Saskatoon Minute: Issue 97

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

📅 This Week In Saskatoon: 📅

• The Standing Policy Committee on Environment, Utilities, and Corporate Services will meet on Tuesday at 9:30 am. On the agenda is a report regarding Dutch Elm Disease (DED). Saskatoon is facing a sharp increase in DED, with 41 cases reported in 2025 compared to 11 in 2024 and 4 in 2023. The City is shifting its approach from prevention to active management, focusing on rapid removal of infected trees, increased surveillance, pruning, community awareness, and strategic use of Arbotect injections. A post-budget capital request of $1,772,600 is proposed to fund seasonal staff, equipment, tree removal contracts, and ongoing disposal of elm wood at no cost to residents and businesses. The Urban Forestry team aims to slow elm loss to around 2% annually, which could extend the life of mature trees and mitigate long-term urban forest impacts. Future actions include diversifying tree species in planting programs, conducting a canopy assessment in 2026, and modelling elm loss scenarios to guide long-term planning. While costs will be substantial over time, proactive management has been shown in other cities to significantly reduce DED impacts.
  
  
• Also on the agenda is an update on the Industrial Surcharge Program. Saskatoon is seeing a significant rise in ammonia levels at its Wastewater Treatment Plant, with concentrations increasing more than 65% over the past decade. Stricter provincial limits on ammonia, measured as Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN), are expected soon, requiring the City to update its industrial surcharge program to ensure compliance and fairly allocate treatment costs to high-contributing industries. Currently, TKN is listed as a restricted substance under the Sewer Use Bylaw but does not carry a surcharge, meaning industrial users exceeding limits are not financially accountable. A 2024 influent study showed two of six industrial users exceed the 100 mg/L TKN threshold, and implementing a lower limit of 50 mg/L would better align with Canadian guidelines and encourage source control measures. Administration recommends reducing the TKN limit to 50 mg/L effective 2026, with a surcharge rate introduced in 2028, giving industries nearly two years to adjust operations or implement pre-treatment.
  
  
• The Standing Policy Committee on Transportation will meet on Tuesday at 2:00 pm. The agenda includes updates to policies on aerial operations. The Helicopter Services Policy is being repealed because it references a federal regulation that no longer exists. Correspondingly, the Flypasts and Parachute Jumps Policy will be amended to cover situations where City approval is needed for helicopter operations on City-owned property. The policy will also expand to include balloon festivals, and the updated policy will be renamed Flypasts, Parachute Jumps, Helicopters and Balloon Festivals, consolidating approvals and guidance for all related aerial events within the City.
  
  
• Council unanimously approved borrowing $45 million to fund the new downtown library, now projected to cost $150 million and expected to be completed next year. City officials said the borrowing represents the first two portions of the $67.5 million borrowing plan approved in 2019 (after an initial larger proposal was reduced). Councillors who voted against the project at the time said they supported the borrowing now because construction is underway and financing assumptions are built into the budget. The City plans to borrow $30 million in April at 4.95% and $15 million in October at 5%, with additional borrowing next year. Councillors raised concerns about interest costs (estimated at about $40 million) and the rising project budget. The library says the cost increase includes $3 million attributed to US tariffs, but that average homeowners will pay more in library taxes starting this year.
  
  
• Saskatoon’s Downtown Event and Entertainment District (DEED) project, which would include a new arena, event centre, parks, and a concert terrace, is dependent on securing funding from other levels of government, according to Ward 10 Councillor Zach Jeffries. Without such support, property taxes would likely rise, and the project timeline remains uncertain. The City previously considered partnering with US-based OVG360, which manages hundreds of event centres, but Council deferred the decision in 2025 due to concerns about financing, risk allocation, and partnership terms. Jeffries highlighted the potential for federal grants and low-cost financing to support district energy systems and green building initiatives, citing successful examples in British Columbia. The proposed agreement would involve $15 million in upfront capital and forecasted operating revenue of $235 million over a 30-year term. The City continues to explore funding options to ensure the project is viable without placing undue financial burden on taxpayers.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

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