The ringing in of 2013 will certainly bring some of the same old problems for rural Saskatchewan... albeit, perhaps less of them.
And it will undoubtedly bring some new problems ... albeit, a few that might be preferred problems to have.
This is the reality of a province still enjoying a relatively strong economy. So let us explore some of the potential economic challenges and how we might expect to meet them.
Agriculture and the uncertainty of the weather and markets:
Weather and markets are issues rural residents can do very little about, but agriculture will continue to be the mainstay for the rural economy in 2013.
The heavier snow cover we are now seeing generally bodes well for getting the crops off to a better start. Unfortunately, in can also mean flooding or late seeding.
Similarly, the value of our crops will depend largely on crops elsewhere in the world along with how other economies perform, something equally unpredictable.
That said, the trend towards larger market-oriented farming operations (a trend likely to continue with the demise of the Canadian Wheat Board) plus the emergence third-world economies should continue to result in wealthier producers in Saskatchewan.
Unfortunately, this trend also means fewer producers to support smaller rural communities. This trend will also continue, although the impact of this on rural life is slow enough that it isn't necessarily felt from year to year.
Economic activity and opportunities:
A high tide floats all boats. And the high tide from the boom in oil drilling and potash mine development has been felt everywhere in Saskatchewan in the past decade.
What should be said, however, is that some boats rise faster than others.
Communities closer to potash mining development projects and drilling will obviously continue to receive more benefit than communities further away. In fact, communities like Estevan, Weyburn, Moosomin, Esterhazy etc. would probably suffer less from any economic slowdown because it might give the chance for the local economy to catch up with the increase in housing prices and shortage in housing.
Of course, high costs and shortages of housing is one of those so-called preferred problems that only come around when the economy is better. Nevertheless, it is a problem and a problem that shouldn't be understated.
Losing the lower-living-cost advantage rural communities have traditionally enjoyed is a problem. And it's an even bigger problem when you consider growth can mean new problems normally associated with larger urban centres like increased violent crime, more drug offences or simply providing adequate infrastructure to meet the needs of growth.
Government support and programming:
On the latter point in particular, the Saskatchewan Party government with its predominate rural-based caucus has been both rather generous and sensitive to the needs of rural Saskatchewan in the past five years.
The problem, however, is that the government's 2012 budget demonstrated it can only offer so much and will likely continue to slow down its spending.
That means things like less flexibility to meet the needs of highways that have literally been absorbing the impact of the boom's increase in economic activity.
Rural voters have enjoyed the advantage of long-awaited breaks on agriculture land education tax and increased support for health care initiatives under this Sask. Party government. We will start to see the results come to fruition this year, with the completion of projects like the Radville hospital.
But this will be the second budget of this term, a time when the government focus is traditionally more on austerity than buying your votes before an election.
That said, it would seem unlikely that Premier Brad Wall's government has any intention of simply abandoning rural Saskatchewan, especially given the political efforts to add more MLAs to preserve rural seats.
While there are clearly challenges ahead, 2013 should be another year of opportunity for rural Saskatchewan.
