News Releases
Saskatoon Fire - News Releases
City details emergency preparedness plans in the event of severe winter storm forecast for this weekend
November 5, 2020 - 8:29am
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Clear sidewalks as best you can.
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Exercise caution when in the proximity of snow maintenance equipment.
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Report power outages, fallen tree limbs, or icy road patches to 306-975-2476.
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Have a 3-day supply of what your family needs on-hand including water, food, any medical requirements.
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Avoid travel – stay home
The City is planning for the strong possibility that Saskatoon will be hit by a severe winter storm this weekend. The City’s Emergency Management Organization (EMO) is overseeing the necessary emergency preparedness.
“The winter storm that is being predicted is one that has the potential to interfere in our residents’ ability to safely navigate the city this weekend,” says Pamela Goulden-McLeod, EMO Director. “For this reason, we need to all prepare for the possibility that we might need to stay home for a few days and plan accordingly.”
City snow crews are on standby and are prepared to begin clearing and de-icing when needed. During the snowfall, efforts will be focused on the busiest streets and access to emergency services. To respond to this storm, a combination of city crews and contractors will be used, including: 15 graders, 10 plows with sanders, 4 underbelly plows, 20 sanders, 11 sidewalk plows and a number of loaders, dozers and snow- blowers. The City will bring in additional contractors if necessary.
“We’ll have as many as 200 workers out clearing the city, and that’s pretty significant,” says Terry Schmidt, General Manager of Transportation and Construction. “If the snow is as bad as predicted, it’s possible that streets may get snowdrifts or icy conditions between passes from our equipment. Drivers will need to take great care and even stay off the streets if they can.”
Polls are scheduled to be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day (Nov. 9th) for voters to attend in-person. We encourage voters to follow safety precautions and plan to have lots of time to get to and from voting locations taking into account road conditions.
There is the possibility that a severe enough storm could result in power disruptions due to wet, heavy snow interfering with power lines. Saskatoon Light & Power staff are ready to respond as needed.
With the substantial snowfall expected over the weekend, Saskatoon Transit will do everything possible to maintain schedules but there could be delays while crews are working to clear streets. Transit service alerts, real-time bus locations, and arrivals are available on third party apps like Transit and Google Transit on desktop. Access Transit may be affected by heavy snow on residential streets.
There is also a possibility that, because leaves are not fully off the trees, wet heavy snow may cause limbs to fall. Parks crews are ready to deal with any issues that arise.
How residents can help:
City Hall closed until noon Tuesday: critical incident debriefing
November 2, 2020 - 12:18pm
There was a serious incident today inside the lobby at City Hall and a man was injured. City staff are now being offered mental health supports in the wake of this event.
The Saskatoon Police Service publicly shared the following details:
At approximately 2:00 p.m., November 2, 2020, Police responded to City Hall after reports that a man was in the lobby and threatening to cause harm to himself. The man then did produce a knife and caused injury to himself before police could intervene. There were no threats made against any other persons. The 21-year-old man was transported to hospital for treatment and is believed to be in stable condition at this time.
City Manager Jeff Jorgenson says there were many staff members who saw this happen and some may be deeply affected by this traumatic incident. “We understand what our staff members and first responders are going through, and we support them,” he says. “Our thoughts are also with the man that paramedics took to the hospital.”
Jorgenson says counselling resources are available to everyone touched by this. Most immediately, Jorgenson says one-on-one sessions are being arranged with trained counsellors for staff who need someone to talk to.
Additionally, to further help provide the necessary support and counselling to staff, City Hall and the customer care line will be closed on Tuesday, November 3rd from 8:00 a.m. to noon. Online services are available.
The advance polling station at City Hall, accessible through door 1A, will stay open.
We greatly appreciate everyone’s understanding and compassion at this time.
City Council to review options for school and playground zones
November 1, 2021 - 11:08am
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New playground zones with reduced speed limit of 30 km/h;
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Year-round lower speed limits in both school and playground zones 7 days a week from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
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Adjustments to posted signs and length of current school zones; and
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Removal of lower speed school zones from high schools, designating them a “school area” where U-turn are still restricted.
Year-round school zones and the introduction of playground zones with reduced speed limits were endorsed at City Council’s Standing Policy Committee on Transportation today. City Council will debate the merits of the recommended options for these zones and vote at its November 22 meeting.
The recommendation would align the City’s school zone policy with national guidelines and implement other best practices for pedestrian safety, including:
There is no recommendation to develop a lower speed limit in areas with more seniors. Other measures such as traffic calming or pedestrian crossing devices will continue to be used to ensure pedestrian safety at important crossings near these facilities.
Project information is available at saskatoon.ca/engage/speed-limit-review.
Dingoes and grizzly bears gearing up for colder weather
October 30, 2020 - 4:39am
With the colder temperatures kicking in, the dingoes and grizzly bears at the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo (Zoo) are settling into their new daily routines. Grizzly bears Mistaya (miss‑TIE’‑yuh) and Koda (KOH’-dah) are preparing for their annual deep sleep and dingoes Maple and Euci will be heading inside for warmer temperatures.
“Native areas for dingoes typically do not see temperatures below minus 5 degrees Celsius,” says Zoo Manager Jeff Mitchell. “Since Maple and Euci have not adapted to our cold weather in Saskatoon, we will be providing them access to one of our indoor facilities.”
Mitchell notes, while the dingoes will still have access to outside, they will likely stay indoors once colder temperatures set in.
As for the grizzlies, it is business as usual for Mistaya and Koda as the bears prepare for their annual deep sleep called torpor.
“The bears have been steadily building up their fat reserves during hyperphagia – a time when they eat over 10,000 calories a day and drink up to five gallons of water,” says Jeff Mitchell. “Once their deep sleep begins, we expect to see their heart rate and breathing rates decrease along with their body temperature.”
During torpor, bears can sleep for more than 100 days without eating, drinking or passing waste. It is expected that Mistaya and Koda will begin their deep sleep in the coming weeks.
Cameras will once again be live in the bear dens so that the Zoo can closely monitor behavior, activity levels, and breathing patterns. The Zoo will be working closely with Canada's Accredited Zoos and Aquariums Nutrition Advisory and Research Group to carefully monitor the bears throughout the winter.
The Zoo is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and admission is by donation until March 31. For more information on the Zoo, please visit saskatoon.ca/zoo.
City Council defeats The COVID-19 Gathering Bylaw, 2021 No.9782
October 29, 2021 - 10:53am
- Red: 16% reduction in gathering size but no decrease in proportion of people mixing in the community.
- Olive: 43% reduction in gathering sizes but no decrease in proportion of people mixing in the community.
- Green: modest reduction in people mixing in community.
- Blue: greater reduction in people mixing in community (half of pre-pandemic mixing).
- Magenta: greater reduction in people mixing in community (half of pre-pandemic mixing).
- Proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or negative test within 72 hours are mandatory for ages 12 and over within all Leisure Centre areas and indoor arenas as per a Public Health Order and subsequent Council direction.
- A Public Health Order requires masks to be worn in all indoor public spaces including all City facilities.
New map highlights areas affected by SL&P power outages
October 28, 2021 - 2:00pm
Saskatoon Light & Power (SL&P) has launched a new interactive power outage map, making it easier than ever for customers to access and view outage information.
“While our crews are troubleshooting and repairing an outage, we’re committed to keeping customers informed in the easiest, most helpful way,” says Trevor Bell, Director of SL&P. “Service alerts issued on Twitter and on the City website are the primary form of communication for outages, but now the map will also be included with the alerts making it easier to see the area impacted, cause, and estimated time of repair.”
Outages are either identified from data notification from the electrical system (i.e. smart meters) or through calls from customers. Crews are then dispatched to determine the cause of the outage, and then isolate the issue and complete the repair. Outages may involve minor work, such as trimming trees away from power lines, or much larger tasks such as replacing broken poles, faulty cables, or damaged transformers. Repair work can take minutes or up to several hours.
“Prior to the power outage map, the impacted outage area was written in a service alert, but since the outage area usually does not follow neighbourhood boundaries it can be difficult to describe the affected area accurately,” says Bell. “While the written information will still be provided, the new map will be a better visual representation of the outage area and will be especially helpful in the event of planned outages.”
Bell adds that Saskatoon Light & Power’s index of reliability in 2020 was 0.9998, which means that power was delivered to the average customer 99.98% of the time.
Saskatoon Light & Power provides power to over 60,000 properties within its service area. All customers outside of the service area should refer to the SaskPower website for any outage related information.
Visit saskatoon.ca/outages for more information on the new power outage map and for power outage tips.
Civic Election Update: Mail-In Ballot Applications
October 28, 2020 - 6:25am
- For voters who do receive their mail-in ballot package before November 2, mark your candidates and promptly send your ballot back in the mail using the postage-paid envelope provided.
- For voters who receive their mail-in ballot package on or after November 2, given the uncertainty of mailing times, plan to drop your mail-in ballot off in-person or have a designate drop it off for you at the election office (226 Cardinal Crescent) before 8 p.m. November 9.
- Due to the high volume of mail-in applications received and awaiting verification, in the coming days, we will identify additional city facilities where voters can drop off their mail-in ballots before election day.
Like the pandemic and its uncertainty, the response for mail-in ballots has been unprecedented. Thousands of Saskatoon residents have chosen the option to vote by mail for the 2020 Civic Election and are taking part in the important democratic process of electing their mayor, city councillors and public or Catholic school board trustees. To date, the Civic Elections Office has received over 14,000 mail-in ballot applications through the online form.
The Civic Elections Office acknowledges some voters have not had a smooth online application experience. This is the first election the online application has been offered and it’s been a slower than anticipated process in replying to residents that their mail-in ballot application has been received.
We recognize there are improvements to make in future elections. More immediately the Election Office is addressing the concern and has added additional staff and work hours to support the process of reviewing, approving, creating the ballot package specific to the ward for which the voter has applied, and mailing the ballot packages out.
The civic election mail-in ballot application review process takes longer to verify for each voter. Municipal elections in Saskatchewan do not rely on an established voter’s list. It is a different process than the provincial election and it requires more checks because there are three races – mayor, councillor and public or Catholic school board trustee.
After careful review, mail-in ballot applications may be rejected due to incomplete information, the form only partially filled out, or in some instances, identification not supplied.
If your application for a mail-in ballot has been rejected, there are other options for you to cast your ballot. With COVID safety protocols in place at all voting locations, we invite residents to consider in-person voting options such as the advance polls October 30 to November 5, or on Election Day, November 9. The 2020 Voter’s Guide on saskatoon.ca/vote2020 has the dates, times and details on safety at the polls.
The provincial law for municipal elections states that mail-in ballots must be received by 8:00 p.m. on election day (Monday, November 9) by the 2020 Civic Election Office officials in order to be counted.
Mail-in Ballot process update for voters:
The election team wishes to thank all Saskatoon residents for their patience as we are working with full force to process the unprecedented and amazing demand for mail-in ballots.
Visit saskatoon.ca/vote2020
City invites feedback on draft Strategic Plan 2022-2025
October 27, 2021 - 5:13am
- Advance City Council's Priorities
- Deliver Excellence in Core Services and Operational Priorities
- Drive Corporate Transformational Change
The City is seeking public input on its draft Strategic Plan for 2022-2025. The current Strategic Plan for 2018-2021 will be retired at year’s end.
The City has been working to develop the new strategic plan over the course of the past year. The document is intended to capture the priorities and direction for the City over the next four years. The draft plan includes three pillars that underline how the City will achieve the goals set out in its plan:
Why do we need a Strategic Plan?
The Strategic Plan is a guiding document that sets out the City’s big picture. It outlines the specific outcomes that City Council and Administration will work together to achieve over the next four years. Strategy does not cover all the important work a City does. Strategy speaks specifically to the changes and improvements that are planned over a period to ensure Saskatoon remains a city that residents are proud to call home.
Public Input
The City is gathering feedback on the draft plan and content of the three pillars. This feedback will be presented alongside the plan at the Nov. 22nd meeting of City Council. The Strategic Plan presentation and the discussion that follows will be available via livestream at saskatoon.ca and residents are welcome to tune in.
The 2022-2025 draft Strategic Plan and the accompanying survey are available now at saskatoon.ca/engage. If you or someone you know cannot complete the online survey, please contact the City's Customer Care Centre at 306-975-2476 to request a paper copy. The survey is open until 5 p.m. on Nov. 10, 2021.
City proclaims November 1 to 8 Health Care Worker Appreciation Week: 40% discount offered at City Indoor Leisure Centres
October 25, 2021 - 4:30pm
City Council today proclaimed November 1 to 8, 2021, Health Care Worker Appreciation Week in Saskatoon.
“On behalf of the City of Saskatoon, Saskatoon City Council extends its sincere gratitude and appreciation to all health care workers who continue to show heroic efforts in protecting our community during the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Mayor Charlie Clark.
In appreciation for all the physicians, nurses, health care aides, home care providers, pharmacists, paramedics, emergency management teams and all others working in health care, the City is offering a 40% discount on a family, adult or youth Leisure Centre general admission during Health Care Worker Appreciation Week -- November 1 to 8, 2021.
In addition to the required vaccination or negative test proof, health care workers will be asked to provide proof of employment in order to receive the discount. The offer is valid at all City Leisure Centres including Cosmo Civic Centre, Harry Bailey Aquatic Centre, Lakewood Civic Centre, Lawson Civic Centre, Saskatoon Field House and Shaw Centre.
For more information, visit saskatoon.ca/leisurecentres.
Increased COVID activity & untraceable spread continues in Saskatoon area
October 23, 2020 - 9:19am
- Self-monitor for symptoms
- Stay home if you’re experiencing any symptoms
- Seek testing
- Stay 2 metres apart
- Wear a mask in public: it’s an extra safety measure to protect those around you
- Download the free COVID-19 Alert App; it informs people of possible exposures without sharing any personal information