News Releases

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.