For all the rejoicing over the latest population news emerging from the 2011 Census, the news wasn't all that great for a lot of rural Saskatchewan communities.
Sadly, this has been an 80-year reality for all too many of Saskatchewan's hamlets, villages and towns.
But there is an upside the latest five-year head count: A lot of Saskatchewan's bigger towns and smaller cities are growing faster than at any time in recent memory.
News that Saskatchewan's census population has reached 1,033,381 was embraced by Premier Brad Wall's government as a grand achievement for a province that has had remarkably little to celebrate in census years for the past quarter century or longer.
The last and only other time the census showed the province's population to be more than one million was in 1986 when it registered at 1,009,610. (It's important to note that the census population numbers, although they become a historical record, are not as accurate as other Statistics Canada numbers because of what is referred to the "undercount" of those that don't fill in their census forms. In actual fact, Saskatchewan broke the one-million population barrier in July 2007, the last few months of the previous Lorne Calvert NDP administration.)
Of course, the news was a call for celebration for the Wall government that may very well be invincible until if and when the population trend reverses. So much emphasis is placed on growth in this province that it has become an important political weapon for government when the numbers are as good as they now. And given Wall's Sask. Party set a goal of 1.1 million people by the end of its first decade in office, these growth numbers are particularly important.
The irony, however, is that the numbers aren't great where Wall and the Sask. Party have traditionally have had its strongest support, in rural Saskatchewan when the slow, painful march towards depopulation continues on.
For example, the census showed the village of Atwater to be at zero, much to the chagrin of village residents like Sharon Gelowitz who told the CBC there are about 31 people living in her community. (Again, the Census numbers are never the most accurate.)
Overall, the percentage of Saskatchewan people living in areas as defined by the census (communities of less than 1,000) has dipped to 33 per cent in the 2011 Census from 35 per cent in 2006. While 33 per cent is still more than the next most rural province (Manitoba, at 28 per cent) it pales in comparison to what Saskatchewan once was. In 1956, 63 per cent of the population was considered rural. And in 1971, it was still 47 per cent.
The vast majority of the growth is occuring in the major cities like Saskatoon and Regina that are not only benefiting from the influx of people coming from out-of-province, but also from people moving from the smaller communities into the cities.
There again, the resource boom of the past decade is clearly benefiting other communities. For example, Carlyle enjoyed 14.6-per-cent growth to 1,441 last from 1,257 in the 2006 census. Other communities experiencing substantial growth included: Weyburn, 11.1 per cent (from 9,433 to 10,484 in 2011); Estevan, 9.6 per cent (from 10,084 to 11,054); North Battleford, 5.3 per cent (from 13,190 to 13,888); Yorkton, 4.2 per cent (from 15,038 to 15,669), and: Swift Current 3.7 per cent (from 14,946 to 15,503).
The fastest growing town in Saskatchewan was White City and the fastest growing city was Martensville (although, their proximity to Regina and Saskatoon might has a lot to do with their growth.
This is obviously good news for these communities benefiting from Saskatchewan's economic boom
As for a lot of the smaller "rural" communities the 2011 Census underscores a long-term trend.
