✈️ Did you know?
YXE is the code for Saskatoon's John G. Diefenbaker International Airport. YXE is used by many businesses and hashtags on social media as a nickname for Saskatoon!
Housing
On-campus living
Located a 15 minute walk from campus, Graduate House is housing reserved for graduate student. There are studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units available. Amenities include wi-fi and laundry, in-building athletic room, music practice room, partial meal plan, and more.
Check out the link below for more info and how to apply.
Off-campus living
You can find places to rent by looking on Kijiji, Facebook Marketplace, Facebook groups such as Off-Campus Housing, or posters on campus.
Saskatoon is divided into several suburban development areas (SDAs; see the map right). Neighbourhoods within each SDA have similarities in terms of history and shared community facilities, but each neighbourhood has its unique features. Below, we have described some of the neighbourhoods that are most popular among USask students, but don't feel restricted to these areas. All parts of Saskatoon have their own perks!
Core Neighbourhood SDA
Nutana was part of the original settlement that now makes up Saskatoon. Nutana is centered around Broadway Avenue, which offers various restaurants and pubs, as well as the Broadway Bridge leading downtown to the core of the city. If you like drinks and live music, this area puts you closest to most of Saskatoon’s venues, like Louis’ on campus, Vangelis, the Broadway Theatre, Buds on Broadway.
Core Neighbourhood SDA
For students who are not interested in university housing but would like a place from which they can comfortably walk to school everyday, this area is the best choice. Campus is in walking distance and a number of bus routes run through these neighborhoods.
Nutana SDA
These neighourhoods border 8th Street, which is serviced by frequent bus services and close to restaurants and various grocery stores but less easily accesible to the downtown core.
8th street is one of the city's main suburban commercial districts with many shops, grocery stores, banks, and other businesses.
University Heights SDA
This district is close to the University and considered highly affordable. Largely residential but are close to commercial areas like Preston Crossing and the University Heights Shopping Centre.
Sutherland is well-known as an affordable student area, and a large number of students report that the bus routes are usually within a five minute walk of their homes.
Core Neighbourhoods SDA
City Park is north of the downtown area, fairly close to the University Bridge, within walking distance from campus. Residents can also catch routes 4, 40 or 45 directly to Place Riel on those days when a 30 minute walk isn’t in the cards. The other neighbourhoods offer routes that transfer at the City Centre transit hub, like the 2, 9, 10 and the 60, the direct route to Place Riel. There are also a number of public parks on this side of the city, and if you’re looking for some fresh baked goods and a cup of coffee, City Perks is located in the central part of City Park.
The average rent in the City Park area is slightly higher than other neighbourhoods, largely because a number of the apartment buildings are refurbished character buildings.
Core Neighbourhoods SDA
This is one of the oldest parts of the city, and most of the neighborhoods in this district are conveniently located close to the downtown area. Downtown has many business centres, shopping, Midtown Mall, movie theatre, and many restaurants and bars. These neighbourhoods are also very close to the river ammeneties. Some of the neighborhoods West of City Centre are within walking distance to campus, but others are located within a direct bus route which will take about half an hour to an hour to get to the University of Saskatoon campus.
💡 Consider your commute
When looking for housing, you will likely want to consider how easily you can get to campus. The map to the left shows areas of the city that can be reached from Place Riel within 30 minutes on bus.
Utilities
Depending on your rental unit, you might have to arrange for utilities. Some landlords will include some or all utilities in your rent.
Internet & Cell Phones
The most common cell phone carriers in Saskatchewan are Bell, Rogers, and SaskTel.The biggest internet service providers in Saskatchewan are Shaw and SaskTel. To compare their rates, you can go through an online directory called FindInternet.
Electricity & Natural Gas
There are four regulated energy providers in Saskatchewan — SaskPower, SaskEnergy, Saskatoon Light & Power, and Swift Current Electricity Services. The primary natural gas provider in Saskatchewan is SaskPower. However, residents may also purchase their natural gas from Future Now Energy and Just Energy
Did you know?
SaskTel, SaskEnergy, and SaskPower are crown-owned provincial corporations.
- SaskEnergy is granted the exclusive right to distribute natural gas within the province of Saskatchewan.
- SaskPower has the exclusive right and the exclusive obligation to supply electricity in the province, except in the city of Swift Current and most of the city of Saskatoon.
To connect your utilities, contact the city.
If you are moving from within the province, you can inform your utilities and service providers of your address change with ExpressAddress.
Cost of living
Compared to other provinces in Canada, Saskatchewan has a mid-range cost of living.
Aside from tuition, books, tech, and the usual on-campus costs associated with graduate school, the following information will get you started to plan a budget.
| Amounts shown are approximate monthly averages and should be used only to give you an idea of typical expenses | |
| Rent (average cheap 3 bedroom) | $1268 |
| Internet | $63 |
| Cellphone | $100 |
| Groceries | $1200 |
| On-campus parking | $79 |
| Childcare | $549 |
| Inexpensive restaurant meal | $18 |
| Starbucks | $7 |
| Movie ticket | $13 |
| Beer at a pub | $6 |
| USask Huskies game | Game day tickets free for students |
💡 More tips and tricks
You can use this cost-of-living tool to learn more.
Under the Graduate Retention Program, graduate students are eligible for a $20,000 tuition rebate through the Province of Saskatchewan.
Saskatchewan charges a 6% Provincial Sales Tax (PST) in addition to the nationwide 5% Goods and Services Tax (GST). Taxes are not shown on price labels and will be added at the register.
For better or for worse, Saskatchewan does generally participate in tipping but there are no mandatory obligations. People in Canada are accustomed to tipping their service people anything from 15 to 20 percent of the pre-tax bill.
Getting around
Saskatoon Transit
Saskatoon Transit is Saskatoon’s public bus transportation service provider. For information about routes and schedules visit saskatoontransit.ca. Some routes have differing service times based on season, "peak times," and/or weekends. Check your specific route or read Saskatoon Transit's service standards.
Saskatoon Transit provides 38 routes that connect seven bus terminals. The two busiest (and likely most relevant for students) terminals are the Downtown terminal and the Place Riel terminal. You can view the terminal maps to find out where to catch your route.
Saskatoon Transit has real-time transit tracking through third party apps like Transit and Google Maps Transit on desktop. Real-time transit tracking shows you the location of your bus in real-time and shows how many minutes until the next bus arrives, which limits wait times at bus stops.
U-Pass
U-Pass offers students huge savings for transportation on Saskatoon Transit by providing unlimited rides and transfers. The cost of the U-Pass is automatically included in graduate student fees and is mandatory for most students. Students with special circumstances may apply to opt-out of the U-Pass service.
The U-Pass is a Saskatoon Transit bus pass that can be activated in PAWS and used with your smart phone. For detailed instructions on how to activate your pass, visit the GSA page.
You will need to download the t-go app in order to use your U-Pass. You can visit the GSA page for detailed instructions on how to download the app and link your account.
Driving
Insurance
Car insurance is managed in Saskatchewan by Saskatchewan Government Insurance, more commonly known as SGI. Visit SGI for more information about licensing and insurance.
Parking
Visit the campus parking office for all of your on-campus parking needs, including information about applying for a parking pass.
There are plenty of parking options off-campus as well. In residential areas near campus, parking is limited to 2hours and monitored quite vigilantly so be careful not to get ticketed! Public parking in several busy areas including Downtown, Broadway, Riversdale, River Landing, Warehouse District, Central Industrial and Sutherland areas are metered from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday to Saturday. For these areas, you can pay at any FlexParking pay station (labelled with a green P) or with the ParkedIn app. For more information, visit the City of Saskatoon's public pay parking page.
There are also privately-owned parking spaces such as Impark parking lots. These are not owned by the city and therefore you cannot pay using FlexParking stations or the ParkedIn app; you must pay for at the lot kiosk.
Roads and Freeways
You will likely make use of the city freeways to enter, leave, or traverse the city. Circle Drive is the freeway that encircles the city. Most of the city freeways are 90km/hr, but be careful because certain sections may drop to 80km, 70km, or 60km/hr.
Unless otherwise posted, speed limit is 50km/hr within the city. School zones around elementary schools and playgrounds are posted at 30 km/hr from 7am-7pm every day of the week. If you are caught speeding in a school zone, fines will be much higher than a regular speeding ticket. High schools are designated around school "areas" where speed limit is the usual 50km/hr but extra caution is advised. School areas have similar signage to school zones but do not indicate a speed limit.
| School zone | School area | Playground zone |
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Winter driving
Saskatoon winters are long! Driving in the winter is different from summer driving and you'll need to be prepared. Here are our best tips for surviving Saskatoon's winter roads.
Slow down!- Give yourself more time to stop, especially at intersections where the constant stop-and-starting will cause ice to build up.
- Take turns slower, and give yourself time to slow down before taking the turn.
Leave room.
- Leave more space between you and the vehicle in front of you. If ice causes you to slide, the extra space will give you some margin to avoid a collision.
Get winter tires.
- Winter tires will improve the vehicle's ability to grip icy surfaces and will prolong the lifespan of your summer tires.
- If you're not handy with a car, you can get winter tires installed at an auto repair shop
Get a block heater.
- A block heater plugs into your car and keeps your engine coolant and engine oil warm. This is a must for making sure your car starts in cold weather (and also improves your fuel economy).If your car doesn't have a block heater, you can purchase a kit and get them installed at an auto repair shop.
Be prepared!
- Keep an ice scraper in your car—unless your car is always inside a garage, you will encounter frosted windows.
- Keep a shovel in the car for if you get stuck in a snowdrift (see below).
- Keep a blanket and a granola bar in the car in case you get stranded without power (hopefully you will never need these but better safe than sorry!)
- Always dress for the weather when driving—long pants, a jacket, and warm gloves. Even if you think that you're just "popping out" and don't plan on being outside for long, you never know when you might get stuck in snow or ice. You don't want to be boosting your vehicle with bare hands.
- Keep gas tank at least a quarter full. Again, better safe than sorry!
Know how to get unstuck.
- Getting stuck in a snowdrift is not uncommon, especially after a heavy snowfall and before snowplows have cleared the road. If you get stuck, here are some tips on getting unstuck:
- Clear a path around your tires by digging snow away from in front of and behind the tires. Hopefully you have a shovel in your car!
- Try rocking the car by alternating between gently reversing and going forward. Gently is the key word here: it's the momentum, not the power, that will get you unstuck.
- For the same reason, go easy on gas. Press the pedal gently to give the vehicle gas for just a moment.
- Add traction. You can throw sand or kitty litter under your tires for improved traction. Consider keeping some in your car just in case.
- Get someone to help by pushing the car. Ask passengers or recruit passersby (Saskatoonians are used to this, people will be happy to help!). Remember to be careful when getting people to push—don't floor the gas and watch to make sure nobody slips.
Taxi and Uber
Taxi
The taxi fare is calculated by a taximeter, based on distance and time traveled, when engaged. General taxi fares are:
- $4.75 for the first 125 meters;
- $0.25 for each additional 117 meters;
- $0.25 for every 35 seconds of time, calculated cumulatively, but when the taxi is fully stopped.
| Taxi Broker | Phone Number |
| Captain Taxi | 306-242-0000 |
| Comfort Cabs | 306-242-6666 |
| Hey Taxi | 306-668-9998 |
| Metro Taxi | 306-651-0000 |
| riide | 306-986-3905 |
| Saskatoon Radio Cabs | 306-242-2626 |
Uber
Uber links passengers with drivers using the Uber app. Generally, the drivers own their own car. You can download the Uber app and then pay through the app with a credit card. Pricing varies depending on distance, time of day, and driver demand.
Children and family
Childcare
Find licenced child care (daycare) providers using the Government of Saskatchewan's searchable map. There are several on-campus childcare options noted below:
| USSU Childcare Centre (Williams) |
221 Cumberland Avenue North |
The USSU Childcare Centre – Williams Location is licensed and has room for 90 children aged six months to six years. The majority of the spots are held for children of university students and the remainder are available to the children of university faculty and staff. |
| USSE Childcare Centre (McEown) |
109 Cumberland Avenue South |
The USSU Childcare Centre – McEown Location has 90 spaces for children aged six months to six years. The majority of the spots are held for children of university students and the remainder are available to the children of university faculty and staff. |
| Campus Daycare |
Room 1201, Education Building |
The Campus Daycare is licensed and provides care for the children of U of S students, staff and faculty. The facility has room for 44 children between 30 and 60 months (two and a half to six years old). |
Parent Resources
The Comfort Room is a safe space in the Thorvaldson Building for parents who might need a quiet place to breastfeed, pump, or take a few minutes away from busy campus life. Get the access code by emailing campus.parentsusask.ca with your name, college or department and phone number.
If you're looking to connect with other parents, the Parents on Campus Group is a community where parents on campus can meet, share stories and information. Email campus.parents@usask.ca for more information or check out their website.
The Gordon Oakes Red Bear Students Centre Parent Circle is for Indigenous student parents and families that offers fun programming such as MEND, family literacy, and making healthy snacks while sharing a meal and having the opportunity to meet other parents on campus. Please contact gordonoakes.redbear@usask.ca or follow the Gordon Oakes Red Bear Student Centre on Facebook. Note that Parent Circle, Parents on Campus, and Peer Health Mentors partner to offer a variety of exciting opportunities.
Schooling
There are three school boards that operate in Saskatoon. Saskatoon Public Schools is the public school division with 48 elementary schools and 10 high schools. Many of these schools offer French immersion programs. Conseil des écoles fransaskoises is the French school division that has 1 elementary school and 1 high school. Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools is the Catholic school division and has over 50 schools in Saskatoon and surrounding areas. There are also a number of private schools, but unlike the schools above, private schools require tuition to enroll.
Contact your school board of choice to enroll your children.
Things to Do
Sskatoon offers lots of exciting activites for your kids.
📚 Saskatoon Public Library (SPL) has nine branches across the city and all of them offer many programs beyond book loans, including day programs, activites and events for all ages. Visit your local branch!
⚽ Many of the SPL branches share building with Saskatoon's leisure centres. Each Centre is unique and feature amenities like swimming pools, waterslides, indoor tracks, gymnasiums, sport courts, fitness and weight rooms, child minding and even a skating rink and wave pool, as well as different programming and camps. Visit your local leisure centre and check out the latest leisure guide for even more acitivities and things to do!
🐬 In the summer, there are a number of free spray parks across the city. All locations offer button-activated water play daily from 10am to 8pm from June to August. In addition, most location offer drop-in Summer Play Program for sports, crafts, games, music and more! Check out what is available near you!
The Nutrien Wonderhub is Saskatoon's only children's only museum. The museum is a safe space for children of all backgrounds and abilities to explore, experiment, and interact with the natural and built world through hands-on exhibits and programming. Check out what the Wonderhub offers.
This is only the start. Jump down to the section "Things to do in Saskatoon" to find even more places and activities to explore with your kids!
Saskculture
Indigenous people in Saskatchewan
The Indigenous peoples of Saskatchewan have inhabited this region for approximately 11,000 years, during which time they established self-sustaining societies. Contact with Europeans brought with it external cultural and economic forces that would dramatically affect the lives of Indigenous people. After Canadian annexed their territories, Indigenous people were subjected to brutal colonial practices and government policies that sought to erode their identity and rights.
European contact resulted in the common use of names that were different from the way Indigenous people referred to themselves. The proper self-ascribed names of the First Nations of Saskatchewan are as follows: Nêhiyawak1 (Plains Cree), Nahkawininiwak (Saulteaux), Nakota (Assiniboine), Dakota and Lakota (Sioux), and Denesuline (Dene/Chipewyan). The term “First Nations” is preferred to the misnomer “Indian,” and is generally used except where the latter is required in
Saskatoon is on Treaty 6 territory. Treaty 6 refers to a treaty signed on August 23, 1876 at Fort Carlton, Saskatchewan. The total area of the Treaty stretches from western Alberta, through Saskatchewan and into Manitoba; and inlcudes 50 First Nations.
Today, Indigenous people are recovering many of their rights, rebuilding their societies, and seeking to play a meaningful role in contemporary Canada. We all have an important role to play in reconciliation and decolonization.
Want to learn more about our Indigenous peoples and how you are involved in the process of decolonization? Take the 4 Seasons of Reconcilliation through the Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning or visit Wanuskewin just outside of Saskatchewan.
Things to do in Saskatoon
Saskatoon is the place to experience local eateries, bustling nightlife, river trails, outdoor spaces, and cultural institutions and museums. There are also over 65 annual events (40 in the summer alone). There is no shortage of things to see and do!
Festivals and Special Events
Folk Festival Website
Stage performances, food, displays and activities to celebrate multiculturalism
Fringe Festival Website
Festival featuring theatre, as well as outdoor performers, food trucks, and artisan vendors
Jazz Festival Website
Jazz, blues, funk, pop, and world music at various venues across the city
Saskatoon Pride Website
Celebrating gender and sexual diversity through the month of June
ROCK 102 Show & Shine
Weekend of cars, trucks, and motorcycles
Saskatoon Exhibition Website
Rides, fair foods, attractions and concerts
Rock The River Website
Classic rock music festival held on the river bank
Rock Your Roots Walk for Reconciliation Website
Honouring the Residential School Survivors and demonstrating commitment to responding to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action
All Year
Remi Art Gallery Website
Avant-garde museum building with contemporary art & a Picasso gallery, plus a theater & eatery.
Western Development Museum Website
Indoor recreation of a 1910s-era Saskatoon.
USask Museum of Natural Sciences Website
Dinosaur skeleton replicas, fossils, live animals and plants, rocks, and minerals.
Forestry Farm Park & Zoo Website
Gardens and a variety of western Canadian animals and exotic species.
Gabriel Dumont Park Website
A park with a children’s play village, picnic tables, walking trails, and washroom facilities.
Summer
The Prairie Lily Riverboat Website
Sightseeing cruise through the city on the South Saskatchewan River.
Nutrien Playland & Kinsmen Play Village Website
Playland features a ferris wheel, a carousel, and a train ride; the Play Village is just a hop away and features an accessible play structure with rubberized surface, tot lot play structure, saucer swings and balance beam.
Saskatoon Canoe Club Website
Located on the river, registered members can rent canoes and kayaks.
Winter
Optimist Hill Website
Skiing, snowboarding, tubing and tobogganing.
Meewasin Skating Website
Skating with a view of the river and the beautiful Delta Bessborough.
Cross country ski trails Website
You will need to bring your own equipment, look for places to rent such as Eb's Source for Adventure
Out of City
Wanuskewin Website
Walking trails, interactive exhibits, art galleries, videos, and presentation spaces celebrating Northern Plains Indigenous cultures.
Berry Barn Website
A relaxing getaway just minutes from the city, with country-style dining room, gift shop, and greenhouse.
Beaver Creek Website
Feed chickadees at Beaver Creek conservation area with interpretive centre and walking trails.
Cranberry Flats Website
Conservation area with scenic lookouts and sandy beaches.
Pike Lake Website
Water activities, playgrounds, tennis, pickle ball and beach volleyball courts, golf, lake & beach, and a outdoor pool with a waterslide.
Saskatchewan Railway Museum Website
Climb on the trains and enter historic railway buildings.
Table Mountain Website
Skiing and snowboarding trails and tubing park.
For more, check out...
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