Opportunities in Our Own City

Moose Jaw’s past is filled with stories of young citizens leaving our city (and, in many cases, our province) for greater opportunities elsewhere. For the province in general, the story has changed in recent years. Since 2007, Saskatchewan’s population has increased by over 160,000, with much of that due to the positive economic climate in the province.

Since the 1950s, Moose Jaw’s population has remained relatively static in the 30,000-35,000 range. According to the 2016 Census, Moose Jaw’s population was 33,890 – a 1.9% increase from the 2011 Census. In that same time, Saskatchewan’s population grew by 6.3 per cent.

We have paid a price by not keeping up.

Each year the provincial government allocates 1% of PST revenue back to communities through their Revenue Sharing program. Funds are allocated based on population figures and since other communities have grown at a more rapid rate than Moose Jaw, our share of PST revenue was reduced in 2017.

The obvious question is then: how do we grow and take advantage of the associated benefits?

I would suggest that first we stop doing what we have been doing for the last thirty years and as a Council start saying “YES” to opportunity and growth. We need to convince others of what we already know - Moose Jaw is a wonderful great place to live, work, raise a family and someday retire. Not only do we want to attract people to move here, we want to encourage people to stay here.

We as a community must have a positive outlook and attempt to capitalize on the opportunities that we have. It is time we realize that Moose Jaw plays a significant role in the region that surrounds us and has a significant part to play in the success of the Province of Saskatchewan.

The opportunities that we have in our own front yard are amazing. Saskatchewan Polytechnic Campus in Moose Jaw provides excellent learning opportunities for up and coming industries located in the Moose Jaw-Regina corridor. Mining and agriculture will con- tinue to grow as the world’s population continues to grow. There are hi-tech, high-paying careers within our reach.

Further opportunities being explored at Sask Polytechnic are alternative energy sources. Solar power is not just for calculators, this is an everyday power source in other countries and Moose Jaw could be the solar capital of the west. Did you know that Moose Jaw is among the national leaders in sunny days? We average 2377 hours of sunshine every year!

When it comes to the aerospace industry, 15 Wing Moose Jaw often attracts all of the headlines for being a NATO Flying Training Centre and home to the Canadian Forces Snowbirds. However, it’s important to note that CAE – the prime contractor for the NFTC – is constantly recruiting civilian engineers and technicians. This is an area of great opportunity for young people looking to stay in Moose Jaw.

This is a great time to remind residents that they don’t have to leave to find lucrative opportunities as many already exist here in Moose Jaw. However, we need to convince outside businesses and industries that Moose Jaw has many competitive advantages – whether they are starting up, expanding or relocating. We must pursue them in the name of growth and opportunity.