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Saskatchewan lures Albertans) ]! B7 I0 t4 J! `. v
Mike Sadava, The Edmonton Journal7 F& Q& a; f# E* a: v; K+ V9 K4 l; B
Published: Friday, March 30, 2007
2 y9 L: v- M/ h1 R5 gEDMONTON - Albertans are starting to be Saskatchewan-bound in growing numbers.& ~) x& [9 {* b/ e) a( L2 @
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For the first time since 1996, more people are moving from Alberta to Saskatchewan than the other way around. It's part of a slight slowdown in Alberta's population growth, which is still increasing at four times the rest of the country.) a1 c( c1 Q; q
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According to Statistics Canada, 128 more Albertans moved one province east in the last three months of 2006.
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"This is a good batch of numbers," said Roy Schneider, spokesman for Saskatchewan Industry and Resources. "We were bleeding so many people to Alberta for such a long time I'd be happy to see (a net increase from Alberta of) two.) H2 ]: |- f. G6 J7 ?4 c
& I6 s1 {# S. W+ C& L$ N6 g1 \For years, between 2,000 and 4,000 Saskatchewan residents per quarter would head out to Alberta in search of the good life.8 S5 b: J* g9 v7 u3 `& G
4 R) t1 @2 G: t* {0 `; H+ ^. qEven in the third quarter of 2006, Saskatchewan experienced a net loss of 994 people to Alberta, and the province launched an ad campaign, extolling the better life of Saskatchewan in billboards popping up around Edmonton.1 d' u1 ~" A# R) d, _" g; h
0 p% p, i* E- V: ?5 LStatistics Canada hasn't tracked who these people are, but Crystal and Cam Hamilton, who moved back to Regina at the beginning of the year, might be typical.0 \9 I2 ^" W4 [+ R! Q+ F7 W
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Cam moved here eight years ago to take a course in architectural drafting.
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There were no jobs in Regina in his field, so he stayed in Edmonton to work. Crystal followed him here and they married, eventually buying a house in Lymburn in southwest Edmonton.
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( p& o* }, |% n$ {After having their son Brady, who is now 11 months old, they decided it would be nice to be back in Regina with family, and that became possible.8 ?4 ?% b" G( ]. ~
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"Because the economy is so much bigger in Saskatchewan now, there are jobs again," Crystal Hamilton said.7 d5 h% A# [: j( B. Y9 Y" x
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They ended up with a tidy nest egg from the move and managed to pay off their debts. The Edmonton house they bought two years ago for $157,000 got them $306,000, and they built a new, larger home in Regina for $190,000.
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"We're financially set now," she said. "It was perfect timing and turned out to be good idea in many ways."0 d0 Q! h/ h9 |( o$ r9 Q7 G
. r6 [ ^1 @/ H. u; eShe said they liked Edmonton, other than the traffic, and made a lot of friends here who they will miss.; G( C+ E( r; n" |) s
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"It was sad to move, but it's also good to be back.", n- L) [( `* B
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Vicki Delnea and her husband Rod had similar reasons for moving to Regina from Calgary -- the difference in the cost of housing enabled them to pay off their mortgage.* @3 ^6 d Q0 x7 i0 B' ^
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"In the end you have to figure out your priorities, and for us it was not being on the hamster wheel," she said.
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While she is from London, England, Rod was originally from Regina, and it will be great for her three-year-old, Joshua, to know his grandparents, she said.
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Rod, who works in marketing, was able to keep his job and is working out of a home office, which saves him a 40-minute commute.9 G1 x0 Y! x1 x/ M
4 l" G* V3 `& y) v, `6 G"Everybody thought we were crazy moving here because there is a stigma against Saskatchewan. When we told them Regina, they said: 'Why?' We said: 'Why not?' "
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So far Delnea loves the city, finding her neighbours friendly and not missing the traffic of Calgary.7 M0 p5 E! \2 q8 E& Y/ h
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Frank Trovato, a demographer in the sociology department at the University of Alberta, said it's not surprising to see more people moving to Saskatchewan after such a long period of net outflow of people to Alberta." |' Y7 _; ^3 |! X B
5 i* W: Z5 G; \" e4 N"When you see there's a lot of people moving to a place, there's also a countercurrent back," Trovato said./ s7 Y0 J4 o7 L4 E9 |* n9 H
* h1 B* _3 o9 P9 ~There are likely a number of factors at play, including the lower cost of housing and greater economic opportunities back in Saskatchewan, but there were probably a number of people who found that Edmonton didn't provide the opportunities they were hoping for, he said.
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"Not everyone who moves to a province is there permanently," Trovato said.
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Terry Hincks, a Regina city councillor and realtor, said Albertans are buying a lot of homes in Regina, either as revenue property or to eventually be their place of residence.
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"It seems that every time I pick up the phone it's either 780 or 403 (area codes)." n$ `8 t9 }, _) t% ~- m
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Real estate prices are still much lower than Edmonton -- $130,000 to $150,000 can still get you a decent three-bedroom home -- but are starting to rise. February set a new record in Regina, with 250 houses sold." Q+ h7 D6 r1 T+ ?& n1 L: m
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msadava@thejournal.canwest.com: [. e" |# S4 H: K: Z; L3 P. a
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AGAINST THE TIDE
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No. of people moving from Alberta to Saskatchewan: 2,838
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No. of people moving from Saskatchewan to Alberta: 2,710+ q; p9 v# A. E W. N! R: v! H$ I* Y7 ~8 o
; X( B3 E* i5 a I. X; MNet loss for Alberta: 128# l( R O8 J( c+ @+ A4 A0 W
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Net inflow of migrants to Alberta from the rest of Canada: 11,800
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) P! ]( C" k- l |( U9 {Net inflow of migrants in the fourth quarter 2005: 17,100
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Population growth Alberta: 0.65 per cent
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Population growth for Sask.: 0.21 per cent$ y9 I( W! ^3 Q& ]' K u8 ^
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Population growth for all of Canada: 0.14 per cent, O# o3 S S& g( Z% e
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Source: Statistics Canada figures for fourth quarter, 2006 |
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