News Releases

In a given year, the City cleans out between 3,000 and 4,000 service lines connecting residential properties to the City’s sanitary sewer system. The sanitary sewer system is like a giant funnel with over 75,000 connections all directed to the Wastewater Treatment Plant. When individuals put harmful things down the drain it can quickly become a significant problem in the sewer system.

To shift behaviors, the City has developed an education campaign that is targeted towards residential users of the sanitary sewer. The goal behind Prevent Irritable Sewer Syndrome is to build awareness of what is and is not to be flushed down toilets and rinsed down sinks, and to reduce the number of blockages experienced throughout the community.

“Most drain clogs occur when materials do not dissolve or break apart in water. The common culprit for clogged drains in our community is grease and flushable wipes”, says Russ Munro, Director of Water & Waste Operations. “Increased understanding of how certain materials impact the sewer system and how to properly dispose of these items will help decrease the amount of sewer backups residents experience, which can be extremely costly and very inconvenient.”

What can residents do to help?

• Wipe fats, oils and grease off dishes before washing.
• Compost organic waste (food scraps, coffee grounds and paper towel).
• Return pharmaceuticals to pharmacy.
• Dispose of wipes, diapers, personal hygiene products, and family planning products in the garbage.
• Unload hazardous products at the household hazardous waste drop-off site.

To learn more on how to protect your pipes and Prevent Irritable Sewer Syndrome, visit: saskatoon.ca/irritable-sewer-syndrome.

The City of Saskatoon continues to make progress on recovering $1.04 million in funds that earlier this month were directed to a fraudster’s bank account through a fraud scheme.

“While it is early in the investigation, we’re pleased to say most of the funds have been identified or traced and have been locked-down by Court order,” says City Manager Jeff Jorgenson.

Jorgenson says the City is chasing down every lead and working with banking institutions and the Saskatoon Police Service.

“Recovery of the remaining funds, further fortifying our controls, and gathering all of the facts continues to be the City’s number-one priority,” he says. “This is a very good start and we are cautiously optimistic about recovering more funds.”

A fraudster electronically impersonated the Chief Financial Officer of Allan Construction, asking for a change of banking information. The City complied, and as a result, the next contract payment intended to go to that company, was directed to the fraudster’s bank account. The fraud was identified on August 12, 2019.

“It’s very disconcerting that the perpetrator used my name and our company name to commit this crime,” says Allan Construction’s CFO Blaine Dubreuil. “We have done a security assessment and are confident that our systems were not hacked or compromised. We’ll be working closely with the City of Saskatoon and the Saskatoon Police Service as the investigation continues.”

The City has issued a claim with its insurer. To protect the integrity of the police investigation the City and Allan Construction are not at liberty to disclose further details.

Clarence Avenue and 14th Street now has an illuminated crossing that accommodates both pedestrians and cyclists, thanks to a grant from the provincial Traffic Safety Fund, derived from photo speed enforcement fine revenue. Earlier this year, the City received a $45,000 grant to install signage, special illumination and amber flashing beacons at the intersection. It is the first pedestrian-cyclist actuated signal in Saskatoon.

“Initially, only a pedestrian signal was to be installed,” says Jay Magus, Director of Transportation. “However, it made sense to add the cyclist signal as well because 14th Street is a shared-use on-road cycling lane.”

The crossing operates as any other illuminated crossing in the city, but includes a cyclist push button that is easily accessible to those who simply ride up next to it. Tips on how to use the new pedestrian and cyclist crossing are available at Saskatoon.ca/bike.

Residents of Nutana and Varsity View had identified Clarence Avenue and 14th Street as a necessary location for pedestrian safety improvements through the City’s neighbourhood traffic review process. In choosing recipients, the Photo Speed Enforcement committee looked at criteria focused on priority areas including intersection safety, aggressive driving, speeding and vulnerable road users.  

Provincial Traffic Safety Fund grants will be awarded twice annually. The City plans to continue submitting funding applications to improve safety at other intersections and school zones throughout Saskatoon.

The City of Saskatoon has been affected by a fraud scheme, where a fraudster electronically impersonated the CFO of a construction company and asked for a change of banking information.  The City complied, and as a result, the next contract payment intended to go to that company, $1.04 million, was directed to the fraudster’s bank account.  The fraud was identified on August 12, 2019.

Upon discovering the fraudulent activity, the City notified its internal auditor, the Saskatoon Police Service and other authorities including banking institutions.

“Our focus at this time is on recovery of the funds.  We have experts engaged from our internal auditor, the banks affected, and the Saskatoon Police Service.  Additionally we have external and internal experts pouring over financial transactions and processes to do everything reasonably possible to protect the City from any further attacks”, City Manager, Jeff Jorgenson says.

“This incident is a serious criminal matter, and the City is working hard to recover these funds, minimize the opportunities for this to occur in the future, and to cooperate with the police in this investigation,” says Mayor Charlie Clark

“As this is an ongoing investigation, the City cannot disclose further details about the fraud at this time.  The City is now notifying the media and the public in an effort to be transparent and also to warn other corporations.  The City will continue to work with and fully cooperate with law enforcement”, says Jorgenson.

From major infrastructure rehabilitation to general road maintenance, the 2019 construction season is progressing as planned and on schedule in Saskatoon. City Council invested over $61 million in 2019 to make more of Saskatoon’s streets, bridges and sidewalks, smoother, safer and longer-lasting.

“With so many active projects underway, we know navigating around Saskatoon can be inconvenient,” says Matt Jurkiewicz, Interim Director, Construction & Design. “We plan our short construction season to lessen these impacts as much as possible, but of course it’s not possible to avoid traffic delays altogether. We’re asking everyone to remember the work is necessary and will be worth it in the long run.”

• The interchanges at Boychuk Drive and Highway 16 and McOrmond Drive and College Drive are complete and open.
   
• Phase 1 of the Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge rehabilitation project has reached the mid-way point and remains on track for completion in October. In 2020, Phase 2 will require the lanes heading into downtown to be closed.
   
• Water main/connection replacements will improve water service for 387 properties in City Park (2018-2020) and Riversdale (2019-2020). City Park remains on schedule and Riversdale is ahead of schedule. Completion of the current phases is anticipated in early fall.  
   
• Other water main replacement locations include 14^th Street East and Bates Crescent, Acadia Drive between Leddy Crescent and Harrington Street, and 12^th Street East between Broadway Avenue and Eastlake Avenue.
   
• Completed road improvements: resurfacing of Circle Drive from Millar Avenue to the Circle Drive North Bridge; and sections of Taylor Street, Boychuk Drive and Kenderdine Road. The twinning of Wanuskewin Road north of 71^st Street is scheduled for completion in October.

• Upcoming road construction: resurfacing the westbound lanes on College Drive from the city limits to the Canadian Pacific Rail overpass, resurfacing Idylwyld Drive northbound lanes from 25^th Street to 31^st Street, and resurfacing Preston Avenue northbound lanes from Taylor Street to 8^th Street.
   
• Road and sidewalk maintenance: spring street sweeping was completed through all neighbourhoods in 7 weeks, back lane grading started in July and runs through to October, and sidewalk, pothole and utility cut repairs occur daily across the entire city.

Along with better project coordination, such as sidewalk and roadway overhauls being done at the same time and continuing construction overnight when possible, the City has also adopted a new purchasing policy that allows for the hiring of the best company for the job based on experience, qualifications and construction plan, not just the lowest bid.

We thank you for your pave-tience during construction. We know it can be a real ‘pain in the asphalt.’