News Releases

For Release: Friday, May 9, 2014

On Friday, May 9, 2014 the City of Saskatoon joined Canadians across the country to honour the end of Canada’s military commitment in Afghanistan.

Earlier this year, as the last of Canada’s troops made their way home, Prime Minister Stephen Harper declared May 9, 2014 a National Day of Honour and on May 5, 2014 City Council resolved that the City would join municipalities across Canada in observing a concurrent moment of silence. 

His Worship Mayor Donald Atchison spoke at a commemorative ceremony held at 11:25 a.m. on Friday, May 9, 2014.

“Members of our community served proudly in the Afghan mission and today we honour their service, their courage and their sacrifice,” says Saskatoon Mayor Donald Atchison. “It is also a day to honour the families of those who gave their lives in the service of their country.” 

Ceremony attendees witnessed the lowering of the flag in Civic Square and participated in two minutes of silence to reflect upon the commitments made by members of our community who served in Afghanistan, as well as those who put their lives at risk each day to help keep Saskatoon safe. 

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.

The City has started mailing the new format 2014 Property Tax Notices for 87,000 properties in Saskatoon. Property owners should expect their tax notices to arrive over the next coming weeks. If you have not received your tax notice by May 31, 2014, please call 306-975-2400. Your 2014 Property Taxes are due June 30, 2014. 

This year, you will find your Property Tax Notice has a new shorter format that is less complicated and easier to read. The new property tax notice with fewer pages is more efficient, using two thirds less paper giving cost savings for both paper usage and postage. 

With your 2014 Property Tax Notice you will also receive a brochure insert, ‘How to Read Your New Property Tax Notice’ – the brochure explains the information you will find on your notice, and offers helpful advice and contact information should you have any tax related questions.  Both your tax notice and the brochure insert will arrive in a clearly highlighted, bottom flap envelope that also provides for more efficient processing.  

Property owners are encouraged to visit saskatoon.ca, to use the Property Assessment & Tax Tool found on the homepage of our website. This helpful and easy to use tool allows the user to look up a Saskatoon property by address to see assessment information, related market area information, 2014 property tax information, and details on how the City distributes the current year’s municipal portion of property taxes to civic services.

The City of Saskatoon is committed to the Corporate Strategic Goal of Continuous Improvement, and to placing fair, accurate, and equitable values on Saskatoon residential and commercial properties. 

Visit saskatoon.ca and click on ‘P’ for Property Tax for additional information. Or contact a Customer Service Representative at 306-975-2400; we are pleased to answer any tax related questions you may have. 

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.

Since the City of Saskatoon last week told residents about the new initiative to track our garbage collections by attaching barcode tags to black bins, people have come forward with a number of questions about the program.

We’d like to take some time to further explain the taxpayer savings we hope to achieve, how the tags will be used and why we believe they make sense for our community.

Each tag contains a barcode for our trucks to scan on collection day. The barcode links a resident’s garbage cart with their address and nothing more. The tags are similar to those used to confirm blue cart collection of recycling.

These little tags will make a big difference in how we provide residents with this essential service:

Better Service – Your assigned tag and barcode will confirm when your cart has been emptied, helping us avoid missed collections — estimated to cost Saskatoon taxpayers $155,000 a year as garbage trucks circle back to collect from locations where citizens may have a collection issue.  Confirming collection times and taking pictures of collection issues will help in the education process and reduce inefficiency. 

Cart Maintenance – We will be able to track and record carts that require repair or replacement, ensuring that your black garbage cart is always ready for use.

Cost Savings – Improved tracking of garbage carts is expected to save taxpayers many more thousands per year by reducing fuel and labour costs.  All together, these savings and eliminated missed collections are expected to save taxpayers about $200,000 a year.

While the Garbage Service Verification system will cost $1.2 million, this up-front cost will be paid back within 6 to 7 years from productivity and fuel savings and then continue to generate about $200,000 back to the City each year in savings after that. 

So, thanks to these tags and barcodes, we have a new tool to improve service, collect waste more efficiently and save money for both residents and the City.  

Commonly Asked Questions:

You say the tag keeps track of my garbage pick-ups. Does it record any other information?

No. The tag connects an individual cart to its assigned residence. That’s it.

Is the City doing this so it can it weigh my Garbage?

No.  The rationale for tagging bins is to provide benefits such as cost savings, service efficiencies, and enhanced customer service for individuals and taxpayers.  There is no Council direction to make this kind of change at this time or to weigh garbage from each home. 

Okay, so how do the barcodes work?

The technology is similar to the electronic swipe cards many people use to access offices or buildings.  On collection day, the truck’s barcode reader will scan the tag from the garbage cart and record that the collection has been successful. This information will be logged in our customer service database.

Barcodes will also help the City in tracking repairs and replacement of carts as necessary to improve customer service when things may go wrong with containers.

When will a tag get applied to my garbage cart?

Crews started applying tags to garbage collection carts on May 5, and are working on a neighbourhood by neighbourhood basis. Crews work during normal work hours and plan to work on the regularly scheduled garbage collection day when carts are out for collection.

Residents will receive letters a few days before their black carts are scheduled to have the tags applied. In order to get carts tagged, the City is asking residents to make sure theirs and neighbours’ black garbage carts are out until 5 p.m. on the scheduled collection day, giving our crews time to apply the new tag to the cart.

Please visit saskatoonrecycles.ca or call (306) 975-2486.

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.