News Releases

The City of Saskatoon Landfill will be closed this morning to the general public due to high winds and the safety concerns.  It is anticipated the Landfill may open to the general public later this afternoon if the wind speeds are reduced.  Should conditions change and the Landfill is to remain closed in the afternoon, the City will advise residents through a Public Service Announcement and through Facebook and Twitter.

The City apologizes for the inconvenience and thanks you for your patience.

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 8^th Street Snow Storage Site, located east of Boychuk Drive is now open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m for contractor and public use.

In order to minimize the noise disruption to nearby residents, the common practice of tailgate slamming is strictly prohibited.  Excessive noise from tailgate slamming may force the City to permanently close or limit access to the site.

In addition, the City also operates three other temporary Snow Storage Sites. These three sites are available 24/7 throughout the winter months. 

1. Wanuskewin Road (1.8 kilometres north of 71st Street) Left turns into and exiting the site are extremely dangerous due to heavy traffic flow and are not permitted.  Please follow all traffic and on-site signs for access and exiting.
2. Central Avenue (4 kilometres north of Attridge Drive)
3. Valley Road (west of the Saskatoon Landfill access) Tailgate slamming is strictly prohibited at this location

Important information for snow storage site users:

• Please use caution when working around the snow moving equipment on site. 
• These sites are intended for snow only. No dumping of any solid waste, or any household, building or demolition materials.
• Snow hauling contractors may subscribe to receive Snow Storage Site Updates.
• Visit the website or contact Public Works customer service at 306-975-2476 for snow storage location 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.

The city-wide snow maintenance program is on hold until further notice due to the cold weather Saskatoon is currently experiencing. With the recent unseasonable temperatures, the snow pack on roadways has become hard ice.  Crews are having difficulty grading iced-packed roads properly under these cold weather conditions.  The ice chunks that are being pushed to the side of the roadway are not staying in piles and are causing obstructions on the sidewalks. Environment Canada is forecasting more of the same cold temperatures over the next week.  

“While the graders are still making progress through these frozen ice conditions, the City must be responsible stewards of tax-payer dollars and provide the best service possible,” says Director of Public Works Pat Hyde.  “We will put this program on hold for now and focus more efforts on streets where ruts are already developing.  When warmer weather is forecasted and the snow pack softens, we will resume the city-wide clearing program and reschedule missed neighbourhoods.” 

For today (Wednesday), graders will only address the most problematic streets in the two neighbourhoods that were scheduled for today: Forest Grove and Dundonald.  The yellow No Parking sandwich board signs will be removed from the streets that are assessed as lower risk.  Any No Parking signs that were in place for Thursday in Lakeridge and Confederation Park were removed this morning.  These neighbourhoods, along with Massey Place and Briarwood, which were scheduled for Friday, will be rescheduled when the program resumes. 

Contractor and city crews will be re-assigned to clearing streets in the core neighbourhoods, where ruts are more prevalent, and other identified streets where ruts are becoming a problem.  Today, these streets are being assessed and a schedule will be developed.  

Residents may continue to report a rutted street using the online form at www.saskatoon.ca/go/snow or by calling the Snow & Ice Infoline at
306-975-2476.  The yellow sandwich board No Parking signs will be posted in advance for parking enforcement and relocation towing.  Some identified streets may be cleared of ruts without the use of the No Parking signs if on-street parking is not a significant issue.  

Since January 20, 14 neighbourhoods have been graded to reduce the snow pack that can lead to the development of deep ruts.  The overall feedback from residents has been positive, although many have expressed concerns with the windrows that can impact on-street parking.  

“This is the first time the City has enforced parking and used relocation towing for snow clearing,” says Hyde.  “While it’s been an adjustment for many residents, as they become more familiar with the process the compliance for removing vehicles from the streets is improving each day.  This allows us to provide a more effective process and the end result is better for all.” 

Daily Snow & Ice Updates are available at www.saskatoon.ca summarizing completed and scheduled snow maintenance operations day-by-day. 

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.

CITY ADOPTS “AGRESSIVE APPROACH” FOR BRIDGE & OVERPASS SNOW CLEARING

The City has changed the way it clears snow from bridges and overpasses.  This action follows concerns that on December 30, 2013, accumulated snow along the barriers on the Circle Drive North bridge aided an out of control vehicle to jump the barrier and fall into the river.

“The City is extremely thankful the woman involved in this incident was able to get to safety without major injury and it wishes her a quick recovery,” Pat Hyde, Director of Public Works says.

At the meeting of City Council Monday evening January 6, 2014, Jeff Jorgenson, General Manager of Transportation & Utilities, advised Council and the public that he has directed an “aggressive approach” to the snow clearing practices on City bridges and overpasses.

“We have a new approach to clearing snow along the bridges and overpasses to prevent something like this from happening to anyone else,” Jorgensen says.

The City took immediate action to remove the snow following the incident and is using new procedures for regular clearing that will minimize the accumulation of snow along the guard rails and barriers.

“When a major snow fall occurs, snow is cleared first along Circle Drive, including the bridges and overpasses because of the high traffic and high speeds,” Jorgenson says. “Snow will be temporarily stored along the barriers in a safe manner, with crews returning to remove it from the high-traffic bridges within 48 hours.”

Previously, there was a maximum height allowance before snow was removed.  Over the past two weeks, engineers and crews have been modifying various methods to safely and effectively remove the snow quickly and efficiently.  Crews will begin removing accumulated snow along Circle Drive tonight, beginning with the outside lanes, using this new format:

1. A grader and a front-loader will plow it into a ridge,
2. A snow blower follows to remove it, and
3. Trucks will haul it away to the snow storage facilities or, in some cases, the snow can be safely stored at either end of the bridge, away from the roadway.

Signage will be in place to direct traffic around the work zone for the safety of crews and drivers.  Drivers are reminded to watch for signs, slow down and use extreme caution when passing this large equipment. Snow removal priority is the Circle Drive North and South bridges, and the Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge, followed by ten high-speed overpasses (22nd Street, for example), the Broadway and University bridges, and then the remaining overpasses. Drivers may notice accumulation along these areas, but there are strict monitoring procedures in place to ensure no safety hazards exist.

Given the recent power disruptions in Central and Eastern Canada, the Saskatoon Fire Department and the Emergency Measures Organization would like to remind everyone that in the event of loss of electrical power during cold weather requiring the use of an alternative source of power, the following key safety rules should be followed:

1) Gas powered portable generators used to supply electrical power should be positioned outside, in a well ventilated area, in order to avoid the dangers of in home carbon monoxide poisoning caused by the exhaust system.

2) All types of outdoor barbecues used for cooking during power outages must placed outside, in a well ventilated area. These appliances cannot be used inside due to the extreme risk for fire, explosion and carbon monoxide poisoning.

3) Do not leave candles burning unattended in a room. Avoid the use of candles in the bedroom and other areas where people may fall asleep.

• Keep candles away from items that can catch fire such as clothing, books and magazines, or curtains – as they are all highly combustible.
• Use sturdy candle holders that will not tip or burn and are large enough to collect dripping wax.

4) Avoid carbon monoxide poisoning in your home by verifying your air intake vents for accumulation of snow and when warming up your vehicle, ensure that it is not close to air intake vents.