City of Saskatoon to begin repairs at John Avant Park after creek bed “failure”

A “creek bed failure” at John Avant Park’s stormwater retention pond in Saskatoon’s Arbor Creek neighbourhood will see city crews carry out extensive repairs in the coming weeks.

According to a City of Saskatoon news release, the failure was identified in June while crews were doing maintenance work and investigating reduced water flow, which was initially believed to be caused by sediment buildup.

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A large sinkhole was found beside a small bridge in the man-made, cement- and rock-covered creek bed that feeds into the stormwater retention pond.

In a separate statement, the city’s water and water operations department said significant repairs are required that are estimated at $62,000.

“Starting on August 31, the old concrete will be removed and new rip rap, structural mesh a filter blanket, geotextile, and fine aggregates will be installed. At the same time, the contractor will also be removing washed out silt/sand from the first few meters from the pond in John Avant Park.”

The money for the repairs will come from the capital operating budget for storm ponds.

A large sinkhole has formed beside a small bridge and public walking path. (Lara Fominoff/650 CKOM)

In the meantime, the water circulation system serving the park and Arbor Creek is offline while the repairs are assessed and completed.

“If no unexpected issues arise, the water system is expected to be back up and running once repairs are complete in mid-September,” the release said.

According to a sign posted in the park, the site underwent significant upgrades in the summer and fall of 2024 as part of the federal government’s $33.3-million Green Network Project.

Those upgrades included improved pathways, a new irrigation system, new site furniture, and tree and shrub plantings.

The sinkhole was found beside a small bridge in the man-made, cement- and rock-covered creek bed that feeds into the stormwater retention pond. (Lara Fominoff/650 CKOM)

It’s not clear whether the now-collapsed creek bed was part of those upgrades.

According to its website, the City of Saskatoon has 34 wet ponds and 13 dry ponds that are part of the stormwater system.

They help manage runoff from snowmelt and rain events and protect properties in a variety of neighbourhoods.