Riel Industrial Sector Plan Amendment
In 2015, City Council approved the Riel Industrial Sector Plan (Sector Plan) that provides a broad framework for future urban development in the area. This includes, among other things, direction on land uses, parks and significant natural areas, servicing and transportation planning, and development phasing.
Since 2015, several City policies, bylaws, and plans have changed or been approved. To ensure development in the sector aligns with the City’s vision for growth and development, an amendment to the Sector Plan is needed. City Administration introduced the Riel Industrial Sector Plan Amendment project through an Information Report to the City’s Standing Policy Committee on Planning, Development and Community Services (PDCS) on August 9, 2023. City Administration intends to bring forward the Sector Plan amendment for City Council’s consideration of approval in late 2026 or early 2027.
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Phases
Research/Studies Identifying Baseline Requirements
What We Learned
As part of the planning process, the Riel Industrial Sector Plan Amendment project gathered community feedback from Fall 2024. This feedback is helping to inform the draft Sector Plan amendment. We will continue engaging the community, stakeholders, and rightsholders throughout the Sector Plan amendment process.
The themes below summarize the feedback received through the online survey and meetings:
Impacts to organizations
- Mitigate potential Sector Plan development impacts to Wanuskewin Heritage Park and their application for UNESCO World Heritage Site designation.
- Support Meewasin’s application for National Urban Park status.
- Incorporate the Guidelines for New Development in Proximity to Railway Operations by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and Railway Association of Canada.
- Mitigate potential impacts to the Ministry of Highways' Saskatoon Freeway project.
Project coordination
- Coordinate with other projects in the area, including the province’s Saskatoon Freeway, future development of First Nation urban and rural reserves and land holdings, and utility servicing projects.
- Continue to meet with local stakeholders, rightsholders, surrounding municipalities, and interested groups.
- Connect with other cities on best practices for industrial area planning.
Land use planning and future growth
- Promote a mix of light and heavy industrial development and job growth in Saskatoon.
- Include business park and commercial development in addition to light and heavy industrial development.
- Attract a diversity of industries to future employment areas, including added-value mining, oil and gas, and agricultural businesses.
- Cluster similar industry types and practice compatible land use planning.
- Encourage a high density of businesses within future employment areas.
Transportation
- Promote active transportation through cycling and pedestrian infrastructure.
- Provide transit that connects to the future Link (Bus Rapid Transit) system.
- Provide reliable transit with short commute times for future employees.
- Ensure that employment areas are reasonably accessed by all modes of transportation.
- Improve the flow and efficiency of traffic by reducing the number of stops, incorporating roundabouts, and providing adequate turning lanes for trucking.
- Include additional and improved access points into the study area from surrounding roadways.
- Plan sufficient east-west transportation connectivity within the study area.
- Provide roadway widths that accommodate turning and parking by transportation industries.
- Consider industrial business needs when designing roadway and interchange weight and height limits.
- Encourage future fueling stations and other transportation-supporting businesses to be close to highways.
- Plan for future traffic volumes when designing road networks.
- Minimize routing the future transportation network through important natural areas.
- Reduce traffic speeds near important natural areas.
Natural area screening
- Incorporate the Natural Area Screening report recommendations as closely as possible.
- Conduct field studies to understand potential development impacts on species of concern and habitats.
Important habitat
- Identify important habitats for breeding birds, pollinators, and native plant species.
- Recognize the Hudson Bay Swale Wetland Complex as an important habitat.
- Mitigate development impacts to the future state of important habitats.
Wetlands and surface water management
- Adhere to the City’s Wetland Policy.
- Mitigate impacts to the Hudson Bay Swale Wetland Complex and other significant wetlands.
- Include development buffers around significant wetlands.
- Incorporate wetlands when appropriate into stormwater management system design.
- Integrate forebays into naturalized stormponds.
- Account for natural drainage patterns.
Groundwater management
- Consider high groundwater levels in development planning.
- Mitigate development impacts on groundwater.
Connectivity
- Maintain natural area network connectivity and functionality when planning future growth.
- Provide sufficient natural area buffers to provide connected habitat.
- Limit the impacts of roadways and pedestrian paths on natural area connectivity.
- Explore wildlife crossing design options for roadways that intersect natural areas.
Green development
- Prevent development impacts to ecological and cultural heritage.
- Identify, conserve and enhance natural areas whenever possible.
- Integrate natural areas with development to promote a greener industrial area.
- Encourage renewable energy solutions for utilities planning and industrial developments.
- Consider increasing Saskatoon’s urban forest through tree planting within the study area.
Education
- Provide educational signage and land acknowledgements for conserved natural areas.
- Promote outdoor educational opportunities at conserved natural areas.