The City of Saskatoon, in partnership with the Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council’s Compost Coaches, offers a number of composting programs and services.
Visit our website to learn more about:
– $20 rebates on compost bins
– Free home visits for residents seeking one-on-one composting support
- What’s your Composting Style? quiz
- Educational materials
- Composting workshop and presentations
For more information, visit Saskatoon.ca/HomeComposting
Homegrown: Saskatchewan’s First Passive House
Holly Ann Knott and her husband have built Saskatchewan’s first Certified Passive House. She, Robin Adair (the Green Builder Inc.) and Michael Nemeth (Bright Buildings) describe how they built a house to Canadian Passive House standards with no furnace.
The event is free to attend at the Frances Morrison Central Library in Saskatoon on Tuesday, September 20, 2016 from 7 – 8:30pm, lower level meeting room, and is part of a monthly series of sustainable speakers co-sponsored by the Saskatchewan Environmental Society and the Saskatoon Public Library.
For more information about this event and other sustainability topics please visit the Saskatchewan Environmental Society at http://environmentalsociety.ca/events/sustainable-speakers-series/ or call 306.665.1915.
Don’t treat household hazardous waste like garbage.
Household hazardous waste includes corrosive, flammable or poisonous materials like pesticides, automotive oil, aerosols, prescription medicine, batteries and mercury-containing items, to name a few. Putting these materials in your garbage or recycling, or pouring them down your drain, contaminates water and landfills.
For a list of places in Saskatoon that accept household hazardous materials for convenient and safe disposal during business hours, including used oil and related products, medication, loose batteries and more, visit Saskatoon.ca/WasteWizard, SaskWasteReduction.ca or call 306-975-2486.
The City of Saskatoon coordinates regular Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Days for residents to drop off items for free. In 2016, a temporary site is set up at SaskTel Centre parking lot (101 – 3515 Thatcher Avenue) from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on:
April 23
May 14
June 18
July 23
August 20
September 10
October 15
November 19
For a list of materials accepted and not accepted at Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Days, visit Saskatoon.ca/HazardousWaste.
Protect Our River!
Water from your Street drains directly to our river – UNTREATED.
Eight actions you can take to help keep our river clean:
• Wash your car at a carwash to prevent soap from entering storm drains.
• Scoop your dog’s poop and put it in the garbage.
• Take hazardous household chemicals to designated drop-off locations.
• Fertilize lawns and gardens naturally with compost, grass cuttings, and topsoil.
• Keep insects away with natural predators such as birds (houses), ladybugs (leaf litter), spiders (leave webs), and bats (boxes).
• Pull weeds by hand or host a weed pulling party.
• Sweep dirt and sediment onto the lawn not the street.
• Fix car leaks so fluids don’t get washed down the storm drains.
Yellow Fish RoadTM
Help build awareness by painting storm drains in your neighbourhood with a yellow fish and the words “rainwater only” This helps remind your friends and neighbours that what goes down our storm drains affects our river.
To learn more about Yellow Fish Road, visit www.yellowfishroad.org or call the Girl Guides at 306-652-3275 to borrow a painting kit and get involved.
Jane’s Walks are free, locally organized walking tours, in which people get together to explore, talk about and celebrate their neighbourhoods. Where more traditional tours are a bit like walking lectures, a Jane’s Walk is more of a walking conversation. Leaders share their knowledge, but also encourage discussion and participation among the walkers.
A Jane’s Walk can focus on almost any aspect of a neighbourhood, and on almost any topic you can think of.Walks can be serious or funny, informative or exploratory; they can look at the history of a place, or at what’s happening there right now. Anyone can lead a walk — because everyone is an expert on the place where they live!
More info here.
Saskatoon Walks:
May 1, 2015, 07:00 PM – Home Sweet Home? 19th Street West & Avenue F South
May 2, 2015, 10:00 AM – Psycho Geography – An ephemeral view of Saskatoon’s Urban Fabric; Delta Bessborough
May 2, 2015, 10:00 AM – A Bird’s Eye View of an Urban Forest; President Murray Park, NW corner of park at McKinnon Avenue and Aird St.
May 2, 2015, 01:00 PM – The ecological and cultural history of the Meewasin Valley; Meewasin Valley Center, Corner of 19th Street East & 3rd Ave South
May 2, 2015, 01:00 PM – Saskatoon’s New Infill Requirements; Dairy Queen at corner of Cumberland and College
May 2, 2015, 01:00 PM – AAA! Suburbs… What are you afraid of?; Playground at Howard Harding Park on Hunter Road
May 2, 2015, 03:00 PM – Age- Friendly-How does Saskatoon measure up? In front of City hall., Meeting & end point
May 2, 2015, 03:00 PM – Stonebridge: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly; St Martin’s Church Parking Lot, Clarence Avenue and Wilson Crescent
May 2, 2015, 05:00 PM – Cruisin’ for a Boozin’; Avalon Shopping Centre
May 3, 2015, 10:00 AM – Saskatoon’s North Downtown: Challenges and Opportunities; City Perks Coffee House , 801 7th Ave N
May 3, 2015, 10:30 AM – Broadway, where it all began! Outside Victoria School, 639 Broadway Ave
May 3, 2015, 01:00 PM – Homo Hike: An Historical Downtown Walking Tour; Avenue Community Centre, Top Floor – Habitat Centre, 320 21st St W, Saskatoon
May 3, 2015, 01:00 PM – Caswell Hill Bus Barns: Hub of Creativity? Corner of 24th & Ave. D N
May 3, 2015, 01:30 PM – Tree Talk Walk in Saskatoon’s Leafy Cathedral; Saskatchewan Cresc. West , Sask. Cresc. West just north of Eighth St. Meet at Idylwyld Park across from 333 Sask Cresc. West
May 3, 2015, 03:00 PM – The Heart of the City…… …….an historic walking tour of downtown Saskatoon; Friendship Park near Gabriel Dumont statue, Meeting point
May 3, 2015, 03:00 PM – Photo walk in downtown Saskatoon; Gazebo at the Kiwanis Memorial Park , south of Delta Bessborough Hotel
Learn How to Compost! – Workshops May 7th, 9th, 13th, and 23rd
Our Master Composters are teaming up with Saskatoon public libraries to put on 4 “Learn How to Compost!” workshops. Join one of Saskatoon’s Master Composters for an introduction to composting. These workshops are perfect if you have questions about how to get started, or how to help a current compost bin work better. Each presentation will be followed by Q&A. Please spread the word about these workshops to anyone you know who might be interested!
Dates and locations:
1. May 7th, 7 – 8:30 pm – Frances Morrison Central Library, 311 23rd St. E
2. May 9th, 2 – 3:30 pm – J.S. Wood Library, 1801 Lansdowne Ave.
3. May 13th 7 – 8:30 pm – Alice Turner Library, 110 Nelson Rd.
4. May 23rd, 2 – 3:30 pm – Mayfair Library, 602 33rd St. W
4-H Saskatchewan has teamed up with Agriculture in the Classroom (Sask.) for a second year to plan a summer camp program held in Saskatoon.
The first summer camp runs from July 7th -11th for youth ages 8-12 and our second overnight youth camp runs from July 14th -18th for youth ages 13-15.
The theme of the “Bite into Summer” youth camp program is food security and agriculture. Youth will have the opportunity to learn about the ever-growing important issue of food security and the impact that agriculture has on our everyday lives—developing a deeper understanding of where our food comes from. This is an exciting opportunity for youth to learn about an important topic while having fun and making new friends along the way. Campers will will go on numerous field trips, do hands projects, and listen to great guest speakers throughout the week.
Junior Day Camp:
July 7‐11, 2014 Saskatoon
Ages: 8 to 12 Cost: $220 (includes GST)
Intermediate Overnight Camp:
July 14‐18, 2014 Saskatoon
Ages: 13 to 15 Cost: $300 (includes GST)
Spots are still available! For more information or to register call 306-933-7727 or visit www.4-H.sk.ca
The Bridge City Bicycle Co-op and In Motion are pleased to present Saskatoon’s second annual Bike To Work Day on June 4, 2014
About Bike To Work Day:
The mission of Bike To Work Day (BTWD) Saskatoon is to attract new cyclists to commuting while celebrating the efforts of those that already use their bikes to get to and from work.
We aim to have a network of Commuter Stations in locations around the city from 7 – 9am on the morning of Wednesday, June 4th, 2014. Local businesses and organizations in Saskatoon are invited to participate in BTWD by hosting a Commuter Station – a place for commuters to stop for grab-and-go refreshments, information, and a little fun on their way to work.
Benefits of Cycling to Work
Cycling is a healthy, convenient, low-cost and socially responsible form of everyday transportation that improves our community by decreasing traffic congestion and reducing air pollution. We hope this event inspires more people to use their bicycles for regular, active transportation and experience the benefits of increased mental and physical health upon arriving at work.
Host a Commuter Station:
If your business or organization is interested in hosting a Commuter Station, please read through the details on www.biketoworksaskatoon.com and submit a Commuter Station Request Form. Please note that filling out a form implies agreement to adhere to the commitments and responsibilities as outlined in the Station Manager’s Guide on the BTWD website.
Celebrate Mother’s Day at a Gala fundraiser for Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation.
Saturday, May 10at 6:00 pm
The Willows, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Keynote Speaker – Trevor Herriot
Trevor Herriot is best known to the Saskatchewan public for his encyclopedic knowledge of Saskatchewan birds on the popular monthly CBC radio phone in show, “Birdline”. He is also a well-known naturalist, writer and illustrator. Read more about Trevor here.
Tickets cost $75/person, or $650/table of 10.
Tickets available at:
McNally Robinson, 3130 8th St East (Mon-Thurs 9am – 10pm, Fri-Sat 9am – 11am, Sun 10am – 6pm)
Wild Birds Unlimited Store, 330A 2600 8th St East. (Mon-Sat 10am – 6pm, Sun 12pm – 4pm)
Or by calling 306-652-5975
100% of the profit at this event goes toward the costs of caring for the animals that come in to Living Sky. Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation has been seeing the animals they take in increase by about 100 animals each year since it was opened in 2010. In 2013, the small volunteer organization took in 435 birds and small mammals!
See Facebook for more info on the event, or the Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation website.
Free fishing for the kids at the Forestry Farm Trout Pond, Saturday, May 10, 2014, from 9:00 am to 2:30 pm. Rods and tackle provided, free BBQ and free on-site parking.
Pre-registration required, phone (306) 251-1982 or email brittany.lockie@gmail.com
The NatureCity Festival is a week of (mostly free) urban escapes and mini adventures. See Saskatoon shine more brightly than ever before. Go a little wild in the city!
Where: In parks, gardens and natural areas all over the city.
What: The Festival offers nature-related activities for all ages and all tastes.
~ Want to enjoy one of Canada’s most popular pastimes but don’t know how to begin? Enroll in the Learn to Birdwatch short course.
~ Yearning to get up close and personal with wildlife? Meet Franklin, the luckiest ground squirrel and commune with a Great Horned Owl.
~ Hungry for change? Take in the urban agriculture tour. Up for a challenge? ~ Enter the three-day Green Bird-a-thon.
~ Come out and enjoy art, music, wild birds, prairie plants, beautiful bugs and so much more!
~ There will be PRIZES!
Complete details at www.wildaboutsaskatoon.org
Who: The NatureCity Festival provides programming for people of all ages.
The Festival is produced by Wild about Saskatoon, an informal collective of nature lovers, in collaboration with a whole lot of other people. This year, more than 70 groups and businesses are involved in the fun.
Festival Warm-Up: Get into the Festival spirit at the Saskatoon Farmer’s Market, Saturday, May 24, from 10 a.m. 2 p.m., with wildlife exhibits, information booths, music, skateboarding demonstrations, and more! Follow the brass band from the Market to the Roxy Theatre and arrive just in time for the first Gala Keynote event.
Exciting Speakers:
Saturday, May 24 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Why (Young) People Need Nature
Monday, May 26 7:30-9:30 p.m.
The International Urban Biodiversity Movement
Wednesday, May 28 7:30-9:30 p.m.
Be Kind to Your Friends in the Pond: The Value of Urban Wetlands
Humanity First Canada – Saskatoon branch and the youth association of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has planned to plant 1000 trees in our home province of Saskatchewan. This campaign is being launched to educate the community that trees are essential to our health and well-being, preserving our beautiful province, and also play an important role in mitigating climate change. We will be working in collaboration and direct supervision of Meewasin Valley Authority, Saskatoon in this project. This will help us to ensure that we plant trees properly and they thrive and survive.
Chief Guest: Honourable Vaughn Solomon Schofield, Lieutenant Governor, Govt. of Saskatchewan.
Date: June 1st, 2014.
Start Time: 4.00 p.m. (duration 45 minutes)
Venue: Room 1150, Health Science Building (E-Wing), 107 Wiggins Rd, Saskatoon, SK
As many of you may know, Earth Hour 2014 is just around the corner! On Saturday, March 29th at 8:30pm, the City of Saskatoon will join others from across Saskatoon (and around the world) to take part in this global event to acknowledge the importance of environmental awareness and action, during and beyond the hour.
This year, the City of Saskatoon is inviting community associations, businesses, organizations, students and community members to share their Earth Hour stories online. An online forum is available at http://shapingsaskatoon.ca/forums/earth-hour for people to post why they feel earth hour is important, how they’ve participated in the past, and what they’re planning this year. We hope members of your community association will consider contributing to this online discussion, as well as help us spread the word by sharing this opportunity with friends, family, and colleagues.
Saskatoon Transit is also offering FREE Transit on Saturday, March 29, 2014 from 7:30 pm until 1:00 am as a way of showing support for action on climate change. Reduce your footprint and save money by giving transit a try!
We also encourage you to post your Earth Hour photos online to show the world how you’re participating in Earth Hour! Simply post your photos to your Facebook or Twitter account on March 29 with the hashtag #yxeEarthHour to show how you’re taking action on climate change. Two lucky winners will be drawn to receive a 1 month bus pass and transit promo prize pack from Saskatoon Transit!
To find out more about Earth Hour 2014, please visit: http://www.saskatoon.ca/departments/utility%20services/environmental%20services/pages/earthhour.aspx
Formed by a group of local residents over the past two years, the Saskatoon CarShare Co-operative (SCC) have now launched their service and membership. SCC offers cost-effective, convenient and sustainable alternative to private car ownership.
The procedure to use these cars is very simple:
See their website for more information.
The City of Saskatoon (City) is seeking input on a new planning initiative that will establish a framework for the identification, preservation, and management of wetlands in the City’s future growth areas. The Wetland Policy will ensure that impacts to wetlands are an important consideration in any future development decisions within Saskatoon.
Saskatoon is growing and with that comes pressure on the natural environment. Saskatoon and the surrounding areas contain a significant number of wetlands that when preserved can provide many social, environmental, and economic benefits to the community. The benefits of integrating wetlands into the urban landscape include:
The Wetland Policy will require developers to account for and address impacts to wetlands as part of the development of new neighbourhoods so that the effects can be minimized and important wetlands can be preserved and integrated into the city.
The preservation of important wetlands supports many of the strategic goals identified in the City’s Strategic Plan 2012-2022. Specifically, the Wetland Policy furthers the strategic goals of Quality of Life and Environmental Leadership by preserving natural areas for citizens to enjoy, reducing damage to property from flooding, improving water quality, and providing habitat for plant and animal life.
To provide feedback on the draft Wetland Policy or to learn more about wetlands in Saskatoon, please visit the City’s website, www.saskatoon.ca/go/wetlandpolicy