News Releases

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. 

Saskatoon Transit is taking the first step in electrifying its bus fleet by signing a contract for two Nova LFSe+ electric buses. These will be the first two permanent battery-electric buses in Saskatoon Transit’s fleet and the first in Saskatchewan.

The long-range battery-electric bus can travel more than 300 kilometres on a single charge. This will save Saskatoon Transit approximately $44,000 in fuel costs annually per bus and will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 60 tonnes per bus annually once in operation.

"Taking transit is already one of the best ways people can reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, but through electrification and other actions outlined in the Low Emissions Community Plan, we’re working to further reduce our impact on the climate,” says Terry Schmidt, General Manager of Transportation and Construction.

This is a critical step towards achieving climate targets outlined in the City of Saskatoon’s Low Emissions Community Plan and Climate Action Plan. Some of these targets include emission reductions of 55,000 tonnes CO₂e by 2050, increasing transit trips to 5 per cent of total trips by 2030 and 10 per cent by 2050.

This $2.7 million investment in battery-electric buses was approved by City Council in December 2021. We expect delivery of these new buses in 2024.

“We are very excited that Saskatoon Transit will be experiencing the long-range electric version of the safe and reliable Nova Bus buses,” says Ralph Acs, President of Nova Bus. “Electrifying transit bus fleets is the smartest option for transit authorities to reduce GHG emissions, and we’re glad Saskatoon Transit is leading the way in Saskatchewan by acquiring the province’s first all-electric buses.”

More information
City of Saskatoon Climate Action Plan webpage

For more information about Saskatoon Transit, visit saskatoontransit.ca or follow @StoonTransit on Twitter. Plan your route in advance using Google Transit or the Transit App on your mobile device.

In an 8-1 vote, the Rural Municipality of Corman Park Council declined a discretionary use application from Green Prairie Environmental (GPE). The application was to operate an organics composting facility located next to the GPE landfill that has been operating in the RM for many years.

Following a public procurement process, the City awarded in September 2020 a contract to GPE to provide organics processing services to support the City’s Curbside Organics Program. 

The City’s contract with GPE requires a contingency plan in the event that GPE faces any challenges to fully deliver service. This was a pre-condition to moving forward.

Residents should know that any extra cost of the contingency 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 residences will have their green bins by the end of this week. 

Learn more about the City’s Green Cart Program.

Today, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities, His Worship Charlie Clark, Mayor of Saskatoon, and Josipa Petrunić, President and CEO of the Canadian Urban Transit Research & Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC), announced a joint investment of $420,000 to plan for the electrification of Saskatoon Transit’s bus fleet.

With this funding, Saskatoon Transit will create a five-phase strategy that will review the costs, assess the risks and advantages, and identify the infrastructure and internal resources needed to transition to a low-carbon fleet. This plan will guide the City of Saskatoon’s efforts to meet their goal of electrifying their entire fleet.

By investing in infrastructure, the Government of Canada is growing our country’s economy, increasing the resiliency of our communities, and improving the lives of Canadians.

Quotes

“The electrification of our transportation sector is one of the most impactful measures we can take to reduce our emissions and build a clean economy. This funding will allow Saskatoon Transit to plan for the successful electrification of their bus fleet, which will provide quieter, cleaner transit options to the city’s residents. Our government will continue working with its partners in Saskatchewan and across the country to build public transit systems Canadians can rely on.”

The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities

“This important funding will allow Saskatoon to take crucial steps towards modernizing and electrifying our bus fleet. The recent electric bus pilot project showed just some of the possible benefits that can be realized through rapidly evolving technology in the field of transportation. Moving people efficiently and reducing costs while also taking steps to meet targets from our Low Emissions Community Plan will help to ensure a modern and sustainable public transportation system for residents of Saskatoon.”

His Worship Charlie Clark, Mayor of Saskatoon

“At CUTRIC, we know that sustainability is a continuous journey. We are committed to taking significant strides toward a net zero future, and our collaborative effort with the City of Saskatoon and Saskatoon Transit is a testament to that. This project is not just about modernizing fleets; it’s about taking responsibility for the future of our communities and the health and well-being of our citizens. We’re proud to be part of history in Saskatchewan.” 

Josipa Petrunić, President & CEO, Canadian Urban Transit Research & Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC)

Quick facts

• The Government of Canada is investing $336,000 for this project, and the City of Saskatoon is contributing $84,000. 
• Launched in 2021, the $2.75B Zero Emission Transit Fund offers support to public transit and school bus operators across Canada who are electrifying their fleets. 
• The Government of Canada is investing $10 million through the Zero Emission Transit Fund over five years to help transit bus operators to complete planning work and increase their level of readiness to transition to zero emission bus fleets.
• CUTRIC’s mission is to support the commercialization of technologies through industry-led collaborative research, development, demonstration, and integration projects that bring innovative design to Canada’s low-carbon smart mobility ecosystem.
• This project aligns with Saskatoon’s Low Emissions Community Plan, a long-term roadmap for the City to achieve its greenhouse gas reduction targets.

Associated links

• Building Canada's public transit future: Healthy and sustainable modes of transportation for all
• Zero Emission Transit Fund
• Canadian Urban Transit Research & Innovation Consortium
• Saskatoon Climate Action Plan – Progress Report 2021

Green cart deployment is well underway across Saskatoon. All households with black garbage carts and blue recycling carts are receiving a green cart, specifically for food and yard waste, and a kitchen pail starter kit. To date, more than 50% of eligible households have received their carts and kitchen pails.

The third-party contractor responsible for cart deployment has experienced some delays but is increasing crews and workdays to ensure deployment will be completed on time. They have increased from five teams to eight and are now working seven days a week instead of six.

“We have experienced a few setbacks with deployment but with additional resources added by the contractor, we are confident all eligible households will receive their green carts by the end of April,” says Brendan Lemke, Director of Water and Waste Operations. “We would like to reassure residents that they will not be charged for the green cart program before they’ve physically received their cart.”

A monthly average utility fee of $6.73 will appear on City utility bills beginning in May. Households will not incur the organics charge until they have received their carts. The fee covers collection, composting, cart maintenance, education programs and program management.

“We are delivering green carts to all eligible households in the city that currently receive curbside collections to ensure that every eligible household has an opportunity to participate,” Lemke says. "We understand there are instances where, due to space or other constraints, residents of townhouses and properties with secondary suites may want to share carts. We have been hearing from some folks and we do have a process in place if they want to request one or some of their green carts be removed.

A representative from a townhouse complex or an owner of a property with a secondary suite can contact Corporate Revenue Customer Service at 306-975-2400 or revenue@saskatoon.ca to request to have one or some of their green carts removed. Monthly utility fees will still apply to each eligible household even if green carts are removed. The City is focused on successfully completing deployment, ensuring townhomes and secondary suites receive the right size and number of carts, and giving residents time to try out the program for a few months. The majority of single-family residences will not have the opportunity to refuse their green cart until fall.

“Findings from other municipalities show that waste diversion rates increased and requests to opt-out reduced considerably after residents had time to try the new service, so we’d ask that you at least give it a shot this summer,” adds Lemke. "It will also be important to for residents to get used to the new garbage collection schedule. Garbage will now be collected bi-weekly year-round, since more than half of what used to go into the black carts is accepted in the new green cart.”

Green cart collection will begin in May. If your green cart is already full and you have excess yard waste, you can drop it off for free at the City’s two Compost Depots, which are now open for the season. Residents can also pick up one cubic yard of compost or mulch for free while supplies last at the West Compost Depot.  

Later this year the City is launching an organics regulation for businesses and organizations that generate food or yard waste as part of their operations, as well as a pilot project for multi-unit food and yard waste diversion.

For more information about green carts, and to download the ‘Saskatoon Waste Wizard’ app to check collection dates and sign up for collection reminders, please visit saskatoon.ca/greencart.