News Releases

 Members of the public are invited to attend a commemorative event as the City of Saskatoon joins municipalities from across the country to reflect and honour the commitment made by the men and women who served in Canada’s military in Afghanistan.

Earlier this year, as the last of Canada’s troops made their way home from Afghanistan, 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 Don Atchison will be speaking at 11:25 a.m. on Friday, May 9 in the Civic Square which is located at the south side of City Hall.  The ceremony will include a lowering of the flag and two minutes of silence. 

The Neighbourhood Level Infill Strategy (Strategy) made recommendations to address concerns regarding infill development that is currently occurring in established residential areas within Saskatoon. The Strategy recommended amending the development standards contained in the City of Saskatoon’s (City) Zoning Bylaw No. 8770 for primary dwellings (one-unit, two-unit, and semi-detached dwellings), and small multi-unit dwellings (up to four units) on corner lots.  The Planning and Development Division is proposing changes to the Zoning Bylaw that will ensure that these types of infill development are more compatible with existing residential development.

Residents are invited to attend a “come and go” open house to learn more about the proposed bylaw regulations, including development standards, design guidelines, and the approval process.  Civic staff will be in attendance to answer questions, gather feedback, and provide materials.

Open House for the Proposed Regulations for Primary Dwellings and Small Multiple-Unit Dwellings on Corners Lots
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
City Park Collegiate – Student Commons
820 9th Avenue North

Following the open house, background and information materials will also be available on www.saskatoon.ca, click “I” for Infill Development Strategy, along with the opportunity for residents to submit comments online.
The Strategy is one component of the overall Growing Forward! Shaping Saskatoon project to help guide investments to accommodate Saskatoon’s growth to half a million people.

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.

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For Release: Wednesday, May 7, 2014

This morning starting at 9:00 a.m. City of Saskatoon’s Emergency Measures Organization sent out a test message to everyone currently in the database. That includes everyone who has signed up AND everyone listed in the SaskTel 2013/2014 phone book.

If you have received the message please know that it is legitimate and a necessary step in ensuring that the City of Saskatoon is able to notify residents during an impending or escalating emergency.

When you receive the test, listen to the entire message and then, if possible, follow the instructions to confirm that you received it.

The purpose of the test is to introduce citizens who may not have heard of NotifyNOW to the new alerting system and to test the accuracy of the data.

Saskatoon’s Emergency Measures Organization is excited to move this project forward. The initial test is part of the process and will provide us with important technical information while demonstrating to individual residents what a targeted mass notification would sound like and how they can expect to be contacted.

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

The City of Saskatoon today launched a city-wide public awareness campaign urging motorists to respect work zones as crews start repairing and maintaining city infrastructure this summer. The Respect Work Zones campaign will run from May to September, asking citizens to do their part to ensure the safety of work crews during the construction season.

“Our recently announced $50 million Building Better Roads Plan is the most aggressive program of road construction, road repair and road maintenance in Saskatoon’s history,” said Chris Hallam, Director of Construction & Design. “To complete this work, we need everyone to make safety a priority and respect the construction zones where our crews will be working.”

Building Better Roads, which coordinates a variety of construction projects means more construction this year than last and at times will result in up to 110 active work zones each day. According to Hallam, respecting work zones will allow the crews to focus on the job and safely complete this summer’s projects.   

“We care about the safety of our employees and everyone who uses Saskatoon’s roads,” said Hallam. “If everyone does their part, plans ahead and respects construction zones, we will be able to work through the 2014 season safely and successfully.”

Motorists can avoid delays and plan their commutes by clicking on the “Building Better Roads” button at saskatoon.ca and scanning the locations of current and future road projects.

The Respect Work Zones campaign is launching during North American Occupational Safety and Health Week (May 4-10) which promotes the importance of safety in workplaces, homes and communities.

While durable pavement markings have been used on roadways throughout Saskatoon for a number of years, in 2014, as part of the Building Better Roads campaign the City of Saskatoon is expanding the use of durable pavement markings to more high traffic roads.

The cost of the annual road painting program is $800,000 per year. In 2014, an additional $500,000 will be spent on durable markings that can last between 7 and 10 years.

To minimize traffic disruptions all work will be carried out between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.

This week, durable pavement markings will be installed at the following locations:

- 1st Avenue South between 20th Street East and 24th Street East

- Central Avenue between 107th Street West and 110th Street

- Circle Drive eastbound between Warman Road and Attridge Drive on ramp

Durable markings will also be installed on other high volume roadways following rehabilitation work through the construction season.  Further updates will be provided as the season progresses.

Drivers are reminded to allow extra time when travelling through the orange zone, watch for pedestrians and work crews, and for everyone’s safety, please obey all detours, signs and barriers.

Know before you go! Find traffic detour information on our website at www.saskatoon.ca/go/traffic. You can also follow us on Twitter @cityofsaskatoon and with #betterroads and like Saskatoon City News on Facebook.