News Releases
Saskatoon Fire - News Releases
Keeping Saskatoon’s urban forest beautiful: Fall watering tips for healthy trees
September 14, 2023 - 1:00pm
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Adequate water is critical for the establishment of new trees and beneficial to the health of established trees.
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The amount of water that a tree requires depends on the type of soil, the age of the tree, the species of tree, plant site characteristics and the amount of rainfall.
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Simply watering the grass or turf around a tree does not supply enough moisture for the tree’s root system.
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The best method is to let a hose flow slowly, about 15cm (6”) away from the tree trunk, until the area is moist to a depth of 6-9 inches.
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It is important to soak the area outside of the root zone to encourage the roots to grow out in a radial – or circular – pattern.
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In late autumn, before the ground freezes and after the trees drop their leaves, give them a deep watering and ensure that the water reaches their roots. This will make your trees and shrubs strong enough to handle winter storms and high winds.
Trees help to make our communities beautiful and improve our quality of life by helping to regulate our climate, reduce air pollution, protect our soil and water resources, and provide habitat for wildlife. Protecting and conserving urban forests through proper management is vital to sustaining healthy communities. Saskatoon is well-known for its oasis of trees. Residents and visitors enjoy the benefits and quality of life they provide.
Unfortunately, urban trees are often faced with difficult environmental conditions and tree care is not only about pruning and trimming the trees, but it also includes watering them. When it comes to fall tree care, it is not a matter of whether you should water the trees in and around your property in autumn but knowing the right time and quantity. The City has some great seasonal tips to help residents keep trees healthy and ready for the spring.
Watering tips
Does snowmelt offer enough moisture?
The problem with snowmelt is that snow sits atop frozen ground. Even if we get a mild day or two mid-winter, the tree’s roots cannot access the water. Watering deeply before the ground freezes gives roots access to it on milder days and in early spring before the ground thaws. Ensuring the soil is moist at least 1-2 feet down encourages proper root growth.
For more information on how to keep trees healthy visit saskatoon.ca/treecare
Idylwyld Drive northbound lanes now open
September 14, 2023 - 10:15am
Idylwyld Drive northbound lanes at Saskatchewan Crescent West are now open after overnight bridge work extended into the morning.
This work was scheduled during the overnight hours, with a planned reopening of 7am to minimize the traffic impact and avoid the morning commute. The contractor experienced equipment issues, causing a delay in completing the project. The equipment has been repaired, and the bridge work is now complete.
The City recognizes this unexpected delay caused delays during your morning commute and appreciates your patience and understanding as this important work was completed.
For more information about current road restrictions and construction, visit saskatoon.ca/construction.
3rd Avenue closed between 25th and Queen streets starting Friday
September 14, 2023 - 6:00am
3rd Avenue will be closed between 25th Street and Queen Street starting Friday, September 15, at 6:00 a.m. for roadway patching. Detours will be in place guiding motorists around the work zone. This project is expected to take eight hours 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 are 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.
Council sets future path for 2024/2025 Budget, funding gap plan
September 13, 2023 - 3:45pm
City Council’s Governance & Priorities Committee (GPC) at its September 13 meeting, referred the remaining budget reports and options to the budget deliberations in November for consideration. After a summer of extensive budget meetings and discussions, the Special Budget Meetings previously set for September 20 and October 18 will no longer be required.
Property tax-supported options as well as various business line, spending and staffing reports will be considered at the final budget deliberations in November as Administration and City Council work diligently to continue to lower the City’s 2024/2025 projected funding gap.
Via Council’s prior Special Budget Meetings held June through August, there remains a total of 58 property tax-funded budget options that were not recommended by Administration and these are yet to be considered by GPC. In addition, there are 10 Utility-supported budget options that remain to be considered.
“City Council will continue to investigate the remaining 68 budget line options at budget deliberations on Nov 28 - 30. In addition to considering the Administrative options, City Council will have the opportunity to bring forward any additional options through the notice of motion process at the September 27 Council meeting or October 11 Governance and Priorities Committee meeting,” says Clae Hack, Chief Financial Officer. “We look forward to continuing to work to find the right balance between the services our residents and businesses expect along with a reasonable property tax.”
During GPC’s previous Special Budget Meetings June 14, July 25, August 15 and August 31, meaningful progress was made to shave the City’s projected funding gap by about $35 million, reduced now to $21.9 million in 2024, and $18.8 million in 2025. It is important to note the funding gap is not a deficit - it represents the projected costs required for the City to deliver civic services in 2024 and 2025 at today’s service levels.
“The 2024/2025 Multi-Year Business Plan & Budget document Council will review in November will have incorporated all budget options tentatively approved up to August 31,” adds Hack. “The starting 2024/2025 property tax rates to be considered by City Council in November are projected to be 7.47% and 5.93% respectively. However, it is important to note there will be several options still available to further reduce the property tax rates over the next two years.”
Council awaits draft budget submissions earlier requested from the Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners and the Saskatoon Library Board. These will be incorporated into this fall’s budget discussions.
For more information on the 2024/2025 Multi-Year Budget & Business Plan, including answers to frequently asked questions and factual reference charts and graphs, check the 2024/2025 Multi-Year Budget Information Guide or visit Saskatoon.ca/budget.
Daily Road Report - September 14, 2023
September 13, 2023 - 3:00pm
*This report includes road restrictions on Priority 1 (high traffic, high speed) streets only.
NEW
FEDORUK DR ROAD CLOSED FROM ZARY RD TO KONIHOWSKI RD
(Crack sealing)
Start: September 14, 9:00 a.m. End: September 14, 2:00 p.m.
NIGHTWORK
IDYLWYLD DR N SB MEDIAN LANE CLOSED FROM 71ST ST W TO WAKOOMA ST
(Road resurfacing)
Start: September 14, 7:00 p.m. End: September 15, 6:00 a.m.
IDYLWYLD DR S NB CURB & NEXT LANE CLOSED AT SASKATCHEWAN CRES W
(Minor bridge repair)
Start: September 13, 7:00 p.m. End: September 14, 6:00 a.m.
ONGOING
22ND ST E ROAD CLOSED FROM 4TH AVE N TO 5TH AVE N
(Anode Work)
Start: September 11, 7:00 a.m. End: September 15, 5:00 p.m.
MELVILLE ST INTERSECTION CLOSED AT JASPER AVE
(Infrastructure upgrades)
Start: August 8, 7:00 a.m. End: September 15, 5:00 p.m.
4TH AVE N NB CURB LANE CLOSED FROM 23RD ST E TO 24TH ST E
(Sidewalk construction)
Start: September 11, 7:00 a.m. End: September 15, 5:00 p.m.
DUNDONALD AVE ROAD CLOSED FROM MOUNTBATTEN ST TO DIEPPE ST
(Catch basin & manhole installations)
Start: September 5, 8:00 a.m. End: September 20, 5:00 p.m.
BALTZAN BLVD ROAD CLOSED FROM HORNER CRES TO ORBAN WAY
(Service connections)
Start: September 11, 7:00 a.m. End: September 22, 4:30 p.m.
NEAULT RD ROAD CLOSED FROM 22ND ST W TO WHELAN RD
(Construction)
Start: July 24, 7:00 a.m. End: September 24, 6:00 p.m.
CLARENCE AVE N NB CURB LANE CLOSED FROM AIRD ST TO OSLER ST
(Contractor work)
Start: July 21, 7:00 a.m. End: September 29, 6:00 p.m.
BROADWAY AVE ROAD CLOSED FROM 5TH ST E TO 8TH ST E
(Water main work)
Start: September 11, 7:00 a.m. End: October 15, 4:30 p.m.
CIRCLE DR E EB LANES CLOSED FROM WARMAN RD TO PRESTON AVE N
(Bridge rehabilitation)
Two-way traffic will be maintained in the WB lanes.
Start: June 25, 5:00 a.m. End: November 1, 5:00 p.m.
22ND ST E EB CURB & CENTER LANE CLOSED FROM AUDITORIUM AVE TO 1ST AVE S
(Vault repairs)
Start: September 11, 7:00 a.m. End: November 30, 4:00 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.