News Releases
Saskatoon Fire - News Releases
Transit service strained by global auto parts shortage: recovery plan in place
March 2, 2022 - 10:06am
- Buses are being sent to third party garages to add to maintenance resources.
- Buses with long term defects or parts that are not available or delayed are being used to fix other buses.
- Check Engine Light calls are being investigated and sent back on the road more quickly.
- Issues that do not involve Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning, brakes or steering are quickly checked and sent back on the road if it is safe to do so. HVAC, brakes and steering issues that need repair are booked for a mechanic as soon as possible, however fixing the issue is contingent on parts availability.
- Working with nearby Transit properties to determine what parts can be accessed from them. Transit has also been working with parts distributors to get as many parts as possible.
- To ensure more parts are on-hand, maximum/minimum stock levels have been changed for high-demand parts or for parts that take longer to obtain.
- Maintenance staff have been working overtime.
Saskatoon Transit continues to deliver service as world-wide supply chain shortages put a strain on service.
“The ability to source and obtain parts in a timely manner because of the parts shortages related to the pandemic and other recent events, globally and nationally, have been major contributing factors to getting buses repaired and quickly back into service,” says Jim McDonald, Director of Saskatoon Transit.
McDonald says the challenges in obtaining parts in a timely manner, as well as increased probability of mechanical breakdowns with an aging fleet, differentiates this winter from other winters with prolonged extreme cold weather events.
“Fortunately, the extreme cold weather has subsided, but it will take a few days to address the backlog of mechanical repairs.”
What Transit is doing:
On average, Saskatoon Transit has been about five to ten buses short during weekdays. We know service cuts of any kind have a significant impact on those that rely on Transit Services. The team at Transit considers all options when required to make service reductions and decisions are based on minimizing impacts to riders.
The service impact is a reduction in some neighbourhood frequency, but no routes are completely cancelled and service to High Schools is covered, however riders may need to take alternate routes.
Solutions to get more buses on the road:
Tips for Transit riders:
Service alerts are posted to the Transit app and Google Maps Transit as soon as possible however riders are encouraged to check for service alerts one hour before they travel. Riders can “pin” the routes taken most often in the Transit app to receive push notifications about service disruptions. Alerts are also posted every morning and afternoon to SaskatoonTransit.ca/service-alerts and Twitter (@StoonTransit), with periodic updates as the situation changes. Riders can also call the Customer Service Centre at 306-975-3100 for updates (7:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. M-F).
If there is a service disruption on your route, riders can use the trip planning function in the transit app or Google Maps to find an alternate route. Simply type in where you are and where you want to go.
Saskatoon Transit thanks riders for their patience during this challenging time.
Phase 1 of ePermitting launches with online building, development and plumbing permits.
February 28, 2022 - 9:44am
Starting March 1, 2022, building, development and plumbing permits can be done completely online through the City of Saskatoon’s new ePermitting system. This new ePermitting system will let people apply for permits, track the progress of the application and even request inspections all digitally – reducing the need for in-person visits to City Hall and increasing transparency around the permitting process.
“The ePermitting system will allow the permitting process to become inherently digital,” says Kara Fagnou, Director of Building Standards. “It houses a vast library of pre-configured permit types to meet most business needs, includes email notifications that are automatically triggered and offers mobile capacity to support field inspection staff.”
Service Saskatoon and Building Standards staff will still be available via phone, or where needed, in person, but the ePermitting system will remove the need for most residents and businesses to travel to City Hall for permitting assistance.
“The launch of ePermitting is a key step for Building Standards toward its goal of being a national leader in permit turnaround times,” says Fagnou. “We are always looking for ways to streamline and improve our business processes. To support ePermitting, we have also streamlined our internal workflows and updated many of our procedures to help meet customers’ needs in the most efficient way possible.”
For more information, please visit saskatoon.ca/buildingstandards, or call 306.975.2645. Customers can register an account and login to the ePermitting system starting March 1 at saskatoon.ca/ePermitting.
Governance and Priorities Committee recommends continuing mask education on Saskatoon Transit
February 22, 2022 - 5:29am
- When the Provincial Public Health Order on masks is lifted as of February 28 at 12:01 a.m., masks will continue to be required to access indoor City-operated facilities and services and when travelling on Saskatoon Transit. Facilities include City Hall, Leisure Centres, indoor arenas, golf course buildings, indoor spaces at the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo and the downtown Saskatoon Transit Customer Service Centre. City Council approved the action at its special meeting on February 8, 2022 to ensure the safety of staff and the public who are accessing City services. This will be continually reassessed.
- Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination or Negative Test is no longer required when attending City-operated facilities.
For the latest updates, visit saskatoon.ca/covid-19.
Grading begins tonight to improve mobility on residential streets with severe rutting
February 10, 2022 - 11:45am
Mild temperatures over the past couple of days are creating deep ruts on some residential streets. City and contractor crews are shifting their focus to shaving down the deep ruts where people are getting stuck or there’s a risk of damage to vehicles.
Beginning this evening, graders will start to shave the top layers of ruts on residential streets with severe rutting and store the snow in the parking lane. Snow removal may only occur in areas where there is no room to store the snow.
“To open up these streets quickly for residents, we need to move fast,” says Terry Schmidt, General Manager of Construction and Transportation. “Colder temperatures are coming soon which will make grading harder for us.”
Grading will be done by neighbourhood starting on the streets where the ruts are at least 15 centimetres deep, making it challenging for smaller vehicles. We will go around parked cars but encourage people to move vehicles if there is off-street parking available.
On streets with heavy on-street parking that are too narrow for our equipment, we will post No Parking signs in advance and relocate vehicles left on the street.
The work will occur day and night and we hope to complete all severely rutted streets within the next two weeks. This may be extended if there is a snow event that requires some staff to address priority street grading.
While grader operators attempt to keep driveways unobstructed, short snow ridges may be left behind. The location may be inspected for clearing if it completely blocks a vehicle from accessing the driveway.
Starting tomorrow, regular updates will be provided on saskatoon.ca/snow with neighbourhood locations. Note that grading will accommodate garbage and recycling collection schedules. Thank you for your patience and leaving space for our operators and equipment to safely do their work.
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.
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
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.
Update on snow pile removal on priority streets
February 4, 2022 - 8:49am
More than 70% of the Priority 1 street snow piles have already been hauled away, including Idylwyld Drive, College Drive, 8th Street and 22nd Street. Due to the unusual delay in snow pile removal, contractors are being hired to help haul away more snow beginning next week.
“Snow stored in the medians of Priority 1 streets must be removed and hauled away first because they present the highest risk to public safety if there is no place for new snow to be stored,” says Director of Roadways, Fleet & Support Goran Saric. “With all the extra snow this year, we’re adding contractor assistance to the job so we can get to the next priority streets quickly.”
Snow removal on Priority 2 streets in all areas of the city will begin over the next couple of weeks. Watch for “No Parking” signs posted on snow piles with the scheduled date for removal, and encourage your neighbours to move their vehicles off the street to help the work go smoothly.
“I can empathize with residents who are frustrated with the size and height of these snow piles,” says Saric. “Our roadways staff are doing their best and giving their all this winter to get that snow out of the way to improve visibility and safety.”
Snow piles along the busiest streets in Saskatoon, called priority streets, remain after a snowfall so the network can be graded quickly. Removing them requires different equipment and is best done at night when traffic and pedestrian activity is lighter for the safety of workers and the public.
The snow piles are unusually large this year because of the above average number of snowfalls and frequency. Each time it snows, snow removal is halted as City staff attend to the priority streets to clean up.
You can find more answers to frequently asked questions about snow removal and priority street grading at saskatoon.ca/snow.
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.
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.