News Releases

Komodo dragons, Thorn and Shruikan (Shrew-khan), arrived in Saskatoon on March 5, 2017, and have been settling into the new Komodo Island exhibit at the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park and Zoo (SFFP&Z).

“We know kids and adults of all ages will be amazed by the Komodo dragons,” says Tim Sinclair-Smith, Manager, SFFP&Z.  “Having these unique animals in Saskatoon provides a great opportunity for us to talk about threatened species around the world, including those in our own backyard.”

Visitors to the SFFP&Z will have their first opportunity to see the Komodo dragons when the exhibit officially opens to the public on Saturday, April 1, 2017.

The Komodo dragons are currently on loan from the Calgary Zoo and will be featured at the SFFP&Z for the 2017 season.  The exhibit was made possible through the generous support of the Saskatoon Zoo Foundation.

“The Saskatoon Zoo Foundation is thrilled to embrace the opportunity to be part of the Komodo Island exhibit,” says Dawn Woroniuk, Executive Director, Saskatoon Zoo Foundation.  “Working with the Zoo and many local sponsors, we were able to create a world class exhibit in a short amount of time.  We hope this exhibit will help bring awareness to the Saskatoon Zoo Foundation as we continue to work tirelessly to build for the future of this facility.”

The Saskatoon Zoo Foundation raises funds for capital improvements within the SFFP&Z.

Do not miss your opportunity to see the Komodo dragons!  From September to April, the zoo is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and from May to August, daily hours are from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.  Additional information regarding the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park and Zoo can be found online at Saskatoon.ca/zoo.

For the sixth consecutive year, the City of Saskatoon is one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for 2017.

This competition examines Canadian employer’s initiatives for workplace diversity and inclusion and recognizes those with noteworthy and unique programs. 

“We are taking a more systematic approach to help us organize, guide, and support the development of specific action plans,” says Catherine Gryba, General Manager of Corporate Performance.

Gryba says, “It’s more than just diversity and inclusion hiring practices. We’re committed to comprehensive plans that create a workplace that is respectful and inclusive to all employees.”

Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for 2017 are outlined in the March 28, 2017 edition of The Globe and Mail as well as on Eluta.ca.

The City has a long-standing commitment to diversity and inclusion including being an equity partner with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission.  As an equity partner, the City commits to the basic principles and objectives which outline a larger responsibility to foster an inclusive society.  

City  Council today approved a tax ratio of 1.59; the ratio used to be 1.75.

In simple terms,  the City’s annual budget determines how much it will need to ask from property owners to pay for services like garbage pick up or snow clearing.

The tax ratio policy determines how the taxes needed to cover those costs are split up; or putting it another way: what share of the taxes that different property classes like residential and commercial will pay. 

So, the approved ratio of 1.59 means that for every $1.00 in property taxes that a residential property pays, a commercial property will pay $1.59 on an equivalent assessment.

Here's what it looks like: 

The tax ratio shift has not affected Saskatoon's standing as having some of the lowest property taxes among Canadian prairie cities. 

City Council wants to explore appropriate legal measures in coordination with SUMA and other affected municipalities – including a court injunction – to stop a provincial government plan that would create an $11.4 million shortfall in City finances.

“We are not raising taxes today. Instead we are considering every other option available,” says Mayor Charlie Clark. “What is happening is not fair or equal. The provincial government is asking city residents to pay twice for the same service. This is not right and we believe the provincial government should reconsider and explore other options.”

The Government of Saskatchewan released its budget Wednesday March 22, 2017; it became clear the provincial government plans to stop paying Grants-in-Lieu (GIL) of property taxes and to redirect those funds to the provincial government general revenue fund.

“The provincial government-owned power and gas companies are still charging customers the same amount, but instead of passing some of that on to cities, towns and villages for services those companies use, the government is keeping that money,” Mayor Clark says.  

“This leaves the City in a situation where our citizens will have to make up this loss of revenue one way or another - whether in service cuts or further cost reductions.”

Following a four-and-a-half hour special meeting Sunday afternoon, Council also resolved:

• To look into the long-term service agreements and options over lease payments from the Province for the P3 school sites including, but not limited to, charging market rent for the land
• That the Administration report on how much the Province be charged for emergency services and any other services the City provides on its properties
• That the Administration explore a market rent for the Rights of Way access by Crown Corporations
• That the Administration report on options for internal savings and revenue
• That the Administration implement a temporary hiring and discretionary spending freeze until Council can make a decision how to handle this situation, subject to the discretion of the City Manager (in the case of filling positions related to life-safety)
• That it request a joint meeting with Saskatoon Caucus MLAs from both parties to give them an information session on the impact the 2017 Provincial Budget will have on the citizens of Saskatoon

Mayor Clark stresses the provincial government’s move will have a huge impact on cities, towns and villages across the province.

“The city of Yorkton, for example, would lose the equivalent of 58% in revenue sharing – that’s a big hit.”

City Manager Murray Totland reports that nearly two-thirds of Saskatchewan’s population live in cities and are growing while other municipalities are getting smaller. He emphasizes that cities are the economic engine of the province and the magnitude of this cut is unprecedented and will have a lasting impact.

Clark adds the provincial government has suggested municipalities can fix this by taking money out of their reserves.

“Taking the money out of reserves would create a huge problem and a future liability for the city. We can’t kick the can down the road and create problems for the future,” states Clark. He says reserves are meant for when there is a big snowstorm or when buildings start to deteriorate. 

“This is why the Traffic Bridge went from being a $400,000 paint job to a $35 million bridge replacement - because there was not enough money put away to look after and maintain that bridge in the first place. We need to have the ability to maintain what we’ve already built.”  

Mayor Clark will join with other Mayors and Municipal leaders on Wednesday to meet with the provincial Minister of Government relations, Donna Harpauer, possibly other related Ministers.

“I will be talking about the impact this will have on our ability to provide services to our residents, the risk of drawing down reserves to pay for operating deficits, and the need to find another approach to dealing with this situation.  We need to take a problem-solving approach and keep the lines of communication open.”

The City of Saskatoon and communities across Canada are celebrating Water Week, March 20-26, 2017; it’s an opportunity for the City to highlight the vital role water plays in our daily lives and how it contributes to the overall quality of life we enjoy.

“Modern, efficient water and wastewater infrastructure is essential to safeguarding the well-being of Canadian families and building the Canada we want for tomorrow,” said the Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. “We are very pleased to have provided funding so that Saskatoon can address their specific infrastructure priorities, while helping grow the middle class with good, well-paying jobs."

This year, the Government of Canada invested an additional $15.8 million in funding through its Clean Water Wastewater Fund, while the Government of Saskatchewan invested $7.9 million.

“The Government of Saskatchewan’s $7.9 million investment will contribute to improving Saskatoon’s water infrastructure and help keep our province strong,” the Honourable Donna Harpauer, Minister of Government Relations, said. “We are pleased to be working with our federal and municipal partners to make services better for the citizens we serve.”

The City is investing $43.3 million to replace aging water mains, sewer mains and lead service lines. All this funding approximately quadruples the annual budget for underground pipe renewal.

“Saskatoon is fortunate to have some of the best quality drinking water in Canada,” says Reid Corbett, Director of Saskatoon Water. “We can attribute this to the high regulatory standards we meet, our professional and highly-skilled staff, and our commitment to investing in state-of-the-art facilities and infrastructure to serve a growing city and region.”

Lined up end-to-end, the underground pipes (not including service connections) that make up Saskatoon’s water distribution, sanitary sewer collection and storm water collection systems total 2,843 kilometres; that’s roughly the same distance as driving from City Hall to Toronto around the Great Lakes. The 2017 work includes the replacement of approximately 900 lead water service pipes, rehabilitation of approximately 15 kilometres of water mains, and re-lining approximately 22 kilometres of sanitary sewer mains.

In the Government of Canada’s Budget 2016, the Clean Water and Wastewater Fund was introduced to accelerate short-term municipal investments for the renewal of water and wastewater infrastructure to meet immediate priorities for clean water and healthier environments for communities.

Join the Water Week Facebook LiveChat! On Friday, March 24, everyone is invited to follow Saskatoon City News on Facebook and join our Why Infrastructure Renewal Matters Facebook LiveChat from 12:00 -12:30 pm. You can add your questions to the post now to make sure they get answered.

Learn more about Saskatoon’s water and sewer infrastructure at saskatoon.ca/waterweek and take a video tour of the City’s Waste Water Treatment Plant and Water Treatment Plant.