A revised route for the Saskatoon Freeway’s crossing of the Northeast Swale has come as a “complete surprise” to several landowners directly affected by the proposed change.
The new route, unveiled January 16 by the Saskatoon Freeway functional study design team, is slated to be opened up for public consultation and feedback in early February.
According to an online post by the Saskatoon Freeway functional study design team, the new route will cross the swale north of the originally projected corridor; and is intended to reduce the environmental impact of the high-speed roadway.
The freeway functional study design team post states the decision to revise the route was made following input from local residents and environmental groups.
However, area landowners say they were blindsided by the new proposal.
“This came as a total and complete surprise,” said Corman Park Division 1 Councillor John Germs in an interview January 19. “I just became aware of it two weeks ago when one of my neighbours phoned me about it. I forwarded the information to several other neighbours, and they hadn’t heard about it either.
“Nobody in Division 1 knew of this undertaking to create an alternate route.”
Germs said during previous public consultations, a preferred alignment for crossing the swale had been put forward by the functional study design team.
“Obviously, we didn’t expect this at all,” said Germs. “We thought the alignment was set. I wasn’t aware this was going on behind the scenes as to an alternate swale crossing.”
Germs said the new proposed route would take out a considerable amount of prime agricultural land and displace many landowners.
“One of the crossings would go right through my yard,” he said. “It literally takes our operation out and also two of my neighbours. It’s fair to say people are worried about their future if this goes ahead.
“I guess the feeling among whoever drew this up is that the slough is more important than people’s livelihoods.”
Germs raised concerns about the proposed route change at the Corman Park council meeting on Monday, January 18.
An invitation was extended to representatives of the freeway functional study design team to attend a Corman Park Council planning committee meeting on Monday, February 8 to discuss the revised route.
In the meantime, Germs said he’s advising ratepayers in his division to “keep their cool” and participate in the public consultations expected to take place next month.
“It’s a pretty heated situation right now, and I’d like to find out the reasons for this change. Right now there are a lot of unanswered questions.”
In its January 16 online post, the Saskatoon Freeway functional study design team stated consultations were held during the summer of 2020 with the Meewasin Valley Authority, the Saskatoon Nature Society, the City of Saskatoon, and landowners and residents. The study team said the new route “minimizes the length of the open water crossing and is situated in a previously disturbed area, which helps preserve more of the Northeast Swale’s natural habitat. To protect wildlife and allow for their continued movement, dedicated wildlife crossings and fences are planned.”
The study team stated that because the new proposed route is “slightly outside the 500-meter corridor completed in 2005,” further studies are needed to “identify potential habitat that may need to be protected.”