News Releases

This morning, the City and Reconciliation Saskatoon are joining with community partners to raise the Reconciliation Flag in Civic Square on the south side of City Hall. The flag is raised to set the stage for the season of commemoration or reflection during the month of June, which marks National Indigenous History Month and includes National Indigenous Peoples Day (June 21).

“As we raise the Reconciliation Flag, we remind everyone that the act of reconciliation is not just one day but a conversation that should happen every day,” says Saskatoon Tribal Council (STC) Tribal Chief Mark Arcand. “Moving towards the future we see a better Province when people come together in the spirit of reconciliation.”

“The annual raising of the Reconciliation Flag is so significant to so many in our community. It represents a commitment to Reconciliation – the process of building bridges between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples,” says Shirley Isbister, President of the Central Urban Métis Federation Incorporated (CUMFI).

The flag raising event is open to all. In addition to the raising of the flag, the event includes Indigenous performances, remarks from dignitaries, and a call to action to the Saskatoon community to engage in Reconciliation.

“We really hope that residents of Saskatoon will take advantage of all the opportunities to learn about and participate in Indigenous culture in the month ahead. There will be powwows, art exhibitions, programming at Wanuskewin, and an Indigenous Peoples Day celebration in Victoria Park. It’s important that people make an effort; Reconciliation is everyone’s responsibility,” says Kathie Pruden-Nansel, Western Region 2A Representative with Métis Nation—Saskatchewan (MN-S).

This year’s flag raising event also includes the unveiling of the City’s new Reconciliation visual identity. The design was developed through consultation with community Elders to include significant imagery capturing Saskatoon and our shared journey forward on the path to Reconciliation. A new community tipi with the visual identity hand painted onto it is also being unveiled at today’s event. More detail on the creation and use of the visual identity can be found at saskatoon.ca/Indigenous.

“Over the past several years we have seen so many people and organizations step forward and commit to the path of Truth and Reconciliation in our city,” says Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark. “These steps have been very important, and we still have much work to do as we move from words to actions. There are far too many families, children, Survivors in our community who face enormous barriers every day in our community and province. People who do not experience Saskatoon as a place of support and belonging. Let’s lean in now and build a better path by humbly recognizing the ways that have failed and boldly co-create the way forward with Indigenous partners.”

There are a number of activities happening around Saskatoon during the month of June that present opportunities to learn and get involved. A listing of just some of these is available at saskatoon.ca/Indigenous. Residents are also invited to visit Civic Square to see the raised Reconciliation Flag and reflect on its significance—it will remain raised until June 5.

NOTE: The Rock Your Roots Walk for Reconciliation that formerly took place on June 21 has been moved to September 30—the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation. On June 21, the Saskatoon Indian & Métis Friendship Centre (SIMFC) will host a community celebration in Victoria Park between 10:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. The City of Saskatoon will be participating in this event, which is open to all.

The City of Saskatoon is aiming to modernize and enhance how it conducts future municipal elections having presented a decision report to the Governance & Priorities Committee on May 17, 2023. Recent amendments to The Local Government Election Act, 2015 (LGEA) provide clarity to permit municipalities greater use of various tools, namely with regards to voters lists and partnerships available with other entities, particularly Elections Saskatchewan.

“With the next municipal election officially scheduled for November 2024, planning is well underway to provide a more efficient voting process for residents,” says Adam Tittemore, City Clerk. “There’s been a continued shift in voter behaviour, notably the greater use of advance polls and mail-in ballots. Considering lessons learned from the 2020 election and best practices from other jurisdictions, we’re committed to adopting new practices and technology to create a smoother, faster and secure voter experience starting in 2024.”

A partnership with Elections Saskatchewan will be key to many of the proposed election improvements, including sharing data, establishing a municipal voters list, sharing election technology, and delivering vote-by-mail services. With respect to sharing data, pending Council endorsement, the City would enter into a formal information-sharing agreement where it would receive voter data which Elections Saskatchewan already owns and curates, to be used for the creation of the voters list. Partnerships with Elections Saskatchewan will help reduce the cost of conducting elections and, in cases such as the acquisition of voter data, come at no cost to the City.

“The legislative ability to enter into this agreement is included in the LGEA, along with the ability to use this information to create a voters list, rather than going through an enumeration process,” adds Tittemore. “The partnership is imperative in achieving our modernization goals and results in financial savings.”

City Administration has also undertaken a procurement process with election technology solution providers to use an election management system (EMS). Cloud-based applications will allow the City to more efficiently operate the election and increase the service and security level for candidates and voters. This technology is intended to be used for the 2024 election in some form to help manage an electronic voters list, mail-in ballot application and fulfilment, candidate portal, voting location management, etc.

The EMS technology and associated hardware, including all listed modules and fulfillment of mail-in ballots, is expected to come at a cost of approximately $102,000. This cost will be offset by fewer poll workers required, savings on printing and supplies, and staff time and resources associated with a more efficient election administration.

The City is committed to protecting the integrity of the voting process, providing a faster and more efficient voter experience at the polls, and an easier way to verify identity for alternative voting formats such as mail-in ballots.

The City of Saskatoon is pleased to announce that Bird and Neuron have been selected as the successful vendors for a two-year pilot to provide the shared e-scooter pilot program in Saskatoon.  

After completing the procurement process, Bird and Neuron were chosen to provide residents and visitors with an affordable, convenient and sustainable transportation option. This will be the first-time shared e-scooters will be available in Saskatoon, and the City is excited to have these industry leaders bring this service to our community.  

"We believe this shared e-scooter pilot will provide benefits to our community, and we look forward to seeing it in action," says Jay Magus, Director of Transportation. "We will work closely with Bird and Neuron to ensure the implementation of this shared e-scooter pilot is safe, reliable, and enjoyable for all users. We will hold the two vendors to our approved framework which was developed with input from local stakeholders and residents of Saskatoon."  

Neuron’s shared e-scooters will be available to ride as early as Thursday, May 18 and Bird’s shared e-scooters are expected to be available Monday, May 22. To ride an e-scooter start by downloading the Bird or Neuron apps on the Apple Store or on Google Play. 

The framework for the pilot requires e-scooter renters to follow the Provincial regulations: e-scooters cannot be operated at a speed greater than 24 km/hr, minimum rider age of 16 years or older and riders are required to wear helmets. 

Shared e-scooters must operate within the approved service area (found on the vendors app) on shared-use paths, pathways, cycle tracks, protected bike lanes and – where no such paths are available – may ride on streets with posted speed limits of 50 km/hr or lower. Shared e-scooters are not permitted to ride on sidewalks. 

Personal e-scooters are not currently allowed on any city street, sidewalk or pathway. The City plans to consider allowing private e-scooters in 2024 once we have conducted a year of this pilot program.   

Please ride responsibly to create a safe and enjoyable environment for all road and pathway users.  

To learn more about this pilot please visit saskatoon.ca/electric-scooter-pilot.

About Bird and Neuron   

Bird and Neuron are leading providers of shared e-scooters, operating in multiple cities across North America and Australia. Both companies provide affordable and sustainable transportation options to communities worldwide.  

The Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo (Zoo) is honoured to have once again achieved its accreditation through Canada’s Accredited Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA). CAZA accreditation signifies excellence in animal care and management and a commitment to conservation and education. The Zoo is the only CAZA accredited facility in Saskatchewan.

“We are so proud to maintain our CAZA accreditation,” says Jeff Mitchell Zoo Manager. “I really want to thank our incredible team at the Zoo who work tirelessly to provide the highest-quality animal care and continue to contribute to conservation and education initiatives that enhance animal welfare.”

Every five years, CAZA requires zoos to successfully complete the accreditation process to be a member of the association. The accreditation process provides a format for the Zoo to undertake a rigorous self-examination and includes a multi-day site visit to complete the adjudication. The granting of accreditation is for five years, and the Zoo may be reviewed or inspected at anytime within the five-year accreditation period.

About CAZA
Founded in 1975, CAZA is a private charitable organization representing the country’s leading zoological parks and aquariums. CAZA is committed to the advancement of accredited zoos and aquariums as humane agencies of animal welfare, conservation, science and education. For more information visit caza.ca.

Litter and debris can eventually end up in the South Saskatchewan River through storm drains located on all Saskatoon streets and roads. Storm water, snow melt, and anything else that goes down storm drains, flows underground to outfalls along the riverbank. The City, in partnership with the University of Saskatchewan (USask), received funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) through their Alliance Grants program to launch a pilot project aimed at preventing debris from entering the river.

“We’ve attached trash trap bags onto outfalls near Pembina Avenue and Prince of Wales Avenue,” says Russ Munro, Director of Saskatoon Water. “When the bags fill, USask staff and students will collect and analyze the contents and test the storm water for potential pollutants.”

“Our team will be able to identify the levels and composition of litter and other potentially harmful contents or pollutants entering the river through our storm drains,” says Dr. Markus Brinkmann, Director of USask’s Toxicology Centre and Lead-Principal Investigator of the USask team.

“We hope that this research will help the City understand the sources of pollution better, with the ultimate goal of controlling it before it can enter the river,” says Dr. Kerry McPhedran, Associate Professor in Civil, Geological and Environmental Engineering at USask and Co-Principal Investigator on the project.

Litter and contaminants entering the river can harm fish and other aquatic life and reduce its recreational value. Residents can help in several ways, including avoiding windblown litter by closing their trash bins properly, responsibly disposing of litter and harmful chemicals, cleaning up after their pets, fertilizing yards with natural elements, and ensuring their vehicles are not leaking fluid. 

The trash trap bag pilot project will be in place for two years at which time a decision will be made whether to expand the initiative. For more information, visit saskatoon.ca/stormwater.

Saskatoon Transit has received the prestigious 2023 Smart Cities Award for its partnership with Preteckt, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology company, to enhance Transit’s bus maintenance operations. The award recognizes Saskatoon Transit’s innovative use of Preteckt’s AI-powered predictive maintenance with its bus operations.

“We want to provide better reliability with even safer vehicles on the road,” says Tracey Davis, Saskatoon Transit Maintenance Manager. “This technology works with our existing systems at Saskatoon Transit and is a great application of AI to bus maintenance. This technology developed by Preteckt detects issues in buses before they become critical interruptions to service and empowers our technicians to make these repairs earlier than currently possible. We noticed immediate benefits, like reductions in parts and labour costs, which will become part of our regular maintenance practices.”

“Being the first city fleet in Canada to source our technology through a competitive process means a lot to us, and we’re looking forward to working with more fleets and cities in Canada,” says Krish Inbarajan, CEO of Preteckt. Inbarajan congratulated Saskatoon Transit on its leadership in incorporating AI technology into its maintenance operation.

Preteckt’s expansion into transit authorities across North America has been successful, with 10 commercial contracts and several pilots already underway. The company’s AI technology sifts through billions of data points from vehicles to identify or flag potential maintenance issues.

The Saskatoon Transit – Preteckt partnership highlights integration of advanced technology and will be essential to providing reliable, safe, and efficient transportation services.

About Preteckt

Preteckt is a Hamilton-founded, Memphis-based AI company focused on maintenance to increase vehicle availability, improve safety, and reduce costs to support maintenance staff and enable the future of work. The technology was initially developed for trucking but has since expanded to serve other fleets such as transit and school buses. Preteckt supports existing gas and diesel engines and is bringing its technology to electric vehicles in partnership with several fleets. The Preteckt team is passionate to serve the maintainers in the industry. Maintenance, maintainers, and digital workflow is its initial focus area.

Some of Saskatoon’s most travelled roads are scheduled for major upgrades this summer. Construction projects will include resurfacing the west bound lanes of Circle Drive North between Millar Avenue and Alberta Avenue, and resurfacing sections of Preston Avenue between Preston Crossing and 8th Street.

“There are several areas of Preston Avenue that are in rough shape and in need of new asphalt,” says Terry Schmidt, General Manager of Transportation and Construction. “We’ll also get to Wanuskewin Road to resurface both sides between 71st Street and Penner Road.” 

Many roads will be completely resurfaced following water main replacements. Replacing the decades old water mains with durable PVC piping will continue in several areas of Saskatoon, including Downtown.

“Downtown water main replacement work will happen in phases throughout the summer and fall to avoid closing several blocks at the same time, starting with 22nd Street East between 3rd Avenue and 4th Avenue.” 

About $67.19 million is earmarked for road and bridge construction and maintenance in 2023. One of the most significant construction zones is already set up on the Circle Drive North Bridge where crews are now two months into a nine-month long rehabilitation project. Sidewalk repairs and annual street maintenance programs like street sweeping, pothole and utility cut repairs, and line painting are now underway or about to start.

Also, this month, the Saskatoon Transit Downtown Terminal will be undergoing road and sidewalk work. For approximately one week, the Terminal will temporarily move to 3rd Avenue North, in front of City Hall. Bus stop locations will be marked in advance.

Saskatoon Light & Power (SL&P) is already working Downtown, upgrading the underground electrical vault on the west side of 2nd Avenue between 21st Street and 22nd Street. Work began in late April and is scheduled for completion by mid-June. This is a cornerstone project that will allow SL&P to proceed with additional electrical renewal projects to update Downtown power infrastructure.

Despite some street closures due to construction, Schmidt says Downtown businesses will remain open and accessible by sidewalk.

“There will be pedestrian and traffic detours Downtown and throughout the city all summer. We thank residents for their patience and are asking everyone to respect work zones.”

For more information on current and future construction, please visit saskatoon.ca/construction.

While a verbal agreement had been in place for several weeks, Loraas has finalized an agreement to accept organic waste materials at its facility north of Saskatoon in the RM of Corman Park. This latest move is part of the contingency plan that was pre-set in the green cart contract the City has with Green Prairie Environmental (GPE).

Activating the pre-set contingency plan became necessary following the April 24 RM Council decision to deny the discretionary use application for GPE’s property in Corman Park where it already operates a landfill.

“The City has now finalized the contingency plan for green cart processing. Organics materials will be hauled to Loraas for processing on an interim basis as we continue to work with GPE to confirm alternate plans to fulfill their requirements under the contract,” says Angela Gardiner, General Manager of Utilities & Environment. “Residents should know that any extra cost of the contingency plan will be carried by GPE and not the City. Green cart collections will begin Monday as planned.”

Facts about the green cart processing contract:

• Following a public procurement, the City awarded a contract to GPE in September 2020 to provide organics processing services to support the City’s Curbside Organics Program.
• Under the terms of the contract, GPE must be ready to receive materials on May 1, 2023.
• It is the City Administration’s understanding that GPE believed its property - where it planned to process the organic waste - was already within the approved RM zoning because GPE already operates a landfill for solid waste and has for the past nine years at that location south of Saskatoon in the RM of Corman Park.
• The green cart project and contract were progressing for the May 1 start date and it was not until GPE applied to the RM for a routine building permit for its permanent facility (a coverall building) earlier this year that the question of discretionary use arose. The RM administration recommended allowing the discretionary use.
• With the RM Council’s decision to deny GPE’s discretionary use application, the City has an agreement with Loraas to accept and process organics materials on an interim basis starting on Monday while discussions progress with GPE on an alternate plan to fulfill their requirements under the contract.
• With the materials going to Loraas, there is no change to the type of materials that will be accepted and therefore, this plan is still in alignment to meet the City’s waste diversion targets.
• Residents should know that any extra cost of the interim contingency plan will be carried by GPE and not the City. 
• The City continues to prepare for the launch of the program next week and collections will not be affected by this RM Council decision.
• All eligible households will have their green carts by the end of this week. 

City-wide green cart collection will begin next Monday, May 1 for every household that has rollout garbage and recycling carts. Green cart collection will alternate biweekly with black cart collection, so be sure to check your collection calendar. You can check your collection dates, print your calendar or set collection reminders by visiting saskatoon.ca/greencart or downloading the Saskatoon Waste Wizard app.

If you are an eligible household and have not received your green cart or kitchen pail, please contact Corporate Revenue at 306-975-2400. For more information about green carts, please visit saskatoon.ca/greencart.

The City of Saskatoon is starting the exciting first phase of engagement for the Downtown Event & Entertainment District and we want to hear your ideas! 

“The public is invited to come on the journey with us to create a thriving Downtown, built around great public gathering spaces and amenities,” says Dan Willems, Director of Technical Services.

In November 2018, City Council directed the Administration to plan for a Downtown event centre/arena and new or expanded convention centre as part of a Downtown Event & Entertainment District. Following public consultation in November 2022, City Council approved the purchase of the Midtown Shopping Centre North Parking Lot as the site for the future Downtown event centre/arena.

City staff are working on a comprehensive District Plan that will establish the Downtown as a hub for entertainment and culture, with vibrant spaces that are welcoming for everyone and attractive for new residential development. The District Plan will also guide the designs for the surrounding streets, parks and other public spaces to be accessible to all residents and visitors. Stantec, HOK and LMN have been hired to create conceptual designs for the new event centre/arena and convention centre, as well as the surrounding outdoor spaces.

The City is now seeking public input on things we should incorporate into the design of the District, new event centre/arena, and new or expanded convention centre and outdoor public space, so they are welcoming, inviting and accessible to all who visit or live in Saskatoon.

“What we hear from the community, along with research and funding considerations, will be considered in the development of the District Plan and conceptual designs for the Downtown event centre/arena and convention centre,” says Willems.

Engagement Opportunities

From April 27 to May 18 the public is invited to share their thoughts in the following ways:

• An opt-in online public survey - Saskatoon residents, as well as those from other communities, can self-select to participate;
• Pop-up “storefronts” at malls and other convenient locations where the community is invited to stop by at their own convenience, see information, talk to City staff and provide feedback through worksheets or the online survey; and
• Many community-led workshops.

A full listing of engagement opportunities is available on saskatoon.ca/engage.

Next Steps

Initial designs for the event centre/arena, convention centre and outdoor gathering spaces will be developed using community feedback, technical research and early budgeting.

The initial ideas, feedback and an early funding strategy will then be presented to City Council’s Governance & Priorities Committee in July 2023.

“After direction from Council, the City will be coming back to the public in the summer and late fall-early winter to get further thoughts and feedback,” Willems explains. “Final draft designs will be presented to City Council for decision and this is expected by the end of 2023.”

A timeline of the decision-making process and next steps for the public to get involved is available here.

Details including the complete background on the Downtown Event & Entertainment District, timelines and decisions are here: saskatoon.ca/eventdistrict.