Category Archives: VVCA News & Events

City Recreation Programs

City of Saskatoon, VVCA News & Events, , ,

FREE programs offered by the City of Saskatoon.

Taking to the Court
FREE one day event for boys ages 10 -14 to get active, learn and practice a mix of sports. Snacks and lunch provided.
Monday, October 26 (originally scheduled to run October 9) from 9:00am-4:00pm
Cosmo Civic Centre Gymnasium (3130 Laurier Drive)

Multi-Sport Sampler Tennis Session
FREE Ages 9-14 years.  A great opportunity for youth to engage in physical activity while developing new and improved skills in tennis.
Monday, November 9 (was originally scheduled for November 6) from 1:00pm-4;00pm
Lakewood Indoor Tennis Centre (1635 McKercher Drive)

Drop N Shop
FREE Ages 6-12 yrs. This holiday season entrust your children with certified leaders who will supervise a number of child-friendly activities including arts and crafts, giving opportunity to get away and get your shopping done!

Lakewood Civic Centre (1635 McKercher Drive)Saturday, November 28 from 1:00pm-4:00pm
Saturday, December 5 from 1:00pm-4:00pm

White Buffalo Youth Lodge (602 20th St. W)
Saturday, December 12 from 1:00pm-4:00pm


Programs/ Events Cancelled in Fall 2020 Due to COVID-19
Fall Freestyle, Fast & Female Champ Chat, Girls in Motion and Multisport Sampler Bowling Session

Fall Basketball League – UPDATE

VVCA News & Events, ,

Registration for 2020 Fall/Winter SMBA league can be found at www.smba.ca

RETURN TO PLAY PLAN

We are SUPER EXCITED to get back on the court and have great phased in plan for you:

Minis (Grade 5 & 6) and Bantam (Grade 7 & 8) Registration is open! Most sessions will be at the Martinsville Athletic Pavillion. Each individual will be responsible for travel to and from Martensville.

Click here to begin your registration: http://smba.ca/   Please click on “Register Here” on the top of the page for the link.

Registration closes September 25; so don’t delay! (there will be no late registration, if you wish to get on the wait list please email randi.mac@shaw.ca)

Dunkaroos and Spuds full program will run January to March  2021. Registration will open in mid October – watch SMBA website for details.

Junior and Senior (formerly Midget and Juvenile) will run programming Jan to Mar 2021 if not sooner and Registration will open Mid-October.

*We will be adhering strictly to the COVID 19 rules for our return to play.  All details about practices and games will be sent out when we have more details. Registration will be through our website, but community coordinators will be forming teams and finding coaches.  There will be movement of players depending on numbers and the division chosen. Please be aware that you may not play for your home community. *

YAS Basketball Camps are open this summer

VVCA News & Events, ,

Important Notice from YAS
July 2, 2020

Effective June 29, 2020 Young Athlete Saskatchewan Inc. (YAS)
Sports School, a registered Saskatchewan corporate entity, has been
authorized by the Government of Saskatchewan to hold its 2020
weekly youth basketball camps during July and August in Saskatoon
and Regina.

Accordingly, YAS has immediately re-commenced accepting registrations
for its camps scheduled for the week of July 20 to 24, July 27 to 31
and continuing for its weekly camps scheduled throughout August.
Registrations for camps will continue until camps reach COVID-19
enrolment limits. Visit the YAS web site for additional details and to
register on line www.yas.ca

All youths who were registered for YAS camps back in February and
early March, prior to the COVID-19 shut down, remain registered,
with the following exception:
Those who were registered for camps in Saskatoon during the weeks of July 6 to 10 and July 13 to 17 are notified that those camps have been withdrawn due to the City of Saskatoon not yet approving the rental of its Cosmo Civic Centre gym at which those camps were scheduled. Parents and guardians of youths registered for YAS camps July 6 to 10 and July 13 to 17 in Saskatoon are requested to contact the YAS office immediately in order to request a transfer to another YAS 2020 camp later during the summer or to receive a full refund of their camp fees.

The FREE YAS Mini-Camps scheduled for July 2 and 3 in each city
have been withdrawn, with the possibility that they may be re-
scheduled for later during this summer or early fall.

YAS basketball camps are headed by certified teachers who are also
accomplished basketball coaches. Accordingly, the YAS basketball
skills-development curriculum will be followed as it has been during
past summers. This will include basketball skills instruction, drills,
scientific skills testing, and follow-up skills-reinforcement competitions.
It will also include regular-game scrimmages.

A COVID-19 questionnaire that every youth registered for
YAS 2020 basketball camp will be required to bring with them to their
camp head instructor (certified teacher), every camp morning.

Every YAS staff member will also be required to adhere on an ongoing
basis and strictly to Saskatchewan Government COVID-19 restrictions.

Regular and additional sanitizing precautions will be taken at the gyms.

Questions and Clarifications,
Dr. Robb Hall, B.A., B.Ed., M.Ed. (admin) Ph.D. (EDPA)
YAS Camps Director
rhall@yas.ca

Radio Summer Camp 2020

VVCA News & Events, ,

CFCR is launching our first ever Radio Summer Camp, a youth empowerment project focused on skill-building in the realms of Radio, Media, and Podcasting! It is a free camp, with very limited capacity of 6 youth, age 12-16. We will accept applications until Aug 1.

Participants will be immersed in a creative, supportive online atmosphere where they will learn and be challenged through daily activities. The intended outcome will be for the youth to walk away feeling empowered, with all of the skills to host their own live radio or spoken word program. The final projects produced during camp will hit the airwaves. Due to COVID-19, this camp will be done over zoom, from home. More and more things are opening up, but we have chosen to move forward with an at-home version. More information and the application link can be found at cfcr.ca.

Clarence Ave water main project starts Monday, June 22

City of Saskatoon, VVCA News & Events, , ,

The City will be installing new water mains on Clarence Avenue between 8th Street and College Drive starting Monday, June 22 at 7:00 a.m. This work is expected to take  about 5 months to complete, weather permitting and barring any unforeseen circumstances.  
Detours will be in place guiding motorists around the construction zone while this work is underway. 

Phase 1– Clarence Avenue from 8th  Street East to 12th  Street East – beginning June 22 for approximately  4  weeks.    
Phase 2– Clarence Avenue from 12th Street East to Colony Street – approximately 5 weeks. 
Phase 3 – Clarence Avenue from Colony Street to College Drive – approximately 6 weeks.    
Phase 4 – Temperance Street from Munroe Avenue to Wiggins Avenue – approximately  7 weeks. 

For more information on the Clarence Avenue Water Main Replacement Project, please visit saskatoon.ca/watermain. 

Library online programs

City of Saskatoon, VVCA News & Events, , ,

Although Saskatoon Public Libraries are closed, we are excited to have now launched our online summer programs. Your local residents may want to do some of these summer programs with their families.

Knowlympics – June 1 – August 31
The Knowlympics is an all-ages summer learning program that encourages Saskatoon residents to discover a love of lifelong learning through various challenges that promote various forms of literacy development.

TD Summer Reading Club – June 1 – August 31
The TD Summer Reading Club (TDSRC) is Canada’s biggest bilingual summer reading program for kids. SPL has presented the TDSRC for a number of years but it will be presented slightly differently this summer.

Other Summer Online Programming  
Note: soon this link will have information to include more summer programs.

Escape Rooms: Solve a series of puzzles to get out of a locked room and progress through the game to the end!

Geocaching: Geocaches will be created and placed near SPL branches. They’ll direct patrons to walks or views to enjoy while social distancing.

Personality Quizzes: Which classic book are you? What type of library patron are you? Discover more about yourself and share your results with friends!

Story Laboratory: Join us for a picture book and a fun activity or craft based on it! 

Trivia: Test your knowledge and keep your brain in shape! These quizzes will end with recommendations of SPL resources to visit for more info.

What’s your story? Teen Storytelling Challenge
It will run from June 8 – August 15 2020, with an online gala on August 31. 

This summer, Saskatoon Library is asking: What’s Your Story? Beginning June 1, 2020, teens aged 13 to 18 are invited to share their creative stories.  For every story you submit, your name will be entered into a draw for a spectacular prize! 
Categories:

  • Short Story: one story up to eight pages on any theme (Fiction or Memoir), or one spoken word video, maximum 5 minutes in length.
  • Poetry: up to four pages of poetry in any style, or one spoken word video, maximum 5 minutes in length.
  • Comic Book: one story up to eight pages on any theme (pages can be scanned into a digital document for submission)
  • Book Trailer: one video introducing a favourite story, no more than two minutes in length
  • Photo Essay: one series of no more than ten photos that tell a story or document an event
  • Serial Video Story: one series of short videos that tell a story.  Series must contain no more than 10 videos, each 15 seconds in length.

Clarence Water Main Work

City of Saskatoon, Nutana, VVCA News & Events, ,

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Saskatoon has reviewed all construction projects planned for 2020. It has been determined that the Clarence Avenue Water Main Replacement Project will proceed as planned, but with some modifications to the original planned construction area (see map). This work includes essential upgrades to existing infrastructure that, if delayed, could mean further, unplanned disruptions. The replacement of older water mains brings several benefits:  Decreased susceptibility to breakage, failures and service disruptions  Restoration of roadways, resulting in smooth ‘like new’ surfaces  Replacement or rehabilitation of sidewalks within the work area To ensure the least amount of restrictions to driveway access and parking, construction will be phased:

 Phase 1:
o Clarence Avenue from 8th Street East to 12th Street East, including the intersection of Clarence Avenue and 12th Street East

 Phase 2:
o Clarence Avenue from 12th Street East to Colony Street

 Phase 3:
o Clarence Avenue from Colony Street to College Drive

 Phase 4:
o Temperance Street from Munroe Avenue to Wiggins Avenue
o Munroe Avenue between Temperance Street and back lane of 1200 block of Temperance Street
o Back Lane of 1200 block of Temperance Street
o Wiggins Avenue between back lane of 1200 block of Temperance Street and Temperance Street

During this project, all lead water service connections and sewer service connections between College Drive and 8th Street East, and on the 1200 block of Temperance Street, will be replaced.

Good Food Delivery

VVCA News & Events, ,

CHEP Good Food is a local food security non-profit, focusing on affordability and accessibility of fresh food. During COVID-19, we are offering a grocery delivery service called Good Food Delivery; a poster is attached. This program is open to everyone, and anyone can order, but our main focus is families and community members who are vulnerable, low income, or cannot leave their homes.

Good-Food-DeliveryDownload

Street Sweeping Spring 2020

City of Saskatoon, VVCA News & Events,

Street Sweeping started this week – coming soon to your neighbourhood! Please share/retweet City of Saskatoon sweeping ads on your social channels to get the word out: Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Campaign images are attached here if you prefer to create your own posts.

While on our pages, learn more about the community challenge for KIDS OF ALL AGES, started by our friend, street sweeping kid James! Direct link to YouTube video if you don’t see the posts.

Find your sweep day at saskatoon.ca/sweep and watch for yellow No Parking signs. Thank you very much for sharing this information with your neighbours. With so many people at home, we expect more vehicles to tow this year, and we’d much rather people move them in time.

2020 Civic Election

City of Saskatoon, VVCA News & Events,

The City of Saskatoon Election Office has prepared the Candidate Information Guide  for anyone seeking election or re-election for mayor, city councillor, or school board trustee on November 9, 2020. The digital guide is now available at saskatoon.ca/CandidateInfo.

The guide includes information on the responsibilities and time commitment of elected office, candidate eligibility, the nomination process, and key dates. The first key date is June 1, which marks the start of the campaign expense period. This is the date candidates can begin to spend money on their campaign.

The 2020 Civic Election Office located at 226 Cardinal Crescent will open on July 2, but election officials are available now to answer any questions from candidates or clarify information contained in the guide. Candidates can email elections@saskatoon.ca or call 306-657-8683 (VOTE).

Civic Elections are held in order to elect a mayor and 10 councillors, one for each of the city’s 10 wards. The City of Saskatoon also conducts elections for both the Saskatoon Public Schools and Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools in order to elect their respective school board trustees.

In accordance with legislation, the civic election is scheduled for November 9, 2020.  The Election Office is adapting its plans to ensure public safety measures are in place for the election and will respond accordingly to any COVID-19 directives issued by the Province. For more information and the latest election updates, visit saskatoon.ca/election2020 or follow the City on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Ward 6 Virtual Block Party

City of Saskatoon, Nutana, VVCA News & Events, , ,

Councillor Cynthia Block will host a Virtual Block Party on June 4 at 7pm through Facebook Live to learn more about what is happening in your neighbourhood. The Mayor will also join our event to help answer your questions.

What’s on your mind? Let’s talk.

• Roads and Sidewalks
• Taxes
• Climate
• Core Services
• Safety
• Something else?
Submit your questions in advance at:
bit.ly/ward6blockparty

https://www.facebook.com/events/244738846840265/

To add a little Block Party flavour, the Mayor and Cynthia will each make a potluck dish, and make a contactless delivery following the event. All you have to do is share one of your favourite recipes in the event comments to be eligible for the draw. Cut off time to submit is 7pm on June 4.

Saskatoon Council on Aging

VVCA News & Events,

The safety of older adults and the community is paramount. The Saskatoon Council on Aging is playing their part to flatten the curve for our healthcare system. They have cancelled programs and activities until June. Phone lines remain open and staff are working remotely. Any senior needing help to get groceries or need a friendly volunteer caller may contact a new volunteer group called the YXE Community Response to COVID-19. Their email is yxecovid19help@gmail.com. Their hotline is 306-361-4357. There are also many other organizations that are helping. To keep updated visit our website www.scoa.ca and click on the COVID-19 banner.

Thank you for your continued supports and information out to your communities.

Calling bird-lovers

VVCA News & Events, , ,

Calling all bird-loving walkers! 

Birds in Real Danger, Saskatoon (B.I.R.D.S) aims to reduce bird-window strikes in the city, and we need your help to do it! All you need is a camera (your phone works great!), some paper, a pen, and a few bags, and you can help document evidence of birds injured or killed by window strikes.

Hundreds of birds are treated at Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation after striking windows – and those are just the ones lucky enough to survive the impact and be found by a caring person.

With the ongoing development of larger buildings, many covered in glass and on or near the riverbank, the City of Saskatoon may well see an increase in the number of bird injuries and mortalities from collisions with glass structures. By documenting occurrences of bird collisions with windows, and by educating the public on the issue, BIRDS aims to gain support for the adoption of bird-friendly guidelines for buildings. 

If you’d like to join us in looking for evidence of window strikes in Saskatoon’s downtown area, on the University campus, or even in your own neighborhood, contact us at lswr@sasktel.net. 

Your regular walk might just save the birds!

Saskatoon Transit to resume June 8

City of Saskatoon, VVCA News & Events, ,

Saskatoon Transit to resume fare collection: to align with Re-Open SK Phase 3

As the province and our community move toward re-opening amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Saskatoon Transit will resume loading passengers and collecting fares at the front doors starting June 8, 2020.  

“Our team will always keep the safety of our customers and employees at the forefront of everything we do, which is why we went to rear door boarding and suspended fare collection.” says Jim McDonald, Director, Saskatoon Transit. “Saskatoon Transit is proud to provide transportation services our customers can rely on as we move into Phase Three of the Re-Open Saskatchewan Plan.”   

New measures:  
·  Front door loading and fare collection will resume effective June 8, 2020.   
·  Vinyl panels are being installed as protective barriers for operators. Operators have also been issued gloves and re-useable masks for protection of themselves and riders. 
·   One-way passenger flow: boarding through the front and exiting through the rear doors of the bus. 
o   Exceptions will be made for customers with mobility aids to exit through the front of the bus.   
·  Transit riders are encouraged to follow the recommendations for using face masks or face coverings on buses and at bus stops. The Public Health Agency of Canada recommends wearing a non-medical mask where physical distancing is not possible or is unpredictable. 
·  Saskatoon Transit will continue to monitor capacity on buses, and customers may experience pass-ups. 
o   Riders are encouraged to use the mobile app called “transit” to check the schedules in advance and attempt to travel at non-peak times as much as possible.

“Following the guidance of the Chief Medical Health Officer and drawing on the best practices of the transit industry worldwide, Saskatoon Transit has implemented additional safety measures. We’ll also continue with many of the procedures and practices already at work to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic,” McDonald says.   

Measures already in place that will continue:  
·        Enhanced bus cleaning and sanitizing   
·        Additional personal protective equipment for Access Transit operators   
·        Communication to staff and riders encouraging good personal hygiene 
·        Rear door loading with no fare collection until June 7, 2020  

As restrictions begin to lift and people gradually return to some activities they did prior to March 2020, Saskatoon Transit wants to ensure everyone gets where they need to be as safely and efficiently as possible.   

For more information, visit SaskatoonTranist.ca or call 306-975-3100.