News Releases

Over the past 10 years the City of Saskatoon has seen a population growth of 23 per cent. The demands of a growing population has required additional city staff, services and infrastructure.

“With greater investment in resources, the City has been able to service and attract tens of thousands of families who are choosing to move to one of the most successful and prosperous city in western Canada,” says City Manager Murray Totland.

There may be concerns about rising costs over the past decade.  Here are some facts to consider:

• To make a reasonable comparison over time, spending amounts should be measured on a per person basis and adjusted for inflation and population growth so that 2006 dollars are the same as what the City would be spending today. Additionally, inflation ought to be calculated for municipal rather than consumer spending.
• Comparing city spending can be difficult to do; each city offers its citizens a diverse basket of services that reflect the needs of the community and cities may fund those services different ways.
• The best way to make an apples to apples comparison with other cities is to look only at what tax dollars each one spends on operations.

“With these factors in mind and based on our Civic Services Survey, Saskatoon’s spending has been careful yet responsive to what citizens want,” Totland says.

Here are some key measures used by economists to demonstrate spending trends:

In light of growth, Saskatoon had the second lowest tax supported operating expenses among prairie cities after Winnipeg.  

Another way to measure the expenditure burden on residents is to look at the tax burden that is required to help fund the budget for a city. For example, considering the total residential property taxes that would be levied in each city, on a property with an assessed value of $400,000, Saskatoon’s municipal property taxes are the second lowest after Calgary.

Another important measure of how much a City spends is the number of full time jobs for its operations per 1000 population. As we see, the City’s employment numbers have been declining as a share of the population since 2011.

In terms of what is spent on those employees we see a similar trend for the percentage share of salaries and benefits for the City’s operating budget. In 2006, this was 60.8 percent of the City’s operating budget, while in 2016 it is 55.4 percent. 

Finally as the following graph indicates, over this same period of time, Average Saskatchewan weekly earnings have grown by between 30 and nearly 50 percent, well beyond a consumer or municipal price index inflationary adjustment.

In order for the City to offer citizens the services they want, salaries have to stay competitive with the demands of the labour market.

“Overall, while basic calculations of population and budget growth may reveal large percentage spending increases, there are many more factors to consider,”  Totland says.  “When an appropriate economic analysis is applied, it demonstrates Saskatoon’s spending is careful, cautious and again, measured to what citizens want in a 21^st Century City.”

The $3.7 million twinning of Claypool Drive is complete. There are now two lanes of divided traffic on Claypool Drive from Airport Drive to Hampton Gate North.

“We’re very happy to have this project completed on time, safely and on budget,” says Jeff Jorgenson, General Manager of Transportation and Utilities. “Drivers, in particular those accessing Hampton Village, will now enjoy less congestion and better access through Claypool Drive, which will serve as a main arterial road.”

The intersection at McClocklin Road and Claypool Drive has also been upgraded to include turning bays and traffic signals. This work was done to improve traffic flow in and out of Hampton Village as the area has quickly grown to more than 7,200 residents.

The project also includes upgrading from a ditch drainage system to a storm system drainage system.

“With our focus on building better roads, this completed Claypool Drive project is a great example of the progress we are making during this busy construction season,” Jorgenson says. Although work is complete, residents may see City crews working at times on landscaping and traffic signal work on Claypool Drive.

The City would like to thank residents for obeying work zone signage throughout the duration of the project. For everyone’s safety please continue to obey all detours, signs and barriers around projects across the City.   

Road repairs and construction projects have been in full swing since mid-May, with several large projects nearing completion. August marks an increase in city-wide street improvement work which includes blade leveling work on back lane maintenance and microsurfacing are reaching peak activity this week.

“August is traditionally the month this all shifts into high gear,” says Rob Frank, Engineering Manager of Asset Preservation. “Microsurfacing is one procedure we use for roads that are in need of minor repairs. It’s much faster than other processes,” Frank says. “It has minimum impact on the community, and we can cover a large area very quickly.”

Locations receiving a micro surface treatment require a significant amount of preparation work such as any underlying road repairs and sidewalk panel replacement work which allow the final surfacing program to move quickly throughout the City.

“Similar to sealing your deck, microsurfacing adds a thin protective layer of asphalt blended with finely crushed stone to the road surface,” he says. “This provides an extra layer of wear, seals underlying asphalt and extends the life of the roadway.”

When first applied, the microsurfacing has a rough and grainy texture and is brownish in colour. However, within a short period of time, as vehicles drive on the road, it quickly wears smooth and the colour fades to blend in with the existing roadway.

“Microsurfacing projects give the roadways a noticeable improvement that also extends their service life,” says Frank. “You’ll see the final surface start and finish, sometimes in the same day. Larger projects may take a little longer, but microsurfacing gives maximum results in a minimum amount of time.”

This year the City’s completing 87 lane-kilometres of microsurfacing which is a 24 per cent increase over last year.

“That’s significant. Things are going more quickly in part because of the new orange and black ‘No Parking’ sandwich boards we’re using. They stand out and help everyone identify the dates for upcoming work zones which can also help the work progress quicker.”

The City is projecting 230 lane kilometres of roadway will be rehabilitated in 2016, ranging from high traffic roads to residential streets. That’s roughly the same distance as from City Hall to Moose Jaw.

The City is also grading Saskatoon’s network of more than 400 kilometres of gravel back lanes to improve drainage, and provide better access for residents and service vehicles. Grading occurs by neighbourhood, followed by reconstruction in specific lanes that qualify. 

Other construction work in the city that has been going on since mid-April includes water and sewer main work, new road construction and reconfiguration and major road repairs. 

For road rehabilitation progress maps and more information on city-wide road rehabilitation work, please visit saskatoon.ca/betterroads. The Projected 2016-2018 Roadway Preservation Plan PDF is available by clicking this link.

The 2016 PotashCorp Fringe Theatre and Street Festival starts today, and the City urges attendees to consider Saskatoon Transit as their transportation option to and from the festival.

“The construction on and around Broadway Avenue means there will be even fewer parking options for festival-goers than usual,” says Jim McDonald, Director of Saskatoon Transit. “So, avoid the hassle, come down to the Fringe, enjoy everything the festival has to offer and leave the driving to us.”

The attached map indicates the direct transit routes that will get you closest to the festival, including the high frequency Route 8, which leaves Centre Mall and travels to the corner of Broadway Avenue and 8th Street.

“We think this is a great opportunity for people to see first-hand our commitment to renew Saskatoon Transit and to get a feel for how the high-frequency service works,” McDonald says. “Riders will be able to hop on several of our buses and get off at the festival site.”

Other direct routes include:

• Route 1 Exhibition: Downtown to Broadway Avenue    
• Route 1 City Centre: Sunnyside to Broadway Avenue
• Route 6 Broadway: Travels from City Centre to Broadway Avenue
• Route 6 City Centre: Market Mall to Broadway Avenue
• Route 8 City Centre: Centre Mall to the corner of Broadway Avenue and 8th Street
• Route 8 Centre Mall: City Centre to the corner of Broadway Avenue and 8th Street
• Route 13 (only available during peak periods)

The Festival is a ten day community celebration on Broadway Avenue that features several independent theatre shows, street entertainers, street vendors and food vendors. Attendance is estimated at around 55,000 people throughout the ten days with activities happening throughout the day and into the evenings.

For more information on the transit routes above please visit saskatoontransit.ca or plan your trip to the 2016 PotashCorp Fringe Theatre and Street Festival using Google Transit.      

After seven weeks of water main rehabilitation and streetscaping, Broadway Avenue from 11th Street to Main Street is scheduled to reopen this week for visitors and upcoming events. The roadway and sidewalks will be fully accessible Thursday, July 28 and, as usual, road restrictions are expected to be in place for the Fringe Festival. 

“Area business people and residents have a fresh look along Broadway to enjoy,” says Celene Anger, Director of Construction and Design. “Whether folks are visiting for a meal, shopping or a show, they will see continuous new pavement, new sections of sidewalk and upgraded streetscaping – literally on top of a more reliable and longer-lasting water main system.” 

Water main infrastructure in the area was approaching 100 years old and had been identified as one of the areas in the City requiring the most urgent attention. The replacement work required extensive excavation, traffic restriction and detours.

“So, the remaining work on Broadway Avenue south of Main Street will be completed over the next few weeks, with water main and road rehabilitation on adjacent streets occurring up until late September,” Anger says. “During this period, crews may be doing some touch-up work at night to limit further impact to the community.” 

The City is providing alternate parking for affected residents wherever possible, and visitors are asked to please obey temporary parking signage.

The Broadway Avenue Improvement Project was scheduled in phases to minimize the length of time access to businesses was impacted. Learn more at saskatoon.ca/broadway.