News Releases

Sharpen your skates, the civic indoor arenas are open for the season!  The weekly Public Skating and Parent and Tot Skating sessions are as follows and will be in effect until Sunday, December 21, 2014:

ACT Arena:  107 105th Street East
Public Skating – now open

• Tuesday:  7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• Sunday:  2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Parent and Tot Skating - Began Sunday, September 7, 2014

• Monday and Thursday:  2:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.

Archibald Arena:  1410 Windsor Street
Public Skating – Begins Sunday, October 5, 2014

• Sunday:  12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Parent and Tot Skating – Begins Wednesday, November 5, 2014

• Wednesday:  2:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.

Cosmo Arena:  3130 Laurier Drive
Public Skating – Begins Sunday, October 5, 2014

• Wednesday and Thursday:  12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
• Friday:  12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• Sunday:  12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Parent and Tot Skating – Begins Monday, October 6, 2014

• Monday and Friday:  2:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.

Lions Arena:  2205 McEown Avenue
Public Skating – Begins Sunday, October 5, 2014

• Sunday:  2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.

Parent and Tot Skating – Begins Tuesday, November 4, 2014

• Tuesday and Friday:  2:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.

Admission rates are as follows:

• Adult (19 and over) - $4.50;
• Youth (6 to 18) - $2.70;
• Preschool (5 and under) - Free; and
• Family - $9.00 

Children, 6 years and younger, must be accompanied by an adult, minimum of 16 years of age.  A maximum of two preschoolers per adult is allowed.  Parent and Tot Skating is free of charge.
 
Visit www.saskatoon.ca/go/rinks for a full calendar of public skate times and rink rental rates information.
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.

NEW
8TH ST E WB MEDIAN & CENTRE LANE CLOSED BETWEEN LANSDOWN AVE & DUFFERIN AVE
(Electronic work)
Start: October 2, 9:00 a.m. End: October 2, 11:00 a.m.
ONGOING

SPADINA CRES E CLOSED FROM QUEEN ST TO 24TH ST E
(Roadwork)
Full closure at Mendel, use Queen or 25th St
Start: October 1, 9:00 a.m. End: October 2, 6:00 p.m.

11TH ST W CLOSED FROM HIGHWAY 7 TO CHAPPELL DR
(Patch paving)
Sections of the road will be closed for patch paving. Access to businesses & compost depot will be maintained via 22nd St W
Start: September 23, 9:00 a.m. End: October 14, 6:00 p.m.

CENTRAL AVE NB CLOSED FROM 110TH ST W TO GRAY AVE
(Phase 3: Streetscaping)
NB traffic accommodated in SB lanes. SB traffic detoured via Egbert Ave & Bryans Ave  
Start: September 23, 7:00 a.m. End: October 8, 6:00 p.m.
TAYLOR ST E CLOSED FROM MUNROE AVE S TO MCKINNON AVE S
(Water Main Lining)
Start: September 8, 8:00 a.m. End: October 8, 7:00 p.m.

33RD ST W EB LANES CLOSED FROM AVE Y N TO AVE W N
(Water main lining)
Two-way traffic set in WB lanes of 33rd St
Start: August 22, 9:00 a.m. End: October 4, 6:00 p.m.

AIRPORT DR NB LANES CLOSED FROM GATEWAY BLVD TO THE AIRPORT
(Roadway improvements)
Two-way traffic accommodated in SB lanes. 45th St W closed from Airport Dr to Koyl Ave
Start: August 20, 1:00 p.m. End: October 29, 6:00 p.m.

All restrictions will be lifted as indicated, weather permitting and barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Slow down, pay attention and respect work zones. Watch for pedestrians and work crews, and for everyone’s safety, please obey all detours, signs and barriers.

Know before you go! Plan your route around road work by checking our Road Restrictions and Construction Projects interactive map. Find traffic detour information on our saskatoon.ca homepage or subscribe to our Traffic Detour Service Alerts. You can also follow us on Twitter @YXEServiceAlert and with #betterroadsYXE and like Saskatoon City News on Facebook.

NEW
SPADINA CRES E CLOSED FROM QUEEN ST TO 24TH ST E
(Roadwork)
Full closure at Mendel, use Queen or 25th St
Start: October 1, 9:00 a.m. End: October 2, 6:00 p.m.

2ND AVE SB CLOSED FROM CLOSED FROM 24TH ST E TO 23RD ST E
(SL&P vault work)
Start: October 1, 9:00 a.m. End: October 1, 12:00 p.m.

CENTRAL AVE MEDIAN LANES CLOSED AT 105TH ST & 106TH ST
(Sanitary sewer lining)
Start: October 1, 9:00 a.m. End: October 1, 6:00 p.m.
ONGOING
11TH ST W CLOSED FROM HIGHWAY 7 TO CHAPPELL DR
(Patch paving)
Sections of the road will be closed for patch paving. Access to businesses & compost depot will be maintained via 22nd St W
Start: September 23, 9:00 a.m. End: October 14, 6:00 p.m.

CENTRAL AVE NB CLOSED FROM 110TH ST W TO GRAY AVE
(Phase 3: Streetscaping)
NB traffic accommodated in SB lanes. SB traffic detoured via Egbert Ave & Bryans Ave  
Start: September 23, 7:00 a.m. End: October 8, 6:00 p.m.
TAYLOR ST E CLOSED FROM MUNROE AVE S TO MCKINNON AVE S
(Water Main Lining)
Start: September 8, 8:00 a.m. End: October 8, 7:00 p.m.

AIRPORT DR NB LANES CLOSED FROM GATEWAY BLVD TO THE AIRPORT
(Roadway improvements)
Two-way traffic accommodated in SB lanes. 45th St W closed from Airport Dr to Koyl Ave
Start: August 20, 1:00 p.m. End: October 29, 6:00 p.m.

All restrictions will be lifted as indicated, weather permitting and barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Slow down, pay attention and respect work zones. Watch for pedestrians and work crews, and for everyone’s safety, please obey all detours, signs and barriers.

Know before you go! Plan your route around road work by checking our Road Restrictions and Construction Projects interactive map. Find traffic detour information on our saskatoon.ca homepage or subscribe to our Traffic Detour Service Alerts. You can also follow us on Twitter @YXEServiceAlert and with #betterroadsYXE and like Saskatoon City News on Facebook.

NEW
25TH ST E EB CURB (OUTSIDE) LANE CLOSED FROM 2ND AVE N TO 3RD AVE N
(SaskTel manhole work)
Start: September 30, 9:00 a.m. End: September 30, 4:00 p.m.

33RD ST W EB & WB MEDIAN (INSIDE) LANES CLOSED FROM AVE I & AVE H
(Sanitary sewer lining)
Start: September 30, 9:00 a.m. End: September 30, 6:00 p.m.
ONGOING
11TH ST W CLOSED FROM HIGHWAY 7 TO CHAPPELL DR
(Patch paving)
Sections of the road will be closed for patch paving. Access to businesses & compost depot will be maintained.
Start: September 23, 9:00 a.m. End: October 14, 6:00 p.m.

CENTRAL AVE NB CLOSED FROM 110TH ST W TO GRAY AVE
(Phase 3: Streetscaping)
NB traffic accommodated in SB lanes. SB traffic detoured via Egbert Ave & Bryans Ave  
Start: September 23, 7:00 a.m. End: October 5, 6:00 p.m.

IDYLWYLD DR SB CURB (OUTSIDE) LANE CLOSED FROM 25TH ST TO 24TH ST
(Streetscaping)
Right turn from 25th St EB to Idylwyld Dr SB maintained
Start: September 2, 9:00 a.m. End: October 3, 6:00 p.m.
TAYLOR ST E CLOSED FROM MUNROE AVE S TO MCKINNON AVE S
(Water Main Lining)
Start: September 8, 8:00 a.m. End: October 8, 7:00 p.m.

AIRPORT DR NB LANES CLOSED FROM GATEWAY BLVD TO THE AIRPORT
(Roadway improvements)
Two-way traffic accommodated in SB lanes. 45th St W closed from Airport Dr to Koyl Ave
Start: August 20, 1:00 p.m. End: October 29, 6:00 p.m.

All restrictions will be lifted as indicated, weather permitting and barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Slow down, pay attention and respect work zones. Watch for pedestrians and work crews, and for everyone’s safety, please obey all detours, signs and barriers.

Know before you go! Plan your route around road work by checking our Road Restrictions and Construction Projects interactive map. Find traffic detour information on our saskatoon.ca homepage or subscribe to our Traffic Detour Service Alerts. You can also follow us on Twitter @YXEServiceAlert and with #betterroadsYXE and like Saskatoon City News on Facebook.

For Release: September 29, 2014 

Saskatoon ranks among Canadian cities with the lowest property tax rates, despite a recent article in the Huffington Post (September 29, 2014) that says Saskatoon “…had the dubious honour of having the highest average property tax among major cities in Canada - $4440 by our calculations.” The City wants to take the opportunity to publicly correct this misinformation regarding the calculation of Saskatoon’s property tax rates.

“The Huffington Post article calculates property tax rates using a biased approach,” says City Assessor Les Smith. “Taking the total property value and multiplying it by the tax rate – without considering other unique factors that go into a residential property tax calculation is misleading.”

Smith says simply comparing property tax dollars per assessment is an incorrect approach to take. This assumes that the sale prices in one city for a particular house are the same as in another city. This method of calculation also assumes that the make-up of the property inventory in one city is the same as another and that the services supplied are the same as well.

The facts are that municipal property tax and assessment processes are set out by provincial legislation. To compare tax rates without considering the different legislative frameworks set out by each province, results in figures that are not truly comparable in terms of highest and lowest in Canada. Comparing taxes per capita is simpler and removes potential bias from other approaches.

“The City supplies services to people. It is people who use the parks, drive on roads, use water and use the civic facilities.  As we supply services to people, the measurement that best reflects this, is the per- capita measure. It is completely unbiased, it does not require anyone to determine what is a representative house or housing types.”

The Municipal Tax Calculation in Saskatchewan is as follows: Taxable Assessment x Municipal Mill Rate x Mill Rate Factor. In Saskatchewan, the taxable assessment is 70% of the assessed value of the property.

In comparison, the Municipal Tax Calculation in Alberta is simply the Tax Rate multiplied by 100% of the assessed value. The Municipal Tax Calculation in Winnipeg is similar to the process used in Saskatchewan, except that (a) the taxable assessment is 45% of assessed value and (b) there is no mill rate factor. Manitoba’s formula is as follows:  Portioned Assessment Value x Municipal Mill Rate/ 1000.

In Saskatchewan, property assessments are updated every four years. The last reassessment cycle was in 2013 and reflects a property’s fair market value as of January 1, 2011.

The City of Saskatoon is open, accountable and transparent. Property taxes collected are used for the delivery of key civic services.  For more information about property taxes and how they are calculated, visit the Property Assessment & Tax Tool located on the homepage at www.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.

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