News Releases

The City will soon be saving energy and reducing operational costs at two major civic facilities.  City Council approved plans for two combined heat and power (CHP) projects in December 2013 and with funding support from partners, natural gas fuelled CHP units will be installed at Lakewood Civic Centre and the Shaw Centre.

“These installations help demonstrate our commitment to environmental leadership through the use of more energy-efficient practices in City buildings,” says Brenda Wallace, Director of Environmental and Corporate Initiatives.  “The project also helps ensure that existing leisure centres remain financially efficient and services can be provided more reliably.  We are extremely pleased to participate in partnership to leverage funding from other sources.  This contributes to ensuring the long-term sustainability of community assets.”

The units, which will be integrated into the existing electrical and heating systems, produce electricity and recover waste heat to be used inside a building.  The technology also offers a cleaner energy source that can reduce utility costs and provide backup electricity and heating in the event of a power outage or equipment failure.  Between the two facilities, greenhouse gas emission will be reduced by 915 tonnes, which is equal to removing 180 cars from Saskatoon roads each year.

The total cost of the project is $1.3 million.  Almost half of that amount, $600,000, is funded through Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) as a result of a successful proposal submitted in response to a request for proposals to the Market Development Incentive Payments (MDIP) Fund and the Clean Energy Fund (the Program).  Through this Program, NRCan provides up to 50% matching funding for eligible costs for projects which identify innovative applications for natural gas and make greater use of technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

SaskEnergy, a supporter of combined heat and power technology, also contributed $325,000 to the project.  The City will contribute $375,000 towards the implementation of the project.

Earlier this year, City Council approved the award of a contract to Calgary-based Power EcoSystems to design, supply, build and maintain the project, the value of which was $1,116,000.

“There are other civic buildings that could benefit from moving to combined heat and power technology.  After measuring the benefits of these installations, the business case for other civic facilities could be reviewed,” says Wallace.

Installation and commissioning of the units will be completed by early 2015 with ongoing monitoring and reporting being conducted until the completion of the project in fall of 2016.

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.

CIVIC SERVICES AND FACILITIES FOR EASTER WEEKEND

The following are the hours of civic services and facilities for Easter weekend, Friday, April18 through Monday, April 21:

City Hall will be closed.

Parking meters will not require payment on Friday, April 18 and Sunday, April 20.  Motorists are required to move their vehicles within the time period shown on parking meters, allowing for a constant turnover of parking availability.  Parking meters will require payment on Saturday, April 19 and Monday, April 21.

The Municipal Impound Lot will not be releasing vehicles to the public on Friday, April 18 but will be open Saturday, April 19 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with regular operations on Monday, April 21.

All locations of the Saskatoon Public Library will be closed on April 18, 20, and 21.

The Saskatoon Landfill will be open every day throughout the Easter weekend with regular summer hours of 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The Compost Depots will be open every day throughout the Easter weekend with regular hours of 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Garbage and Recycling collection will take place as scheduled.

The Mendel Art Gallery and Saskatoon Civic Conservatory are open every day, 364 days a year, from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.  Admission is free.

TRANSIT SERVICES FOR EASTER WEEKEND

Transit service will operate as follows:
April 18: Sunday/Holiday service
April 19 and 20: Regular weekend service
April 21: Regular weekday service

Access Transit service will operate as follows (normal booking procedures apply):
April 18: Holiday service from 8:15 a.m. to 11:15 p.m.
April 19 and 20: Regular weekend service
April 21: Holiday service from 8:15 a.m. to 11:15 p.m.

LEISURE SERVICES FOR EASTER WEEKEND

Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo will be open daily.
Forestry Farm Park hours: 7:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Zoo hours: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Admission charges are in effect

LEISURE CENTRES HOURS FOR EASTER WEEKEND

Saskatoon Field House
April 18: CLOSED
April 19 to 21: Regular hours

Cosmo Civic Centre
April 18: CLOSED
April 19 to 20: Regular hours
April 21: CLOSED

Lakewood Civic Centre
April 18: CLOSED
April 19 to 21: Regular hours

Lawson Civic Centre
April 18: CLOSED
April 19 to 21: Regular hours

Harry Bailey Aquatic Centre
April 18: CLOSED
April 19 to 21: Regular hours

Shaw Centre
April 18: CLOSED
April 19 to 21: Regular hours

Fitness Circuit & Terry Fox Track (in the SaskTel Sports Centre)
April 18 to 20: CLOSED
April 21: Regular hours

For modified Lane, Public and Parent & Tot Swim times, please visit Drop-in Online at www.saskatoon.ca/go/dropinonline.  For more information on operating hours and programs, please contact the Leisure Centres or facilities.

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.

For Immediate Release April 15 2014

The City of Saskatoon has partnered with Saskatoon Public Schools, Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools, the Saskatchewan Environmental Society, Saskatoon Light and Power, the Sustainability Education Research Institute and a number of educational consultants to support the Student Action for a Sustainable Future program during the 2013-14 academic year.

Eleven classes of Grades 4-8 students have been participating in the sustainability-focused pilot program. With support from the program partners, each teacher has been facilitating student learning, action and inquiry in one or more of the program’s five focus areas: waste, water, energy, food, or transportation. The resulting projects will lead to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, as well as other sustainability benefits in students’ classrooms, schools, households and the community at large.

Through various subject areas and curriculum outcomes, this program allows students to gain an understanding of their actions through a sustainability lens, linking environmental, social, and economic impacts.

Other program goals include:

• reflecting the goals set out in the City of Saskatoon’s Energy and GHG Management Plan and Strategic Plan
• pursuing inquiry- and action-based learning (experiential education)
• making connections with the local community (place-based education)
• striving towards environmental outcomes that are measureable
• having a meaningful community impact
• reflecting multiple ways of knowing, as well as Indigenous knowledges and practices

Upon completion of this year’s program, each class will be showcasing their project outcomes at a student tradeshow. School board trustees, superintendents, City of Saskatoon representatives, students’ parents and family members, and other stakeholders have been invited to view the amazing work that the different classes have worked on.

Brenda Wallace, Director of Environmental & Corporate Initiatives: “The Student Action for a Sustainable Future program is an innovative way to engage school-aged children in sustainability-focused action projects. The results of their hard work and enthusiasm will have a tremendous impact on their schools, families and community.”

On April 15, 2014 participating students showcased their hard work at the Western Development Museum in Saskatoon. This included more than 40 displays, performances and other exciting results including:

• Conducting home and school energy audits
• Organizing school-wide waste audits
• Creating garbage art
• Creating lights out and lights half-out campaigns
• Lowering the school’s thermostat and encouraging “sweater days”
•  Discussing worldviews and learning about the relationships between humans and nature from Elders and Knowledge Keepers
• Going on field trips, such as touring the Saskatoon Landfill, visiting Saskatoon Light and Power, interviewing vendors at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market, and learning about local food through ice fishing
• Getting involved in community and indoor gardens
• Measuring food miles and assessing the implications of both local and global food systems
• Creating a vermi compost for classroom organic waste
• Improving the school’s recycling system, bin system, and messaging

 

Spring is a busy time of year for projects in the yard, garden, and around the home.  Saskatoon residents with a property adjacent to a civic park may wish to use it as an access point for deliveries, equipment, or vehicles related to their projects.  In order to ensure that parks are safe and enjoyed by everyone, any type of work in a park that requires vehicles, equipment, or restricted access, must first have approval from the City of Saskatoon Parks Division. 

Parks Division will evaluate the request, conduct a site inspection, and if reasonable, provide approval.  In order to minimize any damages, vehicle access will be permitted only when turf conditions are dry and suitable for driving on.  The property owner will be responsible for removing any litter or debris, repairing any damages at their own expense, and being liable for injury that may occur as a result of the work.  City of Saskatoon Inspectors regularly follow-up on complaints and investigate damage to parks.

For more information or to request approval for your project, call 306-975-3300 or visit www.saskatoon.ca (look under “P” for Parks – Request Access to a Park).

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.

 

T

On April 27, 2014, Saskatoon Transit will introduce its Summer Route Schedule.

Each year during the post-secondary school term, Saskatoon Transit typically adds additional routes to support the higher number of transit users travelling to and from the University of Saskatchewan.

These support routes are being removed during the summer months and service will resume September 2, 2014. Details of the changes are as follows:

From April 27 to September 1, 2014, the following support routes will travel less frequently:

• Route 13 Lawson Heights
• Route 13 Broadway
  

From April 27 to September 1, 2014, the following route will be temporarily discontinued:

•  Route 21 University

For more information, visit www.saskatoon.ca and click on “T” for Transit or call the Transit Customer Service Centre at 306-975-3100.

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.

The Saskatoon Civic Conservatory has an Easter flower and plant display for visitors to enjoy throughout April, which features Easter lilies, snapdragons, stocks, astilbe, and kalanchoe.

The Conservatory showcases a variety of orchids, and tropical and arid plants, along with a new seasonal flower display each month.

The Conservatory is located in the same building as the Mendel Art Gallery at 950 Spadina Crescent East. It is open 364 days per year from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.  The cost of admission is by donation.  For more information, please visit www.saskatoon.ca (look under ”C” for Civic Conservatory).

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.

The future elementary schools in Saskatoon will be an exciting new opportunity for learning and community-based recreation.  The City of Saskatoon (City) wishes to provide residents with information on the possibilities for new community spaces and access to schools in the neighbourhoods of Hampton Village, Stonebridge, Rosewood, and Evergreen, which were made possible by the Community Centre Levy collected through new lot sales.

The City, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Saskatoon Public Schools, and Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools, invites you to come and learn more about the new schools, see models, and have an opportunity to ask all of your questions and provide your thoughts.  For those who cannot make the first presentation, it will be repeated a second time later in the evening.

Future Saskatoon Schools – Community Spaces and Access – Information Meeting
Wednesday, April 16, 2014, 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
5:00 p.m. Doors Open
5:30 p.m. Presentation and Ask Your Questions
7:00 p.m. Repeat Presentation and Ask Your Questions
Council Chambers, City Hall, 222 – 3rd Avenue North

More information is available at www.shapingsaskatoon.ca.

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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A 3:15 a.m. fire at a Saskatoon Light&Power wood pole caused a power outage in Pleasant Hill, Mount Royal and Meadow Green neighbourhoods this morning.  The power for these neighbourhoods was rerouted and power was restored around 4:30 a.m.  This pole will be scheduled for repair early next week, but no further outages are expected.

Around 10:30 a.m. this morning, the same neighbourhoods were affected by another power outage.  The cause of this second outage was trees contacting a power line.  The trees were trimmed and the power was restored at 1:00 p.m. this afternoon.

We want to thank everyone for their patience and cooperation during these outages.  Regular updates were provided through the Saskatoon Light & Power service alerts and at saskatoon.ca throughout the outage to keep customers informed.

For more City of Saskatoon Public Service Announcements, News Releases, Traffic Detours and Saskatoon Light & Power Service Alerts, visit www.saskatoon.ca or connect with the City of Saskatoon on Twitter and Facebook.

The Information Technology Division has investigated City-web based services and discovered City of Saskatoon services are not vulnerable to the computer bug known as Heartbleed.

“Customers should feel absolutely comfortable to access City online payment services,” says Brenda Wallace, Acting Director of Information Technology.  “It’s business as usual for anyone wanting to pay a parking ticket, renew a pet licence or to subscribe to our green-bin service.”

Heartbleed allows computer hackers to access information that should be securely encrypted on a website such as usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, banking information and online shopping information.

Heartbleed has existed for a couple of years but is now receiving attention because a fix for the flaw has been publicly released and researchers have now realized how dangerous the bug was.
Current information suggests anywhere from 17 to 65 percent of websites could be affected.
The City website www.saskatoon.ca is safe from Heartbleed.

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.

Starting at 9:00 a.m on Monday, April 14, the Circle Drive westbound curb lane near Avenue C will be closed for water main repairs. Access from Circle Drive westbound to Avenue C northbound will be maintained.  

The work should be completed and restrictions lifted by 3:00 p.m., weather permitting and barring any unforeseen circumstances.   

Know before you go! Find up-to-date traffic detour information at www.saskatoon.ca/go/traffic and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.