News Releases

The 1st Avenue southbound exit ramp to Idylwyld Drive will be closed on Sunday, October 17 at 8:30 a.m. for roadway resurfacing work. Detours will be in place guiding motorists around this work. This project is expected to take three hours to complete, barring unforeseen circumstances or weather delays.      
      
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. 

*This report includes road restrictions on Priority 1 (high traffic, high speed) streets only.

NEW

IDYLWYLD DR S VARIOUS NB & SB CURB LANES CLOSED FROM SASKATCHEWAN CRES E TO RUTH ST E
(Grass trimming)
A crash attenuator truck will be used for this work
Start: October 15, 9:00 a.m. End: October 15, 3:00 p.m.

ONGOING

1ST AVE N INTERSECTION CLOSED AT PRINCESS ST
(Construction)
Start: October 4, 7:00 a.m. End: October 15, 6:00 p.m.

BOYCHUK DR INTERSECTION CLOSED AT LAVAL CRES
(Channelization)
Start: October 12, 7:00 a.m. End: October 18, 5:00 p.m.

COLLEGE DR EB CURB LANE & SHOULDER CLOSED FROM MCKERCHER DR TO PETERS COVE
(Roadwork)
Start: October 12, 7:00 a.m. End: October 25, 4:00 p.m.

NEAULT RD NB CLOSED FROM 22ND ST W TO 33RD ST W
(Water main construction)
Temporary traffic lights allowing alternating traffic flow
Start: September 20, 10:00 a.m. End: October 25, 5:00 p.m.

BRIGHTON BLVD ROAD CLOSED FROM 8TH ST TO BRIGHTON COMMON              
(Storm sewer work)          
Start: August 30, 9:00 a.m. End: October 31, 7:00 a.m. 

8TH ST E INTERSECTION CLOSED NEW MCORMOND DR
(Construction)
Start: April 26, 7:00 a.m. End: October 31, 7:00 a.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.

A Special Budget Review Meeting will be held tomorrow, Friday, October 15, 2021, at 9:00 a.m. The City’s Standing Policy Committee on Finance will consider four information reports.

At the Standing Policy Committee on Finance last Special Meeting on August 31, 2021, when considering the 2022 and 2023 Indicative Budget, it resolved that the Administration provide additional reports on:

1. Strategic Options to Reduce Expenditures 2022/2023 - information on strategic options to reduce expenditures for 2022 and 2023 to bring expenditures more in line with current revenue increases. This report provides service level reports that have been previously presented to City Council for consideration on whether there are service levels that could be adjusted to reduce expenditures in 2022 and 2023.
2. User Fee Guidelines and Cost Recovery - information on user fees policies and cost recovery for optimal revenue budget to address this question: is the City of Saskatoon’s user fees and cost recoveries set at an appropriate level to reduce the mill-rate impact of programs and services as much as possible?
3. 2021 Previously Approved Budgetary Items - throughout the year, City Council approved various initiatives that may have budgetary financial implications that extend into 2022 or later years. What is the effect on future budgets from the decisions City Council has made to date in 2021?
4. Comparative Analysis of Recent Budget Adjustments in Selected Canadian Cities - comparative data for 2020, 2021, 2022 for tax increases and/or forecast tax increases in Edmonton, Calgary, Regina and Winnipeg with comment on significant initiatives in each municipality to reduce or hold tax increases.

Budget Process Timeline – Next Steps

• October 18, 2021: A list of prioritized Business Plan Options will be presented to the Governance and Priorities Committee (GPC).
• November 2021: The 2022/2023 Multi-Year Business Plan & Budget document will be released. 
• November 29, 30 & December 1, 2021: City Council 2022/2023 Multi-Year Business Plan & Budget Review (deliberations) will take place.

Any decisions made at the October 18 meeting or the November GPC meeting that impact the property tax rate will be forwarded to the Business Plan and Budget Review meeting in November to be debated but will not be reflected in the preliminary 2022/2023 Multi-Year Business Plan & Budget document.

For more information on the City’s multi-year budget process visit saskatoon.ca/budget.

Saskatoon residents report high levels of satisfaction with City services and their quality of life, two separate public surveys show.

“We’re glad to see that even in light of the pandemic, a healthy majority of those surveyed told us they continue to enjoy a good quality of life and are satisfied with the services the City provides for the community,” says Carla Blumers, Director of Communications and Public Engagement. 

Results of the 2021 Citizen Satisfaction & Performance Survey and the 2021 Performance, Priorities & Preferences Survey will be presented to the Governance and Priorities Committee at its meeting Monday, October 18. The surveys were conducted by Forum Research Inc. this past spring and summer, respectively, and each included a telephone survey, an online panel and an open survey link available to the public on the city website. The results of the telephone and online panel for both surveys are reliable and representative of the population due to the random selection process. When compared to the 2016 Canadian Census, this sample is reflective of the Saskatoon population, based on age and gender.

“After all that we’ve been through in the last few years, it’s encouraging to see that while we know that there are still areas to improve upon, overall, Saskatoon citizens continue to be satisfied with their quality of life, services, and the handling of and communications throughout the pandemic,” says Mayor Charlie Clark. “This speaks not only to City of Saskatoon staff, but to the community as a whole for their contributions in making Saskatoon a great place to live. The results of these surveys are a testament to the ability of our staff and City to adapt in an increasingly changing world.”

Results

Citizen Satisfaction & Performance

Telephone and online panel respondents of the Citizen Satisfaction & Performance Survey identify COVID-19 as the single most important issue facing the City of Saskatoon. This is followed by public safety/crime/policing, road maintenance, and taxes. Of note over the last several years, the mention of road construction has steadily diminished as a most important issue.

While half of respondents indicate COVID-19 has affected satisfaction with the quality of services the City of Saskatoon offers, 88% of telephone and 87% of online panel respondents express overall satisfaction with the quality of services provided by the City of Saskatoon.

City communications receive a strong endorsement with 85% of telephone and 71% of online panel respondents reporting the City provides timely and helpful information on impacts to civic services during the pandemic. And three-quarters of respondents (78% telephone and 73% online panel respondents) indicate the City provides a safe environment to access City facilities and services as the pandemic has allowed. When asked about the quality of City communications, 80% of telephone and 87% of online respondents indicate they are satisfied with them.

Turning to public engagement, 76% of telephone and 77% of online panel respondents say the City provides meaningful opportunities to participate in public engagement opportunities. Evaluations related to five areas of customer service improved significantly from 2018, particularly when it comes to providing consistent and reliable information.

Respondents overwhelmingly agree (91% telephone and 90% online panel) the City is effectively providing online services. Approximately one in three respondents (36% of telephone respondents and 32% of online panel respondents) feel that a combination of property tax and user fee increases is the best approach to balancing the budget.

Civic Services, Priorities & Preferences

Overall satisfaction remains the same or higher since 2018 for many of the 29 civic services included in the survey. Survey participants note their highest level of satisfaction with the City’s performance in each of the below areas of service as follows:

Transportation & Utilities:

1. reliability of electrical services
2. quality of drinking water
3. speed of water main break repairs

Community & Public Services:

1. fire protection
2. maintenance of city parks
3. police services

Waste Management:

1. garbage collection
2. recycling collection
3. landfill services

Recreation & Culture:

1. indoor leisure centres
2. outdoor sports fields
3. paddling pools & spray parks

Telephone and online panel respondents note they would like to see the City’s existing performance improve in the areas of:

• snow & ice road maintenance
• major road and freeway maintenance
• traffic management
• neighbourhood street maintenance
• accessibility of infrastructure for people with disabilities
• planning for growth and development

The top three areas that telephone and online panel respondents indicate they would like to see the City provide more services for are:

• affordable housing
• road maintenance
• snow and ice management

“City of Saskatoon employees deserve great credit for the increased approval in communications and customer service,” Mayor Clark says. “We’ve seen employees become more adaptable than ever imagined in the last two years. This has allowed them to engage with residents in new ways as well as create more efficient ways to provide services. Participation from residents in these surveys is critical to highlight areas of strength, but also areas where improvement is still needed to deliver the results our residents come to expect. The lessons learned will allow the City of Saskatoon to better meet the expectations of residents now and in the years to come.”

The City of Saskatoon will use the results to inform decisions related to strategic priorities, budgeting, and service delivery, as well as to highlight opportunities for continuous improvement.

Previously scheduled to be conducted in 2020, both surveys were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Moving forward, each survey will be conducted separately every year on a rotating basis. In 2022, the Civic Satisfaction & Performance survey will be conducted. In 2023, the Civic Services Service: Performance, Priorities & Preferences will be conducted.

Full summaries and the detailed results of both the Civic Satisfaction & Performance Survey and the Civic Services Performance, Priorities & Preferences Survey can be found on the City of Saskatoon website at https://www.saskatoon.ca/engage/2021-civic-surveys.

*This report includes road restrictions on Priority 1 (high traffic, high speed) streets only.

NEW

CONFEDERATION DR NB & SB ROTATING LANE CLOSURES AT 33RD ST W
(Groundwater monitoring)
Start: October 14, 9:00 a.m. End: October 14, 1:00 p.m.

22ND ST W EB & WB MEDIAN LANES CLOSED FROM AVE P N TO AVE O N
(Junction box installation)
Start: October 14, 9:00 a.m. End: October 14, 3:00 p.m.

ONGOING

20TH ST W ROAD CLOSED FROM AVE W S TO AVE Y S
(Valve replacement)
Start: October 13, 8:00 a.m. End: October 14, 4:00 p.m.

CLARENCE AVE S SB DRIVING LANE CLOSED FROM WILSON CRES TO GLASGOW ST
(Construction)
Traffic will be maintained in the parking lane.
Start: October 12, 9:00 a.m. End: October 14, 5:00 p.m.

1ST AVE N INTERSECTION CLOSED AT PRINCESS ST
(Construction)
Start: October 4, 7:00 a.m. End: October 15, 6:00 p.m.

BOYCHUK DR INTERSECTION CLOSED AT LAVAL CRES
(Channelization)
Start: October 12, 7:00 a.m. End: October 20, 5:00 p.m.

COLLEGE DR EB CURB LANE & SHOULDER CLOSED FROM MCKERCHER DR TO PETERS COVE
(Roadwork)
Start: October 12, 7:00 a.m. End: October 25, 4:00 p.m.

NEAULT RD NB CLOSED FROM 22ND ST W TO 33RD ST W
(Water main construction)
Temporary traffic lights allowing alternating traffic flow
Start: September 20, 10:00 a.m. End: October 25, 5:00 p.m.

BRIGHTON BLVD ROAD CLOSED FROM 8TH ST TO BRIGHTON COMMON              
(Storm sewer work)          
Start: August 30, 9:00 a.m. End: October 31, 7:00 a.m. 

8TH ST E INTERSECTION CLOSED NEW MCORMOND DR
(Construction)
Start: April 26, 7:00 a.m. End: October 31, 7:00 a.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.

*This report includes road restrictions on Priority 1 (high traffic, high speed) streets only.

NEW

NELSON RD EB CURB LANE CLOSED FROM LOWE RD TO HEAL AVE
(Concrete pumping)
Start: October 13, 6:00 a.m. End: October 13, 6:00 p.m.

ATTRIDGE DR WB CURB LANE CLOSED FROM CENTRAL AVE TO CIRCLE DR W
(Guardrail install)
Start: October 13, 9:00 a.m. End: October 13, 3:00 p.m.

IDYLWYLD DR SB RAMP MEDIAN LANE TO 8TH ST CLOSED
(Bridge repairs)
Closure will be set daily between 9:00 a.m. & 3:00 p.m.
Start: October 13, 9:00 a.m. End: October 15, 3:00 p.m.

ONGOING

PRESTON AVE S SB LANES CLOSED FROM 14TH ST E TO MAIN ST
(Connection replacement)
Start: October 12, 8:00 a.m. End: October 13, 5:00 p.m.

BOYCHUK DR ROAD CLOSED FROM MCKERCHER DR TO MCMASTER CRES
(Channelization)
Start: October 4, 9:00 a.m. End: October 13, 5:00 p.m.

20TH ST W ROAD CLOSED FROM AVE Q S TO AVE T S
(Water main repairs)
Start: August 16, 7:00 a.m. End: October 14, 4:00 p.m.

1ST AVE N INTERSECTION CLOSED AT PRINCESS ST
(Construction)
Start: October 4, 7:00 a.m. End: October 15, 6:00 p.m.

NELSON RD SOUTH SIDEWALK CLOSED FROM HEATH AVE TO HEAL AVE
(Sidewalk closed)
Start: September 16, 6:00 a.m. End: October 16, 6:00 p.m.

BOYCHUK DR INTERSECTION CLOSED AT LAVAL CRES
(Channelization)
Start: October 12, 7:00 a.m. End: October 20, 5:00 p.m.

NEAULT RD ROAD CLOSED FROM 22ND ST W TO 33RD ST W
(Water main install)
Start: October 12, 7:00 a.m. End: October 21, 6:00 p.m.

COLLEGE DR EB CURB LANE & SHOULDER CLOSED FROM MCKERCHER DR TO PETERS COVE
(Roadwork)
Start: October 12, 7:00 a.m. End: October 25, 4:00 p.m.

BRIGHTON BLVD ROAD CLOSED FROM 8TH ST TO BRIGHTON COMMON              
(Storm sewer work)          
Start: August 30, 9:00 a.m. End: October 31, 7:00 a.m. 

8TH ST E INTERSECTION CLOSED NEW MCORMOND DR
(Construction)
Start: April 26, 7:00 a.m. End: October 31, 7:00 a.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.

The landfill has switched back to winter hours as of Monday, October 11. The facility, located off Valley Road, south of 11th Street, will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., seven days a week.

Residents and commercial customers are reminded to follow all signs and/or instructions from landfill staff.

COVID-19 updates: 

• ​Cash transactions are accepted, although Credit and Debit are recommended to help reduce the spread of the virus.
• The landfill is not included in the list of City of Saskatoon programs and facilities where public access requires full proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test. Landfill staff do not ask anyone for proof of vaccination and masks are not required in this open-air environment, although physical distancing is still encouraged.

Visit saskatoon.ca/landfill for information on rates and acceptable material.

• Wallet cards received at time of immunization
• A printed copy of your MySaskHealthRecord vaccine certificate (with or without a QR code) or a ‘screenshot’ of your vaccine certificate (with or without a QR code) saved to your device
• A COVID-19 vaccine printout from Saskatchewan Health Authority Public Health
• A QR code/MySaskHealthRecord vaccine certificate uploaded to SK Vax Wallet app which will is available free from Google Play or Apple App stores
• Official proof of vaccine documents from other governments