City Council Highlights

Below are some of the highlights from the February 2024 Council and Committee meetings. The full reports can be found at saskatoon.ca/meeting.

Property Acquisition in Support of Proposed Convention Centre

City Council approved the acquisition of the current YMCA building as a strategic purchase for the Downtown Event and Entertainment District (DEED).  This locks in a future purchase and acquisition in today’s dollars. 

Whether or not the arena and full DEED project goes ahead, this property will be very important in the renewal and expansion of the TCU Place convention centre. After analysis, the only reasonable way to expand the convention facility is to the west, using the YMCA site. 

YMCA will continue their operations at the current facility for the foreseeable future. The YMCA has also committed to continuing to provide their programs to help meet the needs of the community, from recreation to childcare services.

31st Street Bikeway Connection to 33rd Street Shared-use Pathway Functional Plan

City Council considered options to connect the future 31st Street bikeway to the 33rd Street shared-use pathway. 

A 3.0 metre-wide shared-use pathway would run along Idylwyld Drive North and 33rd Street East that would be offset from the adjacent roadway curbing to allow for the placement of light poles, signs, fire. This will provide a more comfortable place to walk or cycle as people are further away from traffic. The approved option will also connect directly to the Bus Rapid Transit station on the south side of 33rd Street between Alberta Avenue and Idylwyld Drive.

Some of the other options that were considered were deemed less feasible due to unknown costs as well as low interest from current property holders when considering different routes. 

This project is currently unfunded, and the plans will be further refined once available funding has been allocated.

Motions from Councillor Hill and Jeffries on Emergency Shelters

Two separate motions were considered regarding Emergency Shelters that were passed by Council. 

The one from Councillor Hill will study the crime statistics in Fairhaven from December 2021 to January 2024. There will be a report created on what safety measures have been implemented to address any rise in crime in the area. Additionally, information on safety measures that will be used for a complex needs facility in Mayfair, including a discharge strategy and a communications strategy, will be presented to City Council. 

The motion from Councillor Jeffries was to include a 250 metre buffer from an elementary school in the Saskatoon Public School or Greater Saskatoon Catholic School system. This buffer will be part of other criteria previously approved by Council, in determining the placement of emergency shelters. Administration is continuing to evaluate and select sites for future shelters to be operated by the Province of Saskatchewan. 

This decision will halt the development of a shelter on Central Avenue. As Mayor, I did not support this decision of Council as I knew it would set our process back some months to find facilities.  We remain committed to finding sites and will be coming forward with more options in the coming months.

And more…

Four appointments were made to various committees. Should you be interested in serving on one of the City’s many advisory committees or boards, there are still some vacancies. You can find the postings here: https://bm-public-saskatoon.escribemeetings.com/

The Traffic Bylaw was amended to create a speed limit reduction to a maximum of 30 km/h for neighbourhood bikeways. In Saskatoon, there are currently two neighbourhood bikeways: 

• 23rd Street West Bikeway (Blairmore Bikeway) from Vancouver Avenue North to Avenue C North; and  
• 14th Street East Bikeway from Saskatchewan Crescent East to Cumberland Avenue South.

Once the Neighbourhood bikeways are fully constructed on Dudley Street and 31st Street West, they will be included for a speed limit reduction pending council approval.