News Releases

Two special events are being planned on Tuesday, October 2 to commemorate the completion of the City of Saskatoon’s largest ever infrastructure project. In just days, the Bridging to Tomorrow project, which includes the Chief Mistawasis Bridge, McOrmond Drive and Central Avenue extensions, and the new Traffic Bridge will be completed on time and on budget.

“The City is grateful for the strong partnerships we have with the Government of Canada, the Government of Saskatchewan, and Graham Commuter Partners on this project,” says Dan Willems, Acting General Manager of Corporate Performance. “All of this new infrastructure will shorten commute times, offer more transportation options for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, and help grow the economy, all of which improve our quality of life.”

Events will focus on the theme of community and bridging together citizens in celebration. At the Chief Mistawasis Bridge, a morning celebration will include a grand entry with local Indigenous leaders, residential school survivors, and City and government officials. Citizens will be invited to walk around and explore the bridge for the entire morning.

Beginning at noon, a more informal event will be held on the deck of the new Traffic Bridge. The event will start with a bridge walk that will include citizens, local community leaders, school children, and walking, cycling and running groups. It will begin on both ends of the bridge and meet in the middle in a celebration of community. Citizens are invited to bring their own lunch to the new Traffic Bridge or purchase their lunch from food truck vendors that will be set up on the deck. The Traffic Bridge Party will include local cultural entertainment and history and information about the Bridging to Tomorrow project will be on display.

Chief Mistawasis Bridge, McOrmond Drive and Central Avenue extensions will open to vehicular traffic later in the day. The Traffic Bridge will open to vehicular traffic on October 3.

For more information on the Bridging to Tomorrow project, visit saskatoon.ca/bridging.

A City Committee is asking City Council to green-light a plan seeking a tenant to develop and manage a six-day-a-week public and farmers’ market in the Farmers’ Market Building at River Landing.   As the current lease is set to expire in the spring with the current tenant, a report considered by the Planning, Development & Community Services Committee would like City Council to endorse issuing a Request for Proposal this fall.

“It’s been ten years since the Farmers’ Market Building was converted from an electrical utility building,” says Brenda Wallace, Director, Environmental and Corporate Initiatives. “Saskatoon, its food scene, and the River Landing precinct, has undergone vast changes in that time.

“The original concept plan for River Landing outlined ambitious dreams for this space and the City wants to determine if we can move closer to realizing them with increased market days and activity in the building”

The City has undertaken lease renewal negotiations with the current tenant of the building, the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market Co-operative Ltd. (SFMCL), which had submitted a business plan. Its plan anticipates providing an eventual increased number of days each week in which some market and program activities would occur, however, full animation of the site as originally envisioned would not be achieved.

“Through an RFP, we’re hoping to make it very clear what the expectations and hopes are for the building and to identify an entity best-positioned to bring a vibrant market to our residents and visitors,” Wallace says.

If approved at City Council, Administration will issue a Request for Proposals in fall of this year. The current Lease and Operating Agreement for the Farmers’ Market Building expires in May 2019.

River Landing, through the Farmers’ Market, supports the Strategic Goal of Quality of Life by ensuring facilities are accessible and meeting community needs. As a cultural, recreational, and market centre, River Landing invites citizens and visitors alike to enjoy the natural beauty and benefits of parks, trails, and other amenities that bring people together. 

The Saskatoon Fire Department will be hosting three open houses of fire stations around the city, as well as one public grand opening of the newly relocated Fire Station No. 3. These events will be running from September 17^th to 20^th and all are welcome to attend. The details of each are as follows:

Monday, September 17, 2018

Fire Station No. 2 Open House – 3111 Diefenbaker Drive

6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Fire Station No. 8 Open House – 207 Slimmon Road

6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Fire Station No. 1 Open House – 125 Idylwyld Drive South

6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

LIVE BURN DEMONSTRATION!

Thursday, September 20, 2018

Fire Station No. 3 Public Grand Opening – 2613 Clarence Avenue South

6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

FREE CHILI AND A BUN!

Each event will include tours of the station, and the opportunity to meet members of the Saskatoon Fire Department and ask any questions that you may have.

We are excited to host community members at a number of our fire stations. We hope to see you there!

After months of study, City Administration recommends bi-weekly collection of both garbage and organics – with no changes to recycling. It further recommends the new services be funded as a utility instead of from property taxes.

“We made a great deal of progress over the summer – conducting further research and examining all of City Council’s options to help inform these reports,” says Russ Munro, Director of Water & Waste Stream. “It was important for us to phase these decisions and take the time to consider all possible scenarios to ensure we were presenting solutions that not only make economic and environmental sense, but that also keep the best interests of our residents in mind.”

A series of reports will be presented Monday to the Standing Policy Committee on Environment, Utilities & Corporate Services. Together they address the environmental and financial sustainability of waste management in Saskatoon and help achieve the City’s goal of 70% waste diversion by 2023. The three reports are a follow-up to the June 25 Recommended Changes to Waste Management in Saskatoon report where City Council directed Administration to proceed with the development of a new Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) waste utility and mandatory city-wide organics program for curbside single-family homes.

As mentioned, the Waste Management Levels of Service – Curbside Organics and Pay-As-You-Throw Waste Utility report, recommends that the new service level for all curbside households be year-round bi-weekly collection of garbage and organics, with no changes to recycling. It is also recommended that these new services be funded as a utility rather than through property taxes.

The Ability-to-Pay Considerations for an Expanded Curbside Waste Utility report, includes considerations to ensure the program is affordable to residents of Saskatoon and address concerns around changing program funding from mill rate (subsidized by the commercial sector) to a utility. The new programs are expected to stay well within affordability thresholds for a range of income levels.

An additional report, Unified Waste Utility - Utility Rate Setting Philosophy, will present City Council with options for long-term financial rate setting, should they approve the recommendation to implement the new programs as a utility.

While the Administration recommends the most cost-effective level of service with a rate structure that incentivises waste diversion, City Council may select a different or any combination of service levels or rate structures. Either scenario will require the Administration to report back to City Council for final approval on service levels and rates.

”We are hopeful that these reports provide City Council with the details needed to make an informed decision,” says Munro. “These recommendations support Council goals and values with the long term objectives of Economic, Environmental and Social Sustainability for Saskatoon.”

For more information about the City’s waste diversion plan, visit saskatoon.ca/wastediversion. Review the full agenda for the September 10, 2018 Standing Policy Committee on Environment, Utilities and Corporate Services, including report attachments.

The City is reminding drivers that school zones are back in effect beginning next week. School zones are marked around all public and private schools (elementary and secondary), Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., from September to June. Drivers are required to reduce their speeds to a maximum of 30 kilometres per hour (km/h).

“There is a very direct relationship between vehicle speed and severity of injury,” says David LeBoutillier, Acting Engineering Manager with the City’s Transportation Division. “The 30 kilometre per hour limit we’ve set is not arbitrary and it’s definitely not excessive. We have a lot of data that shows us speed is the determinant factor when it comes to a vehicle-child collision.”

According to the World Health Organization’s speed management manual, the following are a child’s chances of surviving a collision when a driver is travelling at:

• 60 km/h: there is a 0% chance of a child surviving the collision.
• 50 km/h: there is a 20% chance of a child surviving the collision.
• 40 km/h: there is a 60% chance of a child surviving the collision.
• 30 km/h: there is a 90% chance of a child surviving the collision.

School zone compliance is enforced by the Saskatoon Police Service. Members of the SPS rotate through school zones around the city on a daily basis as well as respond to reports of non-compliance.

“Every September, at the start of the school year, we ask motorists to re-adjust their driving habits around schools,” says Staff Sergeant Patrick Barbar of the SPS Traffic Unit. “This means being very deliberate about looking for and obeying school zone signage.”

The SPS will be focusing extra attention on school zones beginning next week. Tickets for speeding in a school zone are double the base amount plus double the amount per kilometer over the limit. School zone fines are generally in the range of $400-500 and they can go as high as $1,000. A driver travelling through a school zone at 60 km/h or more will also have their vehicle impounded.

The City also wants to remind Saskatoon drivers that u-turns are restricted in school zones. If a driver is performing a u-turn, children who are walking, running and playing in the area may not anticipate the change in direction. Similarly, the blind spots change for drivers performing the u-turn and they may not be able to see what is happening behind their vehicle.

This fall, there is only one new school zone in effect: St. Frances Cree Bilingual School on Bateman Crescent in Greystone Heights. More information about school zones in Saskatoon is available at saskatoon.ca/SchoolZones.