Saskatoon Transit is recognizing veterans and current members of the Canadian Armed Forces with free transit service on Remembrance Day.  
 
The free bus service will be offered to armed forces veterans and current serving personnel, including cadets and reservists. Free bus service will also be provided to their one companion.  
 
Eligible transit users can identify themselves by wearing a military uniform or presenting military ID or a CF1 card when they board.  
 
Providing free transit to veterans and current members of the Canadian Armed Forces is a way to recognize the tremendous commitment they have made, and continue to make, to the community and country.  
 
Saskatoon Transit buses will also display a “Lest We Forget” message on November 11. 

Direct service from the Special Events Stop (outside the 2nd Avenue Lofts at 23rd Street and 2nd Avenue) to experience the 2021 PBR Canadian Finals at SaskTel Centre on Friday, October 29 and Saturday, October 30, is available at the following times each day: 

• 5:45 p.m. 
• 6:25 p.m. 

Post event drop-off is the downtown terminal and regular fares apply ($3.00 per trip). Transfers and passes are also accepted.  
 
Plan your trip to events at SaskTel Centre on Route 333 using the Transit  app up to two weeks in advance! Check out the Transit+ feature that helps you make connections that combine Transit with ridehail providers like riide and Uber. Transit does the work so you can travel with ease! Download the Transit app from the Apple Store or Google Play.  
 
To protect the health and safety of residents, customers and employees, masks are required when traveling on Saskatoon Transit and when accessing indoor City-operated facilities and services as an added safety measure to address the increasing spread of COVID-19 in our community. 
 
Transit service times for special events at SaskTel Centre and other popular destinations can always be found at SaskatoonTransit.ca/plan-my-trip/popular-destinations. Experience the convenience of using Saskatoon Transit to attend all your favourite events.  

The City of Saskatoon will have a number of adjusted civic services and hours of operation on Thanksgiving Day. Wondering what’s open or closed? See full details on the City’s website.

September 30th marks the first annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in our country’s history. Previously, Sept. 30th has been recognized as Orange Shirt Day and wearing an orange shirt continues to be one way to acknowledge the day.

The federal government created this federal statutory holiday in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action #80: “to honour Survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.”

The City of Saskatoon will be observing the stat to demonstrate a commitment to reconciliation and so that employees may participate in events that promote healing and awareness and reflect on the residential school legacy.

Saskatoon City Mayor, Charlie Clark says: “This is a day for all Saskatonians and Canadians to take time to honour the strength and resilience of Survivors of residential schools. We acknowledge the pain that they, and their families, have carried for generations. And we recognize that this pain was brought on by government policy and the churches that ran the residential schools.”  

He continues: “In naming these truths on this day, we must recommit to building a future that overcomes the colonial thinking that allowed residential schools and policies to be established. Instead, we must create relationships and systems based on mutual respect where every person is valued to be who they were meant to be.”

In order to establish and maintain a mutually respectful relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) found that “there has to be awareness of the past, an acknowledgement of the harm that has been inflicted, atonement for the causes, and action to change behaviour.”

Melissa Cote, the City’s Director of Indigenous Initiatives says: “The impacts of residential schools are felt by generations of Indigenous families. This day is a day to honour all the children who went to residential school. We need to acknowledge that it's going to take generations to heal from the trauma and effects of residential schools. It will be hard work, but important and meaningful work that we all have the responsibility to carry out.” 

The City has been actively engaged – as a municipality, Co-Chair of Reconciliation Saskatoon, and through other community partnerships – in efforts to help raise awareness about the day and in providing opportunities to participate. This Community Calendar of Events hosted on the City website contains dozens of activities and initiatives that the City and other organizations have organized. Through its work with Reconciliation Saskatoon (City as Co-Chair), new reconciliation resources are being shared such as this Personal Commitment to Reconciliation and this Pathway for Moving Forward.

Saskatoon Transit buses and other City vehicles will be displaying orange t-shirt stencils this week. The City social media channels and website are being “painted orange”. City Hall, the Prairie Wind art installation and SaskTel Centre will light up orange Sept. 29-30. The flags on City-owned facilities will be lowered to half-mast to honour Survivors, those that never made it home, and the families impacted by residential schools.

Residential school Survivor John Merasty says this about Sept. 30th: “Don’t stay at home. We need to go out to the street on Orange Shirt Day. Maybe someone will be asking, why are you wearing this shirt and you can tell them why. The students should learn about Indian people and the struggles that they lived and they are continuing living today.”

The City of Saskatoon will have a number of adjusted civic services and hours of operation on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Wondering what’s open or closed? See full details on the City’s website.

The City of Saskatoon will be closing early next week to allow employees the statutory time to vote in the federal election.

As a result, City Hall will close all front public-facing services at 4:30 p.m. on Election Day, Monday, September 20, 2021. 

The Canada Elections Act states that employers must allow employees three consecutive hours to cast their votes while the polls are open. Polls are open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

A secure payment drop box is located outside the front doors of City Hall at 222-3^rd Avenue North for customers to drop off cheque payments after hours.

To help reduce transportation barriers to voting polls, residents can ride all routes on Access, On-Demand Transit and fixed-route transit for FREE on Monday, September 20.

Find the free pass at SaskatoonTransit.ca or pick one up at the Transit Customer Service Centre, any Saskatoon Public Library, City Hall, or a Civic Leisure Centre. Simply show the pass to the operator on your phone or physically.  

Visit saskatoon.ca

The City of Saskatoon will have a number of adjusted civic services and altered holiday hours on Labour Day, Monday, September 6. Wondering what’s open or closed? Full detail on the City’s website.

An information report being presented to the City of Saskatoon Transportation Committee on September 7, 2021, will outline the required extension to the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project timeline to ensure engagement on the system will be in-depth, inclusive and accessible. This extension is necessary due to the challenges presented by COVID-19 to the public engagement process, most notably the inability to meet with partners and stakeholders in person.

“The BRT project was unexpectedly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Terry Schmidt, General Manager of Transportation and Construction. “Not being able to meet in person meant we were unable to meet our engagement principles of inclusivity and relationship building. We determined it was necessary to extend the launch date to June 2026 so we can gather the important public and staff input needed to ensure the BRT system meets the needs of our residents.”

Service launch of the BRT system was originally planned for June 2025. Public feedback is required on several areas about the planning and construction of the BRT network. It is expected that engagement opportunities will be available soon (dependent on pandemic restrictions and health orders) and will continue throughout the project. Interested residents can participate in the BRT process by signing up for the project enewsletter to stay informed about upcoming opportunities.

Visit saskatoon.ca/brt for more information on the BRT project.

To protect the health and safety of residents, customers and employees, beginning September 1 masks are required when traveling on Saskatoon Transit and when accessing indoor City-operated facilities and services. City Council approved the action at its meeting Monday, August 30 as an added safety measure to address the increasing spread of COVID-19 in our community. 

“Masks make a difference,” says Pamela Goulden-McLeod, Director, Saskatoon’s Emergency Management Organization. “As we approach the busy fall and the back-to-school activities season, it is important that we rally together to help support our health-care system. We need to do all we can to protect those who cannot be vaccinated such as children under age 12 and anyone with a health condition where vaccination is not an option.”

Given the current situation of COVID-19 and prevalence of the Delta variant in Saskatoon, the Saskatchewan Health Authority recommends masking indoors in public places, regardless of vaccination status. By wearing a mask indoors, we can continue to stop the spread of COVID-19 in our community and protect the health of our family, friends and neighbours. 

“Fall is a time of increased bus ridership and a popular time for participating in programs and activities in our leisure facilities,” says Goulden-McLeod. “We’ve looked at how we can safely meet the demand for our programs and services. Requiring the use of masks is an important step to protect the health and safety of our customers and staff.”

The City will focus on educating and informing the public about the required use of masks on Saskatoon Transit and in City-operated facilities as an added safety precaution, rather than enforcement. 

An additional report was shared for the information of City Council to provide an overview of the enhanced health and safety measures being reintroduced for City staff. With the lifting of the Government of Saskatchewan Public Health Orders and the rapid and uncontrolled rise of COVID-19 cases in the Saskatoon region, the City has determined that it must take a more assertive approach to staff safety than it has in the past. 

The new approach includes the introduction of regular mandatory COVID-19 rapid tests for all City staff who report to the workplace. Scheduled to start mid-September, mandatory testing of staff regardless of their vaccination status will provide a greater level of safety in the workplace. 

“Tests identify asymptomatic cases of COVID before they can enter the workplace, including in those who are fully vaccinated who are still able to catch and transmit the virus,” Goulden-McLeod says. “Rapid tests are also less intrusive and due to the way the process is designed, staff members are not required to share any personal health information with the City.”

City Council supported the mandatory testing for City staff and added that they would like Administration to explore the possibility of adjustments for fully vaccinated staff.

Also at its August 30 meeting, City Council requested that Administration explore and report back on the following items in the coming weeks:

• The potential implementation of vaccine requirements for City staff only, in consultation with local health authorities; and 
• Following the Government of Saskatchewan’s update on August 30, 2021 that “businesses, municipalities, venue and event organizers may request proof of vaccination to host and attend events or access their services,” to provide Council with advice on how this could apply to civic events, events in civic facilities and other relevant gatherings.

Any further impacts to City programs and services this fall resulting from enhanced health and safety measures will be shared with residents on the City’s website and social media channels. 

For the latest updates, visit saskatoon.ca/covid-19.