Cost of Dutch Elm disease in Saskatoon rising

Added: 2026-04-28

[00:00:00]We're getting a look at how much it's costing the city of Saskatoon to deal with Dutch elm disease. A report from city administration describes cases of Dutch elm disease as increasing at an alarming rate with 41 cases reported in 2025 compared to 11 last year and four in 2023. The city says elm wood disposal initiatives in 2024 and 2025 cost just over $318,000.

[00:00:25]That's 168,000 more than the budget.

[00:00:29]Last year, twice as much elm wood from residents and commercial customers was disposed of compared to 2024. Starting last year, all disposal fees were waived from loads of elm wood at the landfill.