The latest population estimate by Statistics Canada has been released, and it indicates Saskatchewan is still growing, despite the struggles of the oil and gas sector during the past two years.
Saskatchewan’s population has now surpassed 1.15 million people for the first time. It’s an announcement that should be celebrated in all circles.
It’s hard to believe that just a decade ago, Saskatchewan’s population was around 992,000, and in a steady decline. There were people who claimed the province would always hover around a million people, and mocked those who believed our population could steadily increase.
Saskatchewan’s population continues to hit all-time highs each quarter, and remains on track to hit 1.2 million by the end of the decade.
A growing population is good news on all fronts. It means more people in both urban and rural communities alike. It means our schools and hospitals at less of a risk of shutting down because there aren’t enough students and patients, respectively.
It means a growing tax base, which translates to more money for government coffers.
It’s great news for businesses. If there are more people, it means more customers. And it also means new businesses will be more willing to come to an area, and aspiring entrepreneurs will be more confident to start a business of their own,.
And a growing population boosts perceptions of those outside of Saskatchewan. When Saskatchewan’s population was in decline, it affected the way people across the country looked at this province. As our fortunes have changed and our population has grown during the past decade, those outside the province have a very different perspective.
It’s hard to believe that a decade ago, people could have been so foolish to say “There’s more for the rest of us” when giving their thoughts on outmigration and a status quo population.
When the economic slowdown hit a couple years ago, there was a realistic expectation that our population would plateau or possibly even decrease. After all, it was the surge in the resource sector that powered our growth.
People follow opportunities. With fewer opportunities available, it might lead to fewer residents.
But Saskatchewan’s population still increased by about 5,000 people during the last quarter, which is close the increases seen during the boom years that started back in 2006.
We hope that this is a sign that people view Saskatchewan as more than just a place to work, that it is an attractive place to live because it is a great place to raise a family, or it appeals to their lifestyles. People might follow the opportunity, but it takes more to keep them here if that opportunity fades away.
Our population continues to grow. And it’s going to be an exciting day in the next three or four years when we can say Saskatchewan is home to 1.2 million people.
