News Releases

As part of the community-led bridge naming process, a committee of Métis and First Nation leaders, Elders and City representatives have chosen two historical figures and two Cree words as potential names for the North Commuter Parkway (NCP) Bridge.

The four names (in alphabetical order) gathered from the community are: Chief Mistawasis (miss-tuh-WA’-sis), Louis Riel, Waniskâ (WOHN’-skuh) and Wîcîhitowin (wee-chee-HEE’-toh-win).

Waniskâ is a Cree word meaning ‘to arise’ and Wîcîhitowin is a Cree word meaning ‘to help mutually’ or ‘the act of helping one another’.

The NCP Bridge Naming Committee revealed the names today at the Roxy Theatre.  Four educational vignettes were screened for students from local community groups, elementary and high schools which explained the significance of each one selected for the shortlist.

“In naming the bridge, it shows our commitment to answering the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action and the process of reconciliation,” says Saskatoon Tribal Council Chief Mark Arcand.

“We are all committed to a better future, and we value everyone’s participation. Reconciliation is about understanding the past and choosing to build a better future. It’s about respecting each other and building trust.”

The committee is now asking the community to ‘share their voice’ on the short-listed four names.  It’s asking for input via an online and television campaign, as well as providing opportunities for people to provide feedback in-person at a number of free public and community screenings.

“We encourage the community to watch the vignettes and begin their own educational journey about the names and their significance to our shared history,” says Judy Pelly, Elder and Indian residential school survivor.

There will also be specific sessions organized for groups such as newcomers, youth, seniors/old people and people living with disabilities. The deadline to provide feedback is March 31, 2018.

“Our aim is to encourage respectful dialogue and conversation within our community, and bring a greater awareness and understanding of Aboriginal history and culture,” Shirley Isbister, President, Central Urban Métis Federation Inc.

“It’s also an exciting opportunity for our school children, our youth, and the entire community to be part of our history and come together in the spirit of reconciliation.”

The community-led project responds directly to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action #79: Participate in a strategy to commemorate Aboriginal People’s history and contributions to Canada.

The NCP Bridge Naming Committee consists of community leaders from the Office of the Treaty Commissioner, Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, Saskatoon Tribal Council and Central Urban Métis Federation.

For more details on the naming process and how to provide feedback online and in-person, visit Saskatoon.ca/namethencp.

Under the City of Saskatoon’s Strategic Goal of Quality of Life, this project supports the recognition of our built, natural, and cultural heritage.  The naming of civic facilities celebrates the history, environment, and outstanding contributions of our diverse community.

Around 11:00 a.m. an eastbound Saskatoon Transit bus contacted a guardrail near the North Circle Drive Bridge.

Paramedics took three passengers with minor injuries on the Route 13 bus to hospital.

There were 25 passengers who boarded a replacement bus and the driver was issued a ticket for driving without due care and attention. 

As is the practice, Transit officials are conducting an internal review of the incident. 

For demonstrating openness, accountability and transparency in financial reporting, the City of Saskatoon has again received the 2016 Canadian Award for Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) of the United States and Canada.

“Our teams are committed to openness, financial transparency and to full disclosure in our yearly financial reporting, but we also aim to be innovative in our corporate reporting as a municipality,” says Clae Hack, Director of Finance. “We are proud to be recognized by our peers and receive this award for the tenth time.”

The GFOA presented the City with the Canadian Award for Financial Reporting for its 2016 Annual Financial Report recognizing the City’s ability to present financial information in a clear, concise and informative manner.

Receiving the GFOA financial reporting award represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management. Its purpose is to encourage municipal governments to complete comprehensive annual financial reports that evidence the spirit of transparency and full disclosure.

 “Our 2016 Financial Statements were prepared by our Finance Division, Asset and Financial Management Department,” Hack says.  “With a team-approach in mind, we also partnered with our Employee Experience and Performance Division, Corporate Performance Department.”

The GFOA established the Canadian Award for Financial Reporting (CAnFR) Program in 1986 to encourage and assist Canadian local governments to go beyond the minimum requirements of generally accepted accounting principles, as set by the Public Sector Accounting Board of Canadian Institute of Chartered Public Accountants.

The GFOA is a non-profit professional association serving 17,400 government finance professionals in the United States and Canada, with offices in Chicago, Illinois and Washington, D.C.

Visit saskatoon.ca to view more City of Saskatoon financial reporting documents.

After years of detailed study, planning, and community engagement, the city’s Bus Rapid Transit lines have been revealed.

“This is a major move toward the implementation of our Plan for Growth,” says Lesley Anderson, Director of Planning and Development.  “The future transit system is key to providing viable options for people to move around and supporting transit-oriented development along some of the city’s major corridors.  This plan presents us with a view of our future transit system in much greater detail than we have seen before.  Our goal is to design a system that works for Saskatoon – so join the conversation!”

“There are notable changes to the preferred route configuration presented in November,” Anderson says.  She explains that this includes the introduction of a “Green Line,” necessary to accommodate the split in the former “Red Line.”

Formerly the northern component of the Red Line servicing University Heights, the new Green Line will stretch from University Heights, through the Downtown, terminating at Confederation Mall.  This third line will parallel the Red Line for much of its length, improving the frequency along 22^nd Street, through the Downtown, and along College Drive, while making the overall system easier to understand for users.

Anderson adds the plan provides further details about:

• how a new BRT system will function;
• identifying station design options;
• platform locations; and
• configuration of dedicated runningways.

She says the plan also includes a strategy for how the rest of the transit system could be reconfigured to align with BRT; provide high-quality, direct, and frequent transit connections; and better expand to meet the future needs of a city with a population of 500,000..

“I am excited about the opportunities this system will provide our city,” says Jim McDonald, Director of Saskatoon Transit.  “This will help us encourage transit-oriented development that meets the growing needs for our city.  Change is needed to ensure the success of our future system, but it will be done incrementally and thoughtfully, in partnership with the community.”

The proposed plan, along with a summary of stakeholder and public input, will be presented to City Council for consideration and approval later this spring.

Background:
At its April 25, 2016 meeting, Saskatoon City Council approved, in principle, the Growth Plan to Half a Million, which includes plans for a re-envisioned transit system based around BRT and infill at strategic locations in the city, including the Downtown, the University of Saskatchewan endowment lands, and along major transportation corridors.  Following this approval, the City created a Ten-Year Action Plan to advance a number of the core initiatives identified in the Growth Plan to Half a Million.

The City and the Government of Canada will share in a total contribution of $7.65 million through the Public Transportation Infrastructure Fund for a number of the Plan for Growth projects, including:

• Transit Plan – includes BRT and Transit System Plan Implementation
• Corridor Growth
  • Transit Villages Concept Plans
  • Corridor Planning Program
  • Brownfield Renewal Strategy

For more information/to sign up for project updates, please visit saskatoon.ca/growth.  Learn more about engagement opportunities by visiting saskatoon.ca/engage.

Saskatoon firefighters want to remind everyone river ice is dangerous for people and pets alike.

The Saskatoon Fire Department has had to respond to a number of emergencies which have involved dogs in distress on river ice.

“Since 2011, firefighters have responded to ten emergencies that involved dogs in the river during the winter months – that’s over one a year on average,” says Assistant Chief Wayne Rodger. “So far this year the Saskatoon Fire Department has been called out to two such emergencies.”

Rodger points out moving water in the river introduces an inherent structural weakness to the ice and is one of the main reasons firefighters always warn people to stay off river ice throughout the winter season.

“Ice will weaken when water is moving above or below the ice surface,” Rodger says.  “River currents and temperatures constantly affect the quality of the ice on the river making it unstable and dangerous.”

The Saskatoon Fire Department again reminds residents to never go on the river ice and whenever possible, to maintain contact and control of dogs in off-leash areas near the river.

To move towards 70% waste diversion, residents are invited to participate in a series of engagement activities that will assist the City in redesigning the curbside waste collection system.

“Decisions about how we manage the waste-stream will impact all current and future residents. It’s important we get this right.” says Brenda Wallace, Director of Environmental and Corporate Initiatives. “The City wants to hear from a large cross-section of curbside customers including people of all ages, people living in different areas, people of various incomes, people in different types of housing and people with differing abilities. Everybody is encouraged to get involved.”

Wallace says three-quarters of what goes into Saskatoon’s Landfill could be diverted with the right programs, policies and citizen participation rates.

“Redesigning the curbside waste collection program to help make waste diversion more attractive behaviour-- while building a sustainable funding model for waste -- is critical to extending the life of the landfill,” Wallace says.

She adds the costs to close the existing landfill and establish a new landfill are estimated at $26 million and $100 million respectively.

Beginning February 12, the City will host a series of public engagement sessions, workshops and surveys to look at priorities, preferences and any barriers that might impact a redesigned curbside collection system.

The scope of the project includes: a review of the current containers and collection frequency for garbage and recycling; development of a variable-rate utility for waste; introduction of a residential city-wide composting program; and evaluation of depots and other waste services.

For more information, including dates and location of activities, visit www.saskatoon.ca/yxetalkstrash.

Community discussions with multi-unit and business stakeholders will begin in the spring of 2018.  

More work has determined that hydrocarbons have not been detected beyond seven fire hydrants in a small area of the Aspen Ridge neighbourhood; even so, the Water Security Agency (WSA) Do Not Use Notice for just over a dozen homes remains in effect.

“This is very encouraging,” says Russ Munro, Acting General Manager of Transportation and Utilities. “We are now in a position where we can get residents back to a normal routine by installing above-ground temporary water lines.”

The WSA issued the Notice on January 10th after hydrocarbons were visually detected in some fire hydrants within one section of the neighbourhood.

So far, the City’s investigation has revealed no signs of hydrocarbons beyond the hydrant structures. The residential water supply continues to test clean and clear.

“We dug up pipes and looked; we removed water meters and looked and there was no sign of hydrocarbons in either,” Munro says. “Even though tests in the home have come back clear, we simply do not take any chances with water quality. The Do Not Use Notice will remain in effect until the water quality is fully restored.”

The City replaced all the water meters in the affected area and the temporary water line installations are scheduled to happen in about two weeks. Until then, residents in about 10 affected homes will continue to receive bottled water.

The City has also arranged to suspend water billing for the affected properties as of January 10th.

The Do Not Use Notice does not extend to laundry and toilets – those uses are allowed.

To promote winter fun in Saskatoon, a WinterCityYXE pilot program has brought two unique warming huts from The Forks in Winnipeg.

The warming huts can be found at the Nutrien Wintershines Festival from Saturday, January 27 to Sunday, February 4 and the Kôna – Wanuskewin Winter Festival on Saturday, February 10. After that, the warming huts will be on the riverbank at two locations until early March:  Spadina Crescent and Oxford Street, and Spadina Crescent and Avenue D.

Residents and visitors are encouraged to share their experiences with the warming huts by emailing wintercityyxe@saskatoon.ca.

For more information, including the design of the warming huts and a full calendar of winter activities in Saskatoon, visit saskatoon.ca/wintercityyxe. To have an event or activity added to the WinterCityYXE calendar, please contact us at wintercityyxe@saskatoon.ca.

The City and Thunderchild First Nation have cleared a path to designate the First Nation’s Retro Petro Gas Station and Convenience Store at the corner of Idylwyld Drive and 33rd Street as an urban reserve.

Mayor Charlie Clark and Chief Delbert Wapass, along with the Council of Thunderchild First Nation, today signed the agreements at a special meeting of City Council.

“I want to thank Thunderchild First Nation for choosing to invest in our community with the development of the Retro Petro and the establishment of an urban reserve at this busy Saskatoon intersection,” says Mayor Charlie Clark.  “Our long history of establishing urban reserves has proven the shared benefits they bring in investment, job creation, and services that benefit the Indigenous community and all citizens of the community.  Tangible partnerships like these are meaningful steps in the journey of Reconciliation.”

The agreement will address:

• services the City will provide;
• service fees Thunderchild First Nation will pay the City in lieu of property taxes; and
• compatible land-use and development standards. 

“We are very excited to finally conclude the urban reserve process with the City of Saskatoon,” says Chief Delbert Wapass.  “This would not be possible without the prayers and support of our Elders/membership and the hands-on support of our Mayor Charlie Clark and his Council.  Today is a good day and the beginning of a new chapter in Thunderchild First Nation’s road to economic sovereignty.”

Decisions on reserve designation are made by the federal government.  If the property is designated as a reserve, it would become the sixth urban reserve in Saskatoon.  When a property transfers to reserve status, it is no longer under City jurisdiction.

For more information on urban reserves, please visit saskatoon.ca/urbanreserves.

About Thunderchild First Nation
​Thunderchild First Nation is an independent Cree First Nation whose home reserve is located approximately 200 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon near Turtleford, Saskatchewan.  A signatory of Treaty No. 6, Thunderchild First Nation has 2,800 members.  Approximately 1,300 members reside on the home reserve, and 1,500 members live in other communities throughout the province.  

It is time to say farewell to Thorn and Shruikan as the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo (Zoo) begins preparations for the Komodo dragons to return to the Calgary Zoo.

The Komodo Island Exhibit opened to the public on April 1, 2017, giving visitors an opportunity to learn more about Komodo dragons while also getting an up-close look at these larger-than-life lizards.

Although the Komodo Island Exhibit was only a temporary home for the dragons, Thorn and Shruikan settled into the Zoo family quite well.

“The dragons were a great addition to our collection, and it has been amazing to watch them grow over the past year,” said Tim Sinclair-Smith, Zoo Manager.  “When the dragons first arrived, Thorn weighed 21.40 kg while Shruikan weighed 23.25 kg.  Since then, the dragons have grown to be 32.25 kg and 31.00 kg respectively.”

The Zoo invites everyone to come and see the Komodo Island Exhibit one last time before it closes on Thursday, February 15, 2018.  The Zoo is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and admission is by donation until March 31.

Additional information regarding the Zoo can be found at saskatoon.ca/zoo.