Major Capital Projects

Based on the results of the Aquatics question that was included in the 2024 Municipal Census, 69.7% of households who responded expressed support for a new aquatics facility being located at the Dow Centennial Centre.

In 2025, Council approved a total budget of $72 million for the design and construction of a new aquatic facility at the Dow Centennial Centre. Detailed design work is underway and will continue through the end of 2025 and into 2026. Construction is expected to begin in Spring 2026.

Please refer to the New Aquatics Facility Project page for further details.

With the continued growth of the City, the current fire hall is no longer centralized in the community and is unable to provide optimal emergency response time. As well, the current fire hall does not support the expanding needs of the department for operations, including the absence of a dedicated Emergency Coordination Centre (ECC).

In June 2025, Council approved $2.1 million for design, following the completion of the Fire Station Scope Study that identified design and programming options.

The design process is underway. The new Fire Station planning and construction will be presented to Council for construction and budget approval in 2026.

• Fire Station Scoping Study (2025)
• Fire Services Master Plan (2023)
• Fire Underwriter Survey (2013)

A modern live fire training centre would provide reliable training opportunities and keep fire staff and resources in the city. The training centre also provides cost efficiencies and increased ability to provide on-shift training with minimal effect to response capabilities.

During the approval of design concepts for the new Fire Station, Council adopted concept 3 from the Fire Station Scope Study which includes the Live Fire Training Centre. The training centre planning and construction will be presented to Council for construction and budget approval in 2026, along with the Fire Station & ECC.

• Fire Station Scoping Study (2025)
• Fire Services Master Plan (2023)
• Fire Underwriter Survey (2013)

The Recreation Facilities and Parks Master Plan, along with community feedback, highlighted the need for construction of a new ice arena within the City.

Approval for design and project scope is expected to be brought forward in 2030, with construction approval requested for 2031.

• Phase 2: 2023 Indoor Recreation Infrastructure Service Level Review - Facility Program and Business Case Report
• Indoor Recreation Facility Planning Report (2020)
• Long-Term Financial Sustainability Plan (2016)
• Dow Centennial Centre Master Plan Report (2015)
• Recreation Facility & Parks Master Plan Update (2015)

Infrastructure investment is needed to meet Fort Saskatchewan’s future water demands. Administration estimates a new main will be needed between 2032 and 2037. Significant work is underway to determine how to best meet Fort Saskatchewan’s future water needs.

With the forthcoming infrastructure investment, now is a good time to determine the best way to meet the City’s future water needs. The City has provided notice to our current water provider that we will withdraw from the Commission in 2031.

Analysis is underway to determine how to best build a direct connection. Council will be asked to make a decision regarding design funding in 2026.

• Secondary Water Supply Report (2021)

The City is in the process of designing a connection to the municipal wastewater network for the City’s industrial partners. Design includes extending a gravity main along River Road to 119 Street, adding a third pump at the Northeast Industrial Lift Station and twinning a section of the existing gravity main to accommodate flows from heavy industry, light/medium industrial areas, the Future Urban Area, and Southfort.

The project has received design funding and is in development. The Industrial Wastewater Extension will be presented to Council for approval in 2026.

Our current City Entrance Signs are aging and require significant refurbishment. This project replaces the existing highway entrance signs and positions the new signs in more accurate locations. Funding to design the replacement of the current signs was approved through the 2025 Budget.

Design development is currently underway. Concepts will be shared with Council in Q1 of 2026.

This project consists of paving the access roads and parking lots to the Dog Park and Dow Centennial Fields located in the West River's Edge area.

This project is currently planned for 2027.

• Recreation Facility & Parks Master Plan Update (2015)

Traffic flow along the Veterans Way Corridor continuously increases with growth and must be addressed for traffic and pedestrian safety. A Functional Planning Study for the widening of Veterans Way was prepared in 2019. The project includes widening the corridor to 6 lanes, intersection improvements, rights-of-way acquisition, and pedestrian safety considerations.

The project is contingent on funding support from the Province.

Widening phases are currently anticipated for 2029.

• Transportation Master Plan (2018)
• Transportation Master Plan Addendum (2018)

Two pedestrian crossings are planned are in conjunction with Veterans Way Corridor Widening phases and anticipated for 2029 and 2031, respectively.

The Veterans Way Pedestrian Crossing North is planned as an underpass near the Highway 15 and Veterans Way intersection to improve pedestrian safety and connect to the existing trail network.

The Veterans Way Pedestrian Crossing South is a proposed underpass near the 84 Street intersection intended to enhance pedestrian connectivity along Veterans Way.

The current cemetery is anticipated to meet the community's needs until 2030 to 2032. Increasing the inventory of inground plots will require an expansion to the cemetery.

Areas of expansion and new strategies are being reviewed in 2026 based on the result of the 2024 Cemetery Flood Risk Study.

• Cemetery Master Plan (2017)
• Cemetery Flood Risk Study (2024)

A Bike Skills Park is a purpose-built facility for all types of bicycles, including BMX, mountain, dirt jump, and pedal-less bikes. A bike skills park may include pump tracks, dirt flow trails, dirt jumps and wooden features that provide spontaneous and affordable opportunities for a variety of age groups and skill levels. The park is proposed to be located at West River’s Edge recreational area behind the Dow Diamonds as a distinct park area.

Design funding was approved in Budget 2025. Approval for stage one of construction is being brought forward as a recommendation in Budget 2026.

• Bike Skills Park Study Supplementary Information (2024)
• Bike Skills Park Feasibility Study (2023)

The current Material Handling Site is used to process and store reclaimed asphalt and concrete. The site is also occasionally used for temporary snow storage. In 2022, Council approved funding to study the land acquisition, regulatory requirements, costs and operational logistics of having a municipal snow dump facility included within the Materials Handling Site and the Feasibility Study was presented to Council in 2024. The study included recommendations for a site that would meet the City’s needs for the next 50 years.

Initial site review and design development is underway. The land purchase and construction budgets for the Materials Handling Site will be brought before Council in 2026 for approval.

• Snow Melt and Material Handling Site Feasibility Study (2024)

To improve the accessibility of the service, Transit will be upgrading the infrastructure at local bus stops, including the installation of new concrete pads, benches and shelters.

This project is currently included as a recommendation in Budget 2026.

The purchase of two additional transit buses is required to expand local service starting in 2027. This expansion will serve developing neighbourhoods, helping the City achieve its service coverage target.

To ensure buses are available for mid-2027, the procurement process started in 2025. This project was approved in Budget 2025. Currently a second Request for Proposal is being prepared. The City is still waiting for confirmation of approval for the Canada Public Transit Fund grant to help fund the new buses.

The City’s ERP is the software that provides core business processes, such as accounting, utility billing, human resources, property taxation, payroll, purchasing and reporting.

With the approval of the 2025 ERP Budget Recommendation, the City undertook preparatory work to support the replacement and modernization of this critical system.

Pending Council approval, the next phase of this project will commence in 2026 and is estimated to take approximately 30 months.