The City of Saskatoon will have a number of adjusted civic services and altered holiday hours over the holiday season. Wondering what’s open or closed. See full details on the City’s website.

Please visit saskatoon.ca/covid-19 for timely updates from the City of Saskatoon on everything you need to know to stay safe.

Our annual spring Bike to Work Day is Friday, May 21, which is now the final day of BYXE Week 2021! This year, the City of Saskatoon and Saskatoon Cycles are encouraging everyone to ride their bike anywhere and everywhere all week rather than just one day. 

Following public health orders in effect, we won’t be gathering at commuter stations as in past years, but we have fun ways for people any age, any ability and any skill level to participate. The goal is for people to try taking their bike to a regular activity or consider biking for new reasons, so they can experience the benefits. 

BYXE Week Prizes  
Bike to work, bike to enjoy nature, bike for exercise, bike for family time – and bike to win! Just snap a picture of your biking adventure and share it with the us on social media using the hashtag #BYXEWeek to enter to win a prize!!   

In addition to the personal benefits of riding a bike, cycling education and encouraging people to consider more active forms of transportation help build a city with a balanced transportation system that is accessible, cost-effective and efficient in terms of infrastructure investments. 

Take a tour of the decorated bikes parked at eight businesses around Saskatoon promoting BYXE Week: 

• Darkside Donuts (31 Ave H S) 
• Federated Co-operatives Limited (22nd St E & 4th Ave N) 
• D'Lish by Tish Cafe (702 14th St E)  
• 9 Mile Legacy Brewing’s Bike Patio (229 20th St W) 
• Saskatoon Community Clinic (455 2nd Ave N) 
• Affinity Credit Union Corporate Office (902 7th Ave N) 
• College of Kinesiology Physical Activity Complex (87 Campus Dr) 
• St. Thomas More College (1437 College Dr) 

Join our Facebook Event and visit saskatoon.ca/BYXEWeek to learn about the week-long activities planned. 

The City is busy with its unofficial “waste diversion season” underway, and residents are reminded of the following diversion opportunities and service changes happening in the coming days.

Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off Day

The City and GFL Environmental Inc. will host the second event of the season this Sunday, May 2 (9:00 am–3:30 pm) at the Civic Operations Centre (57 Valley Road).

Saskatoon residents are invited to drop off their HHW materials for recycling and safe disposal, including aerosols, automotive fluids, batteries, cleaners, cylinders, light bulbs, medications, yard chemicals, vaping products, and more. 
Event details, COVID-19 guidelines, and complete lists of accepted and unaccepted materials are available at saskatoon.ca/hazardouswaste.

Green Cart Program

Yard & Food Waste (Green Cart) collection will begin Monday, May 3 for residents who have subscribed to the program. Collection schedules are available at saskatoon.ca/collectioncalendar.

This is an optional subscription program that offers bi-weekly front-street collection from May 3 to November 5, available to single-family curbside households with blue and black carts.

Residents can still take advantage of the $65 Early Bird rate if they register by Friday, April 30. The City is currently processing a high volume of orders, so online registration at saskatoon.ca/greencart is encouraged. Residents should note that the timeframe for cart delivery is approximately 4 to 6 weeks from registration date.

Excess and oversized yard waste (no elm) can also be dropped off at a City Compost Depot.

Weekly Garbage Collection

The City will make its seasonal switch to weekly Garbage (Black Cart) collection on Monday, May 3 and will continue until Friday, September 30.

All garbage must be bagged before going in the cart to avoid potentially contaminated items from being wind-blown. Residents are also reminded to follow all cart placement guidelines to ensure a safe and efficient collection process.

Saskatoon Waste Wizard app

By downloading the Saskatoon Waste Wizard app, residents will have access to collections and event reminders, important service alerts, and the ability to search nearly any waste item for recycling and disposal information. The app is available on the App Store, Google Play, or at saskatoon.ca/wastewizard.

The City of Saskatoon has restored access to most of its online services and phone lines. The remaining services will be brought back online in the coming days. These services as well as in-person transactions, such as electronic payments and account balance inquiries, may see intermittent disruptions over the coming days. 

The civic facilities experiencing disruptions to booking services, electronic payments, and/or billing include – but are not limited to – City Hall, Transit Customer Service, Wildwood and Silverwood Golf Courses, and Gordon Howe Campground.   

Yesterday, an error associated with network communications between the City of Saskatoon’s data centres impacted electronic payment options as well as some phone lines and online functions.  

The City thanks residents for their patience while we work to bring affected services back as soon as possible.

An error associated with network communications between the City of Saskatoon’s data centres has temporarily impacted several services including electronic payment options and online booking systems.  

This is not a result of a cyber-attack. 

We are working to restore these services as quickly as possible but anticipate this issue will persist until tomorrow, potentially being resolved by the end of the day. Until full service is restored, residents are encouraged to follow @YXEServiceAlert on Twitter for service disruptions (Saskatoon Light & Power, Water, Transit, Roads). 

Please visit Saskatoon.ca for a full up-to-date listing of City services currently disrupted. 

The National Day of Mourning is on Wednesday, April 28, 2021. In recognition, flags at all City of Saskatoon facilities will fly at half-mast for the day.

The National Day of Mourning, held annually on April 28, was officially recognized by the federal government in 1991 and commemorates workers who have been killed, injured or suffered illness due to workplace related hazards and incidents. 

As the City continues to finalize its vision of a vibrant Downtown into the future, some key components are clear and will require:

• A new entertainment facility/arena
• A convention centre
• A high functioning transit system (including Bus Rapid Transit)

Other Downtown priorities include upgrades to roadway, walking and cycling infrastructure, Fire Hall #1 replacement, advancement of the outdoor festival sites along the riverbank, and reducing homelessness.

Achieving this vision of enhanced vibrancy Downtown is fundamental to the City’s future success.  We have been and continue to be a destination city because of the vision and amenities put in place by our predecessors. Approximately 50 years ago, the train station became Midtown Plaza, Sid Buckwold Bridge opened, and the Meewasin vision became a reality. This is a similar moment in the City’s life, planning for a Downtown that will meet the needs of the future. To maintain our competitive advantage and position, we must continue to provide world class amenities that support our quality of life and our economic foundation.

In a report for the Governance and Priorities Committee, three main projects -- an arena, a convention centre, and the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system -- are outlined as key priorities with the potential to transform Downtown, boost our economy, and further increase our attractiveness and improve our quality of life.

“Sasktel Centre and TCU Place are both nearing the end of their useful service lives and, without substantial renovations, cannot maintain market competitiveness in their current state,” says Lesley Anderson, Director of Planning and Development.

“Locating a new arena Downtown would have many mutual benefits for other major facilities such as the convention centre, and existing Downtown attractions including dining, hotels, and retail – creating the conditions for a fully-animated event and entertainment district.”

“A Bus Rapid Transit system, which has already received City Council approval to proceed, is an integral piece of building a successful and thriving entertainment district in Downtown Saskatoon,” notes Dan Willems, Director of Technical Services.

“Advancing a plan to provide core entertainment amenities located in Downtown which are supported by a rapid, reliable transit system will strengthen our position as a destination city.”

Construction of these types of amenities has been accomplished in many other jurisdictions through use of multiple funding streams, many of which have not been used before in Saskatoon.  Examples of funding tools used elsewhere for similar projects include taxes on hotel room and other short-term accommodation rentals, motor vehicle rental charges, and tax increment financing, to name a few.  Exploration and implementation of non-traditional funding sources will be key to achieving the vision of Saskatoon’s future in a way that minimizes reliance on property tax.

The Administration estimates that over a 25 year-period, there will be the potential for significant revenue generated to offset the need to rely on property taxes for these projects. These sources include a combination of new possible revenue streams and existing funding, such as the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program contributions expected from all three levels of government.  This combination of funding would be more than enough to cover the estimated costs of a new downtown arena, upgraded convention centre, and BRT.

“The aim of this funding/financing strategy is to minimize contributions from property taxes to pay for the bundle of sub-projects within this transformational project. It also attempts to improve fairness by generating revenues from those who benefit from the amenities, particularly, non-residents who tend to benefit from tourism-based infrastructure,” says Mike Jordan, Chief Public Policy and Government Relations Officer.

“However, achieving this outcome requires a substantial long-term investment and a partnership between the City, other orders of government, and industry.” 

The report will be presented to GPC at its April 19 meeting.

The City of Saskatoon and GFL Environmental Inc. will host the first Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Drop-off Day of the year this Sunday.

• Location: Civic Operations Centre (57 Valley Road) 
• Date & Time: Sunday, April 11 (9:00 am - 3:30 pm)

Saskatoon residents are invited to drop off their HHW materials for recycling and safe disposal, including aerosols, automotive fluids, batteries, cleaners, cylinders, light bulbs, medications, yard chemicals, vaping products, and more. Complete lists of acceptable and unacceptable items are available at saskatoon.ca/hazardouswaste.

Reminders:

• In response to COVID-19, updated guidelines and restrictions will be in place to help reduce the spread of the virus. More info at saskatoon.ca/hazardouswaste.
• Please ensure all containers are safely sealed and contents are clearly marked.
• To avoid potentially long line-ups and wait times, ask the Waste Wizard at  saskatoon.ca/wastewizard to find other means of recycling and safe disposal.
• Help reduce emissions from idling and protect the health of other residents by turning off vehicles during long wait times.
• Approximate wait times will be posted periodically on the day of the event on the Facebook event page.

Thank you for helping us put waste in the right place!

Due to COVID-19 physical distancing requirements and the current phase of the Re-Open Saskatchewan Plan, the City of Saskatoon already has a number of adjusted services in place. 

The City of Saskatoon will have a number of adjusted civic services and altered holiday hours over the holiday season. Wondering what’s open or closed. See full details on the City’s website.

Please visit saskatoon.ca/covid-19 for timely updates from the City of Saskatoon on everything you need to know to stay safe.