News Releases

As part of the City’s commitment to reconciliation, a transit shelter was designed in collaboration with students from Aden Bowman Collegiate and Saskatoon Metis Elder, Senator Nora Cummings to be installed in front of the school.

“This new transit shelter is a wonderful addition to our community and our transit system,” says Mayor Clark. “The inspiring artwork can be enjoyed by everyone, including the neighbouring community and transit riders alike.”  

Saskatoon Transit’s Bus Shelter Art Project complies with Call to Action #79, calling upon the government, Aboriginal organizations and the arts community, to develop a reconciliation framework for Canadian heritage and commemoration, including integrating Indigenous history, heritage values and memory practices into Canada’s history.

“This beautiful bus shelter is just one example of what we hope will be many collaborations with the youth in our community,” says Jim McDonald, Director of Saskatoon Transit. “This project serves not only as a bus shelter in a location where there otherwise wouldn’t have been one, but also celebrates the rich cultural history of the area.”  

The artwork was inspired by Métis history, heritage, values and the memories of Senator Elder Nora Cummings and was laser cut by Metal Shapes Manufacturing.

“It's exciting for us as Métis to have the historic value and contributions of the Road Allowance Métis people acknowledged by the youth of Aden Bowman,” Cummings says. “This area was once a community garden of the Métis and this shelter is a beautiful representation of what once stood on this place.”

“It was an honour for the art students of Aden Bowman and for me to meet with Métis Elder Nora Cummings and learn about the Métis history in this area,” says Tamara Rusnak, Art teacher at Aden Bowman.

Saskatoon Transit completed the first engagement session with Elder Cummings and 19 students at Aden Bowman on May 8, 2018. Elder Cummings spoke specifically to the landscape and the people of the area where Aden Bowman is situated and shared pictures of what the area looked like when she was a young girl.

The students were asked to create original, timeless and commemorative art that celebrates the Métis heritage, history, values and memories of Elder Cummings. They created the art for the bus shelter using inspiration from the engagement session, keeping in mind the functionality and design of the shelter. 

In the recent months, there has been a noticeable increase in structure fires resulting from the spontaneous combustion of soiled rags that had not been sufficiently cleaned or properly stored.

Rags, towels, and other applicators that have been soiled with combustible products, such as oil-based paints, stains, and finishing products, are a serious concern. These products release heat while drying; if that heat is trapped and has access to an oxygen supply, it will build up and create an ideal environment for a fire to start.

The Saskatoon Fire Department offers the following quick tips on safely using, cleaning, and storing or disposing of soiled applicators:

• Allow adequate drying time by hanging soiled rags in an open-air environment and away from combustible materials,
• Never bundle soiled rags together or leave them in a pile; this can create a chemical reaction allowing them to self-heat and spontaneously combust,
• Once dry, place the soiled rags in a metal container with a tight-fitting lid to limit the amount of oxygen,
• Keep the metal container in a cool place and out of direct sunlight,
• Never store soiled rags or the containers that they are in near a heat source, and
• Watch for hazardous waste drop-off days throughout the year, as specified in your City of Saskatoon Collection Calendar, to safely dispose of these hazardous waste items.

In an emergency, call 911 immediately.

The Bargaining Committees for the City of Saskatoon and CUPE Local 59 reached a tentative agreement on September 13, 2018.

Details of the settlement will be released upon ratification by both parties. CUPE 59 ratified the tentative agreement on September 20, 2013. The tentative agreement will be before City Council on September 24, 2018.

The previous contract expired December 31, 2016.

CUPE Local 59 is the largest collective bargaining unit of City employees.

The Victoria Avenue rehabilitation is substantially complete, making it ready for the opening of the new Traffic Bridge on October 3^rd. Some small finishing touches are ongoing, but they should be wrapped up in the next couple of weeks.

“The improvements we’ve made are going to benefit people driving, walking, and biking as well as area residents,” says David LeBoutillier, Acting Engineering Manager with the City’s Transportation Division. “We’ve also improved the aesthetics to make the corridor a more pleasing place to travel and live.”

The reconstructed corridor provides an important link to the Traffic Bridge and the Downtown and will enable all types of traffic to travel this route safely and comfortably.

The improvements include:

• Reconfigured street alignment to bring Victoria Avenue in line with the City’s current street guidelines.
• Median restoration to address deterioration and increase street appeal.
• Installation of new concrete sidewalks.
• Installation of a raised, asphalt cycle track to create a separate, distinctive and safe space for people on bikes.
• New signage and pavement markings to help clarify how traffic will move.

“We considered several different options for the new cycling infrastructure to address the neighbourhood’s concern about traffic speeds and volumes as well as pedestrian and cycling safety,” says LeBoutillier. “In the end, we went with a raised cycle track because it offered the best function while maintaining the neighbourhood’s character.”

A raised cycle track is a high quality, safe, permanent installation that provides a comfortable space for cyclists of all ages and abilities to cycle away from vehicle traffic.

Once the Traffic Bridge reopens, the City is expecting to see traffic volumes along Victoria Avenue much the same as prior to the bridge closure: approximately 7,000 vehicles per day. However, users of this route will note differences including the new infrastructure and more people walking and biking. The City is asking all road users to exercise extra care in this area while people adjust to the changed travel patterns.

Following are some tips on how to share the space:

• People riding bikes can choose to ride on the raised cycle track or in the traffic lane. In both instances, they should travel in the same direction as traffic.
• Cyclists have the right-of-way, but should slow down and use caution when approaching intersections.
• Drivers are reminded to watch for cyclists using the cycle track, especially when approaching intersections or driveways.

A driver who ignored work zone signs and damaged City maintenance equipment was issued a ticket under The Traffic Safety Act for driving without due care and attention by the Saskatoon Police Service.

The incident happened on the afternoon of September 4, 2018, when a maintenance crew had an area of Central Avenue at 103rd Street blocked off for fire hydrant testing and maintenance. The driver entered the marked work zone, hit the equipment with her vehicle, and dragged it off the curb causing damage.  

No staff were injured in this collision; however, the crew member recalls the driver’s indifferent attitude about what happened was disheartening. Near-miss incidents can have a lasting effect on workers, as shared by Landen in his video for the Respect Work Zones public awareness campaign.

City crews are encouraged to record license plate information and a driver description when there is a work zone violation. This incident is one of at least eight other such reports that the Saskatoon Police Service is investigating, and is – so far – the first in which a ticket was issued.

While construction is winding down, the City reminds drivers to remain alert and obey work zone signs as year-round repairs and maintenance work continues. Learn more about the risk of entering a work zone at saskatoon.ca/respectworkzones.