News Releases

After an incident, which appears to have happened overnight, Community Development staff filed a police report today outlining damage to the Leslie Potter sculpture entitled “Visionaries.” 

“It’s sad to see a sculpture wrecked like this,” says Community Initiatives Manager, Kevin Kitchen.  “Once we knew about it, we immediately took steps to speak to the police.”

“Visionaries” was installed in 1994 at the corner of 21^st Street East and 2^nd Avenue South and has since been a valued fixture there.  One of three carved stone columns was somehow toppled, which left the column smashed in four separate pieces.

“On the one hand, it’s troubling if it is purely accidental and no one takes responsibility, but if this was done on purpose – it is one of the worst types of vandalism,” Kitchen says.  “It attacks a work of art and an object that has been part of downtown Saskatoon for more than 20 years; people have been walking by, taken pictures and told us how upset they are to see this work smashed like this.”

Kitchen says staff will follow up with the City’s insurance company and the artist to see what the next steps may be.

The City of Saskatoon’s largest-ever bridge-building program is underway. Today, the City of Saskatoon, Government of Saskatchewan and Government of Canada marked the official launch of the North Commuter Parkway and new Traffic Bridge construction project.

“Investing in infrastructure is vital to creating middle class jobs today and sustained economic growth for years to come,” Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said. “The progress of this project marks an important milestone for the City of Saskatoon, one that also further demonstrates the benefit of partnering with the private sector to deliver projects such as the North Commuter Parkway and new Traffic Bridge to help build resilient and inclusive communities in which Canadians desire to live, which is something this Government is committed to.”

 “Our government is pleased to invest $50 million toward the North Commuter Parkway Bridge,” Education Minister and Saskatoon Southeast MLA Don Morgan said on behalf of Government Relations Minister Jim Reiter. “The City of Bridges’’ latest addition, the North Commuter Parkway, will serve a valuable role in reducing commute times, while also increasing capacity for Saskatoon’s future growth.”

“We’re grateful for the continuing strong partnerships with the federal and provincial governments in helping to ensure the people of Saskatoon benefit from infrastructure investments,” Saskatoon Mayor Donald Atchison said.  “Both the Parkway and the new Traffic Bridge will shorten commute times, cut fuel costs, offer more transportation options for cyclists and pedestrians, and help grow the economy—all of which improve our quality of life.”

Through the P3 Canada Fund, the federal government will invest up to 25 per cent of eligible costs toward the project, while the Province of Saskatchewan will contribute $50 million.

Following a careful selection process, Graham Commuter Partners (GCP), is the company the City contracted to undertake the construction of the project.

“We’re pleased to be a partner in the development of this historic infrastructure project, and to be continuing our long-term relationship as a valued service provider to the City of Saskatoon,” GCP Senior Vice President, Infrastructure John Connolly said.

Preparations for the new Traffic Bridge began in December 2015. Equipment and supplies are now being mobilized to begin construction on the North Commuter Parkway. Both bridges are expected to be complete by October 2018.

More information on the project is available at www.saskatoon.ca/bridging

Today the City of Saskatoon, along with the Government of Saskatchewan and Government of Canada, celebrated the grand opening of the City’s newly expanded Water Treatment Plant.

This project includes the construction of new reservoirs at the Avenue H and 42nd Street facilities to increase useable water storage capacity from 42.1 to 71.8 million litres, and new high lift pumping stations at each location for improved efficiency and reduced operating costs.  This brings the overall useable water storage capacity for the City of Saskatoon to 113.2 million litres, including the Acadia Street reservoir.

In addition, an ultraviolet disinfection system was added at the new four-storey-tall Avenue H facility.  The ultraviolet disinfection facility enables water to be pumped past a series of UV lamps to neutralize organisms missed by other disinfection processes.  Although Saskatoon’s stringent drinking water processes already comply with current water quality regulations, this additional measure further advances water quality assurances for the community.

The total cost of this project was $77 million with the Government of Canada contributing $12 million, the Government of Saskatchewan contributing $7 million and the City of Saskatoon contributing $58 million.

“The Government of Canada is proud to have partnered with the Province of Saskatchewan and the City of Saskatoon to increase the availability of quality drinking water for residents of Saskatoon,” said the Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, on behalf of the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities. “This is an excellent example of building on existing infrastructure to meet the needs of years to come.”

“Our government is proud to have contributed $7 Million dollars to this important upgrade and expansion to the City’s water treatment system,” Saskatoon Eastview MLA Corey Tochor said on behalf of Government Relations Minister Jim Reiter.  “This investment will ensure future water needs can keep up with growth in the City of Saskatoon, which is now more than 260,000 people strong. We look forward to continuing to work with our municipal and federal partners on important infrastructure projects as our province continues to grow.”

“The investment ensures City of Saskatoon infrastructure can easily handle high demand periods for water usage, particularly in the summer months,” Saskatoon Mayor Donald Atchison said.  “With the new UV disinfection facility, we’re well-positioned to meet future treatment regulations that ensure protection from biological threats.”

Learn more about the City’s water treatment system at saskatoon.ca.

For more City of Saskatoon Public Service Announcements, News Releases, Traffic Detours and Service Alerts, visit www.saskatoon.ca or connect with the City of Saskatoon on Twitter and Facebook.

On Sunday, February 7 at 8:30 a.m., the far north span of Saskatoon’s Traffic Bridge will be taken down. While this phase of demolition will not be as dramatic as the first phase of demolition last month, the same stringent safety precautions will be in place for workers and the public. 

“Sections of the north span will be cut and explosive charges will be used, however rather than the entire span falling onto the berm, the south side of the span will simply tip onto the berm,” says Dan Willems, Special Projects Manager with Major Projects. “This will ensure there is no damage to the retaining wall near the riverbank; workers will then manually dismantle the span and begin the clean-up process.”

The demolition will be managed by Graham Commuter Partners (GCP), contracted by the City to undertake the construction of the Bridging to Tomorrow projects, through their contract with demolition contractor Rakowski Cartage & Wrecking Ltd. Stakeholders including the Saskatoon Fire Department, Saskatoon Police Service, and others have been consulted.

An exclusion zone with a radius of 250 meters from the blast site will be in place approximately one hour prior to the blast to limit public access and maintain resident safety. Residents located within the exclusion zone are being notified in writing by the contractor and provided with safety information, including the message to remain indoors during the demolition.

Anyone interested in viewing the demolition may watch from outside the exclusion zone. The optimum viewing area will be on the south end of the Broadway Bridge, as this Bridge will be closed to vehicle traffic for the demolition. Eye or ear protection is not required as there is no risk of high decibel noise, flying debris or dust from this location.

The Saskatoon Fire Department is cautioning spectators to avoid walking on or standing on the ice on the South Saskatchewan River during the demolition or at any time during the winter. Regardless of temperature, the river current can create unstable ice at any point and at any time. Fire and Police will be patrolling the site to ensure everyone remains safe.

Three minutes prior to the blast, a series of three short sirens will signal a warning that the blast will occur. After the blast, which will take only a few seconds, the contractor will check the site to ensure all explosives have been detonated and the site is safe. At this time, a longer all-clear siren will sound.

Road closures and traffic detours will be in place from between approximately 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. to ensure vehicles are safely outside the exclusion zone. Details of these will be shared in advance using the City’s regular communication mechanisms.

The public is free to take photos and video of the demolition from any area outside of the exclusion zone. The public may also watch the demolition on a live webcam accessible at Saskatoon.ca/bridging.

As with the first phase of demolition, all materials produced by the demolition are the property of GCP and cannot be released to the general public. The bridge materials will be disposed of in certified facilities as required. All other material, such as asphalt and concrete rubble, will be recycled.

The remaining centre span of the old bridge will be taken down as construction progresses. Details on the final demolition will be shared as they are known.

 For more City of Saskatoon news, program information, Service Alerts, Traffic Detours, and links to our social media channels, please visit saskatoon.ca.

The City has launched a Corporate Asset Management Plan to manage infrastructure, and to ensure that the City’s assets are capable of meeting the levels of service required to support the City of Saskatoon’s goals. 

“Our Asset Management Planning is an important step in establishing levels of service for the rehabilitation of all City assets, and identifying supporting financial strategies,” Director of Finance, Clae Hack says. “This type of long-term planning supports our goal of managing the City in a smart, sustainable way.”

The overarching Corporate Asset Management Plan will guide future funding, assist in the stewardship of assets, and support the delivery of City services by:

•        providing sufficient information to make informed and balanced decisions;
•        ensuring the required levels of services are provided in a cost-effective manner over the assets life;
•        ensuring maximum benefit is received from the assets; and
•        helping to manage risks to the delivery of the services (risk of asset failure).

“Under our Corporate Asset Management Plan, we are also planning eight individual Asset Management Plans for our major asset categories to begin with, but our goal over the next few years is to have a master asset management plan that encompasses all assets that the City owns,” Hack says.

To start, the eight major asset categories addressed in the Corporate Asset Management Plan will be:

•        Buildings and Facilities
•        Roads and Sidewalks
•        Bridges and Overpasses
•        Parks
•        Vehicles and Equipment
•        Transit
•        Water, Wastewater and Storm Water
•        Electrical Utility

Each individual plan will focus on four main questions:

•        What does the City own and what is it worth?
•        What is the current condition assessment?
•        What is the desired condition?
•        What is the funding gap required to reach the desired condition?

The content contained in each individual asset management plan will be slightly different depending on the asset class. Although the level of service and condition level for each type of asset is defined differently, an expenditure funding level will be identified in order to address any potential service level gaps.

The Asset Management Plans will be presented to City Council with a recommendation that the information be received and that the matter be considered during the City’s annual Budget Review process, next for 2017.  The plans will ensure that City Council has complete information when making decisions on how to fund the rehabilitation and maintenance of the City’s assets.  City Council will have the ability to select a desired condition rating (such as the age of the City’s Transit fleet or number of water main breaks over 25 years) as well as an expenditure level to address any gaps between the current and desired condition.

The overarching Corporate Asset Management Plan and the individual asset management plans support the Strategic Goal of Asset and Financial Sustainability, and the 4-year priority to establish levels of service for rehabilitation of assets and identify supporting financial strategies. The plans also support the City’s longer 10-year strategy to adopt and implement a corporate-wide asset management and rehabilitation philosophy.

To view the complete report along with Frequently Asked Questions, visit saskatoon.ca>Budget & Finance.

For more City of Saskatoon news, program information, Service Alerts, Traffic Detours, and links to our social media channels, please visit saskatoon.ca.