Stonebridge, Saskatoon

History

The first development in the area occurred with the purchase of land in 1976 by the University Drive Alliance Church. The congregation moved into their newly built facility, Circle Drive Alliance Church, in November 1979. Two adjacent buildings, a personal care home and senior citizens' home, were completed in 1986.{{cite web

The city formally annexed the land in the 1980s.,{{Cite book |access-date = 2011-01-10 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110930064204/http://www.saskatoon.ca/DEPARTMENTS/City%20Clerks%20Office/City%20Archives/City%20History/Pages/SignificantDates.aspx |archive-date = 2011-09-30 |access-date = 2010-11-04 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120327072943/http://www.saskatoon.ca/FORUM/News%20Releases/Pages/CircleDriveandPrestonAvenueInterchangeInformationSessiononOctober19.aspx |archive-date = 2012-03-27

Street naming controversies

In 2007, Saskatoon City Council approved the naming of one street, Alm Crescent, after Terry Alm, who had only recently ended his tenure as a city councilor in order to enter provincial politics. Residents and some councilors expressed upset that Alm's name was chosen over other longstanding naming candidates on a list maintained by the city for future street names; the list included former mayors, 50 other former councilors, and onetime Saskatoon resident, Joni Mitchell. The decision sparked a motion by one councilor to impose a 10-year waiting period on naming streets after recently departed politicians.{{cite web

Prior to 2016, one of the streets in the area was named Victor Road, prior to the opening of the interchange at Highway 11. The roadway was renamed Vic Boulevard as a result of another roadway off the highway in the R. M. of Corman Park being named Victor Road, located 10 kilometres south of the interchange. The name change was necessary in order to avoid confusion for emergency services and delivery personnel. Victor Place, a cul-de-sac located off Vic Boulevard was allowed to keep its original street name.{{cite web

Government and politics

Stonebridge exists within the federal electoral district of Saskatoon—Grasswood. It is currently represented by Kevin Waugh of the Conservative Party of Canada, first elected in 2015.

Provincially, the area is within the constituency of Saskatoon Stonebridge-Dakota. It is currently represented by Bronwyn Eyre of the Saskatchewan Party, first elected in 2016.

In Saskatoon's non-partisan municipal politics, Stonebridge lies within Ward 7. It is currently represented by Councillor Mairin Loewen, who was elected to city council in a 2011 by-election.

Institutions

Education

As of September 2017, two elementary schools exist in Stonebridge. On October 22, 2013, the provincial government announced funding for four new P3 facilities in Saskatoon, including a joint-use public/separate school facility in Stonebridge.{{cite news |access-date = 2015-07-01 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150705094826/http://www.thestarphoenix.com/news/Catholic+schools+names/11159143/story.html |archive-date = 2015-07-05

Other

Samaritan Place, a long-term care facility operated by Amicus Health Care Inc., a subsidiary of the Catholic Health Ministry of Saskatchewan, is currently under construction.{{cite web

The Circle Drive Alliance Church and associated senior residence were constructed in 1986, southeast of Preston Avenue and Circle Drive. It predated the development of Stonebridge by nearly a quarter century.

Parks and recreation

• Alexander MacGillivray Young Park – 9.9 acres
• Alfred Bence Park – 0.3 acres
• Blair Nelson Park – 4.3 acres
• Cecil A. Wheaton Park – 0.4 acres
• Donald Koyl Park – 0.5 acres
• Evelyn G. Edwards Park – 0.5 acres
• Howard Harding Park – 0.8 acres
• John Cameron Park – 0.4 acres
• Mark Thompson Park – 3.4 acres
• Marshall Hawthorne Park – 8.2 acres
• Oren Willson Park – 0.5 acres
• Owen Mann Park – 0.5 acres
• Patricia Roe Park – 0.8 acres
• Peter Zakreski Park – 20.2 acres
• Robert H. Freeland Park – 0.7 acres
• Walter Wood Park – 0.3 acres
• William Anderson Park – 0.3 acres

The Stonebridge Community Association was formed in 2009 to advocate on civic and property development matters, and run affordable sport and recreation programs for children, youth and adults.{{cite web

The Willows golf course is located immediately southwest of the community.

Public services

Stonebridge is a part of the east division of the Saskatoon Police Services patrol system.{{cite web |access-date = 2011-01-21 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110717034549/http://www.saskatoon.ca/DEPARTMENTS/Fire%20and%20Protective%20Services/Operations%20Division/Divisions/Pages/East.aspx |archive-date = 2011-07-17

Commercial

At present, the major commercial district of Stonebridge is the Stonegate Shopping Centre, a big box commercial development in the northwest corner that includes Walmart. Additional businesses are located west of Stonegate in an area called the Stonebridge Business Park, straddling Stonebridge Boulevard. Other mixed-used districts that include retail space are planned for the center of the neighbourhood. The Saskatoon Auto Mall, a collection of vehicle dealerships, is located immediately west of the community. The nearest enclosed shopping centre is Market Mall, approximately a kilometre to the north.

The Stonebridge commercial area includes new hotel development, marking the first time since the 1970s that new hotel accommodation has been constructed east of the river, following the closure of most hotels and motels along 8th Street between the 1970s and 1990s in deference to retail development.

As early as 1972, there were plans to construct an enclosed shopping mall on the west side of Clarence Avenue, just west of today's Walmart and adjacent shopping, on the site currently occupied by the Saskatoon Auto Mall. Due to no residential development being planned nearby for many years (indeed such development did not begin in earnest until the mid-2000s), and other concerns, City Council rejected the proposal. The developers built their mall, today known as Confederation Mall on Saskatoon's west side.

Stonegate is an open-air shopping centre located on Clarence Avenue South and Circle Drive, across the road from the Saskatoon Auto Mall.

Location

Stonebridge is located within the Nutana Suburban Development Area. It is bounded by Highway 11 to the east, Clarence Avenue to the west, Circle Drive to the north, and the Canadian National Railway tracks and southern city limits to the south. Streets are laid out in a typical hierarchy of arterial, collector and local roads. There are no bicycle lanes or pedestrian paths into the neighbourhood. Primary access is via Clarence and Preston avenues from the north, Circle Drive from east and west, Melville Street from the west, and Vic Boulevard off Highway 11 from the east (the Vic Blvd access is only available to southbound highway traffic at the present time).

References

References

2. Warren, Jeremy. (2015-12-29). "A neighbourhood marks an anniversary: Stonebridge is 'basically finished'". [[The StarPhoenix]].
3. "Current Members of Parliament".
4. "Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan - Members of the Legislative Assembly".
5. (2 February 2015). "City Councillors - Saskatoon.ca".
6. "Active List of Saskatchewan Schools/Programs".
7. Giles, David. (2016-10-12). "Saskatoon Board of Education decides on names for new elementary schools - Saskatoon".
8. "Joint-Use Schools Project - PreK-12 Education, Early Learning, and Schools".