麻豆传媒AVeast Saskatchewan is growing, according to Sask Health numbers, particularly Moosomin and its surrounding areas. Over the last 10 years Moosomin has grown by 14.6 per cent and by 32 per cent over the last 15 years鈥攕urrounding municipalities have also either stayed about the same or grown.
This isn鈥檛 the case outside the region, with other rural communities seeing a decrease in size in the last decade. Moosomin and its surrounding area have the benefit of the mining industry playing an important role in growth, but Sask Chamber of Commerce CEO Steve McLellan says there鈥檚 more to it than that.
鈥淭here are some certain natural assets that have been capitalized on鈥攍ike the oil sector, like the potash sector鈥攂ut even within Moosomin鈥檚 geographic area, not every community has grown,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y assessment would be quite simple, Moosomin looks like a great place to live, and it is a great place to live, and that鈥檚 drawn people who will drive outside of the community to work elsewhere. It鈥檚 got those basic amenities, it鈥檚 got a hospital, it鈥檚 got a nice downtown, it鈥檚 got restaurants, it鈥檚 got hotels out on the highway, and it鈥檚 got a positive attitude. It looks like a winner and that鈥檚 what people want, so if it looks like a community that鈥檚 going backwards with how it looks and how it feels, then people won鈥檛 want to live there and they won鈥檛 stay there.
鈥淢oosomin has got those amenities that will keep people in the neighbourhood, rather than driving all the way to Yorkton and commuting to the mines, or driving from Carlyle to the oil sector. Moosomin has people who say, 鈥業 want to live in this town, it鈥檚 got everything I need and looks like a winner, I鈥檇 be wise to live here.鈥� All of amenities make a difference. There are different things to look for in a town鈥攜ounger people want to make sure there鈥檚 things to do, places for their kids to skate, good schools that aren鈥檛 falling apart and at risk of closing, and as they get older they want to make sure there鈥檚 a healthcare facility that will look after them. Everybody wants to know that there鈥檚 decent retail that will give me all the products that I need and at easy access.
鈥淚 think we鈥檙e going to see places like Moosomin become even bigger and grow even faster as smaller towns who can鈥檛 fit that bill start to decrease in population,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he only exception will be smaller communities that are near a lake or something that has a draw like that, but I think Moosomin will always be a very popular and lively growing community.鈥�
McLellan also thinks publicizing the assets a town has plays a key role in attracting people from surrounding areas and building buzz about the community.
鈥淭he reality of it is, not only do you have to have those things, but you have to tell people that you have them,鈥� he said. 鈥淔or example, the skate way that Moosomin has in town, I saw in an issue of the paper. Those things make a difference, that鈥檚 good exposure. Everyone that is relatively new to town and even those who have been around a while, when they鈥檙e on the phone or on a Zoom with someone living elsewhere and they say, 鈥榳hat did you do this week?鈥� and one person from another community says, 鈥業鈥檓 bored as can be,鈥� and the Moosomin person says, 鈥榳e went skate,鈥� or even if they didn鈥檛 go on it, they know about it because it鈥檚 been covered so well and they鈥檝e got plans to use it.
鈥淣ot every town has someone out there to let everybody know that they have these things. That鈥檚 a part of the responsibility, but also the opportunity of a community newspaper to make sure people know all these assets and keep remind them because you might not be a skater today, but in two weeks when you鈥檙e as bored as can be and want to get outside you鈥檒l go downtown buy a pair of skates and figure out you love skating because you haven鈥檛 done it in thirty years. All those things are part of what keeps communities vibrant and keeps people in those communities.鈥�
Continuity in the community between the town council, economic development officer, rec department, business leaders, and everybody in-between is paramount for promoting growth and ensuring strong involvement says McLellan.
鈥淭hey need to get active,鈥� he said. 鈥淕rowth is not accidental and very seldom is it totally organic. It鈥檚 intentional, Moosomin鈥檚 economic development folks have been active to invite companies like Canalta to come to town. The town has worked very closely with the mines and the oil company to make sure what they need is available and that they feel welcome in the community. It鈥檚 absolutely an intentional outcome and if you鈥檙e not intentional, strategic, and co-ordinated in how you do that.
鈥淲hether it鈥檚 the rec board working with the economic development board or local chamber helping to identify new opportunities and celebrate new businesses, but it has to be a co-ordinated effort without it being overly organized. It鈥檚 got to be intentional and communities that are sitting on their heels saying, 鈥榡eez, poor us,鈥� they鈥檒l continue to go down because nobody wants to be part of that attitude and it鈥檚 a long way often from a negative attitude to a positive growth rate鈥攖here鈥檚 a direct link between the two.鈥�
If a rural area is to thrive, McLellan believes it has everything to do with the collective positivity of the townspeople and he says that starts at the top with community leaders and it trickles down.
鈥淓ven to the young person that works at the gas station, when someone drives through and they say, 鈥榳elcome to Moosomin!鈥� or something that just shows the positive attitude, that matters,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f they鈥檙e driving across the country and they stop at 20 gas stations, which is the one they remember? Those sorts of goodwill assets are certainly useful and again, when you drive through it, it looks like a town you want to live in and that鈥檚 the attitude Moosomin projects.
鈥淚t has potential with surrounding industries鈥攖here鈥檚 a lot of work that has made it so successful鈥攂ut I think it will continue because of the collective will. Moosomin鈥檚 local chamber is very active, the economic development folks work well, and there鈥檚 good leadership at the municipal level and certainly the MLA, Steven Bonk, is a champion for the Moosomin area and the province. All of those things combined, like I say, there鈥檚 a direct line between a negative attitude and negative growth.鈥�
Something McLellan sees as a quick fix is help from the provincial and federal government. He believes if the change doesn鈥檛 start from within the community then assistance from outside of it won鈥檛 have a lasting impact.
鈥淚t has to start with the communities,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he worst thing and the shortest term success would be a government grant that helped the community do something. It has to start internally and the only way for it to be sustainable is for it to be done that way. If the municipality puts money into it, then that鈥檚 great because it鈥檚 your own community. The province can鈥檛 give you a grant that creates a positive environment, they can give you a grant to help strategy, but it鈥檚 much better done if it鈥檚 done at the municipal level.
鈥淭hey can assist things, like making sure there鈥檚 a program to have a senior centre built where there鈥檚 community shared ownership or fundraising, they can make sure they鈥檙e very careful on determination of healthcare services and how those facilities are funded, and they can certainly have a bigger stake鈥攁s can the private sector鈥攊n things like infrastructure for internet. Those types of things make life in a smaller community different, not more challenging, but different if indeed things like access to internet or business or kids learning are harder to access in rural Saskatchewan鈥攖he province has a role in helping there, but I don鈥檛 think they have a direct role in making people more positive.
鈥淵ou need to want to come together as a community and when you do that, you don鈥檛 need a grant, you just need a group of committed individuals and great things will happen. All the provincial or federal government can give you is a temporary high,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t needs to be sustainable because otherwise you become a one hit wonder and people may say, 鈥榦h my gosh this is good, I鈥檓 going to move there,鈥� and then they get there and there鈥檚 no positivity. Even elected leadership can be ambassadors for it, but you need people who aren鈥檛 on council to help produce events and celebrate great things that are happening in the community.
鈥淒elegates can do that, they should recognize the good things Moosomin is doing and congratulate the town and expansion, and they do that through people like Steven Bonk. But other than that, I鈥檇 argue, it has got to be at the grassroots level for it to be sustainable because it鈥檚 not a short-term high you鈥檙e looking for.鈥�
