News Releases

Saskatoon Fire Department (SFD) is pleased to celebrate the grand opening of the new Fire Station No. 5 at 1075 Preston Avenue North. The new station will replace the 56-year-old Fire Station No. 5 at 421 Central Avenue in Sutherland.

The relocation comes as a result of a review of SFD’s operations in 2014 that led to the development of a new service model to improve the fire service’s response times across the city. The model aims to ensure SFD’s delivery of services is done in the most effective and efficient way possible as the City looks to the future and how to provide emergency response service to a city of 500,000 residents.

The new fire station features 10,000 square feet on two storeys and is equipped with two bays that will house one frontline engine and reserve apparatus. The station will be staffed with four firefighter-paramedics and one officer, 24 hours per day. Fire Inspectors will also use the new station’s office space during daytime hours.

A highlight of the building is the dedicated cultural space. The room’s design intentionally includes a central tiled circle and is equipped with ventilation to accommodate smudging ceremonies. The perimeter of the room will highlight artwork created by students from Oskāyak High School, which will be regularly updated throughout the year. The shared space is intended for use by SFD and the University of Saskatchewan. When available, the room will be open for public bookings by residents and community groups.

“This new fire station serves as a demonstration of collaboration for the betterment of the community. The partnership we've experienced with the University of Saskatchewan has been instrumental in the endeavor of relocating Station No. 5,” says Fire Chief Morgan Hackl. "The station offers a newer facility design for our crews that is centered around our commitment to truth and reconciliation, while at the same time delivering improved response coverage to the north-east part of the city. The relocation of Station No. 5 is a welcomed addition to our network of infrastructure and will support the community for generations to come.”

“The new Fire Hall No. 5, built in partnership with the University of Saskatchewan, is a great collaboration that will re-organize the fire service to provide better response times to neighbourhoods as the City grows. It is important that all of our neighbourhoods, both existing and new, have access to immediate fire and safety services when they need them. It will also save millions of dollars a year by reducing the need for another station in the area. I want to thank all partners who have worked together to help improve the services in our city,” says Mayor Charlie Clark.

“The establishment of the new fire station is the latest development in our long-standing relationship with the City of Saskatoon,” said University of Saskatchewan (USask) President Peter Stoicheff. “We are proud to play a role in supporting this vital project and furthering our commitment to the vibrant community that we all serve. We are also pleased to see the inclusion of a shared cultural space on this site spotlighting the work of Oskāyak High School

students, as we recognize that this new fire station is located on Treaty 6 Territory and the Homeland of the Métis.” says University of Saskatchewan President Peter Stoicheff.

To commemorate the completion of construction, a ceremonial grand opening event took place at the new station on Tuesday, August 29, 2023. Station No. 5 is scheduled to be fully operational in mid-September once all Life Safety tests are complete. The former Station No. 5 on Central Avenue will be decommissioned and options will be explored to determine the future of the building.

For additional information, visit saskatoon.ca/FireStation5.

Road construction in Saskatoon is moving along on schedule and on budget this summer. The City of Saskatoon earmarked $67.17 million for 2023 road and bridge maintenance and construction. 

• Construction on the westbound side of the Circle Drive North bridge wrapped up in July and crews continue to work on the eastbound side. The bridge rehabilitation began in February and is expected to fully reopen in October. Work on the 40-year-old bridge includes new asphalt and barriers, improvements to drainage and concrete, and repairs to the piers and abutments.
• Several road resurfacing projects on some of the city’s busiest roads are complete, including Circle Drive North (westbound lanes) between Alberta Avenue and Millar Avenue. Sections of Preston Avenue between 8^th Street and Preston Crossing and Wanuskewin Road from 71^st Street to Penner Road have also been resurfaced.
• Water main replacement projects continue throughout various parts of the city, including Downtown and in sections of River Heights, 33^rd Street West, and Varsity View. Road and sidewalk upgrades in the Saskatoon Transit Downtown Terminal are complete.

“The weather this summer has been good for construction and over the past several years, we’ve improved and coordinated road and sidewalk work to happen at the same time as water main replacements,” says Terry Schmidt, General Manager of Transportation and Construction. “All of this results in efficiency and cost savings while reducing prolonged impacts to residents.”

The City has been busy with electrical infrastructure upgrades as well. Saskatoon Light and Power has finished improvements to the underground electrical vault Downtown on 2^nd Avenue between 21^st Street and 22^nd Street. Over the next few months, electricians will work on recommissioning the vault, but no additional road or sidewalk disruptions are expected.

More information about major construction projects can be found at saskatoon.ca/construction. The page includes links to the Road Restrictions and Construction Projects Map as well as how to sign up to receive the Daily Road Report.

We thank residents for their pave-tience during construction. We know it can be a real ‘pain in the asphalt.’

City Council’s Governance & Priorities Committee (GPC) at its September 13 meeting, referred the remaining budget reports and options to the budget deliberations in November for consideration. After a summer of extensive budget meetings and discussions, the Special Budget Meetings previously set for September 20 and October 18 will no longer be required.

Property tax-supported options as well as various business line, spending and staffing reports will be considered at the final budget deliberations in November as Administration and City Council work diligently to continue to lower the City’s 2024/2025 projected funding gap.

Via Council’s prior Special Budget Meetings held June through August, there remains a total of 58 property tax-funded budget options that were not recommended by Administration and these are yet to be considered by GPC. In addition, there are 10 Utility-supported budget options that remain to be considered.

“City Council will continue to investigate the remaining 68 budget line options at budget deliberations on Nov 28 - 30. In addition to considering the Administrative options, City Council will have the opportunity to bring forward any additional options through the notice of motion process at the September 27 Council meeting or October 11 Governance and Priorities Committee meeting,” says Clae Hack, Chief Financial Officer. “We look forward to continuing to work to find the right balance between the services our residents and businesses expect along with a reasonable property tax.”

During GPC’s previous Special Budget Meetings June 14, July 25, August 15  and August 31, meaningful progress was made to shave the City’s projected funding gap by about $35 million, reduced now to $21.9 million in 2024, and $18.8 million in 2025. It is important to note the funding gap is not a deficit - it represents the projected costs required for the City to deliver civic services in 2024 and 2025 at today’s service levels.

“The 2024/2025 Multi-Year Business Plan & Budget document Council will review in November will have incorporated all budget options tentatively approved up to August 31,” adds Hack. “The starting 2024/2025 property tax rates to be considered by City Council in November are projected to be 7.47% and 5.93% respectively. However, it is important to note there will be several options still available to further reduce the property tax rates over the next two years.”  

Council awaits draft budget submissions earlier requested from the Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners and the Saskatoon Library Board. These will be incorporated into this fall’s budget discussions.

For more information on the 2024/2025 Multi-Year Budget & Business Plan, including answers to frequently asked questions and factual reference charts and graphs, check the 2024/2025 Multi-Year Budget Information Guide or visit Saskatoon.ca/budget.

The City and Lac La Ronge Indian Band have cleared a path to designate the First Nation’s land at 211 Wheeler Street, the site of Canada North Environmental Services (CanNorth), as an urban reserve. 

CanNorth is a private environmental consulting company that is 100% owned by Kitsaki Management Limited Partnership, the business arm of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band. Since 1997, CanNorth has provided high quality environmental and heritage services to a diversity of clients for a wide range of project types.

Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark and Lac La Ronge Indian Band Chief Tammy Cook-Searson, along with the Council of Lac La Ronge Indian Band and Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners Chair, Jyotsna (Jo) Custead, today signed urban reserve agreements during a special signing ceremony.

“It is an exciting progression in the longstanding relationship between Lac La Ronge Indian Band and the City of Saskatoon to have their CanNorth property transition to an urban reserve. I’m pleased that Lac La Ronge Indian Band has chosen to continue investing in Saskatoon. We have seen urban reserve agreements provide great value to both the First Nation and the City of Saskatoon – offering employment opportunities, strengthening partnerships, and fulfilling Treaty Land Entitlements. These investments in our city help create prosperity for everyone and are a model of good partnership and cooperation” says Mayor Charlie Clark.

At its regularly scheduled meeting on August 30, 2023, City Council approved the Municipal Services and Compatibility Agreement negotiated with Lac La Ronge Indian Band. The Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners also approved the Police Services Agreement at their regularly scheduled meeting on August 24, 2023. These agreements fulfill the municipal requirements for urban reserve designation.

The agreements address:

• municipal and police services the City will provide;
• service fees Lac La Ronge Indian Band will pay the City in lieu of property taxes; and
• compatible land-use and development standards. 

The Lac La Ronge Indian Band is in the process of creating six new urban reserves including one in Saskatoon.  “The goal is to have these urban reserves provide our community the opportunity for economic development including commercial, residential and industrial activities. The intention is to establish the urban reserve in Saskatoon to ensure the Lac La Ronge Indian Band members who are studying science, technology, engineering and math at the post-secondary level have a landing place upon completion of their degree,” says Chief Tammy Cook-Searson.  

Decisions on reserve designation are made by the federal government. Once the property is designated as a reserve, it will become the tenth urban reserve in Saskatoon. When a property transfers to reserve status, it is no longer under City jurisdiction.

For more information on urban reserves, please visit saskatoon.ca/urbanreserves.

About Lac La Ronge Indian Band

Lac La Ronge Indian Band is a member of the Prince Albert Grand Council, whose home reserves are located near the Churchill River and around Lac La Ronge, Saskatchewan, approximately 240 km north of Prince Albert. A signatory of an adhesion to Treaty No. 6, approximately 7,300 members reside on home reserves, and approximately 4,650 members live in other communities off reserve, throughout the province, including approximately 500 members living in Saskatoon.

Lac La Ronge Indian Band has taken control of its approximately 44,000 hectares of its reserve lands and resources pursuant to the Framework Agreement on First Nation Land Management and has enacted Lac La Ronge Indian Band Land Code which came into force and effect on November 15, 2019.
 

As part of planning for the Downtown Event and Entertainment District, the City engaged KPMG LLP (KPMG) to conduct an in-depth report on potential non-property tax revenue instruments that could be implemented to help pay for the project. This analysis will be presented as an information report at the September 13, 2023, meeting of the Governance and Priorities Committee.

“This report helps us understand the various options out there that will assist us in creating a financial plan with minimal impact on taxpayers,” says Clae Hack, Chief Financial Officer. “It provides us with the data and information necessary to refine our projections and bring forth a draft funding plan.” 

Hack stresses any use of these instruments has not been approved by Council. The purpose of the report is to quantify any potential revenues for each instrument and to update Council and the public on the status of the work so far.

“There is much more to do, including extensive engagement with the province and industry groups, before any formal approvals are requested or received to implement any of these financial instruments,” Hack says.

Out of five non-property tax revenue instruments analyzed by KPMG, Administration has identified four options that warrant additional analysis:

• Accommodations Tax: A charge applied to short-term hotel, motel, hostel and online platform stays, as already exists in many Canadian municipalities.
• Facility Fee: A charge applied to event tickets, as is already in practice at SaskTel Centre and TCU Place.
• Tax-Increment Financing (TIF): A property tax revenue with a defined geographic boundary (i.e., the District), generally only used in areas of redevelopment.
• Parking Revenue from New Parking Structure: Net funding from the City-owned parking structure.

“These types of funding tools have been used successfully by many other municipalities, in Canada and other countries,” he says. “This is not re-inventing anything, rather it is looking at best-practices and what has worked elsewhere to create a made-in-Saskatchewan solution.”

The full scope and financial plan for the Downtown Event and Entertainment District has not been finalized and this KPMG analysis provides valuable information as a starting point to continue establishing full project cost estimates and funding requirements.

The full report, including the complete analysis by KPMG, can be found on the meeting agenda.

In addition to the City’s Major Preservation Program for sidewalks, City crews undertake minor repairs to numerous sidewalks to improve safety and mobility for pedestrians.   

The Sidewalk Safety Repair Program has undergone major enhancements over the last three years. This has led to the completion of nearly 18 km of sidewalk safety repairs in 2021 and 2022, representing a substantial increase to an average of 2.6 km typically completed in the years leading up to 2021. The program remains on track for continued progress in 2023, with 2.8 km of sidewalk repairs already completed this season. 

“The City of Saskatoon remains committed to keeping sidewalks well-maintained, accessible and safe for all pedestrians,” says Goran Saric, Director of Roadways, Fleet and Support.  

Recognizing the importance of well-maintained sidewalks, the City's new process for inspecting, prioritizing, and then repairing damaged sidewalk panels that create safety concerns has yielded substantial increase in accomplishments. More than 1,600 sidewalk concerns were resolved in 2021 and 2022. 

The advancements in the program included several process and resource improvements: 

• Criteria such as safety and pedestrian use has been adopted to more effectively prioritize sidewalk repair work.  

• Improved tool and method for capturing relevant inspection information enables better decision making.  

• A new work planning system empowers crews to prioritize and execute work orders more efficiently.  

• A new process for tracking and reporting Key Performance Indicators has improved transparency, accountability, and program management. 

• The creation of a central information database enables prompt and comprehensive responses to residents' inquiries. 

• Improved cross-departmental collaboration has resulted in better coordination of repair work with other programs such as sidewalk replacement program. 

• Improved resourcing has resulted in timelier and better-quality inspections, including improved capacity to deliver more work.     

“The success of the Sidewalk Repair Program exemplifies City’s dedication to continuous improvement and serves as a testament to the positive impact of collaboration, innovation and effort,” says Saric.  

Saskatoon boasts a network of 2,386 km of sidewalks, spanning a distance of about half the width of the United States. This essential infrastructure is crucial to the mobility and safety of residents across the city. 

To report a sidewalk safety concern, please call our Customer Care Center, available 24/7 at 306-975-2476. 

More information on sidewalk repairs is available at saskatoon.ca/sidewalks.

Devastating floods are less of a concern for dozens of property owners in the Adelaide/Churchill Park neighbourhood, thanks to a new project in the north end of Churchill Park. A dry storm pond, which serves as park and recreational space when dry, officially opened today.

The new dry storm pond is the second of nine flood mitigation projects to be completed under the Flood Control Strategy (FCS) by 2027. The FCS was approved by Saskatoon City Council in 2018. The first project, also a dry storm pond, opened in W.W. Ashley District Park in 2022 and construction is now underway on a dry storm pond in Weaver Park. The Government of Canada has contributed $21.6 million towards Saskatoon’s FCS through the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund.

“Due to climate change, extreme weather events are occurring more frequently all over the world,” said the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities. “This is why we are proud to celebrate the opening of the Churchill Dry Storm Pond in Saskatoon. This important infrastructure will protect neighbourhoods and businesses from future flooding events. We will continue investing in projects that enable communities to withstand natural disasters and thrive for generations to come.”

“Dry storm ponds provide tremendous value in preventing flooding in neighbourhoods that historically have been prone to floods,” said Saskatoon Mayor, Charlie Clark. “These ponds help to mitigate the damage from weather events and can provide peace of mind to residents. The Churchill Dry Storm Pond will provide this same reassurance to residents in the surrounding area. Thanks to continued funding partnerships, we’re able to build infrastructure that protects against more frequent extreme weather events.”

“We have a plan in place to ensure all of our flood mitigation projects are built and functioning before the end of 2027,” said Mitch McMann, Storm Water Utility Manager. “With more severe and less predictable rain events, these projects are important to our residents. During a heavy rain event on June 3 of this year, storm water that would have previously flooded nearby intersections and properties, drained into this dry storm pond instead. The new project functioned very well and as it was intended to.”

Dry storm ponds hold water that would otherwise cause nearby flooding during intense rainfalls. The water flows into storm drains, then through underground pipes into the dry storm pond, where it then flows toward and empties into the South Saskatchewan River.

The Churchill Park dry storm pond will help prevent flooding at more than 50 properties around Ruth Street and Cairns Avenue, Bute Street and Munroe Avenue, Ruth Street and York Avenue, and Bute Street and Albert Avenue. The project also included the establishment of new trees, a new pathway, multi-purpose sports fields, and spectator seating built into the slopes.

Once all FCS projects are completed, the City anticipates seeing a substantial decrease in the amount of neighbourhood flooding in the top 10 highest risk areas of Saskatoon.

For more information about the FCS, visit saskatoon.ca/floodplan.

A pair of civic surveys conducted for the City of Saskatoon earlier this year show most residents remain satisfied with life in their community and the municipal services they receive. The surveys also reveal trends in where respondents would like to see the City focus future efforts.

The 2023 Civic Satisfaction & Performance Survey and Civic Services Survey on Performance, Priorities and Preferences were conducted by Forum Research Inc. through their online panel in May and June 2023, respectively. Due to the random sampling for these online surveys, the sample is reflective of Saskatoon’s population and therefore the data is reliable and representative of the community.

“These two surveys are a very important measure of how residents feel about their city and the services their municipal government provides,” says Celene Anger, Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer. “Results of both surveys will be used to inform decisions related to strategic priorities, budgeting and service delivery, as well as to highlight opportunities for continues improvement.”

Survey Highlights

When asked as part of the Civic Satisfaction and Performance Survey, a large majority of respondents (86%) say they are satisfied with living in Saskatoon – this is consistent with the 2021 survey results. When asked about quality of services provided by the City, eight in ten people (81%) indicate satisfaction; and the large majority of respondents (83%) rate the value of services they receive from the City as very good or good value.  This is also consistent with 2021 survey results.

When asked what the single most important issue is facing the City, nearly one in five (19%) of respondents say it is homelessness, followed by crime/public safety/policing (15%) and roads and sidewalk maintenance (8%).

Similar issues are highlighted in responses to the Performance, Priorities and Preferences Survey as the top three service areas where they would like to see the City provide more service: affordable housing (60%), road maintenance (58%) and snow & ice management (55%).

To a much smaller degree, the top three areas where respondents indicate they would like to see the City provide less service were community grants (19%), planning and growth (17%) and recreation and culture programs (16%).

Meanwhile, overall satisfaction remains the same or higher for many of the 29 civic services asked about in the Performance, Priorities and Preferences Survey.

Ranking with the highest satisfaction among the services that survey respondents were asked about:

• Reliability of electrical services (8.7 out of 10)
• Quality of drinking water (8.3 out of 10)
• Fire protection (8.1 out of 10)
• Garbage collection (8.0 out of 10)
• Recycling collection (8.0 out of 10)
• Indoor leisure centres (7.9 out of 10)
• Outdoor sports fields (7.9 out of 10)
• Indoor ice rinks (7.9 out of 10)
• Recreation programs and services (7.9 out of 10)
• Maintenance of city parks (7.7 out of 10)
• Speed of water main break repairs (7.6 out of 10)
• Police services (7.6 out of 10)
• Landfill services (7.6 out of 10)

Both surveys and their respective results will be part of an information report at City Council’s Governance and Priorities Committee meeting on Wednesday, September 13.

Full summaries and the detailed results of both surveys are also available on the City website by visiting saskatoon.ca/civic-services-surveys.

Thanks to a generous donation from Golf Saskatchewan, Holiday Park Golf Course now has a SoloRider golf cart available for mobility-impaired players.

SoloRider golf carts are single-passenger carts that allow golfers to play from tee to green without leaving the cart.  The golf cart is equipped with a swiveling, elevated seat and ergonomic controls. 

“The cart can go almost anywhere on the course including the bunkers and greens and there is no fear of it damaging the grass”, says Brian Lee Executive Director / CEO of Golf Saskatchewan. 

“These unique features have helped both the City and Golf Saskatchewan strive to provide recreation for all who want to participate by increasing accessibility and encouraging opportunity within the sport,” says Roxane Melnyk, Recreation Services Manager for the City of Saskatoon. 

This is the second SoloRider golf cart that Golf Saskatchewan has made available in Saskatoon and it is free of charge to use.  The City of Saskatoon’s Silverwood golf course has been home to a SoloRider since 2014. The SoloRider carts can be booked by calling the pro shops at Holiday Park or Silverwood golf courses when making a tee time reservation.

Following another Special Budget Meeting today, City Council’s Governance and Priorities Committee (GPC) has further reduced the projected funding gap in the 2024/2025 Multi-Year Budget, with additional opportunities to shrink the gap still to come.

Through today’s decisions, the projected funding gap has been further reduced by a total of $3.15 million in 2024 and $554,000 in 2025. If left unmitigated, which is unlikely, the current funding gap would equate to a property tax increase of 7.47% in 2024 and 5.93% in 2025.

GPC completed its discussion on administration-recommended options within several business line reports at today’s meeting and recommended the following budget options be integrated into the 2024/2025 Preliminary 2024/2025 Multi-Year Business Plan and Budget: 

• Closure of the East Compost Depot
• Reduce operating hours by one (1) hour at the end of the day at the Landfill and Material Recovery Centre
• Eliminate skunk inspection, trapping and relocation services for private residential properties
• Modify the Mosquito Control Treatment Area buffer zone to be one to two kilometres outside of city limits instead of five to ten kilometres outside of city limits
• Defer the Remai Modern Civic Buildings & Comprehensive Maintenance Reserve phase-in contribution for 2024
• Phase out of the $100,000 Interest Stabilization Support over two years 
• A $5 fee increase for Manual Tax Certificate/Tax Searches and a $10 fee increase for Online Tax Certificate/Tax Searches
• A 0.5% increase in the City’s Current and Arrears monthly Property Tax Penalty Rate in 2024
• An increase in the reduced penalty rate for parking offences from $30 to $35
• An increase in the late payment penalty rate for parking offences from $50 to $60
• An increase to the City’s Land Lease Revenue Budget to account for signed but potentially temporary lease revenue
• A 20% reduction in the program, research and design budget for Recreation and Culture
• No new FTE’s for playground & youth centre staff training
• No new FTE’s for an Outdoor Special Events Organizer
• Redirect a portion of savings ($250,000) experienced from the temporary closure of the Harry Bailey Aquatic Centre in 2024 and 2025
• Reduction to the Corridor Planning Program’s Special Services operating budget
• Reduce the payroll cost (CPP, EI, Benefits, WCB, etc.) estimate by $200,000 in 2024
• Reduce the operating phase-in of the City’s SAP program by $250,000 in 2024 and 2025
• Exemption of City properties from the City storm charge for 2024 and 2025
• Reduction of  50% of the inflationary pressures to the Information Technology Reserve
• Reduce snowpile removal from parking lots at civic facilities

An additional Special Budget Meeting has been scheduled for September 20, at which time additional options that were not recommended by Administration are expected to be discussed, as well as the Utilities Business Line report. Council is also awaiting draft budget submissions from the Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners and the Saskatoon Library Board.

Administration will continue to refine and adjust numbers for the budget book which will be presented at the 2024/2025 Business Plan and Budget meeting in late November.

For more facts and reliable information on the 2024/2025 Multi-Year Business Plan and Budget, please visit Saskatoon.ca/budget.