NatureCity Festival 2019

May 21 – 26 2019
Spring is coming and we are looking forward to growing wild things with you this NatureCity Festival – with over 50 event hosts last year, it’s time to begin planning our celebration – with the launch of a new website!

Submissions Now Open!
What can grow wild this May in Saskatoon? Celebrate citizen science, wild places and our furry, feathered and finned neighbours – we are here early this spring to help you organize and run your event for NatureCity Festival 2019 with our new Event Host Guide. Be part of the growing excitement!

Submit Your Event Now

This year’s festival theme is “I Spy With My Wild Eye”. How can you be a citizen scientist?

Spring 2019 Outdoor Soccer

SEASON LENGTH: May 1st to June 27th
DIVISIONS and GAME DATES: 

KINDER Soccer (born 2015 & 2016) 
• 1 session per week (night & time TBD, led by volunteer VVCA parents)
• All sessions held at President Murray Park

UNDER-5 (born 2014 only) – CO-ED 
• 3 vs. 3 format; no goaltenders
• 1 regular game per week (Monday or Tuesday at 6 or 7 pm – to be decided)
• 8 games plus Mini FOS Tournament (June 7-9)
• Practices: TBD (at discretion of coach)

UNDER-7 (born 2012 & 2013) – CO-ED 
• 4 vs. 4 format, includes goalkeeper
• 1 regular game per week (Wednesdays or Thursdays – to be decided)
• 8 games plus Mini FOS Tournament (June 7-9)
• Practices: TBD (at discretion of coach)

UNDER-9 (born 2010 & 2011) – COED (separate girls or boys teams with sufficient demand only)
• 5 vs. 5 format, includes goalkeeper 
• 1 regular game per week (Mondays or Tuesdays – to be decided)
• 8 games plus Mini FOS Tournament (June 7-9)
• Practices: TBD (at discretion of coach)

Register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/vvca-soccer-registration-spring-2019-tickets-58395050167

Become a Blood Donor Today!

1 in 2 Canadians will need or know someone who needs blood in their lifetime. Consider taking about an hour to give the gift of life.

Saskatoon Blood Donor Centre
1206 Emerson Avenue (Behind the A&W on 8th St)
Tuesday 8:00 am to 12:00 noon
Wednesday 9:00 am to 1:00 pm & 3:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Thursday 9:00 am to 1:00 pm & 3:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Friday 8:00 am to 12:00 noon
Saturday 8:00 am to 1:00pm

Book your first, or your next appointment at blood.ca

Saskatoon Police & Fire Academy

The Saskatoon Police Service and the Saskatoon Fire Department, in partnership with the Saskatoon Council on Aging are pleased to present the first ever Saskatoon Police and Fire Academy.

DATES: Each Wednesday between April 17th and June 5th, 2019
TIME:  9:30 a.m. until noon
LOCATION:  the Community Room of the Saskatoon Police Service (76 25th Street East) OR the Community Room of Fire Station No. 3 (2613 Clarence Avenue South)
TOPICS:  Home and Personal Security, Fraud Prevention, Internet Safety, Traffic Safety, Elder Abuse, K-9 Policing, Emergency Preparedness, Fire Safety, Fall Prevention, the 911 system and how to report a crime
AGE:  65 or over
COST:  Free
COMMITMENT: To attend all eight sessions and share the knowledge gained with the community

Enrollment is limited to 25 participants and is free to attend. Anyone interested in attending should complete an application form and submit it to the Saskatoon Police Service no later than March 15, 2019.

Application forms are available at the SCOA office (2020 College Drive) or online at https://saskatoonpolice.ca and https://Saskatoon.ca/CPFAapplication Applicants must be 65 years or over, live in the Saskatoon area, commit to attending all sessions and have an interest in learning more about the police and fire services here in Saskatoon. Applicants are encouraged to fill out the application completely, including why they would like to attend and how they will be able to share the knowledge they gain with our community.

For more information, please contact either:
Cst Dawn Epp; 306-975-8032; dawn.epp@police.saskatoon.sk.ca
Dori Krahn; 306- 975-7715; dori.krahn@saskatoon.ca

Winter Play Program

Drop in for winter games and activities!
FREE!
Saturdays and Sundays
February 9 to March 9, 2019
10:30 AM – 4:00 PM

Greystone Heights Rec Unit, 2711 Main Street
Holliston Rec Unit, 1511 Louise Avenue
Westmount Rec Unit, 306 Avenue L North
Massey Place Rec Unit, 3110 Massey Place
Heated warm-up recreation unit at each location.


Learn to Skate
FREE!
Participants must bring their own sites and CSA approved winter helmets. Children under the age of six must be accompanied by an adult or responsible care giver.

Lawson Heights, 748 Redberry Road, Saturdays 10:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Holliston, 1151 Louise Avenue, Saturdays 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Montgomery, 3229 Caen Street, Sundays 10:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Greystone Heights, 2711 Main Street, Sundays 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Massey, 3110 Massey Place, Sundays 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM


For more information, call 306-975-3378
Activities will be cancelled if the temperature reaches -25 degrees C or below with the the windchill or due to adverse ice conditions.

Family Day Skate

Monday, February 18 2019
2:00 – 4:00 PM
Clarence Downey Speed Skating Oval (Dudley Street and Avenue R South)
Cosmo Civic Centre (3130 Laurier Drive)

Bring your skates and safety gear and come down for an afternoon of skating and winter fun!
Stay warm inside the Cosmo gym with tipi teachings and indigenous hand games presented by the Saskatoon Indian and Metis Friendship Centre.

Skating at the Speed Skating Oval will be cancelled if the temperature reaches -25 degrees C or below with windchill, or above -5 degrees C.

Are you a Jane’s Walks leader?

You may already be familiar with this world-wide Spring event, May 3rd to 5th, now in 212 cities, inspired by the life of Jane Jacobs, a writer, urbanite and activist.  Jane insisted the voices of everyday people were heard in neighbourhood planning and city-building.   This 2019,  Jane’s Walk’s 10th anniversary in Saskatoon expects to match the record turn out last year of over 600 participants.

The only catch is the Varsity View/Grosvenor Park  walk needs a volunteer leader.  Organization and promotion is looked after by our Saskatoon planning group. 

Jane’s Walks can be led by anyone who wants to share with others what they believe makes their new or old neighbourhood a special place to live. A typical walk takes an hour.

 The volunteer planning committeeprovides a website for anyone who wants to lead a walk, or join one or more walks being offered free of charge.   The committee also looks after the Saskatoon publicity for all the walks.

The process to register your neighbourhood hosting of a walk this year is easy. 

A user-friendly form is on our new website: http://janeswalksaskatoon.ca/index.php/about/. Check out our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/JanesWalkSaskatoon/

Committee members also respond to email inquiries, promote the walks to encourage participation, and act as co-hosts with walk leaders.

We look forward to seeing you at a walk in 2018!

Aboriginal Storytelling Month

February is Aboriginal Storytelling Month
The Saskatoon Public Library is hosting a variety of events for all ages throughout the month of February. See link below for details, times and locations for the following events:

 

STORYTELLING PROGRAMS

Drumming & Stories with Carol Rose Daniels
Traditional drumming and storytelling.
Carol is a novelist, poet, artist, musician, and storyteller.
Storytelling with Joseph Naytowhow
Joseph Naytowhow is renowned for his unique style of Cree/English storytelling, combined with original contemporary music and traditional First Nations drum and rattle songs.
Storytelling with Dickie Yuzicapi
Dickie Yuzicapi recalls the stories impressed on him as a child, which featured creation, historic and comedic stories for all ages. He sings to honour his Indigenous cultures and the people from within them. 


PUPPET SHOWS

Rabbit & Bear Paws
Join Chad Solomon for a comical, educational and interactive puppet show that shares Indigenous wisdom with universal audiences. 


SONGS & MOVEMENT

Red River Jig Dance Party
Dallas and Phil Boyer are joining us to provide the music for a special Family Dance Party.
Anyone and everyone can come learn the Red River Jig, a
traditional Métis dance, with teachers from the Creeland Dancers.


MOVIES & FILMS

Wide Awake Film Series
Join us as we screen films by Indigenous filmmakers throughout February.
Films presented in partnership with the National Film Board (NFB).
The Road Forward / Feb 6
This musical documentary connects a pivotal moment in Canada’s civil rights history — the beginnings of Indian nationalism in the 1930s —  with the powerful momentum of First Nations activism today.
Birth of a Family / Feb 13
In this deeply moving documentary, three sisters and a brother meet for the first time. Removed from their young Dene mother during the infamous Sixties Scoop, they were separated as infants and adopted into families across North America.
Trick or Treaty / Feb 20
This feature documentary profiles Indigenous leaders in their quest for justice as they seek to establish dialogue with the Canadian government.
This River & This Land / Feb 27
This River offers an Indigenous perspective on the devastating experience of searching for a loved one who has disappeared. This Land recounts a 2,000-km expedition undertaken by seven rangers (both Inuit and non-Native) and a female filmmaker to raise a flag on the northernmost tip of Canadian soil, 412 km from the North Pole.


WRAP-UP EVENT

Saskatchewan Aboriginal Storytelling Wrap-up Workshop
A day-long mentorship workshop for experienced and emerging oral storytellers, facilitated by Joseph Naytowhow and co-facilitated by Maureen Belanger and Kevin MacKenzie. Register by phoning 306.381.5836.

Saskatoon Public Library

‘Indian Horse’ showing

Saskatoon Food Bank & Learning Centre TRC Committee has partnered with The Roxy Theatre to offer a FREE viewing of Indian Horse on February 6th.

6:15 PM Doors Open
6:45 PM Opening Remarks & Smudge Ceremony

There will be a Smudge Ceremony before screening and Indian Residential School Survivors will be recognized.
Seating reserved for survivors and elders, and trauma counselors available on site.

Have you seen this incredible movie?
If you haven’t seen the movie, Indian Horse follows the life of Canadian First Nations boy, Saul Indian Horse, as he survives residential school and life amongst the racism of the 1970s. A talented hockey player, Saul must find his own path as he battles stereotypes and alcoholism.

Watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02cyFlnvA4s&fbclid=IwAR0f8n4DQ8_H5RhAirKU2D3hmTsjYTANczEV4P6AexPv37zd7mhv8B7NSJ4

SCOA Cherry Bop Hop

Join us for the Cherry Bop Hop – a red-hot event to kick off spring 2019!

Date: Thursday, March 21, 2019
Location: Western Development Museum (WDM)
Cocktails: 5:00 p.m. Program: 6 p.m. Supper: 6:30 p.m. Dance: 7:30 pm.
Tickets: $65, tax receipts available
Phone 306-652-2255 pay by credit card or pay online
Or purchase at SCOA, 2020 College Drive.[Field House]


Features: MC Brenda Baker
The band England playing tunes from the 50s & 60s
Eye-popping decorations
Signature cocktails
Door prizes
Dance demos
Take your selfie in our vintage red car from Draggins
Cash bar
Wear red and be entered to win a cool prize! Get your tickets while they last! Please share this event with anyone who may be interested!
If you have any questions phone 306-652-2255, visit scoa.ca
See you there!

The Cherry Bop Hop is a fundraiser for the Saskatoon Council on Aging. Funds raised help us to provide programs and services for a growing population of older adults.

LIT UP! 2019

Come out to READ Saskatoon’s LIT UP! Please join in for a night of fun, food, drinks, and unique auction experiences that cannot be found anywhere else.

Details:
Date: Thursday, March 7th, 2019
Time: 6:00 pm food and cocktails, 7:00 pm program
Location: Sheraton Cavalier Hotel
Tickets: $90/person, $720/table, $1,000/VIP table. A charitable receipt is available for ticket/table purchases. Usual online payment methods available.

LIT UP! is a fun, business casual evening that spotlights literacy through volunteer recognition, great company, tasty eats, sweet treats, and exciting lucky dip, silent, and live auction items!

LIT UP! sells out early every year! Visit READSaskatoon.com or call 306.652.5448 to get your tickets today!

21st Annual Seedy Saturday

21st ANNUAL SEEDY SATURDAY
Seed Exchange and Eco-Fair
March 9, 2019 – 10am to 3pm
Station 20 West (1120 20th St. W)
Admission $2 – (free for children and Students)

Break Your Winter Dormancy and Usher in Spring!
Join Chep Good Food for our 21st Annual Seedy Saturday – Seed Exchange and Eco-fair! Bring the entire family to swap seeds, shop over 25 vendors of natural and local goods, enjoy live music, children’s activities, participate in round table garden chats with Community Gardeners, and much more!
Mark your calendars!

Minor Football Registration

Saskatoon Minor Football registration is now open for all spring 2019 programming!

– Tykes on Spikes: players aged 3 – 6
– 5 on 5 Flag: players grades 1 – 8
– Six A Side Tackle: players grades 5 – 8
– SMF Academy and League: grades 8 – 11
– Rush Girls Flag: grades 9 – 12

Saskatoon Minor Football is dedicated to providing Saskatoon’s youth with a positive learning experience to develop the fundamental skills of football and well-being for a lifetime of physical activity. The league is non-competitive and focus on increasing the participation and skill development of the leagues participants.

https://saskatoonminorfootball.com/index.php

BRT Follow-up

Bus Rapid Transit

Thank you to everyone who participated in one of the 19 engagement sessions we held over the last few weeks. In case you weren’t able to come to one of the events, we invite you to take a look at the information presented at the sessions, including route maps. You can find them on the Transit Plan engagement page under the Getting Involved tab.

Once you have had a chance to go over all the documents, send your preference on route options along with any other comments to brt@saskatoon.ca. All feedback received before 8:00 a.m. on January 4, 2019, will be included in the report to City council, which will be submitted in the first quarter of 2019. Feedback received after the January 4 deadline will be kept on file as part of the project.

The BRT Project Team would like to thank everyone for their interest and active involvement in 2018.

Information will be added to the Growth Plan website as it becomes available.

If you have any questions about BRT, or would like to participate in future engagement activities, please contact BRT@saskatoon.ca. If you have any questions about the Plan for Growth in general, please contact the Growth Plan Implementation Team at growth@saskatoon.ca.

President Murray Park parking restrictions

December 2018:

New parking restrictions are planned for streets bordering President Murray Park. The restrictions will limit parking to 2 Hours, Monday to Friday 08:00-17:00 and are being implemented as part of the approved Local Area Plan, to assist in reducing traffic and facilitate access to the Park.

The changes are planned to be implemented January 14, 2019. Temporary signs communicating the change will be placed at the site for two weeks prior to the implementation date. (Dec 31, 2018 to Jan 14, 2019).

The parking restrictions are separate from the Residential Parking Permit program in place in the neighbourhood. Parking permits issued under the Residential Parking Program will not be valid on the block faces directly abutting President Murray Park and all vehicles will be subject to the posted parking restrictions.