Park Maintenance
The Parks Department is responsible for maintaining over 2,130 hectares of parks, sport fields, naturalized areas and other open spaces throughout the city. These spaces are diverse and comprised of both built and natural environments and therefore require a range of care and management techniques.
Park and Open Space Maintenance
Through this program turf areas are mowed and trimmed, shrub and flower beds are planted and maintained, garbage is removed and litter is picked up, pathways are maintained and cleared and cross country ski trails are groomed.
What you can expect from us
Mowing (May 15 to Sept 15)
Litter pickups and line trimming occur in conjunction with summer mowing schedule.
| Irrigated parks | 1 time/week |
| Non-irrigated parks | every 2 weeks |
| Roadway ditches, centre medians and other right-of-ways |
4-5 times/season |
| Berms | 3 times/season |
| Circle Drive Corridor | 2 times/season (contracted maintenance) |
| Highway connectors | 1 time/season to city limits |
| Front boulevards, alleys, back lanes and slopes that exceed a 3:1 gradient |
not mowed |
Fertilization and Aeration
1 time/season on rotation
Waste Collection
at minimum 1 time/week (May 15 to Oct 15), every 3 weeks (Oct 16 to May 14)
Shrub Beds (May 15 to Sept 15)
|
Tier 1: park entrances, streetscapes, sign beds, |
8 times/season |
| Tier 2: park frontages, irrigated park areas, boulevards and centre medians |
4 times/season |
| Tier 3: bluffs, shelterbelts, buffers, flankages, berms, right-of-ways and wetlands |
1-2 times/season |
Snow Clearing
| Sidewalks adjacent to parks | within 48 hours of snowfall |
| All lighted parkways and some unlighted pathways | within 48 hours of snowfall |
| Crusher dust pathways | not cleared in non-naturalized parks |
Sport Field Maintenance
Sport field maintenance provides the staff, equipment and resources to maintain over 100 sport fields (Class 1, 2 and 3) which receive enhanced service levels to support higher levels of sporting competitions. These enhanced service levels are funded by the fee-for-service agreements that are charged to the various user groups. This program also includes winter snow removal from City-owned parking lots, park roadways and arenas, as well as management of contracted freeway/expressway mowing services.
What you can expect from us
Mowing (May 15 to Sept 15)
| Irrigated sport fields | 1 time/week |
| Charge sport fields | 2 times/week |
Infield Grooming & Safety Checks
| Class 1 fields | daily |
| Class 2 fields | 3 times/week |
| Class 3 fields | 2 times/week |
Measured
once in spring
Line Painting
2 times/year
Top-Dressing and Over-Seeding
once per season for charge sport fields
Fertilization and Aeration
2 times/season for charge sport fields
Re-Seeding
once every 4 years for charge sport fields
Snow Clearing - City-owned parking lots, park roadways and arenas
as needed
Irrigation Services
Irrigation ensures that turf areas are healthy and lush to maintain the green appearance and functionality of the space. Streetscapes and boulevards are irrigated to maintain trees, shrubs and other planting beds and provide water access points for flower pot and planting bed watering and street cleaning.
What you can expect from us
Activation of irrigation Systems
begins in late April, with a targeted completion of June 1
Activation of charge sport fields
activated and tested by May 1
Community gardens and areas under establishment
receive water between May 15 and June 1
Water Amounts (combination of precipitation and irrigation service)
| Class 1 & 2 sport fields | 38mm/week, additional paid through user fees |
| Other irrigated turf areas | 25mm/week |
Shut Off
September 1, with the exception of sport fields
Winterization
target date is October 15
Backflow prevention testing and required repairs
approx. 400 double check valve assemblies done annually
Irrigation trouble reports
investigated within 48 hours of receipt; safety or property flooding concerns are addressed immediately
Naturalized Area Management
Naturalized areas are areas that have previously been disturbed and are constructed to simulate natural areas. Naturalized parks represent a variety of habitats in Saskatoon from native prairie to wetlands and aspen parkland. Natural areas are those parks spaces that have not been previously disturbed and exist in their original state.
Naturalized areas are managed from turnover through establishment to sustainment. They accommodate passive recreation opportunities and connect our citizens with nature and natural history. They provide habitat for native species in our urban landscape and increase the biodiversity in park and open spaces.
What you can expect from us
Mowing (May 15 to Sept 15)
up to 9 times/season for pathway flanks and park perimeters
Shrub Beds
1-2 times/season
Waste Collection
1 time/week (May 1 to Oct 15), every 3 weeks (Oct to Apr 30)
Litter Pick-Up – BBQ areas and parking lots
daily from June 1 to Sept 1
Gravel Replenishment - pathways and parking lots
annually
Snow Clearing
| Sidewalks adjacent to parks | within 48 hours of snowfall |
| All lighted parkways and approved crusher dust pathways | within 48 hours of snowfall |
Controlled Prescribed Burns
Spring and Fall as weather permits
Satellite Maintenance Sites
Parks has several satellite maintenance facilities located throughout the city in Lakewood, Peter Zakreski, Hampton Village, Hyde and Evergreen parks. These facilities are intended to improve customer service and coordination of park maintenance, as well as provide storage for the equipment necessary to maintain new park areas.
Weed Control
The City is committed to using the least toxic control methods wherever possible to control weeds and pests. The Parks Department maintains the health of sports fields and the turf in our parks to make these areas more resistant to weeds and to reduce the need for pesticides. Herbicides have not been used since 2004 to control broadleaf weeds, such as dandelions, on park turf and sports fields. Instead, Parks uses established cultural turf practices to improve the condition of these areas.
We are also exploring innovative park management practices in naturalized parks, such as controlled burns, haying and grazing, to reduce the need for pesticides, fertilizer and extensive watering.
When necessary, provincially licensed and trained Parks staff apply spot applications of herbicide to eliminate weeds in shrub beds, tree wells, and on hard surfaces such as asphalt pathways and concrete medians. Herbicides are also used to control noxious and prohibited weeds. Warning signs are placed in areas of herbicide application.
The City’s Mosquito Control Program no longer relies on chemical control products. Instead, a series of alternatives are used, including biological, mechanical and cultural controls.
We also require that Community Gardens and Boulevard Gardens are pesticide-free. These gardeners use other practices, such as using mulch and compost, to maintain pesticide-free gardens. Visit our Be Pesticide Free and Healthy Yards webpages to learn more about how to create a healthy lawn and garden without the use of pesticides.
Tree Maintenance
Maintenance of City-owned trees located on boulevards, centre medians and in parks is the responsibility of the Urban Forestry Section. For more information, visit Tree Maintenance & Inspections.