News Releases

Last week, members from Saskatoon’s host committee attended the 2018 Creative City Network of Canada’s Creative City Summit (Summit) in Mississauga, Ontario, to promote Saskatoon as next year’s Summit location to their colleagues across Canada.  This three-day conference for municipal cultural workers provided an opportunity for Saskatoon to share knowledge and highlight its dynamic arts and culture scene.

“The Creative City Network of Canada, and Saskatoon’s active participation in it, is a reflection of the growing role that creativity and the arts play in community building,” says Kevin Kitchen, Community Development Manager.  “Judging from the early responses, municipal workers from across Canada are eagerly looking forward to attending the 2019 Summit in Saskatoon as our community has much to offer the rest of the country in terms of cultural practices.”

As part of their promotional pitch, the team launched a short animated film by Saskatoon filmmaker, Andrei Feheregyhazi, entitled Saskatoon:  Where the Art Is, sponsored by the City of Saskatoon and Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport.

“I feel honoured to be a part of this project,” says filmmaker, Andrei Feheregyhazi.  “It was exciting to work on something that not only would be shown at a national conference, but also to work on something that allowed me to explore creatively the way this project did.”

The unique animated video takes viewers on a cardboard and watercolour tour of Saskatoon’s arts and culture scene and features Wanuskewin Heritage Park, Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan, SaskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival, Remai Modern, and some pieces in the City’s public art collection.  The composition for the video was created by local musician, Dean Summach.

For more information on the Summit and to view Saskatoon:  Where the Art Is, visit saskatoon.ca/artsandculture.

The City of Saskatoon continues undertaking improvements to its Transit shelters, bus stops, sidewalks and other related infrastructure.

Funded by the City and the Government of Canada, which invested $5.3 million through the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund toward these projects, this work will ultimately help better connect people to this important local transportation network. In Saskatchewan, the federal PTIF program is administered by the provincial government.  

“Getting people where they need to go safely, quickly, and comfortably is essential to creating liveable communities,” says the Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. “Our government is proud to support these vital upgrades to Saskatoon’s transit infrastructure. A safer, more inclusive transit system will increase ridership, reduce congestion and improve air quality.”

“Saskatoon can contribute to improving its citizens’ quality of life with projects like these, thanks to the federal Public Transit Infrastructure Fund, which the Government of Saskatchewan administers in the province. Saskatchewan’s eligible municipal partners having access to this federally-funded program helps those communities address their local priorities,” says the Honourable Warren Kaeding Saskatchewan’s Minister of Government Relations.

“Undertaking improvements such as sidewalks, landing pads, ramps and shelters to Transit stops such as the one at Attridge Drive and Rever Road can mean the difference between choosing to use Transit or not,” says Mike Moellenbeck, Saskatoon’s Acting Director of Transit. “As we work towards a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, Transit connectivity becomes even more important. We are looking to the future in terms of the locations that make sense and responding to the needs of the people we serve today.”

Through its recent Bus Stop Blues campaign, Saskatoon Transit received more than 45 submissions on areas that would benefit from improvements. Submissions were categorized into one of three categories: 1) sidewalk/accessibility, 2) new shelter/ repair, or 3) general maintenance. Three quarters of the submissions received were asking for improvements to the Attridge Drive and Rever Road location. A full listing of the planned improvements can be found at SaskatoonTransit.ca/about-us/projects.

As part of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) plans, Attridge and Rever has also been selected for one of the BRT stations which will act as a major transfer point for the area. BRT stations are planned to be built at a height of approximately 10 inches, about 4 inches higher than existing curbs throughout the city. As a pilot, the bus stops at Attridge Drive and Rever Road were built to a height of 10 inches. The raised curbs will improve accessibility by offering near level boarding to accommodate wheelchair access without having to deploy the bus ramp allowing for faster passenger loading times. This is in addition to Saskatoon Transit’s objectives to attain a 100 per cent accessible fleet by the end of 2018.  

“When we’re upgrading stops, we look at the connecting sidewalks people use to get to those locations as well,” says David LeBoutillier, Saskatoon’s Acting Engineering Manager for Transportation. “Depending on the pre-existing conditions, we repaired, or replaced, and in some cases added new sidewalk at identified locations.”

On top of this, the City improved 20 per cent more sidewalk panels than originally projected for 2018. Sidewalk ramps – connecting sidewalks to roadways – were also installed at locations around the city. The locations for both panel and ramp repair/installation were identified based on connectivity to Transit. Additional considerations included public input, Neighbourhood Traffic Review recommendations, and prioritization for those locations where there are no sidewalks on either side of the road.

The total investment in these various improvements, including both the Government of Canada’s and City of Saskatoon’s contributions, is more than $10.6 million. 

November is fall prevention month and the Saskatoon Fire Department wants to ensure that citizens most at risk for a fall, adults over the age of 65, are aware of the options available through the Remembering When program. Remembering When offers helpful information around fire and fall prevention aimed at reducing fires and/or falls.

Remembering When is a National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) designed program promoting eight fire safety and eight fall prevention messages through group presentations and home visits. The program focuses on the primary goal of helping older adults eliminate fire and fall hazards in their environment, allowing them to stay in their homes as long as desired. It also instructs older adults on what to do in the event of a fire and how to get up off of the floor if they have fallen and are not hurt.

The eight fire prevention and safety tips include:

1. If you smoke, do so outside,
2. Give space heaters space,
3. Stay in the kitchen when cooking,
4. Stop, drop, and roll,
5. Smoke alarms save lives,
6. Plan and practice your escape from fire and smoke,
7. Know your local emergency number, and
8. Plan your escape around your abilities.

The eight fall prevention and safety tips include:

1. Exercise regularly,
2. Take your time,
3. Keep stairs and walking areas clear,
4. Improve lighting,
5. Use non-slip mats,
6. Be aware of uneven surfaces,
7. Stairways should be well lit, and
8. Wear sturdy, well-fitting, low-heeled shoes with non-slip soles.

The Saskatoon Fire Department, in partnership with the Saskatoon Council on Aging (SCOA), conducts group presentations and home visits through the Remembering When program. This level of personalized fire and fall prevention ensures that each individual is receiving information that is relevant to their specific living situation and lifestyle. To book a group presentation or home visit, please contact Dori Krahn at the Saskatoon Fire Department 306-975-7715, or dori.krahn@saskatoon.ca.

Helpful videos with step-by-step instructions have been developed to show people how to get up from a fall, or assist somebody who has fallen and is not hurt. Click here for the video on how to get up if you have fallen and aren’t hurt and here for the video on how to assist someone up.

In an emergency, call 911 immediately.

Saskatoon is in full winter mode. Almost 3 centimetres of snow fell Sunday and Monday, temperatures have dropped, and people are re-learning how to navigate winter driving conditions. Almost as instantly, City road maintenance operations switched from street sweeping and pothole patching to plowing and sanding.

“City crews work seven days a week, prepared for whatever weather heads our way,” says Brandon Harris, Director of Roadways & Operations. “When it snows, we have up to 29 sanders, 16 graders and 14 plows focussed on keeping high-traffic roads in good winter driving condition.”

Additional resources and P3 contractors are also all ready to keep the new infrastructure clear this winter. With two bridges, including the extension of Central Avenue and McOrmond Drive and two interchanges, more than 21 kilometres of new roadway was opened up this summer to traffic.

Once the snow stops falling, graders clear the driving lanes on priority 1, 2 and 3 streets and in school zones, windrows of snow are removed in Business Improvement Districts, and specialized equipment is used to clear dedicated bike lanes and high-traffic walkways. Snow windrows are removed periodically through winter to prevent visibility issues for drivers and sidewalk users.

“Each year, we push ourselves to find a better way or test a product that makes managing snow and fighting ice smoother and faster,” says Harris. “This year we’re following Switzerland’s lead and testing wood chips to improve traction on ice. We’ve also improved our technique for keeping bridge decks and overpasses clear of any snow build-up.”

As City operations work to prevent icing, improve traction and clear snow, drivers have to play a leading role in their own safety by adjusting driving habits in winter. Important safety habits include clearing snow from all windows, leaving extra distance between you and the car in front, and reducing your speed. Find more winter driving and safety tips at saskatoon.ca/winterdriving.  

“The people operating the road equipment are important. They are colleagues, family and friends to someone – maybe someone you know,” says Harris. “Please slow down when you see their flashing blue lights and let them do their job.”

Snow What to Do this winter by visiting saskatoon.ca/snow. During a snow event (5 centimetres or more snow fall), find timely updates at saskatoon.ca/service-alerts and follow @YXEServiceAlert on Twitter.

With the colder temperatures setting in, grizzly bears Mistaya (miss‑TIE’‑yuh) and Koda (KOH’-dah) are well on their way to beginning their third hibernation at the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo (Zoo).

Preparation for the bears’ hibernation has been underway for several weeks.  The Zoo has worked closely with fRI Research and wildlife nutritionists to carefully monitor the bears leading into hibernation.

“We are very excited to see that Mistaya and Koda are continuing to follow a normal weight gain and loss cycle as they prepare to enter their third hibernation,” said Tim Sinclair-Smith, Zoo Manager.  “As their bodies continue to adjust to an annual hibernation schedule, we are closely monitoring and comparing Mistaya and Koda’s weight each year to that of their wild counterparts.”

At their current weight, the Zoo is predicting the bears will lose about 150 kilograms each year during hibernation.  Mistaya and Koda are currently weighing in at approximately 355 and 340 kilograms, respectively.

Cameras will once again be live in the hibernation dens so that the Zoo can closely monitor behavior, activity levels, and breathing patterns.  A live camera feed found at saskatoon.ca/zoo will also be available for Saskatoon residents to check on Mistaya and Koda throughout their hibernation.

For more information on the Zoo, please visit saskatoon.ca/zoo.