News Releases

Over the next three weeks, the following road restrictions will be in place on 51st Street while crews repair underground water and sewer infrastructure and perform roadway improvements.

June 12-16 - 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. (road will remain closed for duration of work)
Starting on June 12, 51st Street eastbound lanes will be closed from Wentz Avenue to Millar Avenue while crews work on water and sewer connections in these lanes.  Eastbound traffic will be detoured by way of 50th Street. Access to businesses facing 51st Street will be restricted, but will be maintained on side and back entrances.

When the repair is complete, the area will be paved.  It will later be removed during the reconstruction process, but the layer of asphalt is required for properly removing the top layer of roadway.

June 15-28 – 7:00 p.m.–6:00 a.m. (overnight restrictions)
Starting on June 15, 2014, there will be lane restrictions on 51st Street and Faithfull Avenue while crews resurface the road.  

To minimize the impact to traffic and inconvenience to businesses in the area the work has been scheduled to take place between 7:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. each night. All lanes will be open during the day.

The work will be done in the following phases:

Phase 1 - Faithfull Avenue from 50th Street to 51st Street and the intersection of Faithfull Avenue and 51st Street (Approximate duration: 2 nights)
Beginning June 15

- Faithfull Avenue will be closed from 50th Street to 51st Street, access for local traffic maintained.
- Left turns at the intersection from 51st Street onto Faithfull Avenue will not be permitted.

Phase 2 - 51st Street from Faithfull Avenue to Wanuskewin Road (eastbound)
(Approximate duration 4 nights)
Expected start: June 17

- Curb (outside) and centre lanes will be closed. Traffic merges to median (inside) lanes in both directions.
- Traffic in the direction of construction will be diverted to alternate routes. Left turns will be restricted as required.

Phase 3 - 51st Street from Wanuskewin Road to Faithfull Avenue (westbound)
(Approximate duration 4 nights)
Expected start: June 21

- Curb (outside) and centre lanes will be closed. Traffic merges to median (inside) lanes in both directions.
- Traffic in the direction of construction will be diverted to alternate routes. Left turns will be restricted as required.

Phase 4 - 51st Street left turn lane from Faithfull Avenue to Wanuskewin Road (Approximate duration: 3-4 nights)
Expected start: June 25

- Left turn lane will be closed in both directions.

Residents are advised that, depending on circumstances and road condition, this work may progress faster or slower than anticipated which could affect the start date of the next phase. 

It is expected the work will be completed on Saturday, June 28, weather permitting and barring any unforeseen circumstances.

The City would like to thank everyone for their patience.

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

The City of Saskatoon (City), in partnership with the Saskatoon Tribal Council (STC) and Central Urban Métis Federation Inc. (CUMFI), wishes to meet with Aboriginal residents and governments, First Nation land holders, and other interested citizens to provide an overview of the Aboriginal programs and services currently offered, and to seek input to ensure they best meet the needs of the community as Saskatoon is home to an increasing Aboriginal population.  Topics will include areas such as affordable housing, economic development, urban reserves, recreation, Aboriginal employment, and future city development.  Key staff will be at the meeting to introduce themselves, answer questions, and gather feedback.

Urban Aboriginal Community Gathering
Thursday, June 12, 2014
5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Saskatoon Inn
2002 Airport Drive, Saskatoon

Free bus service will be provided from Cosmo Civic Centre (3130 Laurier Drive) to the Saskatoon Inn leaving at 5:00 p.m., with a return departure from the Saskatoon Inn to Cosmo Civic Centre at 8:45 p.m.

Please R.S.V.P. to urbanaboriginalcommunity@saskatoon.ca or call 306-975-8066.  Meeting information is also available at www.shapingsaskatoon.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.

For Immediate Release: June 11, 2014
 

Beginning at 6:45 p.m. on Thursday, June 12, the following lane restrictions will be in place overnight on Circle Drive while crews pave the road.

Thursday night, June 12

- Circle Drive northbound median (inside) lane will be closed from College Drive to the train bridge

Friday night, June 13

- Circle Drive northbound curb (outside) lane will be closed from before 108th Street to Attridge Drive on ramp
- Circle Drive off ramp to Attridge Drive/Preston Avenue will be closed
- 108th Street on ramp to Circle Drive northbound will be closed

Saturday & Sunday night, June 14-15

- Circle Drive westbound curb (outside) and centre lane will be closed from Attridge Drive on ramp to Circle Drive Bridge
- Attridge Drive on ramp to Circle Drive westbound will be closed

Monday night, June 16

- Circle Drive northbound median (inside) lane will be closed from the train bridge to Circle Drive Bridge

To minimize disruption to traffic the work is scheduled to take place overnight from 6:45 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. The restrictions will be lifted as indicated weather permitting and barring any unforeseen circumstances.

The Zipper Merge will be in effect at this location. As drivers approach the “lane closed ahead” sign and traffic starts to back up, stay in your current lane up to the point of merge. Then take turns in "zipper" fashion with other drivers to safely and smoothly ease into the remaining lane. Drivers in the through lane must take turns merging.

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.

The City of Saskatoon (City) reminds residents to keep basic water conservation tips in mind when watering lawns and gardens this summer.

 “Being water wise helps the environment,” says Brenda Wallace, Director of Environmental & Corporate Initiatives.  “Rainwater and treated water from excess watering of lawns and gardens both end up in the storm sewer system, and eventually the South Saskatchewan River.  Ensuring lawns and gardens are not overwatered can lessen the amount of water entering our storm sewers.”

Being water wise also saves energy and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.  Energy is required to treat water and wastewater and emissions from water use by residents in 2013 are estimated at 24,690 tonnes CO₂e or the equivalent of the emissions generated by 5,140 passenger vehicles each year.

Conserving water also preserves the City’s water systems.  During periods of high water demand, the treatment plants and distribution systems are in high use so conserving water will extend the life of our water and wastewater treatment plants.

In 2013, Saskatoon residents consumed 234 litres of water per capita per day (LCD).  The median water use for Canadian municipalities is 231 LCD.  In the summertime, water use for irrigation makes up the majority of the total demand for water in Saskatoon.

The City of Saskatoon is committed to being a leader in water conservation and uses low-maintenance and low-watering gardening practices throughout the summer.  The City also collects and uses rainwater to supplement watering resulting in cost, energy, and GHG emissions savings by not using treated water from the water treatment plant.  For instance, Saskatoon Transit is capturing rainwater to wash busses at the Access Transit Storage Garage.  As well, raw water from the river is used for irrigation at several City golf courses.

For more information on how to “Be Water Wise”, visit www.saskatoon.ca and click on “W” for Water Conservation.  Check out “The Importance of Water” video on this site for more information on how the City works to ensure a safe water supply for residents.

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.

A regularly scheduled quarterly status update regarding the 2014 Corporate Business Plan and Budget projects a deficit of $1.947 million to year-end. 

“With the harsh winter we had last year we made some adjustments to our snow and ice budget for this year,” says Director of Finance, Kerry Tarasoff.  “As the season progressed we had to further enhance snow removal and a good portion of the deficit can be traced to those necessary costs.”

Civic departments have identified continuous improvement initiatives and have embarked on process improvements that are expected to be completed in 2014.  These initiatives are expected to improve the efficiency and increase the effectiveness of civic operations resulting in improved customer service and savings of $1.4 million in 2014.

Following a recent policy change, quarterly reports are prepared to make sure City Council and the Administration are aware of challenges or emerging business plan and budget issues so they can react accordingly.

“Whenever we see deficits in our projections the Administration begins looking for ways to save or for lessening the impact of a shortfall,” Tarasoff says.  “That is why the City moved to quarterly reports; it gives us time to work on eliminating a deficit so it doesn’t have to be passed on to taxpayers at budget time.”

The following is a summary of the main items contributing to the projected variance:

Snow Removal: An estimated $1.1 million deficit is being projected as a result intensified snow removal operations.  Significantly more resources were spent on removal than in typical years, due in part to a reassignment of crews following the formation of ice pack on residential streets and removing snow against freeway barriers.  A $489,000 reserve balance would exist at year-end to help cover a portion of the deficit leaving a net impact of $580,000.  The Administration will strive to reduce this impact through deferral of purchases, deferral of discretionary spending and reduced contract costs in late 2014.

Fleet Services: Pricing on unleaded fuel is about $1.20 per litre compared to budget of $1.08, causing an over-expenditure of $215,000.  However, the Fuel Stabilization Reserve has a $1 million balance and will cover this deficit at year-end for a net zero impact.

Waste Handling Service: Increased equipment rentals for the landfill, as well as lower revenues, are contributing to a projected $382,000 deficit. 

Property Levy: Assessment growth was $486,000 higher than the anticipated amount of $5 million due to increased construction activity.

The report also provides highlights of key projects (by March 31, 2014) as they relate to City Council’s Strategic Goals:

Continuous Improvement

Three Civic Service Reviews (CSR) will be completed in 2014; Roadways, Parks and Waste Management.  CSRs for Roadways and Parks started in March and the Waste Management is scheduled to start in the second quarter.

Continuous Improvement (CI) initiatives are underway throughout the corporation.  Process reviews were undertaken in Purchasing, Business Licensing and at the Water Treatment Plant.

The pilot project for Service Saskatoon, Report a Pothole, was launched in March 2014, allowing citizens to make service requests online and also allowing civic staff to report back when the work is complete.

Asset and Financial Sustainability

Twelve civic facilities now have energy and water monitoring systems.  The information gathered by these systems will lead to utility reductions and productivity improvements within building operations.  Results will be reported in December.  Combined Heat and Power units will be installed by early 2015.

A snow storage facility is part of the COC.  This P3 project is in the Request for Proposals phase.  Development of a facility for the South East quadrant of the City continues in conjunction with other future growth initiatives.

Quality of Life

The Age Friendly Saskatoon Phase 2 report was presented to City Council in January.  The report contains a series of recommendations for how to make Saskatoon more age friendly.

The Atoske Alumni group was formed and is working on enhanced training opportunities for Aboriginal youth.

As a benchmarking exercise, Saskatoon was one of seven mid-sized Canadian cities to participate in the measurement of its cultural investments between 2009 and 2012.  Over the four-year study period, Saskatoon ranked first in operating, second in overall investment, fourth in capital investments and sixth in grants.

Environmental Leadership

Through membership in Municipal Collaboration for Sustainable Purchasing, a ten-step action plan has been drafted and includes the identification of pilot purchases that will use environmental criteria for decision making.  The next steps will be to develop tools such as training for staff and templates for purchasing documents.

The Landfill Gas Collection project was commissioned in March 2014 and operation of the Power Generation Facility also began in March.

Sustainable Growth

The Saskatoon North Partnership for Growth (P4G) held its kickoff meeting which was attended by elected officials in February 2014.  Staff from the five partnering municipalities have been working on a Draft Terms of Reference, Work Plan, Communications and Engagement Strategy, and Budget for a Regional Plan.

The Intermediate Strategy for infill development will be prepared as part of the Growing Forward! project through the corridor identification and densification opportunities.

Moving Around

A comprehensive approach to transit market research has been incorporated into the Growing Forward! Initiative.  A complete market study and functional design for an updated transit system has been included in this work.  In the interim, route enhancements will be made to make sure the existing service adapts to changing transit patterns and city growth.

Economic Diversity and Prosperity    

Building permit numbers are slightly ahead of permits than in the first quarter of 2013 by 4.9%.  The value of construction associated with those permits in the first quarter of 2014 is slightly behind the numbers achieved at the end of the first quarter in 2013 by 23.9%.

Building permits issued to the end of March 2014 represent the creation of 665 new residential units, compared to 401 for the same time period in 2013.

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.