Saskatoon Construction

[swilley]

From what I remember it had structural issues...

[Ruckus]

Originally Posted by swilley

From what I remember it had structural issues...

That sounds right, much of the concrete was cracked and water was seeping through slowly rusting and weakening the steel...or maybe that was some other structure

Going back to the flight path discussion, Toronto City Centre Airport...comes close, but not as close as Edmonton or Saskatoon...I checked a few other big Canadian cities and they all have runways/flight paths running parallel to their downtown cores or the airport is located on the fringes of the city.







After looking at all the other cities and the above three, I don't see the issue with tall buildings downtown, and restrictions on Riversdale is a stretch. Our airport is a reasonable distance from the core and no airplane under any condition needs to fly so low when approaching or taking off that height restrictions need to be in place for Riversdale or downtown.

I'll try and find something more definitive/official...

[jaysfan99]

I was curious, so I looked at a map of Calgary. Looks like they had the right idea, the planes don't fly over downtown at all.

[Stewie]

I also agree that a downtown statium of some sort would be very beneficial - think of tens of thousands of fans after a game frequenting the pubs and resteraunts downtown. No longer would the night life at Octane be limited to 8:00pm...

All the city needs to do is fast track an LRT to minimize the mass sales of front lawn parking stalls in Riversdale for event-goers.

[kgc087]

Seeing the Toronto flight paths so close to d/t is reassuring for Saskatoon. I do feel the city will increase the height restrictions and possibly try to reroute some flights that won't interfere with the buildings. But like it was said I don't understand why a plane would be flying that low anyway and even if it was, it isn't overtop of d/t it is beside it.

[Stewie]

Originally Posted by Country

Downtown height restrictions could have been completely avoided had that north-south-ish runway axis been built at a different angle as to not point right downtown. Unless there were conditions we're unaware of that necessitated that specific positioning of the runway, this was an incredibly shortsighted move when it was built.

I believe runway construction has very little to do with downtowns and more to do with prevailing winds as a runway needs to be 'landable' during windy seasons, and in Saskatoon, the wind generally comes from the west or northwest, hence the layout of the runways. Maybe a better consideration a the time of runway construction would be a relocation of the airport so as not to interfere with city construction, but I am sure with land availability at the time, etc, this may have been the only option.

[circle33]

I'm pretty sure the reason downtown is not graced with a sparkling array of 40 storey towers has less to do with the flight path and more to do with the fact that we are a metro of less than a quarter million people.

[kgc087]

City's founding fathers get riverside home
Sculpture depicts 1882 meeting between John Lake, Chief Whitecap
Rod Nickel, The StarPhoenix
Published: Friday, June 13, 2008
The long journey back to the riverbank ends today for Chief Whitecap and John Lake.

A twice-life-size sculpture depicting their 1882 meeting that resulted in Saskatoon's founding rolls into downtown this morning for installation in the Third Avenue South roundabout.

Capturing the moment in bronze has been a two-year labour of research, travel and many hours of hands-on work. The result is the city's biggest monument, depicting the moment it all began for Saskatoon.

"Right now I can see the finish line," sculptor Hans Holtkamp, 60, said in an interview as he trucked home through Montana.

"You put a lot of yourself into it, blood, sweat and tears. You're emotionally involved in creating the sculpture. Now that it's the end it's like saying goodbye to two good buddies."

Holtkamp had little to work with -- two photos of Whitecap, five of Lake, but only one of him in middle age. No profile shots exist.

The city commissioned the piece for completion by summer of 2007 at 1.5-times life-size. After awarding the job to Holtkamp, it supersized the sculpture to twice life-sized, mindful of the more modest dimensions given sculptures of Gordie Howe and Wilfrid Laurier.

"That's one of the reasons the selection jury chose twice life-size," said Chris Dekker, the city's manager of special projects. "You could walk by (other sculptures) without noticing."

It's also important the sculpture be large for scale reasons, Dekker said. A developer is building a 20-storey condo tower in River Landing next to it.

The magnitude of the project delayed completion until now. Only one Canadian foundry was willing and able to take it on. So Holtkamp took the project to California, where he could also work with Kreysler & Associates, a custom fabrication shop that has designed sets for Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.

Holtkamp, who was born in the Netherlands, started by creating a half life-size clay maquette of the figures. From the maquette, he took a plaster mould to Kreysler, a Napa, Calif., firm that used a laser to create a 3-D computer model.

A milling machine carved a model enlarged to twice life-size out of eurethane foam. The foam model is supported with steel.

Holtkamp took the model to Artworks Foundry in Berkeley, Calif., where he used 650 pounds of clay to sculpt around it. Rubber was then sprayed over the sculpture, topped by plaster.

The mould is used to create a wax sculpture, in pieces. It's then dipped into a slurry that becomes a ceramic shell around the wax. The wax is burned out and foundry workers pour molten metal into the ceramic shell. After the bronze cools, the shell is broken off. The pieces are welded and assembled to make the sculpture.

Whitecap is the dominant figure, gesturing grandly across the South Saskatchewan River.

"He's also saying, 'This is my land. I'm showing you this, I'm proud of it,' " Holtkamp said. The sculptor said he crafted Lake with an expression of excitement and eagerness, but "also feeling a bit of the weight on his shoulders.'"

Lake and Whitecap were already turning heads this week, strapped to a flatbed trailer and speeding past puzzled American motorists.

"We're getting lots of stares," Holtkamp said.

Holtkamp was planning to pull into River Landing this morning to begin installing the sculpture. It will be complete either today or Monday.

"It's going to be very impressive, just physically in its size," he said. "I hope people will identify with the feelings I've put into the sculpture."

[email protected]

MASSIVE SCULPTURE

- The sculpture marks the 1882 meeting of John Lake, from the Temperance Colonization Society in Ontario, with Chief Whitecap. The chief suggested Lake choose what is now Nutana to be the colony's townsite. Whitecap and his Sioux people taught Lake how to survive on the Prairies. The chief also protected the settlement during the 1885 Northwest Rebellion by striking an agreement with the rebellion's leaders to spare the community if he joined them in Batoche.

- The bronze Whitecap will be pointing across the river to Nutana, slightly upstream.

- Chief Whitecap stands four metres tall, while the seated John Lake rises about three metres.

- The sculpture weighs up to 2,700 kilograms.

- Up to 900 kilograms of bronze were used for each figure.

- Total cost is $267,000. The money comes from the cultural capitals program ($155,000) and five sponsors ($112,000): SaskTel, City of Saskatoon, The Partnership, Meewasin Valley Authority and SIGA.

Sources: Hans Holtkamp, City of Saskatoon
_____________________________________________________
These are the types of things that make Saskatoon a unique city, prominent public art, truly a magnificent addition to the "Paris of the Prairies"!!!

[jaysfan99]

Originally Posted by SASKFTW

That sounds right, much of the concrete was cracked and water was seeping through slowly rusting and weakening the steel...or maybe that was some other structure

Going back to the flight path discussion, Toronto City Centre Airport...comes close, but not as close as Edmonton or Saskatoon...I checked a few other big Canadian cities and they all have runways/flight paths running parallel to their downtown cores or the airport is located on the fringes of the city.







After looking at all the other cities and the above three, I don't see the issue with tall buildings downtown, and restrictions on Riversdale is a stretch. Our airport is a reasonable distance from the core and no airplane under any condition needs to fly so low when approaching or taking off that height restrictions need to be in place for Riversdale or downtown.

I'll try and find something more definitive/official...

If you look close at the flight path, it is to the left of downtown. Not sure why there would be a height restriction on 4th ave, planes shouldn't have to fly over our downtown at all. The restriction should be over Riversdale, and that is even a stretch,......I agree with you.

[Migs]

Sucks that there are these restrictions but I do know that transport Canada is very strict when it comes to air routes in and out of cities. Before I looked at the map I never realized that downtown Stoon was in the path of runway 33/15 which is reallly unfortunate. Lots of red tape to get around this so hopefully your mayor has something up his sleeve. That said, thankfully neither of Regina's main runways are anywhere near downtown.

[kgc087]

Looking at the Saskatoon map I realized that every major roadway has a bridge connecting it to the other side of the river. Do you think it would make any sense for the city to extend 8th street across to 11th street?

[Wyku]

I didn't know that Edmonton had so many golf courses along the river, that's pretty sweet.

[swilley]

Originally Posted by circle33

I'm pretty sure the reason downtown is not graced with a sparkling array of 40 storey towers has less to do with the flight path and more to do with the fact that we are a metro of less than a quarter million people.

I think you might be on to something here...

[joelpiecowye]

Originally Posted by kgc087

Looking at the Saskatoon map I realized that every major roadway has a bridge connecting it to the other side of the river. Do you think it would make any sense for the city to extend 8th street across to 11th street?

i do not think there would me any real need + condos filled up the space so it would be near imposible and the sask cres folks would not be to happy with the increased noise.

[Migs]

Crappy news, as an aviation enthusiast I always enjoyed heading up to Saskatoon for the airshow and greatly admired how it focused on veterans. Thanks to all those who volunteered and made the show one of the best in Canada and it will be missed. Also props to my friend Brian Swidrovich for his great efforts over the years.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/story.html?id=a12b19f4-75b3-4037-a1bb-c1da69870691

Good news is that the Moose Jaw airshow is rumoured to be back up and running full fledged for '09 and will at least have an Armed Forces Day Open House this August.

[Ruckus]

According to Emporis, the Westin Harbour Castle completed construction in 1975, has a height of 111 m or 364 ft with 34 floors.


Source

More Westin photos from Emporis.


After further comparisons between Saskatoon and Toronto, I see no reason to deny downtown towers of similar height to Toronto's Westin (e.g. 34 levels), and downtown towers may in fact exceed that height. With consideration of towers located under a direct flight path (e.g. Riversdale, Lawson Heights, etc), the height could/should be restricted to a similar height as Toronto's Westin (e.g. 34 levels).

Appropriate application of flight path building height conventions established by the City of Toronto and Toronto City Centre Airport to areas of downtown Saskatoon is as follows: "no height limit"; exceptions to lands adjacent to the river or adherence to additional zoning restrictions...

[Ruckus]

Originally Posted by circle33

I'm pretty sure the reason downtown is not graced with a sparkling array of 40 storey towers has less to do with the flight path and more to do with the fact that we are a metro of less than a quarter million people.

Yes, so very true, but it doesn't explain...oh

[Ruckus]

I've been waiting to hear/see a formal proposal or information regarding the College Drive development (demolishing houses for condos and possibly office/institutional?) so I can update a few things on the Development Map.

Anyone have an idea when more information will become available?

[jaysfan99]

Like I stated earlier, I don't think Saskatoon will be getting a bunch of 40+ storey towers for obvious reason, our low population. So really the height restriction is redandant.
It is though kind of sad for me to know that if a developer wished to build something of that size, there is that additional obsticle. I'm not saying I want to see a bunch of 40+ structures, but one or two would really be nice. I've lived in Saskatoon for most of my life, and have dreamed of this for a long time. One or two buildings of that size would really make our downtown look way more cosmopolitan. I really hope the mayor is able to pull a trick out of sleave and get the 30+ condo downtown approved some way.

[catIII]

Long time lurker, first time poster.

I really enjoy reading this thread. It wasn't until the past few days that I decided to start posting. The information, or lack of, people have been giving about height restrictions and the airport is really rather funny.

First of all, the wind is the factor in which runway is active. The runway that would be most likely used if the weather was down in Saskatoon would be runway 09. RWY 09 is the runway equipped with the ILS (Instrument Landing System). An ILS is, in short form, an imaginary highway in the sky composed of FM frequencies which consist of both lateral (LNAV) and vertical (VNAV) information. Essentially it will guide the aircraft down to as low as 200 ft. Once the aircraft is at 200 ft above the threshold (beginning) of the runway it is the decision height at which if there is enough visual clues (rwy lights, lead in lights, runway markings, etc) to continue the approach and land or to abort and do a missed approach. The reason why the ILS is on rwy 09 is because when the weather is down due to shitty weather, most of the time the winds will prevail out of the east. Sometimes it isn't always like that, so rwy 27 (the reciprocal runway) becomes the next option. Rwy 27 has the backside of the ILS beam which is called the localizer back course. It is not a precision approach like an ILS, but it is still a very accurate type of approach and can be used for minimums of just over 400 ft.

Runway 15/33 are usually active in nicer weather and don't have very low minimums, due to obvious reasons, especially 33 which comes right over the western part of downtown. Most of the time if the wind is out of the SE or NW, the weather is pretty nice, there for there is no need for a highly accurate approach system. If the weather does happen to be down and the winds are strong enough, either 09 or 27 can be used, it is a fairly long runway.

So, it's not that airport planners back in the day deliberately placed the runways they way they are now, there are major factors involved, like which direction the wind blows predominantly, what direction it blows when the weather is bad, etc.

Now, with all the being said. It really has nothing to do with height restrictions downtown. There might be something that says that there are restrictions, but highly doubtful. So, to those people who are upset because they think its because of the airport can relax. It's not. It's because Saskatoon itself has a pop of just over 200,000. Let's be realistic, although, I can't wait for a big tower to pop up downtown, I think Stoon is doing extremely well for the current size.

The airport itself is absolutely booming (as well as the city), it's really quite amazing what's happening there right now. Some of the recent flights that have been announced (Ottawa same plane Montreal, Denver and now Las Vegas) is extremely exciting. It's unfortunate for Regina, but Regina isn't near as busy and it's especially noticeable this year. Although there are great things happening in Regina as well, the latest announcement of flights out of Saskatoon is an indication that it is the leader in economic activity in Saskatchewan. Regina doesn't even have terminal airspace anymore.

To the people that are in Saskatoon right now, you should be proud. When I visit the city, there is a sense of money, growth and excitement around every corner. I think that Saskatoon, Regina and Saskatchewan are going to continue to be economic leaders for the next few years to come, without a doubt.