Planning for New Meewasin Trail in Northeast Saskatoon
New and enhanced primary trails provide access to nature, interpretation opportunities, and connections to the Northeast Swale, existing and planned neighbourhoods.
Saskatoon – September 2026 – Meewasin is drafting a conceptual trail alignment for the northeast of Saskatoon. Pop-up events are scheduled for this fall to hear from the public about this project.
The proposed trail will extend from the Circle Drive North Bridge to the Chief Mistawasis Bridge east of the river. New and enhanced primary trails will be developed along the river, along with new backshore trail connections and access points. The design will include new site furniture, wayfinding signage, interpretive signage, plantings, and trail lighting.
“This trail being planned along the east side of the river will be an important link, running from the Circle Drive North Bridge to the Chief Mistawasis Bridge and connecting to the overall Meewasin Trail network”, said Alan Otterbein, Director of Development with Meewasin. “Once completed, it will provide new primary trail connections to significant natural areas such as Crocus Prairie, the Northeast Swale and the Small Swale, as well as existing and future neighbourhoods.”
Four pop-up events are scheduled for this fall. Members of the public are encouraged to attend the pop-ups to learn more about the conceptual trail alignment and discuss it with Meewasin staff.
- Saturday, September 19th, 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Northeast Swale, at the parking lot on Range Road 3050. This pop-up will be held during grazing demonstrations, also at the Swale. Google Maps Pin Location.
- Wednesday, September 23rd, 4 to 7 p.m. on the west side of the Circle Drive Bridge pedway, off Pembina Avenue. Google Maps Pin Location.
- Saturday, October 3rd, 1 to 4 p.m. at Sutherland Beach Dog Park entrance. Google Maps Pin Location.
- Thursday, October 8th, 3:30 to 6 p.m. at Crocus Prairie. Google Maps Pin Location.
Meewasin Trail projects include a number of critical steps broken down into three primary components: Creation, Validation, and Implementation. We are currently near the end of the Creation stage, which includes background planning and study, site analysis / reporting, and conceptual design development.
The next stage, Validation, includes landowner, stakeholder and public engagement, plan updates based on feedback, and eventually submissions for formal landowner and regulatory approvals. This will include formal approvals from the City of Saskatoon, University of Saskatchewan and Meewasin.
The final stage, Implementation, includes securing funding, detailed design, construction, turnover for operation and most importantly, opening for public use. We anticipate the project will be built in a number of phases, as funding becomes available.
More information, including the conceptual trail alignment, an FAQ, and a survey about the project can be found on Meewasin’s website at https://meewasin.com/masterplans/.
About Meewasin Valley Authority
The Meewasin Valley Authority exists to ensure a healthy and vibrant river valley, with a balance between human use and conservation by:
- Providing leadership in the management of its resources
- Promoting understanding, conservation and beneficial use of the Valley; and
- Undertaking programs and projects in river valley development and conservation, for the benefit of present and future generations.
There are 67 square kilometers of land and 108km of established trail, which has seen up to 2.365 million trail visits per year, in the Meewasin Valley. The area also features sites that help people to connect to nature through experiences such as Beaver Creek Conservation Area, the Meewasin Northeast Swale, Saskatoon Natural Grasslands, the River Landing Spray Area, and the Cameco Meewasin Skating Rink @Nutrien Plaza. Meewasin is a non-profit organization that relies on donations and volunteers for sustainability. To get involved or learn more visit www.meewasin.com.