News Releases

The City is pleased that after it reached out to the Transit union leadership last week, both parties met on Friday, September 9 for most of the day. 

“We are hopeful this meeting and the meeting scheduled next week will lead to progress towards an agreement,” says Director of Human Resources, Marno McInnes.

However, there have been, and continue to be, allegations that the true financial picture of the pension plan has not been accurately portrayed. 

Here are some facts about the pension:

• The City of Saskatoon has no role in preparing or approving the financial picture of the pension plan.
• Both provincial and federal governments require that an assessment of the financial health of the Plan be conducted at least every three years. The last such pension valuation prepared for the City’s General Pension Plan was December 31, 2009 so the next valuation had to be prepared for December 31, 2012 and then filed with provincial authorities.
• Prior to changes being made, the Pension Plan Board of Trustees own independent pension expert reviewed the financial health and sustainability of the plan and found that it had a large deficit that would need to be addressed.
• The provincial regulator reviewed this result and approved the assessment and accepted the plan changes. 
• 8 of the City’s unions and associations understood and did not disagree on the state of the plan and, together with the City, took the necessary action to address this large deficit.
• Only the Transit union has made allegations that the City has somehow mislead everyone.

Here are some facts about wages:

Our wage offer of 10% over four years is fair. The City believes this is competitive to what is paid elsewhere for a full time Transit operator. For example, the following information shows what a Transit operator is being offered in 2016 in Saskatoon compared to what a Transit operator is being paid in Regina and Winnipeg: 

If the Transit union accepts our offer it means:

• All Transit employees, including Transit operators, would see an increase of 10% on their current wage today.
• All employees working at Access Transit would see an increase of 10% plus receive an additional $1.00 per hour increase -- resulting in a total increase of approximately 15% on their current wage today.
• The pension deal would be the same for all our employees in the General Pension Plan. 

“The City is committed to negotiating an agreement that meets the best interests of taxpayers, transit employees and customers of Saskatoon Transit,” McInnes says.

Night work on the 50-year-old College Drive pedestrian overpass will start on Monday, September 12. The City has contracted Graham Construction to conduct minor concrete repairs and repair the expansion joints, which will allow for overpass expansion and contraction.

“The repairs are expected to take four to five weeks,” says Rob Frank, Engineering Manager, Asset Preservation. “To accommodate pedestrians going to and from the University of Saskatchewan campus, work will only take place at night, meaning the pedestrian overpass will remain open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., seven days per week.”

The westbound curb lane of College Drive in the vicinity of the pedestrian overpass will remain closed for the duration of construction.

“This lane will remain completely closed to traffic as shoring towers must be placed there to support the overpass while work is being done. Major traffic issues are not expected,” Frank says.  

Concrete and expansion joint repairs on the College Drive pedestrian overpass were identified during annual Bridge Maintenance Program inspections. The University of Saskatchewan has been notified and signage will be placed at the entrances of the overpass directing pedestrians to cross College Drive at the Cumberland Avenue and Campus Drive intersections between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.

The City thanks pedestrians and drivers for their patience while this necessary work is carried out. 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.

At its September 7, 2016 meeting, the Municipal Heritage Advisory Committee (MHAC) resolved to indicate their support to City Council for the City Administration to begin the process of designating Third Avenue United Church a Municipal Heritage Property.

“The Westside Methodist Congregation began construction of its church in 1911,” says Lesley Anderson, Director of Planning and Development.  “The church represents a legacy of buildings in Saskatoon that reflect the aspirations of the city’s early citizens and it played a central role in Canada’s cultural, social and political life.”

The church played host to an influential gathering in 1923, which laid the foundation for the eventual formation of the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool; the University of Saskatchewan, the Normal School and City Hospital held graduation ceremonies there.  In its early years during the 1920’s, CFQC radio broadcast concerts offering the entire community and rural Saskatchewan the opportunity to experience music performances like never before.

“With its many community uses over the years, Third Avenue United Church has remained a landmark in the city and, in many ways, is a symbol of Saskatoon’s development,” Anderson says.

Favourable heritage evaluations were conducted by civic staff in both 2003 and 2013.

The MHAC asked for any heritage designation to include the exterior and interior elements, such as the hammer-beam rafters, Cassavant organ and acoustic functionality of the structure.

“While the property owner isn’t pursuing a designation of the church at this time, the building has and does face changes in ownership,” Anderson says.  “This reality poses a potential risk to its character-defining elements, its future use and viability.”

The Heritage Property Act does not require the property owner’s permission to file either the Notice of Intention to Designate or for City Council to pass the bylaw to designate the property.

The Civic Heritage Policy provides grants for 50% of the restoration costs related to heritage architectural elements to meet building code requirements, up to a maximum of $150,000 over a ten-year period.

With the approval of City Council, the City Solicitor will be asked to bring forward a bylaw to designate the property at 304 3rd Avenue North as a Municipal Heritage Property under the provisions of The Heritage Property Act. 

Improvements to the intersection at 51st Street and Warman Road will be rescheduled for 2017. Over the next several months, the City will work with the contractor to explore every opportunity to reduce the impact to drivers during construction.

“As final construction phasing details came together, we identified opportunities to further improve the traffic flow at peak hours,” says Angela Gardiner, Director of Transportation. “This is one of the city’s busiest intersections and managing traffic flow carefully during construction is critical to maintaining safety and reducing delays.”

The City considers the impact to traffic for every construction project and works with contractors where possible to condense projects with 24-hour or 7-days per week work, or working at night.

The intersection of 51st Street and Warman Road will be impacted by the North Commuter Parkway route scheduled to open in 2018.

Learn more about ongoing construction projects at saskatoon.ca/betterroads.

Police arrested a man on suspicion of impaired driving following a collision with a City crew truck overnight.

“We do work on high traffic roads overnight to minimize the inconvenience to drivers during daytime hours,” says Director of Transportation, Angela Gardiner. “But even with warning lights in use as they were here, this incident further highlights the dangers our workers face every day on the job.” 

City workers were painting crosswalks along College Drive when it happened around 2:30 a.m. Friday near Munroe Avenue.

One worker had just stepped out of the truck to set up the next work zone when he heard a loud vehicle approaching. Luckily, he managed to jump to the side when a large pickup collided with the City half-ton. The crash pushed the City truck ahead another 10 meters.

Additionally, the second City worker in the driver’s seat hit his head on the steering wheel from the impact. Emergency workers treated and released him on scene.

“While the injuries in this case appear to be minor, just a few more seconds later these men would have been behind the truck,” Gardiner says. “It certainly could have had a tragic effect on these men and their families. We are so thankful no further harm came to them.”

The City will pursue opportunities to improve the safety of these work zone set-ups. Drivers are reminded to obey all signs and Respect Work Zones for their safety and the safety of workers.

For more on work zone safety, please visit saskatoon.ca/respectworkzones

Over the coming months pedestrians and drivers will see – and hear – a lot more about pedestrian safety as the City launches its pedestrian safety campaign – “Roads for All.”

“This campaign reminds us we all share our roads, and we all play a part in roadway safety, it’s everyone’s responsibility. If you’re walking, driving or biking, you need to remember the rules of the road – and understand there may be a few rules you don’t know,” says Gardiner.

A key goal of this year’s pedestrian safety campaign is to educate pedestrians and drivers about roadway misconceptions.

One of the most common roadway misconceptions includes the idea that if it’s not marked, it’s not a crosswalk. Crosswalks can be anything from an extension of a sidewalk all the way up to a crossing with fully painted markings on the road and safety lights. Drivers need to remember they must always yield for pedestrians the moment the person steps off the sidewalk.

Other important messages Roads for All highlights for drivers and pedestrians include:

Pedestrians:

• stay on the sidewalk; cross at designated crosswalks;
• “look before you leap” - before crossing the street it is important to look left, then right and then left again;
• put down your phone - just like drivers, pedestrians are often distracted by technology;
• keep children close; always proceed with caution;
• don’t jaywalk - although drivers may have the right of way over jaywalkers, in the event of a collision, no one wins.

Drivers:

• yield to pedestrians at crosswalks;
• pay attention to other drivers;
• leave room for other motorists to see pedestrians;
• take extra care in school zones and playgrounds;
• always obey all pedestrian signs and lights;
• anticipate someone crossing the street and slow down;
• decrease speed by a few kilometres per hour giving more time to stop.

Drivers are reminded that reduced speed limits in elementary and secondary school zones are now in effect. The maximum speed limit in a school zone is 30 kilometres per hour (km/h) between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, until the end of the school year (June 30). No exceptions are made for statutory holidays or school breaks.

“Twelve extra seconds is all the time it takes to drive through the average school zone at the reduced speed of 30 km/h,” says Angela Gardiner, Director of Transportation. “There is a huge amount of activity going on in these schools zones – especially during peak periods. Those extra few seconds gives drivers more time to react and brake in an emergency situation – like when a child jumps out of a car or runs into the street unexpectedly.”

Aside from reduced speed limits in school zones other safety measures include:

• U-turns are prohibited
• parking is allowed only in designated areas
• stopping or parking is never permitted in a school bus loading zone

“The Saskatoon Police Service conducts a number of enforcement projects throughout the school year to increase the level of safety for pedestrians in school zones,” says Dale Solie, Inspector of Specialized Uniform Operations. “In addition to routine enforcement, we support a number of initiatives like Silhouettes for Safety and A Safer You, A Safer Me, which help to bring more awareness to reducing speeds.”

For more information please visit saskatoon.ca/pedestriansafety.

Today, the City and Wanuskewin Heritage Park (Wanuskewin) entered into an agreement to lease a tract of public land for $1 per year for 99 years.  The agreement is in support of Wanuskewin’s renewal campaign.

Part of Wanuskewin’s vision for renewal is to become the first United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage site in Saskatchewan.

“Wanuskewin links our past to the present,” says Mayor Donald Atchison.  “Today, we are planning for the future of the Saskatoon region, which includes aligning the City’s cultural strategy with innovative approaches like the Wanuskewin UNESCO project.  We must protect this unique part of history and promote our cultural heritage.”

In support of this vision, the City developed a long-term lease agreement for approximately 152 hectares (375 acres) of adjacent City-owned lands for $1 per year for 99 years.

“The City of Saskatoon recognizes the significance of Wanuskewin’s revitalization vision and the benefits the development will bring to the city, the region, and our entire province,” says City Manager, Murray Totland.

Wanuskewin’s renewal project is multi-faceted and involves:

• preserving the ecology and biodiversity of the site;
• expanding the land base to meet UNESCO’s buffer criteria; and
• returning a small herd of Plains bison to its native prairie habitat.

“If ever a legacy exists, the story of the Indigenous peoples of the Northern Plains is one that must be told in a manner respectful of the millions that were here before us – in culture, spiritual integrity, and the environment,” says Wanuskewin CEO, Dana Soonias.  “Wanuskewin is excited to embark on this journey and we are grateful to the City of Saskatoon, which has committed to helping us achieve our remarkable vision.”

Wanuskewin’s plans include renovating and expanding the facility to attract international exhibitions, conferences, and special events; expanding the art gallery and showcasing Plains Indigenous art in Canada; dedicating additional green space and grassland reclamation; and increasing Saskatoon’s reputation as a global tourism destination.

“From the beginning, the City of Saskatoon has been a key partner,” says Wanuskewin Board Chair, Candace Wasacase-Lafferty.  “With the renewal of a 99-year lease, the City has once again demonstrated visionary leadership to preserve and protect this extraordinary historic Indigenous gathering place for future generations of Canadians.”

On June 17, 2016, Wanuskewin publicly revealed a team of exceptional community leaders who have committed to help Wanuskewin realize its ambitious plan, led by both Wayne Brownlee, Executive Vice President/Chief Financial Officer of PotashCorp, and Felix Thomas, Chief of the Saskatoon Tribal Council.

UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, aims to build intercultural understanding through the protection of heritage and support for cultural diversity.  There is a stringent application process, which is managed in Canada by Parks Canada.  Inscribing a site on the World Heritage List is not the end of the story; site managers and local authorities continuously work toward managing, monitoring, and preserving World Heritage properties.

Saskatoon Transit is excited to launch real time transit tracking through the third party developers, Transit App and Google Transit. This initiative provides improved GPS information for bus locations on individual routes throughout Saskatoon. Real time transit tracking will allow customers to see the location of their bus in real time and see how many minutes until the next bus arrives, which will limit wait times at bus stops.  

“We are very excited to announce that real time transit tracking is available on all scheduled Saskatoon Transit routes,” says Jim McDonald, Director of Saskatoon Transit. “This is great news for our customers because it gives them the power to better plan their day with less fear of missing the bus.”

Real time transit tracking through Transit App and Google Transit will result in better trip planning, less wait times and fewer missed connections. Customers who are currently using Transit App are not required to take any action, they will now see accurate arrival times on their selected routes within the app. Residents wishing to try Transit App on their mobile device can download it from the App Store or Google Play. Customers who prefer Google Transit can simply open Google Maps on their phone or desktop and start planning.

“Transit buses will be tracked by GPS which is huge for helping riders know exactly where their bus is. Now you can look at your phone, see that your bus is only eight minutes away and perfectly time your walk to the bus stop,” McDonald says. 

In the future, Transit App and Google Transit will allow users to receive in app notifications on transit news, major detours and delays. It is a fully functional trip planner that gives you real time information on bus locations. When planning, users will see all route options with transfer points, walk times and real time arrival information.

This service improvement falls under the Systems pillar of Service Saskatoon which aims to make it easier for citizens to access information. The data from real time transit tracking is available to other app developers through the Service Saskatoon open data license.

The Bridging to Tomorrow Project is running on schedule, with completion of the North Commuter Parkway, new Traffic Bridge, and related road infrastructure slated for completion in October of 2018. Graham Commuter Partners (GCP) has been contracted to carry out the entire project.

“A lot of progress has been made since work started in late 2015,” says Dan Willems, Director of Major Projects. “Right now, GCP is mainly focused on pier and road construction for the North Commuter Parkway, intersection improvements at Central Avenue and Attridge Drive, and next week, they will start putting up the south span of the new Traffic Bridge.”

The new Traffic Bridge will support the growing city centre by allowing drivers, pedestrians and cyclists to cross the South Saskatchewan River. Once complete, it will resemble the original bridge, but will be wider. It is being built with weathering steel which will initially result in a two tone colour, but will eventually turn the entire bridge into one brown colour tone. Demolition of the last original Traffic Bridge span is scheduled for November.

The North Commuter Parkway will support the transportation needs of citizens who live in Saskatoon’s northeast and work in the Marquis and North Industrial Areas. As a result of the new bridge and roadways, upgrades are required at Central Avenue and Attridge Drive in order to accommodate additional traffic and minimize congestion. The widening of this this intersection as well as the realignment of the eastbound off-ramp from Circle Drive East to Attridge Drive, is expected to wrap up by November of 2016.  

Bridging to Tomorrow project updates, including detailed monthly summaries, links to live cameras at each bridge site, and quarterly video updates, are available at saskatoon.ca/bridging. In person, anyone can watch Traffic Bridge progress at the River Landing viewing area. North Commuter Parkway construction can be viewed from the Meewasin Trail just east of the cul de sac at the north end of Kinnear Avenue (north of Silverwood Golf Course).

Two key intersections are scheduled for improvements in the coming weeks to help lessen traffic congestion, increase accessibility and ultimately improve safety. 

The Intersection Improvement Project Selection Process was created last year to prioritize key intersections that would benefit from improvements. This year, the intersections of Warman Road and 51st Street as well as Diefenbaker Drive and 22nd Street are in need of better safety measures and traffic flow.

“The intersection of Warman Road and 51st Street will be part of the North Commuter Parkway route scheduled to open in 2018,” says Angela Gardiner, Director of Transportation. “We know traffic patterns at this intersection are going to change when the bridge opens. So, work is being done in advance to ensure this area is ready to safely handle these changes.” 

Diefenbaker Drive and 22nd Street is also identified as an intersection that can expect significant changes in traffic volume, with eastbound and westbound traffic volumes expected to more than double in the coming years due to growth in the city. In addition, 22nd Street has also been identified as a likely bus rapid transit corridor so upgrades to this intersection will address pedestrian access and improve traffic flow and safety. 

Work on the intersections will include the modification of medians, the addition of left hand turn bays, moving of street lights, culvert modifications to improve water flow, and new pedestrian islands that will be larger with ramps for crossing in all directions. Work is scheduled to begin on the Diefenbaker Drive intersection on August 29. Work on the Warman Road intersection starts September 6 with both projects scheduled to be completed the week of November 10.

“While not as significant as in previous years, safe and easy to use roadways continue to be the top priority for people in Saskatoon,” Gardiner says. “With fewer people identifying it as their number one issue, that tells us we are making progress on our roadways and traffic management.”

Alluding to year-over-year results in the Civic Services Survey, Gardiner says it shows the City is meeting its goal of continuous improvement.

“The Civic Services Survey reflects a trend that the public is more satisfied with sidewalk maintenance, the maintenance of major roadways, freeways, back lanes and streets in community neighbourhoods.”

Gardiner points out public satisfaction is also up in how the City manages traffic flow and signage.  

“Our goal is to lessen traffic congestion, improve accessibility and ultimately improve safety. We know from the survey our investment is definitely making a difference.”

For results of the Civic Services Survey please see pages 18 & 21 (of the survey document).

For more details on the Intersection Improvement Project, please visit saskatoon.ca/intersectionimprovements.

As always, residents are reminded to slow down, pay attention and obey signage around work zones at all times. For more information, please visit saskatoon.ca/betterroads.