News Releases

For the fifth consecutive year, the City of Saskatoon is one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for 2016.

“We are pleased to be recognized for our accomplishments in this area,” says City Manager, Murray Totland.

Recognized for a fifth year demonstrates the City’s employment initiatives are supported at the national level.

“A sustainable strategy to reach our goals is important,” Totland says. “We will continuously improve and promote our progress toward a workplace which embraces diversity.”

Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for 2016 are outlined in the February 24, 2016 edition of The Globe and Mail as well as on Eluta.ca. 

More information has come to light about an incident which damaged Leslie Potter’s work “Visionaries” overnight.

“We are somewhat relieved it appears the damage was accidental,” says Community Initiatives Manager, Kevin Kitchen.  “Of course, we would prefer no harm come to public works of art, but we are similarly encouraged the artist tells us he believes it can be restored.”

Further details may be forthcoming, but initial accounts are police received a call on Monday just after 8:00 p.m. that a traffic collision involving multiple vehicles caused damage to the statue.

“Visionaries” was installed in 1994 at the corner of 21st Street East and 2nd Avenue South.  In all, two of three carved Dolomite figures were knocked over, and one of the carvings broke into three pieces.

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

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.