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Toxic Gas Plagues Saskatoon Business, Rendering Building Worthless
5 Nov
Summary
- Toxic H2S gas from malfunctioning sewage facility reduces building value to zero
- Customers overwhelmed by rotten egg smell, gas burns nose hair
- $1.4 million budget request to fix issue, but construction not until 2027-28
As of November 5th, 2025, a Saskatoon business owner is facing a dire situation due to a malfunctioning city sewage facility. Derek Hanneson, who owns Hanneson Construction Inc. on Kinnear Avenue, says the toxic hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas being released from the dump station has reduced the value of his building to zero.
Hanneson, who has invested his life savings into the building, told the city's environment, utilities and community services committee that the gas, which smells like rotten eggs, enters the building every 10-20 minutes, knocking people off their feet. Customers are overwhelmed by the fumes, which are so strong they are burning the hair out of people's noses.
Russ Munro, the director of Saskatoon water, acknowledged the issue, stating that the apparatus designed to remove the gas is failing. While the city is working to rectify the problem, a budget request for $1.4 million to address the issue will not be considered until later this month, with any actual construction work not expected until 2027-28.
In a separate matter, bird advocates are also urging the city to take action to protect winged creatures. Volunteers have found 20 birds that collided with the north side of Saskatoon City Hall, either dying or being injured, between August 24th and October 5th. The city is considering spending $49,863 to apply bird deterrent film to the windows.
