Reaping the resource rewards

             I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that Regina ranks number five on the list of best places to live in Canada. http://www.moneysense.ca/2012/03/20/canadas-best-places-to-live-2012/

            Laugh, you might, but one can’t argue with the stats.  Low unemployment, a growing population, and much improved weather (believe it, it’s true!) make Regina the place to be.  It outranks crime-ridden Victoria (ranked 35^th), unaffordable Vancouver (56^th), smog-filled Chilliwack (147^th), and that otherwise lovely city of bridges, Saskatoon (30^th).

            I admit, it took me a while to claim Regina as my home city.  I had spent most of my life living in the Greater Saskatoon Area (this includes the bustling suburb of Laird).  Saskatonians are a bit snobbish, you see, turning their noses up at that low-lying government city.  I’m not sure what led to this superiority complex, but I think it all goes back to the Bessborough, that handsomely designed hotel by the river.  Without it, Saskatoon would have nothing to put on its postcards.

            Regina, on the other hand, has bureaucrats and politicians, most notably represented by our handsome Legislative Building.  Interestingly, Canada’s biggest government town, Ottawa, ranks as the best place to live in Canada.  I wish I could make a connection between government and the good life, but I cannot.

            I find it interesting that Saskatchewan, which used to bleed good (and some bad) people to Alberta and BC, is now actually leading the country in growth.  We hit a new high of 1,063,535 people last year, as duly noted in our government’s budget speech.  Only in Saskatchewan do we proudly announce our population statistics in budget speeches.

            But this much is true, after being the butt of all kinds of jokes, Saskatchewan is now getting some recognition.  It’s becoming the land of opportunity – the land of milk and honey, or oil and fertilizer, if you will.

            It’s amazing what $100-a-barrel oil can do for a province.  Only ten years ago, oil was priced at $15 a barrel.  The price of energy has increased seven-fold.  It’s no wonder the province is rolling in dough. 

While much of Canada faces austerity budgets, with political leaders having to make the most difficult decisions, Saskatchewan’s government trims a little here and there while quietly admitting a 5% increase in resource revenues.  It’s tough to be a conservative with such an embarrassment of riches.

            And while we like to continually compare ourselves to our no-PST neighbours, we still have the second lowest tax rates in the country, our housing is affordable compared to the rest of Canada, our union workers are well paid (nurses top out at $90K, teachers at $80K, bureaucrats top out at… let's just say they get paid OK), and there are Help Wanted signs on every retail store in the province.

            The resource boom has been good indeed.  So good that even the weather appears to be taking a turn for the better.