News Releases

From the December 6, 2016 Meeting

On New Year's Eve, the ride is on us!

There is never an excuse for drinking and driving. Saskatoon Transit and Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) have partnered to provide free transit and Access Transit service on New Year’s Eve. Enjoy yourself this New Year’s Eve, and don’t worry about driving because the ride’s on us!

“Impaired driving has been top of mind in Saskatchewan as we have needlessly lost so many lives because someone made the decision to drink and drive,” says Joe Hargrave, Minister Responsible for SGI. “During last year’s holiday season, seven people were killed and 33 others were hurt in 119 crashes involving an impaired driver. Let’s not allow that to happen again this year. For your New Year’s resolution – and every day of the year – please promise, ‘I will never drink and drive.’”

Free bus service, which normally starts at 8:00 p.m., will start at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 31 to ensure residents have a safe ride to the “YXE-NYE-150” event which celebrates Canada’s 150th anniversary of Confederation at Kiwanis Memorial Park (Spadina Crescent East). Free transit service will run until 2:45 a.m. (times may vary slightly by route).

Customers can wait at regular stops or flag down a bus at any point along the route, if they are in need of a ride. When flagging a bus please use caution: stand on the curb at a safe place for the bus to stop and raise your hand to get the operators’ attention.

“We are thankful that SGI has partnered with us again this year to provide free service,” says Michael Moellenbeck, Operations Manager at Saskatoon Transit. “There is no reason for drinking and driving, especially on New Year’s Eve. We strongly encourage residents to jump on the bus to get to and from their destination.”

Please Note: Route 14 will not be running to the North Industrial area after 7:00 p.m.

For more information about Ding in the New Year schedules visit saskatoontransit.ca or call 306-975-3100 and speak to a Customer Service Representative. Access Transit customers can call 306-975-3555 (normal booking procedures apply).

Roadways crews are encouraged with a new winter road treatment. A pilot test of a coarser salt for ice prevention is underway. The salt pellets may be sprayed with a magnesium chloride solution to make them heavier and increase adhesion to the road, resulting in better management of ice and salt usage. When temperatures drop below -12 degrees Celsius, salt is not as effective by itself and the addition of magnesium chloride will help to increase traction.

“Our initial evaluation of the coarser salt during the extreme cold and windy conditions showed exceptional results,” says new Director of Roadways, Brandon Harris of the technique also known as pre-wetting. “We applied the sprayed salt pellets to a thin sheet of ice that formed on Queen Street and the high winds were unable to blow the salt off the road.”

The City will continue to use the pre-wetting technique on high-traffic streets such as Circle Drive, where wet, heavy sand sticks much more effectively to the road in extreme cold conditions. The City’s pre-wetting fleet consists of twelve tandem sanders. Traditional sanders also use sand already pre-wet with a magnesium chloride spray.

Additionally, with current weather forecasts predicting temperatures will fluctuate around zero this week, City crews are prepared for possible freezing rain and icy road conditions. Workers are inspecting, sanding and salting high-traffic streets, bridges and overpasses to provide traction and reduce icing. Sanding and salting is also occurring at intersections, curved roads and icy sections on all residential streets.

Even with the use of sand and salt to prevent icy road conditions, the change in temperature with an increase in moisture can result in ice developing. Drivers are reminded to slow down and be cautious.

Also new this year are flashing blue and amber lights on the City’s high-speed winter maintenance equipment. The flashing lights will be consistent with highway operations and other municipalities across the country as they signal that winter maintenance equipment is ahead.

“City crews will be out there around the clock,” says Harris. “Please watch for flashing lights and slow down for your safety and the safety of everyone around you.”

Find out what happens in Saskatoon when it snows and how you can be prepared at saskatoon.ca/snow or download the Be in the Know About Snow poster (PDF).

Residents are invited to celebrate Canada’s 150^th anniversary of Confederation with an afternoon of outdoor family fun and fireworks at the “YXE-NYE-150” event being hosted at Kiwanis Memorial Park (Spadina Crescent East) on Saturday, December 31, 2016, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.  Saskatoon will join 18 other cities across Canada, ringing in the New Year in a spectacular way.  Event activities will include:

• Jump on the sleigh rides as they cruise up and down Spadina Crescent;
• Visit the “Inuksuk Park” and build your own inuksuk with ice;
• Create a special maple leaf candle for Canada’s giant snow birthday cake;
• Warm up by the Canada 150 bonfire or at various other warming stations with photo booths;
• Express your wish for Canada’s future on a red ribbon, and tie it to the Wishing Tree;
• Visit storyteller, Joseph Naytowhow, in the giant igloo to learn about First Nations heritage;
• Skate or just hang out at the Cameco Meewasin Skating Rink @PotashCorp Plaza where a disc jockey will lead skating games with fantastic prizes;
• Craft something special at the Remai Modern Art Caravan in the Delta Bessborough Hotel lobby;
• Grab a complimentary cup of hot chocolate or coffee from Tims Coffee Truck;
• Visit the food trucks and downtown businesses for a special treat;
• Meet Olympian, Jillian Gallays, and Paralympian, Erica Gavel, to get autographs and hear about their Olympic experiences;
• Rendezvous at the YXE-NYE-150 main stage to experience indigenous and ethno-cultural entertainment; and
• Listen to Saskatoon band, The Pistolwhips, who will headline the stage. 

To cap off the celebrations, a fireworks show, set to music, will be launched from the Broadway Bridge at 8:17 p.m. (20:17 in the 24-hour time clock).  A local radio station will broadcast the music live; attendees will be able to view the fireworks from up and down the riverbank and listen to the soundtrack on radios or smart phones.

Saskatoon Transit, in partnership with Saskatchewan Government Insurance, will be offering complimentary transit services starting at 5 p.m. 

YXE-NYE-150 was made possible through a $106,000 grant from the Government of Canada’s Canada 150 Fund.  This event will be a great kick-start to the many celebrations taking place throughout 2017 to commemorate the 150^th anniversary of Confederation.  If you’d like to help make it happen, visit www.yxenye150.ca, and click on the “Volunteer” link.  See you there!

From the December 5, 2016 Meeting

7.2.6 Boychuk Interchange Land Acquisition

Decision

*The Committee forwarded the report to City Council in support of the recommendation.

Background

*The recommendation is that Administration be authorized to purchase a portion of Surface Parcel # 120790425 from Larix Holdings Ltd. for the Boychuk Interchange Project.
*The Boychuk Interchange Project was bundled with the McOrmond Interchange Project as a Design-Build Project.
*For the Boychuk Interchange, the City has previously purchased 7.51 acres of property in 2012 from Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam (Ontario) Inc.

7.2.7 Boychuk Interchange Land Exchange Agreement

Decision

*The Committee forwarded the report to City Council in support of the recommendation.

Background

*The recommendation is that Administration be authorized to enter into a tri-party land exchange agreement with 101204822 Saskatchewan Ltd. and the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344 for the interchange.