News Releases
Saskatoon Fire - News Releases
Weekend Road Report - February 5-6, 2022
February 4, 2022 - 2:30pm
*This report includes road restrictions on Priority 1 (high traffic, high speed) streets only.
NEW
20TH ST W ROAD CLOSED FROM IDYLWYLD DR S TO AVE B S
(Sanitary connection repair)
Start: February 6, 7:00 a.m. End: February 6, 5:00 p.m.
ONGOING
No projects are ongoing on Priority 1 streets as of this date.
All restrictions will be lifted as indicated, weather permitting and barring any unforeseen circumstances.
For more information about current road restrictions and construction, visit saskatoon.ca/construction.
20th Street closed between Idylwyld Drive and Avenue B on Sunday
February 4, 2022 - 8:00am
20th Street will be closed between Idylwyld Drive and Avenue B on Sunday, February 6, at 7:00 a.m. for sanitary sewer repair work. Detours will be in place guiding motorists around the work zone. This project is expected to take one day to complete, weather permitting and barring any unforeseen circumstances.
Saskatoon Transit may be affected by these detours. Transit service alerts and real-time bus information is available on third-party apps like Transit and Google Maps Transit on desktop.
For more information about current road restrictions and construction, visit saskatoon.ca/construction.
Cumberland Avenue closed between Bute and Cascade streets on Monday
February 4, 2022 - 7:00am
Cumberland Avenue will be closed between Bute and Cascade streets on Monday, February 7, at 8:00 a.m. for hydrant replacement work. Detours will be in place guiding motorists around the work zone. This project is expected to take one day to complete, weather permitting and barring any unforeseen circumstances.
Saskatoon Transit may be affected by these detours. Transit service alerts and real-time bus information is available on third-party apps like Transit and Google Maps Transit on desktop.
For more information about current road restrictions and construction, visit saskatoon.ca/construction.
Daily Road Report - February 4, 2022
February 3, 2022 - 3:00pm
*This report includes road restrictions on Priority 1 (high traffic, high speed) streets only.
NEW
No projects are scheduled to start on Priority 1 streets as of this date.
ONGOING
No projects are ongoing on Priority 1 streets as of this date.
All restrictions will be lifted as indicated, weather permitting and barring any unforeseen circumstances.
For more information about current road restrictions and construction, visit saskatoon.ca/construction.
City to explore free public Wi-Fi through pilot project
February 2, 2022 - 10:19am
- youth
- seniors
- immigrants
- Indigenous peoples
- low-income
Many people in our community do not have the same opportunities to access online services. To address growing barriers and risks for those residents, the City of Saskatoon is launching a pilot project to provide free public Wi-Fi internet service to residents in a segment of Saskatoon’s core neighborhood area. The project status is outlined in a report for the Standing Policy Committee on Environment, Utilities and Corporate Services on Monday, February 7.
“This is an exciting project that can have immediate quality of life impacts for residents in the area,” says Celene Anger, Chief Officer of Strategy and Transformation. “Through the COVID pandemic, the City, other orders of government and community organizations, have moved services online. While this has improved service offerings for many, it has created a service gap for many people in Saskatoon.”
Commonly referred to as the ‘digital divide,’ the pilot project aims to help people currently without or with limited Internet access gain better access to online services and participate in today’s growing digital society. In December 2016, the federal government declared Internet access a basic right of all Canadian citizens. Cities across Canada are moving forward with initiatives to address this situation.
The pilot project explores a cost-effective City-delivered solution for approximately 1500 residents to access the Internet from or near their homes and in public areas at no cost. This project will be launched in an area of Saskatoon with a high percentage of residents as measured across five population groups:
With access to the Internet, residents will be able to access key tools like telehealth and learning applications as well as important information about housing, food, pandemic restrictions, and government services.
Moving ahead with project implementation, the City will issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) next week for a vendor to supply products to deliver wireless internet access points throughout the proposed area. The City will deliver high speed internet via fibre to the Saskatoon Fire Development Centre, a City-owned building located at 116 Avenue W South to serve as the connection point (hub) for these Wi-Fi devices. As the primary hub, a wireless signal will then be broadcast to the pilot area through the solution identified through the vendor’s RFP submission. The City is intending to install the wireless internet access points on City-owned streetlamps and power poles in the designated area.
“Through the RFP, we’re looking for a vendor to partner with us to determine the best tools to reach our goals of a strong Wi-Fi signal to the door of, and hopefully inside, the homes of residents in the pilot area,” says Anger. “We’re hoping to identify opportunities, problem-solve the challenges and evaluate the success of providing public Wi-Fi through this project.”
The pilot project valued at $250,000 is expected to become operational late summer/fall 2022 and run for one year. Financial support was made possible through City Council’s approval of a reallocation of funds as a result of Municipal Economic Enhancement Program (MEEP) 2020 funding. The project will be evaluated throughout the pilot phase, and the results of the evaluation will be used to guide City Wi-Fi strategies and any plans for future continuation or expansion of the program.
Daily Road Report - February 3, 2022
February 2, 2022 - 6:36am
*This report includes road restrictions on Priority 1 (high traffic, high speed) streets only.
NEW
8TH ST E EB CURB LANE CLOSED FROM MCKERCHER DR TO BOYCHUK DR
(Pole replacement)
Start: February 3, 9:00 a.m. End: February 3, 12:00 p.m.
ONGOING
No projects are ongoing on Priority 1 streets as of this date.
All restrictions will be lifted as indicated, weather permitting and barring any unforeseen circumstances.
For more information about current road restrictions and construction, visit saskatoon.ca/construction.
City accepting nominations for 2022 Living in Harmony Awards
February 2, 2022 - 2:25am
The City has opened the 2022 Call for Submissions for its annual Living in Harmony Awards. These awards recognize outstanding achievements in contributing to the elimination of racial discrimination in our community. They are presented annually in March, which the City of Saskatoon has proclaimed Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Month since 1990.
Any Saskatoon resident or organization that is contributing to the elimination of racism in Saskatoon is eligible for nomination. Saskatoon schools are also invited to have their students send in submissions in any expressive form (photos, art, written, video).
Nominations are being accepted until March 4, 2022 and the nomination form is available now at saskatoon.ca/LivingInHarmony.
The Living in Harmony Awards are part of the City’s commitment to foster an inclusive community where ethnocultural diversity is welcomed and valued, and where everyone can live with dignity and pursue their full potential without facing racism or discrimination. The winners are selected by the City of Saskatoon's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. They’ll be announced on March 21, 2022 which is the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Priority streets grading progresses and blown-in areas clear
February 1, 2022 - 10:39am
City and contractor crews are making good progress on grading priority streets in all areas of Saskatoon after Monday’s blizzard. Crews also addressed the major streets that were blown in with snow from high winds. All priority streets will be graded by Friday morning; check our map to see which streets are graded after a snow event.
With a cold weather warning in effect by Environment & Climate Change Canada, drivers and sidewalk users should use caution at high-risk locations such as busy intersections, bridges and overpasses. City staff are monitoring for icy locations and applying sand for traction where needed.
The City is making progress on removing the snow piled along priority 1 streets and were 70% complete when they were re-assigned to clean up Monday’s snow event. Snow removal work will restart on priority 1 streets and then onto priority 2 streets after snow event clean up has been completed.
City adopts new Strategic Plan, setting out vision for 2022-2025
February 1, 2022 - 9:18am
- Advance City Council's Priorities
- Deliver Excellence in Core Services and Operational Priorities
- Drive Corporate Transformational Change
City Council approved a new Strategic Plan for the City of Saskatoon at yesterday’s Council meeting (January 31, 2022). The 2022-2025 Strategic Plan is a guiding document that sets direction and priorities for City Council and the Administration over the next four years.
Along with the Official Community Plan and the Multi-Year Business Plan and Budget, the Strategic Plan ensures City programs and services continue to address the changing needs of our community, while keeping within our financial means.
The City’s 2018-2021 Strategic Plan was retired in December 2021.
Mayor Charlie Clark says: “The foundation of the 2022-2025 Strategic Plan is miyo-pimatisiwin (me-o-pi-ma-ti-si-win) which is a Cree phrase meaning 'the good life' for all residents. I believe this is a powerful common purpose to focus our efforts around. We are living in very dynamic times, and it is essential that we plan strategically to create the conditions for our citizens to live a good life here. I am proud of the work done by citizens, our staff, and my Council colleagues to bring this plan together and focus our work in the years ahead.”
City Manager Jeff Jorgenson says: “I’m proud of the work our Council and Administration have done in pulling together this vision for the City of Saskatoon over the next four years. The process, and the discussions and decisions that were a part of that, enabled us to land on one clear and powerful document that will be the focus for the work of thousands of City employees in the years ahead.”
What’s in the Plan
The 2022-2025 Strategic Plan was developed using contributions from the public, Council, and City employees. The following three pillars underline the identified deliverables and the key actions to achieve them:
Certain elements of previous strategic plans remain relevant and are included in this new one, including the Vision, Mission, Values, Purpose and Strategic Goals.
Public Input
A draft version of the 2022-2025 Strategic Plan was made available for public feedback between Oct. 27 and Nov. 10, 2021. Residents were invited to review the draft plan and provide input using a public survey. A summary on What We Heard was attached to the information report put before Council on Nov. 22, 2021.
What’s Next
In the weeks ahead, the City will be ensuring its various departmental business plans and employee work plans align with the Strategic Plan. This alignment will ensure Council and Administration are working toward the same outcomes and optimizing resources by focusing on the right initiatives at the right time.
The City’s newly approved 2022-2025 Strategic Plan is available at saskatoon.ca/StrategicPlan.
Daily Road Report - February 2, 2022
February 1, 2022 - 3:00pm
*This report includes road restrictions on Priority 1 (high traffic, high speed) streets only.
NEW
PRESTON AVE N NB CURB LANE CLOSED FROM RESEARCH DR TO 115TH ST W
(Material offloading)
Start: February 2, 9:00 a.m. End: February 2, 2:00 p.m.
ATTRIDGE DR WB CURB LANE CLOSED FROM CENTRAL AVE TO CIRCLE DR E
(Transmission line install)
Start: February 2, 10:00 a.m. End: February 2, 3:00 p.m.
ONGOING
WARMAN RD SB CURB & LEFT TURN LANE CLOSED & NB CURB LANE CLOSED AT 7TH AVE N
(Directional boring)
Start: January 31, 9:00 a.m. End: February 2, 3:00 p.m.
All restrictions will be lifted as indicated, weather permitting and barring any unforeseen circumstances.
For more information about current road restrictions and construction, visit saskatoon.ca/construction.