News Releases

The McOrmond Drive and College Drive interchange will open to traffic on Wednesday, October 17, 2018, alleviating congestion on priority roads that have become busier as the city continues to grow.

“Once open, traffic at the McOrmond Drive and College Drive intersection will be free flowing with all interchange ramps operational,” says Bryan Zerebeski, the City’s manager for the Saskatoon Interchange Project. “Due to a wet September, some work surrounding the interchange will now resume in the spring.”

Southbound traffic on McOrmond Drive exiting onto College Drive will continue to use the existing ramp. All traffic exiting from College Drive onto McOrmond Drive northbound and southbound must use the right lane. (see attached gif)

The Boychuk Drive and Highway 16 interchange partially opened to traffic on September 30, nearly a year ahead of schedule. Construction on both interchanges started in April 2017 and both are expected to be totally complete by the end of July 2019. 

Drivers are reminded that the speed limit through work zones at both interchange sites is 60 km/h. For more information about the project, including renderings and video updates, visit saskatoon.ca/interchanges.

The City of Saskatoon is cautioning customers about a new telephone scam. Customers are receiving calls where the caller claims to represent Saskatoon Light & Power. The caller’s specific request is unclear.

The City of Saskatoon is reminding customers that credit card or bank account information is never collected over the telephone. The City of Saskatoon will send in the mail notices regarding outstanding utility account balances, and use an automated dialer to remind customers to contact Corporate Revenue before utility services are impacted.

All Saskatoon Light & Power staff wear identifiable uniform indicating they work for the utility and can also provide identification if requested.

Customers are asked to report suspicious calls by contacting Corporate Revenue at 306-975-2400, report online to Saskatoon Police Service, or contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. Saskatoon Light & Power customers can continue to call 306-975-2414.

Fire Prevention Week is wrapping up, but that doesn’t mean that practicing fire safety and prevention has to! This week, we’ve focused on three basic principles: Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere. Topics including smoke alarms, home escape plans, and heating safety have been linked to the importance of remembering to LOOK, LISTEN, and LEARN when considering fire safety and prevention.

Today, we’ll look at cooking safety to learn of how you can keep your dreams of becoming a professional chef from going up in smoke! Whether you’re cooking up a package of Kraft Dinner for yourself or a turkey feast for your friends and family, the Saskatoon Fire Department has the following tips for you:

• Fires start when your attention stops; always be alert and aware when cooking,
• Keep combustible materials a safe distance from all cooking appliances that are capable of producing heat,
• Never wear loose fitting clothing when cooking,
• Use a timer to remind you to monitor your cooking,
• Always remain in your home when you are cooking,
• Keep the handles of pots and pans turned inwards when cooking,
• Smother small fires in pots and pans by covering them with a lid and turning off the stove,
• Suffocate small oven fires by turning off the oven and keeping the door closed, and
• If you are unable to extinguish a fire on your own, leave your home immediately and call 911; stay outside while you wait for the Saskatoon Fire Department to arrive.

In an emergency, seconds count; cooking responsibly and knowing what to do if things turn sideways on you can be the difference in preventing a tragedy in your home.

Always remember: Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere.

In an emergency, call 911 immediately.

Sweeping begins Monday on streets with a dense tree canopy to collect leaves that can block catch basins and prevent proper drainage during the spring snow melt. Neighbourhoods included are Buena Vista, Caswell Hill, City Park, Holiday Park, King George, Mayfair, Nutana, Riversdale and Varsity View.

Look for yellow No Parking signs in advance of street sweeping, beginning with City Park Streets and Varsity View Avenues on Monday. Vehicles remaining on a scheduled street at 8 a.m. will get a parking ticket and be relocated.

“I urge people to plan ahead and pay attention to the parking restriction signs to help manage the program budget,” says Brandon Harris, Director of Roadways & Operations. “Towing costs are not fully recovered by parking tickets, and can affect how much sweeping we do if we can’t lower those expenses for next year.”

In 2017, the sweeping locations were adjusted to concentrate on areas with the highest risk for flooding. As a result more than 230 properties were protected from potential flood damage in the spring.

“Now that we are confident in the neighbourhood selection, we are changing up our tactics for a portion of the sweep to test and compare new methods of debris pickup, reduce the risk related to temperature, and keep our production rate higher later into the season,” says Harris.

The first eight days of the program will remain the same as in other years, with sweeping scheduled in all nine neighbourhoods. On October 25, staff will be reassigned for a week to finish winter operation preparations. As long as crews aren't cleaning up snow, leaf removal will resume on skipped roads in the same neighbourhoods using different equipment, going around parked vehicles.

Don’t get swept away this fall! Find your sweep date at saskatoon.ca/sweep with our new look-up application.

This Fire Prevention Week, the Saskatoon Fire Department has been emphasizing three basic principles of fire safety and prevention: Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere. We’ve covered the importance of needing to LISTEN for the sound of your smoke alarm and LEARN the details of your home escape plan; today, we will examine heating safety and why it’s important to LOOK around your home for potential fire hazards.

Winter in Saskatchewan can often have us looking to heat our homes in a hurry! Heating equipment is a key contributor to home fires and burn injuries over the winter months. Consider the following safety tips when warming up this winter:

• Do not leave space heaters running when you leave the room or go to sleep,
• Never use space heaters to dry combustible items,
• Do not use your oven to heat your home,
• Keep children and pets at least one metre away from fireplaces and space heaters,
• Do not store combustible materials within one metre of your furnace or other heating equipment,
• Keep all heat sources free from dust, lint, and chemical product,
• Place a screen in front of your wood-burning or gas fireplace, and
• Have a reputable and qualified company install and maintain all heating equipment; inspect gas or oil burning furnaces annually.

The Saskatoon Fire Department wants you to stay warm this winter, but we want you to stay safe, too! When looking around your home for potential fire hazards, be sure to check your heating equipment thoroughly while considering the above noted tips for heating safety.

In an emergency, seconds count; being cautious when it comes to heating can be the difference in preventing a tragedy in your home.

To finish off Fire Prevention Week, we’ll look at the leading cause of home fires: Cooking; tune in tomorrow to learn of how you can keep your dreams of becoming a professional chef from going up in smoke!

Always remember: Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere.

In an emergency, call 911 immediately.