2019: A Year in Review

As I look back on 2019, I’m proud of the work that our community has done to build a strong and thriving city—both now and for the generations to come. Here are just some of the highlights from the past year at City Hall:

Bridge Repair

Completed the phase 1 of repairs to the Sid Buckwold Bridge, helping to preserve this valuable asset well into the future.

Accessibility

Saskatoon Transit now has a 100% accessible fleet, meaning that people have more options to get around our community.

Efficiency

We made considerable progress on the City’s enterprise resource planning to create huge efficiencies and save millions of dollars a year.

Infrastructure

In 2019, the City repaired or replaced 185km of roadway, 20km of sidewalk, and 25km of water mains throughout the city.

 Reconciliation

The City launched the second edition of ayisiyiniwak: A Communications Guide, began a process of engaging with the findings of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and helped launched a handbook on Indigenous employment.

Budget

We passed the City’s first-ever multi-year budget, helping to make strategic investments to set our community up for success now and in the future.

Urban Reserve

The City entered into an agreement with the Kahkewistahaw First Nation to create a 40 acre urban reserve, helping to stimulate development and forge new relationships.

Interchanges

Two new interchanges—at Boychuk/Highway 16 and McOrmond/College—officially opened, helping traffic flow in the city.

BRT

We approved the routes for the Bus Rapid Transit System to transform transit in Saskatoon, and work and engagement is continuing to finalize the design details.

Water Treatment

We received federal and provincial money for upgrades and expansions to our water and wastewater treatment facilities.

Traffic

The City adopted an Intelligent Transportation System strategy to improve traffic flow, reduce delays at rail crossings, and help buses and emergency vehicles get around the city better.

Field House

Improvements were made to the Saskatoon Field House to upgrade the track, add pickleball courts, and make the entrance more accessible.

Flood Prevention

We began work on implementing our flood protection program to address flooding in some of the hardest-hit areas of our city.

Sustainability

The City moved forward the combined heat and power plant at St. Paul’s Hospital and switching street lights to LEDs, both of which save money and reduce emissions.

Rezoning

The City rezoned lots on College and Clarence and near the Broadway Bridge. This allows for higher-density development and helps to create more housing opportunities.

Permits

We revamped the commercial building permit process to make the process faster, more responsive, and easier to navigate.

Engagement

City Council approved a new approach to public engagement to be more transparent to the public and to create stronger policies.

Partnership

The City entered into a partnership agreement with the Saskatoon Tribal Council to build on our working relationship and to collaborate on shared priorities.

Innovation

The City worked with the University of Saskatchewan to launch Research Junction—a way to connect researchers with City employees to address issues the community is facing.

Recreation

Continued investment in Gordie Howe Bowl and Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan to help improve quality of life and invest in valuable public spaces.

Library

City Hall moved forward in approving a loan to the Saskatoon Public Library for a new Central Library, which will help to transform the Downtown.