News Releases

The City of Saskatoon will honour the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women on December 6 by lowering the flags in Civic Square to half-mast and encouraging employees to wear a white ribbon or moose hide pin.

The White Ribbon Campaign represents a pledge to never commit, condone, or remain silent about violence against women and girls. The Moose Hide Campaign, created by an Indigenous father and daughter team, calls on men and boys to stand up against violence, especially against Indigenous women and children.

The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women was established by the Government of Canada in 1991 to commemorate December 6, 1989, when fourteen women were murdered at the École Polytechnique de Montréal in a horrific act of gender-based violence.

On this day, the City honours the lives of Geneviève Bergeron, Hélène Colgan, Nathalie Croteau, Barbara Daigneault, Anne-Marie Edward, Maud Haviernick, Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz, Maryse Laganière, Maryse Leclair, Anne-Marie Lemay, Sonia Pelletier, Michèle Richard, Annie St-Arneault and Annie Turcotte and the countless women, girls and gender-diverse people who continue to experience gender-based violence.

Saskatchewan continues to have the highest rates of family and intimate partner violence in Canada. Across the country, Indigenous women and girls are killed over six times more often than non-Indigenous women. These are not just statistics—they represent our neighbours, families and community members.

These conversations are important and so is understanding what supports are available. If you or someone you know is in an abusive situation and could use support, visit https://abuse.sk.211.ca. Saskatchewan 211 has an incredible list of resources for many types of violent or abusive situations and can connect individuals with the supports nearest them. As always, if a person is in immediate danger, call 911.

Multiple roads will have closures from Saturday, December 6, at 6:00 p.m. to Sunday, December 7, at 12:00 p.m. for the CP Holiday Train. Detour signs will be in place to guide motorists around the event area. Drivers are reminded to drive carefully and watch for participants. The City thanks everyone for their patience.

The following roads will be closed for the event:

• 7th Avenue between Empress and Duchess streets
• 33rd Street between 6th and 8th avenues
• Warburton Street at 7th Avenue
• Lauriston St Street at 7th Avenue

Saskatoon Transit may be affected by these detours. Transit service alerts and real-time bus information are available on third-party apps like Transit and Google Maps Transit on desktop.

For more information about current road restrictions and construction, visit saskatoon.ca/construction.

*This report includes road restrictions on Priority 1 (high traffic, high speed) streets only.

NEW

COLLEGE DR WB CURB LANE CLOSED FROM WIGGINS RD TO HOSPITAL DR
(Link station construction)
Start: December 5, 9:00 a.m. End: December 5, 5:00 p.m.

ADELAIDE ST E EB LANES CLOSED FROM PRESTON AVE S TO MCEOWN AVE
(Construction)
Start: December 5, 9:00 a.m. End: December 5, 5:00 p.m.

PRESTON AVE N NB LEFT TURN LANE CLOSED AT COLLEGE DR
(Construction)
Start: December 5, 10:00 a.m. End: December 5, 2:00 p.m.

COLLEGE DR EB CURB LANE CLOSED AT PRESTON AVE N
(Construction)
Start: December 5, 10:00 a.m. End: December 5, 2:00 p.m.

COLLEGE DR WB LEFT TURN LANE CLOSED AT PRESTON AVE N
(Link station construction)
Start: December 5, 1:00 p.m. End: December 5, 5:00 p.m.

ONGOING

CENTRAL AVE ROAD CLOSED FROM 116TH ST E TO 117TH ST W
(Connection replacement)
Start: December 4, 8:00 a.m. End: December 5, 12:00 p.m.

VALLEY RD EB CURB LANE CLOSED AT DUNDONALD AVE
(Ditch work)
Start: November 17, 7:00 a.m. End: December 5, 5:00 p.m.

BOYCHUK DR NB LANES CLOSED FROM AULD CRES TO MALCOLM PL
(Power line maintenance)
Two-way traffic will be maintained in SB lanes
Start: December 1, 7:00 a.m. End: December 5, 5:00 p.m.

MCORMOND DR NB CURB LANE CLOSED FROM ASPEN RIDGE ST TO HENRY DAYDAY RD
(Construction)
Start: December 1, 9:00 a.m. End: December 5, 5:00 p.m.

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

For more information about current road restrictions and construction, visit saskatoon.ca/construction.

25th Street between 6th Avenue and Spadina Crescent has reopened as of this afternoon, following the completion of the valve installation.

The City thanks everyone for their patience.

For more information about current road restrictions and construction, visit saskatoon.ca/construction.

Melville Street between Jasper and Portage avenues has reopened as of this afternoon, following the completion of this phase of the sanitary trunk work. Please note that additional work is required for next season, which will require further road closures. More details will be shared as the planning work progresses.

The City thanks everyone for their patience.

For more information about current road restrictions and construction, visit saskatoon.ca/construction.

*This report includes road restrictions on Priority 1 (high traffic, high speed) streets only.

NEW

CUMBERLAND AVE S ROAD CLOSED FROM 11TH ST E TO 12TH ST E
(Connection replacement)
Start: December 4, 8:00 a.m. End: December 4, 5:00 p.m.

CENTRAL AVE ROAD CLOSED FROM 116TH ST E TO 117TH ST W
(Connection replacement)
Start: December 4, 8:00 a.m. End: December 5, 12:00 p.m.

22ND ST W EB LEFT TURN LANE CLOSED AT AVE M N
(Construction)
Start: December 4, 9:00 a.m. End: December 4, 1:00 p.m.

CIRCLE DR W NB & SB MEDIAN LANES CLOSED FROM 22ND ST W TO LAURIER DR
(Streetlight repair)
Start: December 4, 9:00 a.m. End: December 4, 3:00 p.m.

BROADWAY AVE NB CURB LANE CLOSED FROM 11TH ST E TO 12TH ST E
(Spirit of Christmas event)
Start: December 4, 6:00 p.m. End: December 4, 10:00 p.m.

ONGOING

VALLEY RD EB CURB LANE CLOSED AT DUNDONALD AVE
(Ditch work)
Start: November 17, 7:00 a.m. End: December 5, 5:00 p.m.

BOYCHUK DR NB LANES CLOSED FROM AULD CRES TO MALCOLM PL
(Power line maintenance)
Two-way traffic will be maintained in SB lanes
Start: December 1, 7:00 a.m. End: December 5, 5:00 p.m.

MCORMOND DR NB CURB LANE CLOSED FROM ASPEN RIDGE ST TO HENRY DAYDAY RD
(Construction)
Start: December 1, 9:00 a.m. End: December 5, 5:00 p.m.

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

For more information about current road restrictions and construction, visit saskatoon.ca/construction.

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.


 

Central Avenue will be closed between 116th and 117th streets starting Thursday, December 4, at 8:00 a.m. for a connection replacement. Detours will be in place guiding motorists around the area. This project is expected to take two days to complete, weather permitting and barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Saskatoon Transit may be affected by these detours. Transit service alerts and real-time bus information are available on third-party apps like Transit and Google Maps Transit on desktop.

For more information about current road restrictions and construction, visit saskatoon.ca/construction.

Cumberland Avenue will be closed between 11th and 12th streets on Thursday, December 4, starting at 8:00 a.m. for a connection replacement. Detours will be in place guiding motorists around the area. This project is expected to take one day to complete, weather permitting and barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Saskatoon Transit may be affected by these detours. Transit service alerts and real-time bus information are available on third-party apps like Transit and Google Maps Transit on desktop.

For more information about current road restrictions and construction, visit saskatoon.ca/construction.