Tag Archives: neighbourhood

City-Wide Curbside Swap

September 12, 2015 is city-wide Curbside Swap day

Got free, useable stuff?
Want free, usable stuff?
Swap it!

At a Curbside Swap, unwanted items in good condition are placed on the curb and marked as free, for anyone to pick up. Giving these items a new home keeps them out of our landfill and reduces our community’s environmental footprint.

Join the city-wide Curbside Swap day on Saturday, September 12, by placing items on your curb that you want to give away and/or by searching for free treasures that others set-out. Make sure whatever you set-out or pick-up is clearly marked as “FREE.” The swap ends by 6:00 p.m., when it’s time to return your unclaimed items to your home along with your newfound treasures.

Guidelines
– Clearly mark all items that you wish to swap as “FREE” and remove any items you wish to keep from your lawn and curb.
– Do not block roads/sidewalks with items.
– Obey all traffic laws and watch for children.
– Do not drive/walk on other people’s lawns.
– Do not discard items on someone else’s lawn/curb.

Check out https://www.saskatoon.ca/services-residents/waste-recycling/recycling/saskatoon-curbside-swap for further information, including downloadable “FREE STUFF” signs

Art Trek

Art Trek is a self-guided tour of eight Saskatoon artist studios featuring 60 painters, printmakers, weavers, glass artists and sculptors who aim to promote art within Saskatoon.

In 2012, five artist groups collaborated to promote an urban art tour in the heart of Saskatoon. Now in its fourth year, Art Trek 2015 will feature nine artist studios and collectives.

2015 DATES/TIMES:
Friday, June 12th, 5 – 10 pm & Saturday, June 13th, 10 – 5 pm

LOCATIONS:
The Mix Artist Collective Artists (212 20th St West): Debbie Rumpel, Bridget Aitken, Ann Donald, Muveddet Al-Katib, Brenda Kennedy, Paul Denham, Brent McGovern. Jacqueline Miller, Elizabeth Yonza, Christine Devrome, Rick Pollock, Elisabeth Miller, Robert Miller, Paula Cooley

Studio on 20th (236A 20th St W): Jane Harington, Miranda Jones, Carol Wylie, Amira Wasfy, Bridget Aitken, Jan Corcoran, Nicki Ault, Karen Maquire, Kathy Bradshaw, Brenda Kennedy, Ann Donald

Artists’ Workshop (Grace-Westminster United Church, 505 10th St. East): Virginia Beaubier, Valerie Borycki, Margaret Bremner, Lou Chrones, Kathryn Green, Lorraine Khachatourians, Karen Maguire, Val Miles, Valerie Munch, Eva Peters-Kooy, Gail Prpick, Kathleen Slavin, Marilyn Weiss

330 Design Group (330 Avenue G South): M. Craig Campbell, Daryl Richardson, Paula Cooley, James Korpan, Dale Hicks, Ken Wilkinson

TAG -Textile Artist Group (Grace -Westminster United Church, lower level): Gwen Klypak, June Jacobs, Alison Phillips, Annie Wall

Studio Five (5th floor Charter House Building, 331 1st Ave. N.): Nora Jacek, Tyson Atkings, Jinzhe Cui, Alana Unruh, Ania Slusarczyk, Audra Balion, Jeff Chief, Valerie Poulin

Lauriston Street Studios (510 Lauriston St.): Paul Denham, Louisa Ferguson, Gerogia Horsley, Sandy Lendingham, Louise Struder

The Artist’s Loft (617 Main Street East)

BAM (229 20th Street W)

This is going to be THE weekend in Saskatoon for art lovers! Take the studio tour at your own pace to discover some of Saskatoon’s finest artists.

Website

Proposed Rezoning Meeting – 418 Cumberland Ave. N.

PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETING

Proposed Rezoning by Agreement
418 Cumberland Avenue North
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Starting at 7:00 PM
Brunskill School – Library (101 Wiggins Avenue)

You are invited to review a proposed rezoning of 418 Cumberland Avenue North.

The applicant, Slade Desrochers, has applied to rezone the land through a Rezoning Agreement in order to redevelop the property.

A 3-storey building, with a main floor restaurant and 6 residential units on two floors above, is proposed to replace the building currently located on the property.
The purpose of the meeting is to provide neighbouring residents and property owners the opportunity to learn details of the proposed rezoning, obtain public input on the matter, and to provide details on the rezoning process.

For more information, please contact:
Brent McAdam, Planner
Planning and Development Division, Community Services Department, City of Saskatoon
222-3rd Avenue North, Saskatoon, S7K 0J5
Email: brent.mcadam@saskatoon.ca
PH: (306) 986-0902 Fax: (306) 975-7712

Karma Project: Support the Core Neighbourhood Youth Co-op

For the last 6 months Darlene Blanch has been doing a karma project with One Yoga Saskatoon to support the Core Neighbourhood Youth Co-op. They have held 5 Karma yoga classes, collected non-perishables at Christmas, replaced their broken down stove, purchased a new vacuum, received a large donation of toothbrushes, floss and toothpaste, and we hope to have a new washer and dryer installed within the month. Karma classes along with other outside donations have raised around $2000, and they also received a $5000 donation from ConnectEnergy. Thank you to everyone who have supported the initiative!

The Core Neighbourhood Youth Co-op is a skills building and alternative education program for youth in Saskatoon. Youth are able to earn academic credits and learn life and employment skills in a compassionate and supportive environment. CNYC work with youth between the ages of 15 and 21 with the majority of the youth in our program ages 15-19.

For the month of June, Darlene has a beautiful armoire to donate to the Co-op and it is her intention to fill it with clean, neatly folded, gently used clothing. Part of the work that they do at the Core Neighbourhood Youth Co-op is training the youth in skills and job preparation. Many do not have work safe clothing or clothing appropriate for a job interview. She will be collecting good quality clothing for the next few weeks – they do not want garbage bags of old, ratty clothing, or anything that is not clean. Collared shirts for men, chinos or dress pants, and any sort of casual dress wear for ladies is appreciated. She will also be collecting a small amount of casual wear (Jeans, t-shirts, everyday wear) as sometimes students need to wash their clothes and need a change of fresh clothing to wear. (Donations of newly purchased socks and underwear would be appreciated)

Please help make this an easy project!!!. If you have good clothes that are clean and neatly folded, please use the email below and she will arrange a time for you to drop them off or for her to come pick them up.

The other things that Darlene is collecting is any sort of personal hygiene items. She is planning on putting together gift/hygiene packs for the end of the month for each student (for about 30 students). Items such as: deodorant, soap, shampoo, conditioner, hair ties, new socks, toothpaste, dental floss, hair brushes, or any other items that young adults would like. She would like to be able to do up the treat packs so that the students feel excited and honoured when they open them. The hygiene items are necessary, but it would be so awesome to have some cool stuff in there too. Please email if you have any donations. Monetary donations will also be accepted to purchase items for the hygiene packs.

“The problem with the world is that we draw the circle of our family too small.” Mother Theresa

Let’s draw the circle of our family and communtity a little bigger!!

Email: web@vvcasaskatoon.com

Varsity View and Nutana Neighbourhood Traffic Plans

Varsity View and Nutana Neighbourhood Traffic Plans

Varsity View and Nutana neighbourhoods have both undergone neighbourhood traffic planning processes that have resulted in a number of proposals to improve traffic safety. These will be recommended for approval at City Council on Monday, May 25.

Nutana’s plan can be found at page 1189 of the Full Council Agenda. The main changes being proposed in Nutana are:

• Closure of the 9th St on-ramp onto the Idylwyld Freeway and removal of the roundabout at 9th and McPherson (to reduce cross-cutting traffic down 9th St)
• Installation of pedestrian activated crosswalks at 9th and Broadway and 11th and Clarence
• Alterations at intersection of Lansdowne/Temperance/14th including: Closure of small section of 14th between Temperance and Lansdowne; Reconfiguration of median to create more defined turns onto Temperance from Lansdowne and vice versa to reduce high speed cornering and accidents at that corner.
• Plus numerous more minor additional curb extensions, signage, and other changes to address specific interesections.

Varsity View’s Traffic Plan can be found at page 133 of the Council Agenda: The changes being proposed are not as significant in Varsity View, but consist of a number of new crosswalks, additional signage, as well as the pedestrian light at Clarence and 11th. There is also a recommendation to install a barrier at Main St and Wiggins forcing East/West traffic to be diverted to reduce the cross cutting traffic down Main St. This proposal was not considered at the neighbourhood meeting as a whole and has raised some concerns at the Community Association level because it was outside of the rest of the process so will be revisited for further discussion.

Jane’s Walks – May 1 – 3, 2015

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

Infill Guidelines – A Balanced Plan

 

Infill-letter-Jan-2015-design

Infill-letter-Jan-2015-design

VVCA and other community associations long have been advocating for regulations that provide sensible solutions and expect ”a positive net yield” to the community from new developments. To raise the profile and level of discussion of the issue in the city, VVCA and other CA from across Saskatoon’s co-hosted a public lecture by world-renowned infill specialist, Harold Madi which was praised by city officials, progressive developers, as well as the public.

The current proposed guideline process been open and public with multiple opportunities for stakeholder input. The city’s administration is to be commended for this open and dynamic process which to my knowledge, is unprecedented in Saskatoon. Hundreds of hours of dialogue and discussion have formed the current document as well as countless hours by civic officials and a volunteer committee to examine the minutiae of each building parameter and fine-tune the details.

This carefully brokered compromise is at risk if council hesitates to pass the proposal in its current form. This delay and potential failure flies in the face of the resources invested in City of Saskatoon staff time, in addition to thousands of hours of citizens’ input. VVCA sees a dire need to implement well-thought development guidelines as our community faces new developments with outdated bylaw tools.

We encourage city council to adopt the proposals and listen to the voice of citizens. It would be sound thinking to ask which individuals or special interests groups benefit from the 11th hour lobbying or a potential failed compromise.

James Perkins
President, VVCA

For Star Phoenix article published on January 16 on this topic by James click here.

Kidney Foundation needs canvassers

Did you know that DIABETES and HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE are the leading causes of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)?

The Saskatoon Branch of The Kidney Foundation of Canada is committed to reducing the burden of kidney disease by funding innovative research, providing education and support, and increasing public awareness of kidney health and organ donation.

The Saskatoon Branch of the Kidney Foundation of Canada needs canvassers for our March Drive taking place March 14-22, 2015.

Volunteer 2 hours of your time. Call us at (306) 664-8588.

Zoning Bylaw Amendments in Established Neighbourhoods

The City of Saskatoon, Planning and Development Division has been preparing proposed amendments to the Zoning Bylaw regulating primary dwellings (one-unit, two-unit and semi-detached dwellings) in established neighbourhoods. We have been working hard over the past few months to achieve a set of amendments which will encourage sensitive infill development and allow design flexibility for builders.

Included are changes to the standards for building height, building length, site width, and front porch encroachments. There are also proposed changes to the Sidewalk Crossing Bylaw to disallow curb cuts and driveway crossings in the older neighbourhoods. The information will be posted on the City of Saskatoon website prior to the meeting.

A public information meeting will be held on

Thursday, October 30 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Presentations will occur at 5:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. (the same material will be presented at both times)
Mayfair Library 306 – 33rd Street West.

In order to focus on the guidelines for primary dwellings, the amendments to regulate small scale multiple unit dwellings on corner sites (four per corner) will be deferred until early 2015.

For more information, please contact Paula Kotasek-Toth at paula.kotasek@saskatoon.ca or call 306-975-7621

Varsity View Neighbourhood Traffic Review

Thursday, December 11, 2014
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Albert Community Centre
610 Clarence Avenue South

Residents of the Varsity View neighbourhood are invited to attend a public meeting to review and discuss a draft traffic plan for their area. The meeting will be hosted by the City of Saskatoon, Transportation Division.

On January 21, 2014 Varsity View residents participated in discussions and identified ideas and solutions to address traffic concerns in their neighbourhood. Based on feedback and information received during this meeting, other sources, traffic counts and existing traffic studies, the Transportation Division has prepared a draft area-wide traffic plan. The meeting on December 11th will provide Varsity View residents, business owners, property owners, local groups and other stakeholders an opportunity to comment on specific traffic adjustments being proposed for this neighbourhood.

Please join us as we discuss the traffic issues that affect you and your neighbourhood.

Please send comments to:
Justine Nyen, Traffic Safety Engineer
Transportation & Utilities Department, City of Saskatoon
222-3rd Avenue North Saskatoon, S7K 0J5
Email: justine.nyen@saskatoon.ca Ph: (306) 975-2454 Fax: (306) 975-2971

Annual Movie in the Park – Sept. 12, 2014

JOIN US!
ANNUAL MOVIE IN THE PARK

What: Muppets Most Wanted
When: Friday September 12 at sundown
Where: President Murray Park

MovieInThePark2014Poster

This year the Movie in the Park is being presented by VVCA along with Nutana Community Association. It has been generously sponsored by J & H Builder’s Warehouse and Canadian Basement Replacements. This is a family friendly event! Bring your friends and a blanket and enjoy the show! Questions? Email.

Meet The Artist: Heather Shillinglaw

Shillinglaw artwork: Sweetgrass Sway
The City of Saskatoon is hosting a public art presentation by Sweetgrass Sway artist
Heather Shillinglaw. The public is invited to meet the artist and hear her talk about her
artwork. Sweetgrass Sway is a temporary public art project comprised of 12 feather
shaped flags with images of sweetgrass on them and arranged in the infinity symbol.
It is currently installed at the entrance to Cosmopolitan Park at the top of the University
Bridge and end of College Drive through the City’s temporary public art Placemaker
Program.

The presentation will be:
Saturday, August 23rd, 2014
11 am
Kehrig Gallery
8th Floor of The Bessborough Hotel
803 – 601 Spadina Crescent East

Shillinglaw Poster

For more information about the Placemaker Program, please visit www.saskatoon.ca
and search under “P” for Placemaker Program.

Out of Your Tree fruit sharing co-op

Out of Your Tree in Saskatoon is an urban fruit sharing co-op.

GOAL: Keep edible produce from going to waste through cooperative harvesting before food ends up on the ground, in the compost or in the garbage

IDEA: Simple, a group of volunteers harvest the fruit. 1/3 is left with the home owner, 1/3 is donated and 1/3 is kept by the volunteers

ACTION: We need volunteers and we need produce. If you are interested in joining our harvesting team or if you have fruit bearing trees or other produce to share (rhubarb, apples, berries, vegetables, etc.) please register with us. Talk it up! The best way to get others involved is to ask them!

REWARDS: A great FLEXIBLE volunteer opportunity; get the kids involved. When a harvest opportunity comes in, we will contact the list of volunteers to see who is available. AND you get to take home fresh, locally grown produce. Excellent for the homeowner who gets their fruit harvested, contributes to the community and has less clean-up come fall.

Volunteers and tree owners can register online at http://outofyourtree.org and find us on Facebook.

Congregation Agudas Israel Family Day in the Park (WEATHER UPDATE)

***Event moved to 715 McKinnon Ave gym due to rain**

family-bbq

Congregation Agudas Israel Family Day in the Park, Sunday, June 15, 11am-3pm, Raoul Wallenberg Park or in 715 McKinnon Ave gym of the weather is bad.

Free craft for kids, free cheek and hand painting and temporary tattoos, free belly dance fun, BBQ & pop sale, games in the park, free bounce house. Come one, come all.

NOTE: Garage sale portion of the event has been cancelled.

Hosted by Congregation Agudas Israel.

VVCA will be volunteering at the event selling sno-cones in support of the new park improvements, supporting major projects that proceeded through community consultation.

To volunteer contact lisashiffman@shaw.ca.

Events:

Free barbecue
bouncy castle (starting at 11:15)
Crafts
Games
Cheek painting
Temporary tattoos
Belly dance lessons for all ages
Fundraising sno-cone and pop sales
Hope you can stop by! Bring friends!