Meewasin Master Plans

Master Plans

Project Board

With funding provided by the City of Saskatoon, Meewasin will be continuing with the initial phases of work within the Northeast Swale.

Work in 2021 included additional interpretive and trailhead signage, additional wildlife friendly fencing and access gates, and ongoing restoration in the recreation zone and adjacent to new trail developments.

Continued efforts in the Northeast Swale will include ongoing conservation programs which include prescribed fires and targeted conservation grazing. Please keep an eye on Meewasin’s social media and newsletter for announcements regarding these projects and more.

Meewasin Northeast Swale Master Plan

Saskatoon’s northeast sector is undergoing significant development as the City grows. The Meewasin Trail in this area is incomplete with gaps between Sutherland Beach and Crocus Prairie, and now the missing connection to the Chief Mistawasis Bridge.

Meewasin is undertaking a process to better understand the area and develop a comprehensive primary trail network that will reach from the Circle Drive North Bridge to the Chief Mistawasis Bridge. This will include providing backshore trail connections to adjacent neighbourhoods and important features such as the Meewasin Northeast Swale. The first stage of the project is to develop a conceptual level trail alignment for this corridor.

More detailed design and phased in construction will be undertaken in future years as funding becomes available.

Maple Grove

Maple Grove is a Meewasin owned rural property located south of Saskatoon along the western banks of the South Saskatchewan River. The site has been used primarily for recreation since as early as 1915, with cottagers camping on the site in the early years. Meewasin purchased the property in 1997 which included a mobile trailer park to remain on-site for 25 years at which time Meewasin would turn the site back into natural space.
Meewasin has initiated a master planning process that will provide a basis for future decision making, including plans for development and operations. Based on a planning statement developed in 2000, it is anticipated that the site will remain predominantly in a natural state, with potential opportunities for low impact passive recreation. With future Meewasin Trail development expected south from the Gordie Howe Bridge, this location could extend the southern trail terminus on the west side of the river.
An online survey was sent out to 190 stakeholders from various organizations as part of the Maple Grove Master Plan preliminary stakeholder outreach. Survey questions gauged participants familiarity of the site and opinions on future site development and operations, including the existing white house, and a wide range of design ideas. The following report summarizes the results.
A design charrette is an intensive planning session where stakeholders, designers and others collaborate on a vision for development. A design charrette for the Maple Grove Master Plan was held in the fall of 2022. The charrette was the initial exploration of design options and part of the preliminary stakeholder outreach in the Master Planning, intended to provide an opportunity to explore any number of ideas in a collaborative team setting. The plans and program ideas generated provide the basis for further design development. In most cases, design ideas from a number of teams end up informing the final master plan. The results of the charrette can be viewed in the documents below.