Saskatoon Minute: Picasso Pieces, Bike Box, and Hospital Exceeds Capacity

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

This Week In Saskatoon:

• On Tuesday, at 1:00 pm, there will be a Special Regular Business Meeting Of City Council. The sole item of discussion is the tentative agreement reached with the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) for a new collective agreement. The agreement will be voted on by the ATU membership on Monday, and if ratified, the agreement will be made public. If the agreement is not ratified, this meeting will be cancelled.
  
  
• The Saskatoon Fire Department is investigating a fire at an encampment under the University Bridge. Fire crews responded to the scene and found one individual, who was unharmed and taken into police custody. After extinguishing the small fire, a rescue team and City engineers assessed the site for safety, finding no structural damage to the bridge.
  
  
• Staff at Saskatoon's Royal University Hospital (RUH) are calling for immediate changes after its emergency room reached 350% capacity, with 121 patients for just 35 beds. Overcrowding led to patients being treated in hallways and ambulances delayed due to a lack of space. Saskatchewan Party leader Scott Moe acknowledged the challenge and pledged to continue working on healthcare improvements if re-elected.

Last Week In Saskatoon:

• The City of Saskatoon has installed a green bike box and lane at the Wiggins Avenue and College Drive intersection to enhance cyclist safety. This follows the tragic death of Natasha Fox, who was hit by a truck while cycling there in 2023. The new infrastructure aims to improve cyclist visibility and reduce conflict with vehicles, supported by new signage and a lowered speed limit.
  
  
• Frederick Mulder, a renowned art dealer and expert on Pablo Picasso, has donated three additional Picasso pieces to the University of Saskatchewan. This follows his 2012 donation of six Picasso linocut prints, making the university home to the largest public collection of such works in Canada at that time. Although now surpassed by another collection, Mulder says that he quite likes “the fact that Saskatchewan is a slightly improbable place for a collection of this importance” calling it “rather cool”. Mulder grew up in Eston and attended the University of Saskatchewan.
  
  
• More candidates have announced their intention to run in the Saskatoon municipal election. Scott Ford announced his candidacy for Councillor in Ward 8, joining six other candidates in the race for that ward. Across the city, Ward 6 has five candidates, while several incumbents in Wards 5, 9, and 10 are currently running unopposed. For the mayoral race, five candidates have declared their intention to run, with more potential filings expected before the October 9th deadline. Several incumbent Councillors have yet to file their papers.