News Releases

In 1998, the Saskatoon Fire Department, in partnership with Public Health Services Saskatoon, launched a needle pick-up program. Over the past 20 years hundreds of thousands of discarded needles have been collected through the program, contributing to the safety and cleanliness of Saskatoon’s public spaces; close to 7,500 of which have been picked-up by Firefighters in 2018 alone.

Each year, Firefighters with the Saskatoon Fire Department are dispatched to various locations around the city to address reports of improperly discarded needles. “The pick-up of improperly discarded needles is most often completed on a per-call basis; that is, for the Saskatoon Fire Department to dispatch a crew to collect the needle, we must first be made aware of its location.” says Joshua Grella with the Saskatoon Fire Department. Crews ranging from two to five Firefighters may be dispatched to reports of improperly discarded needles, depending on the operating district of the call.

If you are accidentally poked by a needle’s point:

• Encourage bleeding and place your hand under running water to flush out the wound,
• Do not suck on the wound, even if a water supply is unavailable,
• Take note of the characteristics of both the needle and injury,
• Do not attempt to recap the needle,
• Visit a hospital emergency department as soon as possible, and
• If possible, safely package the needle in a hard-surfaced contained and take it with you to the emergency department.

Be sure to educate children and vulnerable adults about needle safety, instructing them to never touch a discarded needle and to notify a responsible adult immediately if one is encountered.

Never leave your discarded needles poking around; needles that are not safely disposed of can cause harm to others in the community, including workers, children, and pets.

In an emergency, call 911 immediately.

In addition to a new city-wide organics program, single-family households with curbside collection service will now have a choice in the size and cost of their waste carts. City Council voted in favour of implementing a variable rate waste utility. The previously approved city-wide organics program will be funded from property tax. Both programs are expected to launch in 2020.

“This is an important step forward for our City on our journey toward trying to achieve 70 per cent waste diversion, so we are pleased with Council’s decision,” says Dan Willems, Acting General Manager of Corporate Performance. “This is a very complex matter with many variables, so the decision to implement variable cart sizes for waste in addition to a city-wide organics program demonstrates City Council’s commitment to its strategic goal of Environmental Leadership.”

The variable rate waste utility will give residents the option of three cart sizes and is expected to incentivize residents to reduce the amount of garbage they generate by wasting less and diverting more through composting and recycling. The variable rate and three cart sizes will provide curbside residents more control over their waste costs.   

“These improvements to waste management will help us move closer to our waste diversion goals, and significantly delay the need for us to plan for a new landfill, estimated at $120M,” Willems says.

More details on the implementation plan and program costs will be presented in 2019.

The complete agenda from the November 19 City Council meeting can be found here.

For more information about the City’s waste diversion plan, visit saskatoon.ca/wastediversion.

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.