Saskatoon sees surge in school zone speed camera violations

Saskatoon is seeing a sharp increase in drivers speeding through school zones, according to data from the Saskatoon Police Service. Stacey Hein has more.

Saskatoon is seeing a sharp increase in drivers speeding through school zones, according to an annual traffic report from the Saskatoon Police Service (SPS).

Using SGI data, the report shows speed camera violations in Saskatoon school zones totalled 39,802 last year, nearly seven times the 2020 total of 5,964.

Police noted not every violation leads to a ticket, as footage is reviewed by an officer before a notice is issued.

“It is concerning that we are seeing an increase in those speeding tickets,” Insp. Tony Landry said in an interview Wednesday.

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School zone violations accounted for most of the increase in city-wide speed camera violations, which more than doubled to 64,971 last year from 31,325 in 2020.

Photo radar violations along Circle Drive were largely unchanged, at 25,169 last year compared with 25,361 in 2020.

Landry said part of the increase reflects a growing number of vehicles on the road as the city’s population rises. As of July 2025, Saskatoon’s population is estimated at a midpoint of 316,342, up more than 50,000 people from the 2021 census count of 266,141.

He said the cameras are intended to remind drivers to slow down.

“It also generates conversations for those that are receiving those tickets,” he said. “We know people like to talk about tickets.”

Violations also nearly doubled from 10,963 in 2022 to 20,440 in 2023, the first full year after city council extended school zone hours to 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., year-round.

Kwei Quaye, vice-president of traffic safety with SGI, said one camera rotates through four school zone locations, including St. Michael Community School on 33rd Street, which records the highest number of violations.

Other sites include E. Brownell School on Russell Road, École canadienne-française on Albert Avenue, Mother Teresa School and Silverspring School on Konihowski Road.

Quaye said some drivers were clocked at 70 kilometres an hour, more than double the posted school zone speed limit.

“The cameras are in the school zones to protect some of the most vulnerable road users, school kids, and we know that speed kills,” he said.

“Our goal is to have these cameras start to reduce or encourage people to reduce the speed.”