News Releases

The Clarence Downey Speed Skating Oval, located on Dudley Street at Avenue R, in the Gordie Howe Sports Complex, will be opening for the season Saturday, December 11, 2021 from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Public skating hours are:
Monday to Thursday: 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The Oval will be closed December 24, 25, 26, 31 and January 1.

The new K + S Multi-Sports Centre will be open during the above times to support public skating as well as Nordic Skiing at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex.  Amenities include:

• Washrooms
• Change rooms and showers
• Main floor warm-up gathering area
• Exterior bleacher seating during public skating
• Vending machines for snacks and beverages

Masks are required inside the K + S Multi-Sports Centre.

Admission is free and all skating skill levels are welcome to enjoy the 400-metre outdoor oval; speed skates are not necessary. 

For more information, please visit saskatoon.ca/oval or call 306‑668-4693.

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

NEW

NELSON RD EB CURB LANE CLOSED FROM HEATH AVE TO HEAL AVE
(Concrete pour)
Start: December 9, 6:00 a.m. End: December 9, 6:00 p.m.

CIRCLE DR E NB & SB MEDIAN LANES CLOSED FROM 14TH ST E TO 8TH ST E
(Streetlight replacement)
Start: December 9, 9:00 a.m. End: December 9, 12:00 p.m.

8TH ST E EB LANES CLOSED FROM LANSDOWNE AVE TO CLARENCE AVE S
(Connection replacement)
Two-way traffic will be maintained in WB lanes
Start: December 9, 9:30 a.m. End: December 10, 5:00 p.m.

ATTRIDGE DR EB CURB LANE CLOSED FROM CIRCLE DR E TO CENTRAL AVE
(Transmission line install)
Start: December 9, 10:30 a.m. End: December 9, 1:30 p.m.

ONGOING

COLLEGE DR WB LANES CLOSED FROM CAMPUS DR TO CUMBERLAND AVE N
(Pedestrian overpass repairs)
Two-way traffic will be maintained in the EB lanes.
Start: December 7, 9:00 a.m. End: December 9, 5:00 p.m.

CIRCLE DR S WB CURB LANE CLOSED & SPEED REDUCTION FROM LORNE AVE TO DIEFENBAKER PARK RD
(Construction)
Start: December 6, 7:00 a.m. End: December 10, 3:00 p.m.

RUTH ST E ROAD CLOSED FROM MCPHERSON AVE TO MELROSE AVE
(Connection replacement)
Start: December 6, 7:00 a.m. End: December 10, 5:00 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.

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

NEW

COLLEGE DR WB LANES CLOSED FROM CAMPUS DR TO CUMBERLAND AVE
(Pedway repairs)
Start: December 7, 12:00 p.m. End: TBD
Two-way traffic will be maintained in eastbound lanes

CIRCLE DR E NB & EB CURB LANES CLOSED AT IDYLWYLD DR N
(Sign installation)
Start: December 8, 10:00 a.m. End: December 8, 4:00 p.m.

ONGOING

CIRCLE DR S WB CURB LANE CLOSED & SPEED REDUCTION FROM LORNE AVE TO DIEFENBAKER PARK RD
(Construction)
Start: December 6, 7:00 a.m. End: December 10, 3:00 p.m.

RUTH ST E ROAD CLOSED FROM MCPHERSON AVE TO MELROSE AVE
(Connection replacement)
Start: December 6, 7:00 a.m. End: December 10, 5:00 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.

The pedestrian walkway over College Drive near the University of Saskatchewan remains closed. At approximately 9:30 a.m. a flatbed truck with a crane collided with the pedestrian bridge, causing damage and knocking the structure out of alignment. A bridge inspection and structural assessment is underway, and the bridge will remain closed until further notice.

Traffic on College Drive will also remain impacted until further notice. Detours are in place and one westbound lane of traffic will be rerouted into an eastbound lane between Campus Drive and Cumberland Avenue.

More information regarding the pedestrian walkway will be released once it is available. 

Making parts of downtown more pedestrian-friendly, creating diversified housing close to the riverfront, and repurposing barren or underused properties to meet community needs are among key ideas gleaned in a study on making downtown Saskatoon a more desirable place to live.

“The goal was to understand, from people who live downtown or would consider living there, what about the area makes it an attractive option and what barriers exist to people from falling in love with the idea of living a downtown urban lifestyle,” said University of Saskatchewan (USask) researcher Ryan Walker.

The project, which involved an online survey of 470 residents in downtown Saskatoon and 10 other neighbourhoods, as well as five focus group discussions via videoconference, was funded by Research Junction, a joint initiative by USask and City of Saskatoon (City).

“Sustainable growth is a strategic goal for the City, and enhancing downtown as a residential environment and getting more people living there is a priority,” said the City’s Director of Planning and Development, Lesley Anderson.

Among the key findings:

• The South Saskatchewan River and Meewasin Valley are downtown’s biggest assets, and people want to live within a few blocks of them. Amenities such as an expanded network of public spaces should be programmed with interesting things to do in all seasons.
   
• The convenient lifestyle of proximity to work, school, retail, businesses, services, and action at venues such as restaurants, bars and other public amenities are top reasons to live downtown.
   
• Diversified housing options in terms of architectural style, on-site amenities, and price points, especially in the mid-range suitable for families are in short supply. A push to develop barren lots and underused buildings is needed.
   
• The art gallery, theatre, and public library facilities are important public and private investments for a downtown urban lifestyle.
   
• Downtown respondents felt they aren’t in close community contact with business owners and are often not perceived as a target market.

Building an environment that attracts more people to live downtown can make residents a key target market, and change the debate around issues such as transit, bike lanes and parking, said Walker, principal investigator and professor in the department of geography and planning in the College of Arts and Science. Graduate student Zoe Hagen was co-investigator.

While the lack of grocery stores and feelings of being unsafe in the area remain predominant concerns, he said these challenges, especially about safety, aren’t insurmountable.

“The best way to resolve the perception of a decline in safety is to be persistent and continue to really promote residential development,” Walker said. “When you have people living downtown in higher numbers, there’s more passive street surveillance and a sense of community. The issues of safety perception sort of resolve themselves.”

Anderson said the City will use the findings from this research to help in the planning of major and minor projects downtown, including streetscape and public realm projects, as well as the upcoming Downtown Arena and Entertainment District master plan.

Daily Road Report - December 7. 2021

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

NEW

SPADINA CRES E ROAD CLOSED FROM QUEEN ST TO 25TH ST E
(Minor bridge repairs)
Start: December 7, 9:00 a.m. End: December 7, 3:00 p.m.

ONGOING

RUTH ST E ROAD CLOSED FROM MCPHERSON AVE TO MELROSE AVE
(Connection replacement)
Start: December 6, 7:00 a.m. End: December 9, 5:00 p.m.

CIRCLE DR S WB CURB LANE CLOSED & SPEED REDUCTION FROM LORNE AVE TO DIEFENBAKER PARK RD
(Construction)
Start: December 6, 7:00 a.m. End: December 10, 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.

On Monday, December 6, 2021 flags at all City facilities will be lowered for the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. The Day of Remembrance is an opportunity for Canadians to remember all women and girls who have died as a result of violence.

The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women was established in 1991 by the federal government, choosing December 6th to mark the anniversary of the deaths of 14 women killed at l’Ecole Polytechnique de Montréal in 1989.