Saskatoon Minute: Issue 94

Saskatoon Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Saskatoon politics

📅 This Week In Saskatoon: 📅

• On Tuesday, at 9:30 am, the Standing Policy Committee on Environment, Utilities and Corporate Services will meet. The Committee will discuss a Solid Waste Reduction and Diversion Plan that involves piloting waste diversion programs in public spaces and at events. In 2024-2025, research, stakeholder engagement, and pilot projects were conducted to identify barriers and test strategies, such as multi-stream waste management, smart receptacles, financial incentives, and reusable foodware. Findings showed that contamination is a major challenge, with food-soiled recyclables and inconsistent sorting contributing to low diversion rates, while education and on-site guidance proved most effective. Pilot results informed guiding principles for phased implementation, emphasizing waste reduction, health and safety, accessibility, adaptability, sector alignment, and public education. The City collected data from over 1,700 park receptacles, transit stops, and 418 events in 2024, highlighting significant opportunities to divert materials currently sent to landfill. Funding has been secured through capital allocations and a $150,000 federal grant, with $507,000 planned for 2026-2027 to support further implementation. Next steps include finalizing a multi-year approach and reporting back with a detailed plan in Q2 2026.
  
  
• On Tuesday, at 2:00 pm the Standing Policy Committee on Transportation will meet. The City is proposing to establish accessible loading zones with ramps for people using mobility aids. A one-year pilot at three locations - including a care home, an elementary school, and a commercial building - tested designs, collected stakeholder feedback, and found high satisfaction and improved access. The proposed policy would allow property owners to request accessible loading zones, set design standards, and make the applicant responsible for installation costs, with maintenance and snow removal remaining the property owner’s responsibility. Applications would follow a permit process similar to the existing driveway crossing program, with fees covering administrative and inspection costs. Pilot observations confirmed the designs effectively support safe access to sidewalks from vehicles. If approved, the policy updates and permit process will be communicated publicly, and further installations can proceed citywide.
  
  
• Saskatoon’s newest women-only warming centre, operated by the Saskatoon Tribal Council, is seeing rising use just weeks after opening, reflecting demand for services among the city’s homeless population. The centre logged over 4,000 visits between November 7th and December 31st, representing roughly 550 different women. The men’s warming centre at St. Mary’s Church, run by the Salvation Army, is seeing higher early-winter usage compared to last year. Meanwhile, the Saskatoon Fire Department reports rising encampments and fires. Despite these challenges, the warming centres are achieving positive outcomes, including helping about a dozen people enter detox programs and providing 53 women with spots at the Emergency Wellness Centre.
  
  
• A major adaptive-reuse project in Saskatoon’s Caswell Hill neighbourhood is beginning to take shape, as the first tenants move into the former City bus barns redevelopment. The historic site is being transformed into a mixed-use arts and culture hub, featuring a 200-seat theatre, studios, office space, a daycare, a restaurant, and plans for nearby housing. Several local theatre groups have already secured long-term space. Developers estimate the site could see hundreds of daily users once fully operational, integrating arts activity into everyday neighbourhood life. The project focuses on flexibility and heritage preservation, retaining original structures dating back more than a century while opening parts of the site to the public. While some adjacent buildings will be demolished due to high retrofit costs, the City says the redevelopment reflects a practical balance between preservation and renewal. The theatre space is expected to be fully operational in 2027.
  
  
• A former school building in Pleasant Hill is set to become a new wellness clinic through a major First Nations-led redevelopment. Ahtahkakoop Cree Developments Medical Holdings LP told the City’s Municipal Planning Commission that the renovated clinic could open this fall, with an estimated refurbishment cost of $25-$27 million. The centre is expected to include MRI, X-ray, ultrasound, and a pharmacy, along with an Elders program and partnerships to train technicians and counsellors. Next door, the Province is building Saskatoon’s first urgent care centre on land owned by Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation and leased long-term by the Province. Construction is to reach substantial completion in the fall, though opening is projected for early 2027. To address parking, plans include a 150-stall parkade. The rezoning request has been endorsed by the planning commission and now heads to City Council for a public hearing later this month.

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