Murray Wood: Local radio is strong. Corporate ownership, not so much
Murray Wood says Rogers closed some stations that should be very viable. As a result, more communities are losing import...
The City of Saskatoon says workers are trying to restore service after a thunderstorm on Wednesday night led to “widespread” outages.
The city said Saskatoon Light & Power workers are currently assessing the damage, identifying the areas without power and working on repairs “as quickly and safely as possible” after the storm, which knocked down numerous trees around the Bridge City.
Read more:
- Downtown Saskatoon streets open for foot traffic, closed to vehicles during sidewalk sale
- Patient throwing up blood spends days in hospital hallway
- Trucking company linked to costly Saskatoon overpass hit headed to trial
The city said restoring power to its customers is a top priority, but noted that traffic lights may not be active during some drivers’ morning commutes.
“Treat all non-functioning traffic lights as four-way stops and watch for crews working near roadways,” the city said in a statement.
The storm on July 8, 2026 caused damage to trees and knocked out power around the city, and the City of Saskatoon said traffic lights might not be functional during some drivers’ morning commutes. (Taylor MacPherson/650 CKOM)
“Customers are also reminded to stay clear of any downed power lines and report hazardous situations immediately. Assume all downed lines are energized and dangerous.”
The Saskatoon Fire Department said it responded to 34 calls related to the storm in just a 90-minute period, including “multiple electrical hazards” like downed power lines. (Submitted)
Trevor Bell, director of Saskatoon Light & Power, said the power company called in extra staff overnight, and about 100 workers are currently contributing to the repair efforts.
“We have a number of power outages within our area that we have been working on through the night, but there are still some that are out this morning,” Bell said.
The storm on July 8 knocked down a number of trees and damaged the roof of at least one business in Saskatoon. (Submitted)
Bell said the storm seems to have affected the city’s west side more than other areas, but noted that the storm caused a number of separate outages in various locations around Saskatoon.
“There are a number of individual outages,” he said.
“It’s not just one outage that affected a big area; it’s many smaller outages that are affecting customers.”
Bell encouraged anyone who spots damage to power infrastructure to contact Saskatoon Light & Power.
The storm on July 8, 2026 knocked down a number of trees around Saskatoon, including this one in the city’s Westview neighbourhood. (Marija Robinson/650 CKOM)
The city said it appreciates “the public’s patience and understanding” as crews work to restore power.
The Saskatoon Fire Department said it responded to 34 calls related to the storm in just a 90-minute period, including “multiple electrical hazards” like downed power lines.
Damage to the roof of A+ Air Inc., seen on July 9, 2026. (Marija Robinson/650 CKOM)
The area around Saskatoon’s airport appeared to have been hit especially hard, with the storm damaging the roof of A+ Air Inc., a business on Haskamp Street. The office manager said the building was flooded by rain after the roof was damaged.
–with files from 650 CKOM’s Gerald Bauman and Marija Robinson
