News Releases

More work has determined that hydrocarbons have not been detected beyond seven fire hydrants in a small area of the Aspen Ridge neighbourhood; even so, the Water Security Agency (WSA) Do Not Use Notice for just over a dozen homes remains in effect.

“This is very encouraging,” says Russ Munro, Acting General Manager of Transportation and Utilities. “We are now in a position where we can get residents back to a normal routine by installing above-ground temporary water lines.”

The WSA issued the Notice on January 10th after hydrocarbons were visually detected in some fire hydrants within one section of the neighbourhood.

So far, the City’s investigation has revealed no signs of hydrocarbons beyond the hydrant structures. The residential water supply continues to test clean and clear.

“We dug up pipes and looked; we removed water meters and looked and there was no sign of hydrocarbons in either,” Munro says. “Even though tests in the home have come back clear, we simply do not take any chances with water quality. The Do Not Use Notice will remain in effect until the water quality is fully restored.”

The City replaced all the water meters in the affected area and the temporary water line installations are scheduled to happen in about two weeks. Until then, residents in about 10 affected homes will continue to receive bottled water.

The City has also arranged to suspend water billing for the affected properties as of January 10th.

The Do Not Use Notice does not extend to laundry and toilets – those uses are allowed.

To promote winter fun in Saskatoon, a WinterCityYXE pilot program has brought two unique warming huts from The Forks in Winnipeg.

The warming huts can be found at the Nutrien Wintershines Festival from Saturday, January 27 to Sunday, February 4 and the Kôna – Wanuskewin Winter Festival on Saturday, February 10. After that, the warming huts will be on the riverbank at two locations until early March:  Spadina Crescent and Oxford Street, and Spadina Crescent and Avenue D.

Residents and visitors are encouraged to share their experiences with the warming huts by emailing wintercityyxe@saskatoon.ca.

For more information, including the design of the warming huts and a full calendar of winter activities in Saskatoon, visit saskatoon.ca/wintercityyxe. To have an event or activity added to the WinterCityYXE calendar, please contact us at wintercityyxe@saskatoon.ca.

The City and Thunderchild First Nation have cleared a path to designate the First Nation’s Retro Petro Gas Station and Convenience Store at the corner of Idylwyld Drive and 33rd Street as an urban reserve.

Mayor Charlie Clark and Chief Delbert Wapass, along with the Council of Thunderchild First Nation, today signed the agreements at a special meeting of City Council.

“I want to thank Thunderchild First Nation for choosing to invest in our community with the development of the Retro Petro and the establishment of an urban reserve at this busy Saskatoon intersection,” says Mayor Charlie Clark.  “Our long history of establishing urban reserves has proven the shared benefits they bring in investment, job creation, and services that benefit the Indigenous community and all citizens of the community.  Tangible partnerships like these are meaningful steps in the journey of Reconciliation.”

The agreement will address:

• services the City will provide;
• service fees Thunderchild First Nation will pay the City in lieu of property taxes; and
• compatible land-use and development standards. 

“We are very excited to finally conclude the urban reserve process with the City of Saskatoon,” says Chief Delbert Wapass.  “This would not be possible without the prayers and support of our Elders/membership and the hands-on support of our Mayor Charlie Clark and his Council.  Today is a good day and the beginning of a new chapter in Thunderchild First Nation’s road to economic sovereignty.”

Decisions on reserve designation are made by the federal government.  If the property is designated as a reserve, it would become the sixth urban reserve in Saskatoon.  When a property transfers to reserve status, it is no longer under City jurisdiction.

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

About Thunderchild First Nation
​Thunderchild First Nation is an independent Cree First Nation whose home reserve is located approximately 200 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon near Turtleford, Saskatchewan.  A signatory of Treaty No. 6, Thunderchild First Nation has 2,800 members.  Approximately 1,300 members reside on the home reserve, and 1,500 members live in other communities throughout the province.  

It is time to say farewell to Thorn and Shruikan as the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo (Zoo) begins preparations for the Komodo dragons to return to the Calgary Zoo.

The Komodo Island Exhibit opened to the public on April 1, 2017, giving visitors an opportunity to learn more about Komodo dragons while also getting an up-close look at these larger-than-life lizards.

Although the Komodo Island Exhibit was only a temporary home for the dragons, Thorn and Shruikan settled into the Zoo family quite well.

“The dragons were a great addition to our collection, and it has been amazing to watch them grow over the past year,” said Tim Sinclair-Smith, Zoo Manager.  “When the dragons first arrived, Thorn weighed 21.40 kg while Shruikan weighed 23.25 kg.  Since then, the dragons have grown to be 32.25 kg and 31.00 kg respectively.”

The Zoo invites everyone to come and see the Komodo Island Exhibit one last time before it closes on Thursday, February 15, 2018.  The Zoo is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and admission is by donation until March 31.

Additional information regarding the Zoo can be found at saskatoon.ca/zoo.

The City is proud to be recognized as one of the province’s top employers for 2018, and to be selected among the top employers for the seventh year in a row. Enhancing workplace culture is our Strategic Goal as an employer dedicated to continuous improvement, diversity and inclusion.

“We recognize our people are the driving force behind an outstanding level of service in all divisions”, says Dan Willems, Acting General Manager of Corporate Performance. “Our employees continue to set the bar higher each year, and it only adds to that positive performance we are taking forward into the future.”

The City of Saskatoon was evaluated on eight criteria, the same used for the Canada Top 100 Employer’s competition:

1. Physical Workplace
2. Work Atmosphere & Communications
3. Financial Benefits & Compensation
4. Health & Family-Friendly Benefits
5. Vacation & Personal Time Off
6. Employee Engagement
7. Training & Skills Development
8. Community Involvement

Employers are compared with other organizations in their field to determine which ones offer the most progressive and forward-thinking programs.

Saskatchewan’s Top Employers 2018 are highlighted in the January 24, 2018 editions of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix and Regina Leader-Post.