as a key area for improvement.

“The 2025 results provide a strong foundation for future planning,” Blumers says. “The City will use this feedback to inform decisions on strategic priorities, budgeting and service delivery, and to identify opportunities for continuous improvement.”

Survey results are available at saskatoon.ca/civic-services-surveys.