Stonebridge

Saskatoon Neighbourhood – Stonebridge

Stonebridge

Stonebridge is a mostly residential neighbourhood located in south-central Saskatoon. It is a suburban subdivision, consisting of low-density, single detached dwellings and a mix of medium-density apartment and semi-detached dwellings. As of 2009, the area is home to 994 residents. The neighbourhood is considered a middle-income area, with an average family income of $67,642, an average dwelling value of $321,004 and a home ownership rate of 72.4%. According to MLS data, the average sale price of a home as of 2013 was $380,777.

Location – Stonebridge is located within the Nutana Suburban Development Area. It is bounded by Highway 11 to the east, Clarence Avenue to the west, Circle Drive to the north, and the Canadian National Railway tracks to the south, . Streets are laid out in a typical hierarchy of arterial, collector and local roads. There are no bicycle lanes or pedestrian paths into the neighbourhood.

History – The first development in the area occurred with the purchase of land in 1976 by the University Drive Alliance Church. The congregation moved into their newly built facility, Circle Drive Alliance Church, in November 1979. Two adjacent buildings, a personal care home and senior citizens’ home, were completed in 1986. The city formally annexed the land in the 1980s, though some of the northern portions of the community closest to Circle Drive were actually annexed much earlier in 1959 for lands east of Preston Avenue, and 1966 for lands to the west. However, development did not begin until 2005 with the construction of the Stonegate Shopping Centre. Stonegate’s development was tied to the construction of an overpass at Clarence Avenue South over Circle Drive. Home building began at about the same time as the Stonegate construction. The Clarence Avenue interchange was completed and opened to traffic on November 20, 2007. Another interchange at Preston Avenue was constructed as part of the South Circle Drive project. The neighbourhood reached full buildout in late 2015, nearly seven years ahead of schedule.

Education – As of May 2017, two elementary schools are under construction in Stonebridge. In 2013, the provincial government announced funding for new schools in Saskatoon, including a joint-use public/separate school in Stonebridge. Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools revealed on June 23, 2015 that the division’s new elementary school in Stonebridge will be named St. Kateri after Kateri Tekakwitha and it is expected to be complete by 2017, while the public school will be named Chief Whitecap Elementary School.

Parks and Recreation – Alexander MacGillivray Young Park – 9.9 acres (4.0 ha)
Alfred Bence Park – 0.3 acres (0.12 ha)
Blair Nelson Park – 4.3 acres (1.7 ha)
Cecil A. Wheaton Park – 0.4 acres (0.16 ha)
Donald Koyl Park – 0.5 acres (0.20 ha)
Evelyn G. Edwards Park – 0.5 acres (0.20 ha)
Howard Harding Park – 0.8 acres (0.32 ha)
John Cameron Park – 0.4 acres (0.16 ha)
Mark Thompson Park – 3.4 acres (1.4 ha)
Marshall Hawthorne Park – 8.2 acres (3.3 ha)
Oren Willson Park – 0.5 acres (0.20 ha)
Owen Mann Park – 0.5 acres (0.20 ha)
Patricia Roe Park – 0.8 acres (0.32 ha)
Peter Zakreski Park – 20.2 acres (8.2 ha)
Robert H. Freeland Park – 0.7 acres (0.28 ha)
Walter Wood Park – 0.3 acres (0.12 ha)
William Anderson Park – 0.3 acres (0.12 ha)

The Stonebridge Community Association was formed in 2009 to advocate on civic and property development matters, and run affordable sport and recreation programs for children, youth and adults. The Willows golf course is located immediately southwest of the community.

Commercial – At present, the major commercial district of Stonebridge is the Stonegate Shopping Centre, a big box commercial development in the northwest corner that includes Walmart. Additional businesses are located west of Stonegate in an area called the Stonebridge Business Park, straddling Stonebridge Boulevard. Other mixed-used districts that include retail space are planned for the center of the neighbourhood. The Saskatoon Auto Mall, a collection of vehicle dealerships, is located immediately west of the community. The nearest enclosed shopping centre is Market Mall, approximately a kilometre to the north.

The Stonebridge commercial area includes new hotel development, marking the first time since the 1970s that new hotel accommodation has been constructed east of the river, following the closure of most hotels and motels along 8th Street between the 1970s and 1990s in deference to retail development.

Other – Samaritan Place: long term care facility operated by Amicus Health Care Inc., a subsidiary of the Catholic Health Ministry of Saskatchewan. Circle Drive Alliance Church and associated seniors residence. Constructed in 1986 southeast of Preston Avenue and Circle Drive, it predated development of Stonebridge by nearly a quarter century.

Stonebridge