Saskatoon·NewA city council advisory committee will consider a report Thursday suggesting a new neighbourhood be dubbed Hawthorn, after a tree and shrub species found near the area.City bureaucrats pitch Hawthorn for community near Northeast SwalePhil Tank · CBC News · Posted: Dec 08, 2025 6:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 31 minutes agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Saskatoon’s newest neighbourhood will be located adjacent to the ecologically sensitive Northeast Swale, seen here. (CBC)Saskatoon city hall bureaucrats are pitching a prickly name for the city’s next neighbourhood.A city council advisory committee will consider a report Thursday suggesting the neighbourhood be dubbed Hawthorn, after a tree and shrub species found near the area.“Hawthorn trees or shrubs are known for their fragrant flowers and thorny branches, symbolizing resilience and protection,” says a report written by Keith Folkersen, a senior land development planner with Saskatoon Land, the city’s land development branch.Folkersen first suggested the name to a special meeting of the city’s civic naming advisory committee last month. The same committee will decide on Thursday whether to forward the suggestion to city council’s planning, development and community services committee for further consideration. Council retains the power of final approval.The name is being proposed as the development plan for the neighbourhood is set to begin. A name is required to market the area and start selling lots.The request arrives as city hall is finalizing a new naming policy that will focus on Indigenous experience and diversity.Folkersen’s report says the berries from Hawthorn trees/shrubs were used by Indigenous people for food and medicine and to make wine. Hawthorns are also called thornapple, May-tree, whitethorn or hawberry.The neighbourhood would be located in northeast Saskatoon, north of Silverspring, Evergreen and Aspen Ridge, and adjacent to the South Saskatchewan River and the ecologically sensitive Northeast Swale and Small Swale. The Hawthorn species can be found in the Small Swale, Folkersen’s report says.Hawthorn would be “consistent” with the names of nearby neighbourhoods, the report adds.Saskatoon Land suggests a theme for the neighbourhood revolving around flora and fauna, environment and geology. However, there are not enough names on the city’s master list in these categories to name streets, parks and other amenities in the neighbourhood.The land development branch surveyed people inside the department, other city hall staff and builders on the name Hawthorn, the report says.Other names proposedThe report also includes two other names, Moose Woods Trail and Riddell, that could be suitable for parks in the neighbourhood. The report says these names provide the opportunity for education on the area’s history. A branch of the historical Moose Woods Trail once ran through the area, and Riddell is the name of a paleontological site where fossils have been discovered.The neighbourhood for which Hawthorn has been proposed would be the last in that sector, known as University Heights.In 2014, city hall abandoned the name Morningside for a new east-side neighbourhood following a negative public reaction and changed it to Brighton.Last month’s naming advisory committee meeting heard four additional neighbourhoods are coming soon. Veteran Coun. Bev Dubois chairs the committee, which also includes Coun. Senos Timon and Coun. Jasmin Parker.ABOUT THE AUTHORPhil Tank is an award-winning journalist based in Saskatoon. He can be reached at phil.tank@cbc.ca.
Arboreal name proposed for next Saskatoon neighbourhood
