News Releases

The City Archives is pleased to be the recipient of several locally-themed collections including extensive photographic material and news clippings from the Saskatoon StarPhoenix.

“This is a significant community asset and gift,” says City Archivist Jeff O’Brien.  “We are grateful to both the Provincial Archives and the StarPhoenix to have the opportunity to keep and make available at the City Archives, this vital historical resource.”

The StarPhoenix collection consists of approximately 400,000 images taken by StarPhoenix photographers.  The collection also includes clippings of the corresponding published images dating from 1948 to 1965 and from 1970 to 1986.  The material documents local news and personalities predominantly in Saskatoon, but also from surrounding communities.

In November 2018, the Provincial Archives of Saskatchewan (PAS) announced the consolidation of its holdings, resulting in the closure of the Saskatoon office, and merging of their offices and services into a single Regina location.

Following discussions with the Provincial Archives, 22 other collections important to Saskatoon will also be kept at the City Archives. The PAS transferred 1500 digital images scanned from the collection over the years. Importantly, PAS also transferred indexes for the entire collection, including 25,000 descriptions of individual photographs that the City will incorporate into its in-house archives database.

The newly acquired material arrived Monday, February 4, 2019; it includes papers of the Temperance Colonization Society, Saskatoon Prairieland Exhibition Association, Trounce Family, Billy Silverwood, R.W. Caswell, Saskatoon Board of Trade and the Mendel Art Gallery.

The City Archive works to preserve and provide access to the historical records of the City of Saskatoon, as well as to those of historically significant individuals and organizations in Saskatoon. The Archives is open to the public during business hours. Staff will also provide research assistance by post, by email or by calling 306-975-7811.

Environment Canada has issued a snowfall warning for Saskatoon. Snow started overnight and is expected to continue through to Sunday, with an estimated total accumulation of 10-15 centimetres, and winds of 20 to 40 km/h. Daytime temperatures are expected to remain in the low minus 20s. There will be a risk of frostbite; with the wind it will feel more like temperatures around minus 33.

Winter driving conditions will exist and blowing snow will cause slippery conditions on roadways. People are asked to use caution on high traffic roads and on sidewalks where ice may form. City crews have up to 10 high-speed plows, 31 graders, 20 sanders and 10 sidewalk plows ready to clear priority streets and to treat slippery sections with sand that is pre-wet with magnesium chloride to help it stick.      

During the storm, all city resources will be mobilized to preserve mobility on high-traffic, high-speed roadways such as Circle Drive and Idylwyld Drive. Snow plowing and heavy wind can cause whiteouts and reduced visibility on freeways during a heavy snowfall.  Drivers are reminded to hang back, out of the snow cloud and watch for blue lights that indicate winter road maintenance is underway.

 What you can expect from us

1. Snow and ice may cause bridges, ramps, overpasses and high-traffic intersections to be icy.
2. City crews will be focussing efforts on clearing high traffic, high volume roadways such as Circle Drive, followed by key arterials, and then local and collector priority streets.  All priority streets are to be graded within 72 hours of the end of the storm.
3. If more snow falls during the clean-up, crews will go back to keeping high traffic, high volume roads clear until it stops.
4. Under heavy snowfall, plows on Circle Drive may be travelling at reduced speeds.
5. Transit routes may be impacted with late buses. Transit service alerts, real-time bus locations, and arrivals are available on third party apps like Transit and Google Transit. Access Transit may also be affected by heavy snow on residential streets.

 How you can help us

1. Slow down and use extra caution.
2. Watch for blue and amber flashing lights on winter road maintenance equipment. If you encounter equipment on the road, slow down, remain at least 15 metres (2.5 car lengths) behind, and be ready to stop.  Passing is not recommended and may not be possible.
3. When safe to do so, drivers can report icy or snowed-in locations to the 24-hour Customer Service Centre at 306-975-2476 or email snow@saskatoon.ca.
4. Be in the Know About Snow! Learn more about what happens when it snows at saskatoon.ca/snow.

Find real time alerts about snow event priority street grading progress when it snows at saskatoon.ca/service-alerts or follow us on Twitter @YXEServiceAlert.

Both lanes of southbound traffic on Highway 11 at the derailment site have been opened to public access. Speed and traffic restrictions have been lifted for this direction.

One lane of northbound traffic on Highway 11 at the derailment site has now been opened to public access. Some speed and traffic restrictions are still in effect for this direction.

Watch for posted signage and obey all restrictions and safety information.

Work crews have cleared all the damaged cars from Tuesday’s derailment at the crossing at Highway #11 and Wanuskewin Road.

Repairs to the track continue this morning; when those are complete the highway will need to be inspected before it opens to vehicular traffic. Northbound traffic remains closed.

Transportation Safety Board (TSB)  investigators arrived last night to gather information and that work continues today. 

One lane of southbound traffic on Highway #11 is open; speed and traffic restrictions are in place.

Until the roadways are inspected and safe to open,  Highway 11 northbound to Warman is closed just past 71st Street; traffic is being detoured to Highway 12 through Martensville and Highway 305 back to Highway 11 for locations north of Warman. Wanuskewin Road northbound is closed just past Penner Road to allow access to Cathedral Bluffs.

Please watch for message boards and obey speed restrictions and safety information. 

Reconciliation Saskatoon has launched ConnectR - an online tool designed to help residents choose their own path towards reconciliation.

“Reconciliation is different for everyone and often people don’t know where to begin. ConnectR is a great resource that provides people of all ages a starting point for their journey,” Elder and Indian residential school survivor Gilbert Kewistep explains. “As a survivor, I’m excited about the future of reconciliation and seeing people, particularly our youth, respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s (TRC) calls to action.”

Visitors to the site are offered different paths to start their journey of reconciliation. Similar to Pinterest, the ConnectR website is highly visual and engaging with each path leading to a selection of relevant calls to action. Activities include: reading a particular book, learning about Indigenous protocols, visiting an Indigenous cultural site or going to a local workshop.

“The ConnectR initiative shows us what is possible when we work with care and humility on the journey of reconciliation,” says Mayor Charlie Clark. “Our city will only be successful if all people are able to be a part of its success, and ConnectR helps us to chart a path forward, pushes us to be a welcoming and resilient community, and inspires us to find strength in the differences of our neighbours and all of the people who call this place home. This project represents the best in our community, and I hope that many people in our community engage with this great resource.”

A unique aspect of the project is the involvement of seven ConnectR Youth Ambassadors who come from Indigenous, non-Indigenous and newcomer backgrounds. They each plan to document their reconciliation learning journey and share their diverse experiences with the community through social media. To follow their stories, visit facebook.com/BeAConnectR

“As Youth Champions, we want to tackle difficult conversations about reconciliation so that more people feel willing to engage in calls to action,” says ConnectR Youth Champion Sienna Waskewitch.

The ConnectR website was designed by Creative Fire that put together a team of Indigenous and non-Indigenous designers to incorporate Indigenous ways of knowing into the site design. Elders and Indian residential school survivors were also consulted during the entire process.

Funding for the project came from Saskatoon Community Foundation and the Government of Saskatchewan, as well as in-kind support from the Office of the Treaty Commissioner and the City of Saskatoon. The City of Saskatoon also provides website hosting services for the ConnectR website.

Reconciliation Saskatoon is an initiative of 98 member community organizations, non-profit organizations, businesses and partners who have come together to initiate a citywide conversation about reconciliation and provide opportunities for everyone to engage in the TRC’s Calls to Action.

The City of Saskatoon’s commitment to the TRC’s Calls to Action supports the City’s strategic goal of Quality of Life by identifying actions for enhancing Indigenous peoples’ well-being and participation in our community.

As part of the development of the WinterCityYXE Strategy, the City and community stakeholders again invite residents to celebrate what makes Saskatoon unique as a four-season community that is welcoming, vibrant and prosperous, even during the winter months.

“We are excited to develop a Strategy that celebrates our winter season. Saskatoon has a distinct outdoor experience and the winter season shouldn't limit us. As we continue to evolve and improve our winter culture, we hope to make winter more inviting and popular, even though it’s the coldest time of the year,” said Chris Schulz, Project Spokesperson, Planning & Development.  

The City invites residents and visitors to two events in January to share their ideas on creating a four-season community, located at:

Winter City Café – Prairieland Park, Hall A

• Friday, January 25 (9:00 a.m. - 5:15 p.m.)
• Saturday, January 26 (9:00 a.m. - 12:20 p.m.)

Wintershines – Saskatoon Farmers’ Market, inside the igloo

• Saturday, January 26 (1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.)

The Winter City Café is part of the Winter Cities Shake-Up Conference (Shake-Up) at Prairieland Park. Shake-Up is a conference that will bring together delegates to share their collective knowledge, experiences, opportunities and challenges of winter communities. Shake-Up runs from January 23-26. For more information about Shake-Up, visit wintercitiesconference.com.

In addition, starting January 16, ice sculptures will be placed around Saskatoon. These local pieces were designed in collaboration with students from Aden Bowman Collegiate.

To view a full list of winter events, facilities, activities or more information on the WintercityYXE Strategy, visit: saskatoon.ca/wintercityyxe.

The City of Saskatoon has again received a favourable endorsement from S&P Global Rating Services,  which reconfirmed the City’s ‘AAA’ credit rating with a “stable” outlook.

“We’re pleased and excited with this rating,” says Kerry Tarasoff, Chief Financial Officer. “The City is expected to benefit from a diverse economy, keep debt manageable and be able to deliver a responsible budget.”

Calling Saskatoon the “economic engine of Saskatchewan,” S&P Global Rating Services today re-affirmed ‘AAA’ long-term issuer credit and senior unsecured debt ratings on the City.

Key points within the S&P report are:

• Saskatoon has a “diverse economy and prudent management”
• The City’s record of “robust fiscal performance” is expected to continue
• The strong financial performance will allow the City to “…proceed with its capital agenda while maintaining healthy liquidity and minimal debt.” 

“The 'AAA' rating is important because it allows City Council to be able to plan for the steady population growth that we’ve experienced for the past decade or so and the growth that continues at a rate around two per cent a year,” Tarasoff says. “At our population right now that’s like adding another City of Humboldt or City of Melfort to our community over the next year.”

For more information, the report entitled “City of Saskatoon Ratings Affirmed At ‘AAA’; Outlook Remains Stable” is available on the City’s website saskatoon.ca.

Annual ridership has increased and is expected to top 1 million rides per month in 2019.  

“Any increase in ridership is encouraging to see, but 8% is incredible,” says Jim McDonald, Director of Saskatoon Transit. “It shows people are recognizing transit as a viable alternative. However, in order to keep increasing our ridership numbers, we must continue to focus on the customer first.”

In 2017, Saskatoon Transit implemented the first high frequency transit corridors (8^th Street and 22^nd Street) decreasing the amount of time riders have to wait for the next bus. In 2018, Saskatoon Transit continued to add high frequency routes and saw more riders adopting real-time transit apps to plan their trips. As we get closer to Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) implementation we will continue to make improvements – 2019 will focus on a bus stop audit to ensure bus stops are located appropriately around the city.

“The key to our success is overall improved service, a better customer experience and technology that supports both.”

After a slight ridership decline in 2016, Saskatoon Transit experienced an increase around two per cent in 2017 and in the first 11 months of 2018 ridership increased 8.4 per cent over the same period a year before. McDonald says this increase is even more remarkable as ridership has fallen in many of the top 50 transit markets in the United States and Canadian markets witnessed only incremental increases.

"Changes already made will support a successful BRT system in Saskatoon,” he says. “The new system, which features a plan for crisscrossing, high-frequency routes, will connect different parts of the city.”

“We’re working hard to deliver the kind of service residents expect from an urban, forward-thinking city,” says McDonald. “We look forward to seeing you on the bus!”

As passenger demand grows, Saskatoon Transit will continue to provide safe, efficient and economical transportation to citizens and visitors to Saskatoon.

Environment Canada forecasts a good chance of light snow and wind gusts to 50 km/h this afternoon with the current above-freezing temperatures falling to around -3 degrees. There is a possibility of flurries continuing overnight, and temperatures are expected to cool off near -14 degrees by Saturday night.

 What you can expect from us

1. Monitoring and salting high-traffic roads and priority streets, including Circle Drive and freeways.
2. Salting intersections in residential areas, on bridge decks and overpasses.
3. Even with the use of salt and sand, extra moisture from snow and freezing drizzle may cause slippery conditions during peak driving times.

 How you can help us

1. Slow down and use extra caution this afternoon and during the commute this evening.
2. Watch for blue and amber flashing lights on snow maintenance equipment. If you encounter equipment on the road, slow down, remain at least 15 metres (two-and-a-half car lengths) behind, and be ready to stop.
3. When safe to do so, drivers can report icy locations to the 24-hour Customer Service Centre at 306-975-2476 or email snow@saskatoon.ca.
4. Be in the Know About Snow! Learn more about what happens when it snows at saskatoon.ca/snow.

As road maintenance crews continue to address priority streets and high-risk intersections, the Saskatoon Fire Department warns pedestrians to proceed with caution on ice-covered sidewalks. Firefighters also remind homeowners to spread salt and sand on sidewalks around their property to prevent falls and ensure everyone has a safe holiday season.

For the past 30 years, SGI and Saskatoon Transit have partnered to offer free late night transit service on New Year’s Eve, ensuring everyone has a safe ride home. This year the service is back! SGI is once again sponsoring free rides in the evening and Saskatoon Transit has extended the free service to all day.

“Having free Transit service on New Year’s Eve removes a barrier when making decisions on how to get home after a night out,” says Jim McDonald, Director, Saskatoon Transit. “We encourage everyone to plan their route before heading out using the app called Transit.”   

Saskatoon Transit and the local taxi companies will be working together to get everyone home safe, in the most efficient way possible. Citizens are encouraged to think about using a variety of transportation modes on busy nights like New Year’s Eve. Take the bus out of the downtown or busy areas and arrange for a cab to take you the short distance home. “Riide, Comfort and United are all proud to be a part of this collaboration, connecting public and private modes of transportation to help complete first/last mile multimodal trips,” Says Carlo Triolo, General Manager, Riide.

“This collaboration helps residents celebrate the New Year responsibly by taking advantage of free transit in Saskatoon,” says Mayor Charlie Clark. “We all owe it to each other—to our family, friends, and drivers on the road—to plan a safe ride home. This service helps to make this planning easier so that we can start the New Year in a positive way.”

“Police officers will be out in full force taking advantage of new enhanced impaired driving laws to detect impaired drivers.  Making safe choices involves making a solid plan,” says Saskatoon Police Service Staff Sergeant Patrick Barbar. “Saskatoon transit is an excellent part of a plan to get home safely.”

Free bus service will be available on Monday, December 31 until 3:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 1. (Times may vary slightly by route).

 “There is no reason for impaired driving, especially on New Year’s Eve,” says McDonald, “We are thankful to have SGI as a partner in providing free transit service to citizens on New Year’s Eve and for the partnership with Riide, Comfort and United to provide the first/last mile parts of the journey.”

“SGI is a proud sponsor of Wing in the New Year,” said Minister responsible for SGI Joe Hargrave. “There is always a better option than driving impaired. With Wing in the New Year, the people of Saskatoon have yet another great – and free – way to get home safely on New Year’s Eve.”