Those global positioning system gadgets commonly used by hunters and trucking companies are finding a new use on the streets of Saskatoon: helping blind people get around.

On Wednesday, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind was demonstrating the GPS navigation system.

The device announces a person's location, direction of travel, and the names of streets in the area as they walk. Gerry Nelson has had one for the last four months and uses it every day.

"I love it. In some ways it's almost like having your sight back again," Nelson said.

"It doesn't tell you how green the grass is or how blue the sky is but I tell you, when you can approach an intersection and know where you are, what street you're on and what direction you're headed in, it's wonderful."

Nelson said GPS has given him more independence but he still relies on his guide dog, Faith, to help him cross streets and navigate around obstacles.

"This GPS system will not tell me that somebody has left a bike on the sidewalk or their garbage can is in the middle of the sidewalk," he said. "That's Faith's job to lead me around that."