News Releases
Saskatoon Fire - News Releases
Overnight rain causing wet and slippery conditions on residential streets and sidewalks
February 10, 2022 - 1:00am
Saskatoon experienced several hours of rain leaving streets and sidewalks wet and icy this morning. Priority streets that have been snow graded are wet with slippery spots this morning; however, streets with packed snow are very slippery. Drivers and people using the sidewalks should use caution.
City sanders were out all night and 16 units are actively applying salt and sand this morning, focusing on major streets, bridge decks and intersections.
Please keep back when you see blue and amber flashing lights on road maintenance equipment.
Daily Road Report - February 10, 2022
February 9, 2022 - 3:00pm
*This report includes road restrictions on Priority 1 (high traffic, high speed) streets only.
NEW
ATTRIDGE DR WB CURB LANE CLOSED FROM CENTRAL AVE TO CIRCLE DR E
(Transmission line install)
Start: February 10, 10:00 a.m. End: February 10, 3:30 p.m.
ATTRIDGE DR WB CURB LANE CLOSED FROM FORESTRY FARM PARK DR TO REVER RD
(Equipment offloading)
Start: February 10, 10:30 a.m. End: February 10, 12:30 p.m.
CENTRAL AVE NB CURB LANE CLOSED FROM ATTRIDGE DR TO BEEF RESEARCH RD
(Material unload)
Start: February 10, 12:00 p.m. End: February 10, 3:00 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.
More than 1,200 traffic safety improvements identified through Neighbourhood Traffic Reviews
February 9, 2022 - 1:00pm
City transportation engineering staff collaborated with thousands of residents to complete 77 traffic reviews in all established neighbourhoods across Saskatoon since the first Neighbourhood Traffic Review (NTR) in 2013. City staff recently completed the final neighbourhood review planned for this program, marking a significant achievement.
“Rather than looking at each traffic concern individually, we took a step back and considered the traffic movements, safety requirements and local input for the entire neighbourhood,” said Jay Magus, Director of Transportation. “Public consultation with residents in the neighbourhood was key to understanding and solving each issue.”
The NTR program was established to address concerns about speeding, pedestrian safety and short cutting traffic from residents in a holistic manner, one neighbourhood at a time. Each review included community meetings, followed by traffic studies to measure vehicular speeds, traffic volumes and pedestrian usage. The data was then analyzed and reviewed to develop recommendations which was presented to residents, businesses and stakeholder groups for review and feedback.
“Our neighbourhood approach to traffic safety was very efficient for reviewing the issues, and also for budgeting and installing any recommended signage, devices and traffic calming measures,” said Magus. “A minimum of eight reviews would occur in one year, then we would do the majority of the work for those neighbourhoods the following year.”
The City of Saskatoon’s Neighbourhood Traffic Review program was recognized by the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan in 2019 with the Exceptional Engineering/Geoscience Project Award and by the Project Management Institute, North Sask Chapter, with their Project of the Year Award in 2016.
The City would like to thank all residents who participated in the public engagement, as well as the Saskatoon Police Service, City Councillors, Community Associations, Saskatoon Public Schools, Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools and Great Works Consulting for their partnerships.
Neighbourhood Traffic Review final reports and implementation status are available at saskatoon.ca/ntr. Residents can request a traffic review for speeding concerns by using the Traffic Calming Guide and form at saskatoon.ca/trafficcalming. Other traffic concerns can be reported to our Customer Care Centre at 306-975-2476 or transportation@saskatoon.ca.
City Council approves COVID protocols pending Sask. Government end to Public Health Orders
February 8, 2022 - 10:01am
At a Special Meeting of City Council this morning, Council approved a number of resolutions to guide the City’s response to COVID-19 in the community and continue to protect the health and safety of residents, customers and employees once provincial Public Health Orders are lifted later this month.
Council approved the removal of Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination or Negative Test Requirements for City of Saskatoon facilities when the Government of Saskatchewan rescinds the “Public Health Order Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination or Negative Test”, effective Monday, February 14.
Council unanimously recommitted to keeping in place the requirement that all residents and visitors accessing all City facilities, including when travelling on Saskatoon Transit, wear a mask upon the rescission of the existing “Public Health Order Mandatory Isolation and Face Covering” by the provincial government, which is anticipated to occur at the end of February.
Council also directed that Administration continue to provide masks for patrons of Saskatoon Transit, and report back on ways to increase enforcement or conflict resolution support on Transit in regards to the use of masks before the end of the month.
Further, Council has requested that the Administration provide a report to Governance and Priorities Committee (GPC) on a monthly basis, starting in March 2022, providing a written COVID update that includes a recommendation on whether to continue the requirement of masking for all persons accessing all City facilities.
For the latest updates, visit saskatoon.ca/covid-19.
Daily Road Report - February 9, 2022
February 8, 2022 - 3:00pm
*This report includes road restrictions on Priority 1 (high traffic, high speed) streets only.
NEW
4TH AVE N ROAD CLOSED FROM 26TH ST E TO 25TH ST E
(Water and sewer repairs)
Start: February 9, 7:00 a.m. End: February 9, 6:30 p.m.
22ND ST W WB CURB LANE CLOSED AT KENSINGTON BLVD
(Traffic camera install)
Start: February 9, 9:00 a.m. End: February 9, 12:00 p.m.
MCORMOND DR WB MEDIAN LANE CLOSED FROM CENTRAL AVE TO WANUSKEWIN RD
(Streetlight pole replacement)
Start: February 9, 9:30 a.m. End: February 9, 3:30 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.
USask-City of Saskatoon study finds ways to divert edible food from landfill
February 8, 2022 - 4:01am
Diverting edible items from the landfill to improve food security is an easy cause to support. Removing the barriers to make it happen, however, can be complicated.
A new joint study by the University of Saskatchewan (USask) and the City of Saskatoon, Promising Practices in Food Reclamation in Saskatoon, found ways to minimize the food being discarded.
The project took place through Research Junction, an innovative partnership between the city and the university. Research Junction awards funding to projects that apply advanced research methods to address current issues in Saskatoon.
Rachel Engler-Stringer of USask’s Community-University Institute for Social Research was a lead researcher on the project.
The team performed a survey of best practices in food diversion, and gathered information from a wide variety of stakeholders, including food retailers and organizations on the front lines of providing food to clients in Saskatoon.
Once they understood the logistical and infrastructure barriers to diverting food, researchers developed recommendations to address this widespread issue. It is estimated one-third of the food produced worldwide and 30-40 percent of all food produced in Canada annually is wasted or lost.
“We tried to make it very practical,” said Engler-Stringer, who is also associate professor in the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology at USask’s College of Medicine. “I hope that a number of our recommendations will be taken up and there will be significant change in Saskatoon.”
In particular, she would like to see a food recovery association created in partnership with governments, as well as a social enterprise established to “upcycle” or transform surplus food for other uses.
Farhad Lashgarara, who was a principal researcher for the study, said it is necessary to both create ways to divert food from landfills and provide disincentives for simply discarding it.
“It is now easier to just throw things away,” he said. “We need to change that equation.”
Other recommendations include a public awareness campaign, the use of phone food diversion apps, and inclusion of food diversion in city planning processes.
This initiative aligns with Saskatoon’s Solid Waste Reduction and Diversion Plan that provides clear actions the city can take to produce less waste and recycle and compost most of it. The report was presented to the Standing Policy Committee on Environment, Utilities and Corporate Services on Monday, February 7, 2022.
“With these two strategies coordinated, the city is looking toward the next steps to act on their recommendations,” said Jeanna South, Director of Sustainability for the City of Saskatoon. “The upcoming regulation for businesses to start diverting the food waste they generate in 2023 presents an opportunity to encourage reduction and redistribution of food that otherwise would become waste, thus saving disposal costs while benefiting our community and environment.”
The full report can be found here: https://cuisr.usask.ca/publications.php
4th Avenue closed between 25th and 26th streets on Wednesday
February 8, 2022 - 7:00am
4th Avenue closed between 25th and 26th streets on Wednesday, February 9, at 7:00 a.m. for road 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.
Administration proposes lifting some COVID protocols pending Sask. Government end to Public Health Orders
February 7, 2022 - 9:14am
- That City Council remove Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination or Negative Test Requirements for City of Saskatoon facilities.
- That City Council continue the requirement that all persons accessing all City facilities, not including Saskatoon Transit, wear a face mask. For Saskatoon Transit, masks would be recommended but not required.
With the Government of Saskatchewan’s message that the Public Health Orders will soon be lifted, the City is taking steps to ensure the safety of its staff and the public who are accessing City services. The recommendations are outlined in a report for Special Meeting of City Council tomorrow, February 8.
“The lifting of the Public Health Orders does not mean there is no longer a risk of COVID-19 in Saskatoon, but it shifts the responsibility for management of this risk from the Provincial Government to individuals, businesses, organizations, and municipalities,” says Pamela Goulden-McLeod, Director of Emergency Management Organization.
Once the Provincial Public Health Orders are lifted, the City will return to following Occupational Health and Safety and business continuity processes in managing the response to COVID-19 in our community.
The City will also continue to seek guidance from the Saskatchewan Health Authority local Medical Health Officers and to monitor the Saskatchewan Health Authority assessed risk of epidemic transmission. The assessed risk of epidemic transmission is currently indicating there is a “high likelihood that COVID transmission is not controlled” in the Saskatoon region. This is the highest level of risk of transmission.
The report outlines recommendations for requirements related to the Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination or Negative Test and masking in civic facilities and when travelling on Saskatoon Transit and would take effect when the Government of Saskatchewan rescinds the corresponding Public Health Orders.
Recommendations
Measures that may remain in place include enhanced cleaning, physical distancing, and the requirement not to enter City owned facilities if an individual has symptoms of COVID-19.
“The City will continue its focus on educating and informing the public rather than enforcing the use of face masks within City owned facilities and services,” Goulden-McLeod says.
The City Administration also recommends that a monthly report goes to Governance and Priorities Committee (GPC) starting in March 2022, with a written COVID update that includes a recommendation on whether to continue the requirement of masking for all persons accessing all City facilities.
It is important to note that this requirement does not apply to any public members directly accessing the Saskatoon Public Library locations located within Leisure Centres. Libraries do not require the public to show proof of vaccination or negative test to enter their facilities under the current Public Health Order.
For the latest updates, visit saskatoon.ca/covid-19.
Daily Road Report - February 8, 2022
February 7, 2022 - 3:00pm
*This report includes road restrictions on Priority 1 (high traffic, high speed) streets only.
NEW
AVE H N ROAD CLOSED FROM 30TH ST W TO 31ST ST W
(Sanitary manhole repair)
Start: February 8, 8:00 a.m. End: February 8, 5:00 p.m.
CIRCLE DR E NB CURB LANE CLOSED AT ATTRIDGE DR
(Streetlight pole replacement)
Start: February 8, 1:00 p.m. End: February 8, 3:00 p.m.
OVERNIGHT
IDYLWYLD DR NB LANES CLOSED FROM RUTH ST TO 20TH ST
(Snow removal)
Start: February 7, 10:00 p.m. End: February 8, 5:00 a.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.
Avenue H closed between 30th and 31st streets on Tuesday
February 7, 2022 - 7:00am
Avenue H will be closed between 30th and 31st streets on Tuesday, February 8, at 8:00 a.m. for sanitary sewer manhole 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.