News Releases

The City of Saskatoon (City) reminds residents the provincial ban on pruning elm trees will be in effect between April 1 and August 31, 2014.
The ban ensures that elm bark beetles, which transmit Dutch Elm Disease (DED), are not attracted to the freshly pruned trees when these beetles are most active. Anyone wishing to prune elm trees during the ban must obtain a permit. Please call the City’s Parks Division at 306-975-3300 for information.

DED was first discovered in Saskatchewan in 1981 and continues to be found in more areas of the province every year. DED is caused by a fungus that clogs the tree’s water conducting system, which eventually causes the tree to die, usually within one or two seasons. Early symptoms of the disease usually appear by July, when the leaves on one or more branches wilt, curl, turn yellow, and die.

The only effective management strategy for the elm bark beetle is to deprive it of its breeding habitat. This involves keeping elm trees healthy by removing potential breeding material in trees and eliminating detached elm wood. For this reason, it is necessary to dispose or render uninhabitable elm stumps and remove any fallen branches or wood from a fallen elm tree. Under no circumstances should elm wood be left lying around or stored for firewood or other purposes.

Elm removal can occur at any time of the year; however, the entire tree must be removed and all waste elm be transported to the nearest approved landfill site in the municipality where the elm was removed. In Saskatoon, the Saskatoon Landfill is the only site approved for elm tree disposal. 

It is estimated that Saskatoon’s 25,000 boulevard and park elm trees are worth approximately $45 million, and many more are located on private property. While Saskatoon does not have the disease, effective DED management requires everyone’s support. Anyone suspecting an elm is unhealthy is asked to please contact the City at 306-975-2890.

For more information, visit www.saskatoon.ca, (under ‘D’ for Dutch Elm Disease).
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.

Snow Forecast
With light snow in the forecast, two sanders are available for priority streets and at risk intersections, as required. If the snow begins to collect on the street and plowing (occurs on Circle Drive) and grading (other priority streets) is required, additional staff and contractors are available to be called in. For more information about snow clearing priority streets, visit www.saskatoon.ca/go/snow.

 Snow & Ice Activities
The majority of streets are dry and the snow along the curb has been melting on warmer days. Crews are monitoring the snow melt and addressing streets where drainage issues are occurring. Because of the extra snow removal efforts throughout the winter, high-traffic streets are melting and draining well. Up to four grader crews are assigned to drainage and utility cuts.

If there are concerns of rutting, residents may use the online Report a Rut form or call Customer Service at 306-975-2476.

 Potholes
Residents are reporting potholes on high-traffic streets using the online Report a Pothole. These locations will be investigated and repaired with temporary cold asphalt mix if they are causing driving issues. Other locations that do not present a risk of causing damage to vehicles may be left until the streets are dry and hot asphalt is available for a permanent repair. Please report emergency pothole locations to Customer Service at 306-975-2476 immediately.

 Utility Cuts
Utility cuts refer to the section of roadway that is dug up for underground repairs. Once the repair is completed, the hole is filled in with gravel and recycled asphalt until the summer when they can be patched with hot asphalt. As vehicles drive over the area, it can develop rutting, and regular maintenance is required. Up to four grader crews are assigned to monitoring and maintaining these locations. To report a dangerous driving concern at a utility cut, please call Customer Service at 306-975-2476.

Thank you to everyone for your patience and remember to please watch for crews and equipment on the road. Slow down and keep 15 metres behind maintenance equipment; be prepared to stop; and, if required, use extreme caution when passing. This is for your safety, as well as the safety of the operators and other drivers.

For more City of Saskatoon Public Service Announcements, News Releases, Traffic Detours and Service Alerts, visit www.saskatoon.ca/go/traffic. You can also follow us on Twitter @cityofsaskatoon and with #betterroads and like Saskatoon City News on Facebook.

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Starting on Monday, March 24, the 2nd Avenue southbound lane between 20th Street and 19th Street will be closed while crews work on construction at Galaxy Cinemas. 
Restrictions are expected to be lifted the same day by 3:00 p.m., weather permitting and barring any unforeseen circumstances.
Know before you go! Find up-to-date traffic detour information at www.saskatoon.ca/go/traffic and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Starting on Monday, March 24, the Idywyld Freeway northbound curb lane approaching Ruth Street is closed while Saskatoon Light & Power Crews work on street lights. The Ruth Street off ramp is also closed.

The work should be completed and restrictions lifted by 1:00 p.m., weather permitting and barring any unforeseen circumstances.   

Know before you go!  Find up-to-date Traffic Detour information on our website at www.saskatoon.ca and follow us on Twitter, Facebook or our City Blog.

Water main breaks are back to normal rates for this time of year and we are back to repairing these locations and restoring water service within one to two days.  Saskatoon typically experiences one-two per day during the winter months, but between February 28 and March 14, there were about five or more per day, with one day up to 15!  There have been 175 water main breaks since January 1, compared to 89 last year at this time.  The record number (in the last 19 years) of breaks for the same date was 191 in 1996; followed by 164 in 2003. 

The main cause of the increase in water main breaks was the extended, extreme cold weather that caused ground frost to develop at 9-10 feet, where the underground pipes are located.  The shifting that occurs with frost put pressure on the pipes, causing weaker points to break.  Even though the weather was warmer, the frost is still in the ground at those deep levels. 

Frozen Connections
While water main breaks have slowed down, there is still a number of frozen water connections occurring.  If your water does not turn on, it could be an issue in the portion of the pipe that provides water service to the home from the main line.  This involves City staff inspecting the location to determine where the line is frozen which there is currently a queue of 24 to 48 hours.  Once it’s determined if the break is within the property or the City’s right-of-way, the thawing, if possible, can be scheduled.  In many cases, we can arrange temporary water service using the neighbours’ connection. In some cases, the frozen connection is within the building or under the foundation and we provide advice and support to the owner to have the lines defrosted.  To help prevent this, we recommend making sure the pipes are well-insulated, including the portion at the outside walls of your home.

Temporary Water
We empathize with residents and businesses without water service.  We can normally provide water trailers within 8 hours for areas affected by a water main break.  Residents without water service due to a frozen connection may also access drinking water from the water trailers.

Water Trailers are currently parked at the following locations:
340 Russell Road
2616 Woodward Avenue
830 Avenue B North
613 Salloum Crescent

If the water trailer is empty please call Customer Service 24/7 at 306-975-2476.

We are pleased to be able to offer free admission for residents who are experiencing a water outage due to a water main break or frozen water connection to use the shower facilities at the City Leisure Centre closest to them. They will require identification or a recent utility bill showing their address, which will be compared to list of homes affected by a water outage.

Water service is currently off at the following locations due to water main breaks:
612 Spadina Crescent East
335 Russell Road
2606 Woodward Avenue
234 Benesh Crescent

Be prepared
Every home should have an emergency preparedness plan for any time of the year, not just for water outage. Residents in areas where water main breaks have occurred in the past few years, including neighbourhoods adjacent to current water main breaks, are encouraged to be prepared by having extra drinking water stored as a precaution. It is recommended to have a 72-hour supply of water on hand for drinking and cooking equal to 3.8 litres (one gallon) per person or pet per day. Find Emergency Home Preparedness Plan information, along with videos and tips on the Saskatoon Fire Department's Emergency Measure Operation's website.

If you are affected by a water outage and have any questions, or to report a water main break 24/7, please call Customer Service at 306-975-2476 or learn more about Water Main Breaks and Repairs.

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 from the links at saskatoon.ca.