News Releases

Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation and the City of Saskatoon celebrated a special signing ceremony today in Council Chamber. During the ceremony the Municipal Services and Compatibility Agreement, and the corresponding Police Services Agreement, were signed by Saskatoon Mayor Cynthia Block and Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation Chief Peter Beatty, along with Council of Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation and Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners Chair, Shirley Greyeyes. The agreements pave the way for the Nation’s land located at 1623-1625 Quebec Avenue to be designated as an urban reserve by the federal government.

At its regularly scheduled meeting on September 25, 2024, City Council approved the Municipal Services and Compatibility Agreement negotiated with Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation. The Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners also approved the Police Services Agreement at their regularly scheduled meeting on September 19, 2024. These agreements fulfill the municipal requirements for urban reserve designation. Due to the 2024 municipal election the signing ceremony was delayed until today.

"This signing ceremony is the culmination of many people’s efforts and dedication to economic Reconciliation in our community, including our partners at Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation and our former and current Mayor and Councils. The City of Saskatoon’s approach to economic growth is rooted in collaboration with Indigenous leadership," said Mayor Cynthia Block. "I’m proud of the work we’ve done to create opportunities for Indigenous communities, including supporting the establishment of 12 urban reserves - more than any other city in Canada. Reconciliation must be more than words. We need to move forward side-by-side with mutual benefit, as the Treaties intended.”

"I look forward to seeing our partners at Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation continue to grow and thrive in our city."

This marks the 12^th urban reserve application in Saskatoon, with eight urban reserves having been formally designated by the federal government. Decisions on reserve designation are made by the federal government. When a property transfers to reserve status, it is no longer under City jurisdiction.

The municipal and police services agreements address:

• municipal and police services the City will provide;
• service fees Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation will pay the City in lieu of property taxes; and,
• compatible land-use and development standards.

“We look forward to this partnership with the City of Saskatoon. This assists us in continuing to grow and adds to our other seven businesses that are already established in Saskatoon and area through Peter Ballantyne Group of Companies and its partners,” says Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation Chief Peter A. Beatty

“Our development as a First Nation is tied to Economic Development activities as one of the success factors. The creation of an urban reserve in Saskatchewan’s largest city and economic centre will assist PBCN in achieving those goals and only makes sense to do this. We look at this as a win-win scenario for PBCN and the City. It benefits all by establishing more jobs and employment opportunities in the local area as well as creating more revenue for the local economy.

We would like to thank the former Mayor Charlie Clark and Council for starting this process as well as the current Mayor Cynthia Block and Council members for continuing to invest in the future of the City and PBCN.”

For more information on urban reserves, please visit saskatoon.ca/urbanreserves.

The intersection at Victoria Avenue and 2nd Street is closed for unplanned water main repairs. Detours are in place guiding motorists around the work zone. The timeline for this project will be updated later today.

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.

Traffic Bridge will be closed between Spadina Crescent and 11th Street starting Friday, May 2, at 7:00 p.m. for bridge cleaning. Detours will be in place guiding motorists around the work zone. This project is expected to take one night 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.

The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has awarded the Canadian Award for Financial Reporting (CAnFR) to the City of Saskatoon for its annual financial report for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023. This is the 17^th time the City has received this award. View the Administrative Report to be presented to the Standing Policy Committee (SPC) on Finance on May 7, 2025.

The GFOA presented the City with the Canadian Award for Financial Reporting in recognition of the City’s ability to present financial information in a clear, concise, educational, and informative manner.

“Our Finance team continues to uphold financial reporting best practices in terms of clarity, accountability and transparency year-after-year, they consistently align with GFOA annual report format and content standards,” says Kari Smith, Director of Finance. “We are dedicated to serving community taxpayers and stakeholders with clear communication and transparency on the City’s overall financial standing.”

To be awarded the CAnFR, a municipal government must publish an easily readable and efficiently organized annual financial report, whose contents conform to program standards. Such reports should go beyond the minimum requirements of generally accepted accounting principles and demonstrate an effort to clearly communicate the municipal government’s financial picture, enhance an understanding of financial reporting by municipal governments, and address user needs.

The CAnFR Program was established to encourage municipal governments across Canada to publish innovative financial reporting and to maintain a high standard of quality recognized amongst peers.

The attainment of this prestigious award represents a significant achievement by the City of Saskatoon and its financial management team.

View the City of Saskatoon’s award-winning 2023 Annual Report.