[A4Regina]

Since the population boom is occuring in both cities, do you think Regina's population and size will ever go past Saskatoon's?

--After all, we are the capital city :cool: :D

[Mayor Quimby]

It isn't a boom, a small boom is 5% growth, Regina will not grow by 9,000 people this year. It is a speculator driven market that is unsustainable.

[Dalreg]

Since the population boom is occuring in both cities, do you think Regina's population and size will ever go past Saskatoon's?

--After all, we are the capital city :cool: :D

How soon you folks forget. As recently as the 80's, Regina was larger than Saskatoon in population.

Will it ever catch Saskatoon. Hopefully not!

[psych1]

--After all, we are the capital city :cool: :D

Do ya think Victoria will ever catch up to Vancouver ? ;). I think it is unfortunate that Saskatchewan has two small cities instead of one medium sized one. Manitoba is a similar size to Saskatchewan, but Winnipeg has many more amenities and is more cosmopolitan than Saskatoon and Regina combined. Can't change history I guess, but I don't think it would do either city any harm, if the other outgrew it and became a more self sustaining size in the process. Victoria benefits greatly from the successes of Vancouver.

[psych1]

It isn't a boom, a small boom is 5% growth, Regina will not grow by 9,000 people this year. It is a speculator driven market that is unsustainable.

You know, I think I agree with most of the points you make, but geez you sound like a carmudgeon:D Not that that is a bad thing ;)

[Rotary]

Do ya think Victoria will ever catch up to Vancouver ? ;). I think it is unfortunate that Saskatchewan has two small cities instead of one medium sized one. Manitoba is a similar size to Saskatchewan, but Winnipeg has many more amenities and is more cosmopolitan than Saskatoon and Regina combined. Can't change history I guess, but I don't think it would do either city any harm, if the other outgrew it and became a more self sustaining size in the process. Victoria benefits greatly from the successes of Vancouver.
Regina and Saskatoon are remarkably urban for their size, and in a unique class of their own in Canada. Does a much larger city like London Ontario really offer much more?

[psych1]

Regina and Saskatoon are remarkably urban for their size, and in a unique class of their own in Canada. Does a much larger city like London Ontario really offer much more?


Good point, but I don't think London or other cities in the orbit of Toronto or any other metropolis are a good comparison, becasue their proximity to a giant city with every imaginable amenity means there is limited demand at home. I think Saskatoon and Regina benefit to a degree from thier isolation, ie. we have to make our own fun, but I think we suffer due to our relatively small size when compared to other isolated cities such as Winnipeg. For one thing, I don't think we offer as much of a draw for outsiders and it is very challenging to keep immigrants here once they realize the opportunities larger centres offer. I am not meaning to bash either Regina or Saskatoon, and I think both are becoming more cosmopolitan, but really, we are still pretty provincial. Outside of a few venues like these forums, I don't hear a lot of progressive thinking and often what passess for progressive is yesterday's news elsewhere. For heaven's sake, we are having the debates about recycling, transit and development that were happening elsewhere in the 1990s Sometimes the careful prairie approach is a good thing, but it can be stifling if there is no new blood coming in.

[ReginaGuy]

I don't see why it couldn't happen some time in the future. Regina was the biggest city for several decades until it was passed by Saskatoon only about 20 years ago. And the two cities are still pretty much the same size.

I think Saskatoon will remain the largest for a while tho


It isn't a boom, a small boom is 5% growth, Regina will not grow by 9,000 people this year. It is a speculator driven market that is unsustainable.

Um, 5% per year would not be considered a "small boom". In fact, a growth rate that high would be a massive infux of people, for any city. As of the 2006 Census, Calgary was growing at only 2.48% per year. I think you're confused with the 5 year population growths, which are released with the census.

[BrannyMuffin]

Do ya think Victoria will ever catch up to Vancouver ? ;). I think it is unfortunate that Saskatchewan has two small cities instead of one medium sized one. Manitoba is a similar size to Saskatchewan, but Winnipeg has many more amenities and is more cosmopolitan than Saskatoon and Regina combined. Can't change history I guess, but I don't think it would do either city any harm, if the other outgrew it and became a more self sustaining size in the process. Victoria benefits greatly from the successes of Vancouver.

I know you were joking, but Regina and Saskatoon are relatively close in size. With Vancouver and Victoria we're talking a city of 600,000 compared to one of under 80,000. I don't think it's unfortunate at all that we have two smaller cities as opposed to one larger centre. A larger city may mean more amenities (though I think that's arguable...Regina and Saskatoon have plenty of amenities that larger centres have, albeit on a smaller scale.) What does Winnipeg actually have that Regina or Saskatoon don't? Bigger doesn't always mean better. I like that I can travel 2.5 hours to another city for a change of pace and can go back home whenever I want. If you're in Winnipeg and you just want to spend the weekend in a different city, try some new bars, go to a different art gallery, whatever...where is there to go that's close by? Brandon??

Both of Saskatchewan's major cities will continue to grow. Right now Saskatoon is slightly larger and growing a little faster. I think Regina's catching up, though. There are also number of communities in very close proximity to Regina which aren't included in the CMA. Many of those people work, shop and play in Regina. Both cities have strengths and weaknesses, and I think they complement eachother well. I don't see this becoming a situation like Alberta where much of the economy is (or at least was for a long time) centered around one city (ie Calgary). Right now there is still this idea out there that there is more opportunity in Saskatoon, there is more...whatever, I don't know what makes people think that it's "better" but you get where I'm going with this. There's still a stigma around Regina that I don't think will stick around. I think in the end it will come down to which city best handles it's growth because everyone's seen what's happened in cities like Calgary and that's what many of them are trying to get away from. Calgary is a city which grew too fast and couldn't keep up with itself. Regina and Saskatoon need to focus on sustainable growth. Plan ahead...but without going too crazy. You don't want to end up with tons of infrastructure, etc. but no people!

[swolfe]

What does Winnipeg actually have that Regina or Saskatoon don't? Bigger doesn't always mean better. I like that I can travel 2.5 hours to another city for a change of pace and can go back home whenever I want. If you're in Winnipeg and you just want to spend the weekend in a different city, try some new bars, go to a different art gallery, whatever...where is there to go that's close by? Brandon??

When we want to leave Winnipeg and go to a different city for the weekend, we head south to Fargo. The city and surrounding area population is about 175,000 and it's only about a 3 hour drive. There's also Grand Forks which is about the same distance from Winnipeg as Brandon.

[swilley]

4

Both of Saskatchewan's major cities will continue to grow. Right now Saskatoon is slightly larger and growing a little faster. I think Regina's catching up, though. 4

Nope, according to the last census, Saskatoon's growth rate was more than double that of Regina's.

[CCF]

Nope, according to the last census, Saskatoon's growth rate was more than double that of Regina's.

The last census also said Saskatchewan lost 10,000 people. I'm not saying what you are saying isn't true...but don't base it on the last census.

[Dalreg]

The last census also said Saskatchewan lost 10,000 people. I'm not saying what you are saying isn't true...but don't base it on the last census.

Then what exactly should one base it on? The last census was 2006. A little over a year ago. Nothing else since then.

Should we go with Johnny on the street for the latest info? Or maybe pull numbers out of a hat or out of your a**!

[CCF]

Then what exactly should one base it on? The last census was 2006. A little over a year ago. Nothing else since then.

Should we go with Johnny on the street for the latest info? Or maybe pull numbers out of a hat or out of your a**!

You tell me.

The fact is that the 2006 census, which was actually released in March of 2007, not over a year ago, is inaccurate. Like I said it undercounted the population of Saskatchewan by 10,000 people and the data was gathered before ALbertans started to move here.

You can use the census as much as you like, but the truth is that it's not accurate.

Not sure why you are making personal attacks...I'm just trying to participate in the discussion...

[crooked rain]

I don't think we'll see that happen in the forseeable future.

Things have perked up in Regina, that is true, but Saskatoon has a lot of momentum and has been stronger for most of the last 20 years.

[Mayor Quimby]

Then what exactly should one base it on? The last census was 2006. A little over a year ago. Nothing else since then.

Should we go with Johnny on the street for the latest info? Or maybe pull numbers out of a hat or out of your a**!

There is a little thing about Regina, if things don't say what wants to be heard then it is false or wrong. This also happened with a Maclean's magazine article about Regina's slums. These census and slum deniers crack me up.

[sharpie]

Oh, I enjoy reading these forums are keeping up on what's happening back home, but I have to chime in on this one. I grew up in Stoon, went to Uni in Stoon, and lived in Regina for a few years afterwards (and ultimately had to move because the economy sucked 10 years ago), so I know both towns pretty well. Both cities are awesome, are similar in many ways, yet have some cool features that make them unique.

But let's get real. In the past 25 years, Saskatoon (city) has grown by about 70,000 (from 133 to 202), and Regina by about 30,000 (from 149 to 179). Want to talk CMA? Saskatoon grew by 100,000 (133 to 233, Stoon had no CMA in 81), Regina by 43 (151 to 194). And if you don't like the census numbers, quote me something more accurate. Yes, Regina is finally growing again, but Saskatoon has accelerated too. Look at the housing starts (Saskatoon was ahead by about 350 by the end of May), great indication of where people are moving and investing their money.

It all comes down to the local economy. Cities with industry like Saskatoon thrive in this economy. Government towns like Regina do well, but by nature, are more stable (read: slow growing). If the economy every goes tits up, Regina will weather the storm better that Stoon. But over the long run, private always beats government.

Let's just be glad both cities are growing again (finally!)!

[newflyer]

I would probibly expect Saskatoon to remain the largest city in Saskatchewan, unless the provincal government goes on a massive hiring spree (which is always an option with the NDP). Regina relies of government.. and doesn't have the same level of private sector as Saskatoon.

[ReginaGuy]

I would probibly expect Saskatoon to remain the largest city in Saskatchewan, unless the provincal government goes on a massive hiring spree (which is always an option with the NDP). Regina relies of government.. and doesn't have the same level of private sector as Saskatoon.

I hate it when people claim that Regina is comepletely reliant on the government. Yes, there are a lot of government jobs, but its a capital city in an NDP province. What do you expect?

We don't rely on the government, People seem to forget that Regina has some of Saskatchewan's (and Canada's) largest private companies

Also, Saskatoon benefits more from being closer to all the northern mines. It's not like the people in Saskatoon are born fundamentally more capitalist

[BrannyMuffin]

Oh, I enjoy reading these forums are keeping up on what's happening back home, but I have to chime in on this one. I grew up in Stoon, went to Uni in Stoon, and lived in Regina for a few years afterwards (and ultimately had to move because the economy sucked 10 years ago), so I know both towns pretty well. Both cities are awesome, are similar in many ways, yet have some cool features that make them unique.

But let's get real. In the past 25 years, Saskatoon (city) has grown by about 70,000 (from 133 to 202), and Regina by about 30,000 (from 149 to 179). Want to talk CMA? Saskatoon grew by 100,000 (133 to 233, Stoon had no CMA in 81), Regina by 43 (151 to 194). And if you don't like the census numbers, quote me something more accurate. Yes, Regina is finally growing again, but Saskatoon has accelerated too. Look at the housing starts (Saskatoon was ahead by about 350 by the end of May), great indication of where people are moving and investing their money.

It all comes down to the local economy. Cities with industry like Saskatoon thrive in this economy. Government towns like Regina do well, but by nature, are more stable (read: slow growing). If the economy every goes tits up, Regina will weather the storm better that Stoon. But over the long run, private always beats government.

Let's just be glad both cities are growing again (finally!)!
When I was talking about CMA's, I only meant that Saskatoon's covers a much larger area than Regina's...
http://www.statcan.ca/english/freepub/71-001-XIE/maps/regina.pdf
http://www.statcan.ca/english/freepub/71-001-XIE/maps/saskatoon.pdf

[Xelebes]

As I keep saying, if population is that important, feel free to have a large family. You can't rely on immigration for everything!

[newflyer]

I hate it when people claim that Regina is comepletely reliant on the government. Yes, there are a lot of government jobs, but its a capital city in an NDP province. What do you expect?

We don't rely on the government, People seem to forget that Regina has some of Saskatchewan's (and Canada's) largest private companies

Also, Saskatoon benefits more from being closer to all the northern mines. It's not like the people in Saskatoon are born fundamentally more capitalist

Being the capital... it is more reliant than Saskatoon on government jobs and investment. Yes Regina does have some private companys and investment ... but governmen is a significant part of the economy.

As far as being more capitalist .. well thats up arguement.. but some prescribe to the view that the people are a product of there environment. This is true at least in other cities, which are located close by, but have different social and economic makeup. Examples .. Calgary-Edmonton, Toronto-Hamilton, Vancouver-Victoria... ect ect.

I think it would be fair to say Saskatoon is developing into the business capital of Saskatchewan, while Regina is the government capital.

[Dalreg]

You tell me.

The fact is that the 2006 census, which was actually released in March of 2007, not over a year ago, is inaccurate. Like I said it undercounted the population of Saskatchewan by 10,000 people and the data was gathered before ALbertans started to move here.

You can use the census as much as you like, but the truth is that it's not accurate.

Not sure why you are making personal attacks...I'm just trying to participate in the discussion...

Despite When the census was released (spring 2007) it was taken in spring 2006, A little more than a year ago. It is the most recent figures we have and will be until the next census in some 4 years time. Everything else is an estimation (GUESS).

As for under counting, any facts or figures to back up your claim? If not 10,000 is peanuts for a province of a million.

As for Albertans moving here, remember for every Albertan moving here there is probably a Saskatchewanian moving to Alberta.

For the personal attack comment take it for what it is. You may have noticed the **, so you are filling in the blanks. Nothing personal against you just the statements you were making.

Saskatoon will continue to be the new hub of Saskatchewan as well it should. Remember if not for the railroad back in the 1880's Regina would still be little more than a speed bump on the plains. Where as Saskatoon actually has a geographical reason for existing.

[CCF]

Saskatoon will continue to be the new hub of Saskatchewan as well it should. Remember if not for the railroad back in the 1880's Regina would still be little more than a speed bump on the plains. Where as Saskatoon actually has a geographical reason for existing.

The new Hub of Saskatchewan? According to whom exactly?? Perhaps you should back up your claims and you suggested to me.

If not for the university then Saskatoon would be what exactly?

[harls]

Regina could pass Saskatoon in population..who knows for sure what the future holds?

[swilley]

This thread is retarded. Obviously Saskatoon would be different without the U of S. Regina would be different if it were not the Capital. Blah blah blah.....

Currently Regina would need a HUGE boom to catch and surpass Saskatoon, could it happen? Maybe... who fu**ing knows! Who knew my house would double in price in less than a year. I believe current mentioned indicators (census, housing starts, GDP's ect.) all favour Saskatoon population wise. Show me something other than civic pride that favours Regina and I will gladly accept it.

[Dalreg]

The new Hub of Saskatchewan? According to whom exactly?? Perhaps you should back up your claims and you suggested to me.

If not for the university then Saskatoon would be what exactly?

A city along the South Saskatchewan river serving Central and Northern Saskatchewan. With rail, Air, and Road connections to Western Canada.

As for Hub lets see, The airport is the largest, busiest in Saskatchewan with roughly a milion passengers a year. The city is served by Via Rail. The only large city in Saskatchewan connected and the city is connected by good roads to all major western Canada cities including Regina.

[ReginaGuy]

A city along the South Saskatchewan river serving Central and Northern Saskatchewan. With rail, Air, and Road connections to Western Canada.

As for Hub lets see, The airport is the largest, busiest in Saskatchewan with roughly a milion passengers a year. The city is served by Via Rail. The only large city in Saskatchewan connected and the city is connected by good roads to all major western Canada cities including Regina.

I don't know if those factors would make Saskatoon the new major hub. Mostly because there is no clear-cut definition of major hub

Regina also has good roads (if not better, now that the #1 is fully twinned) connecting it to every major city in Western Canada. Calgary doesn't have VIA either, so I wouldn't really consider that a valid reason, and as for the airport, I think Saskatoon's airport has always been busier, even when Regina was the largest city. Doesn't it have to do with the fact that many workers in the northe are flown in and out of Saskatoon?

All I'm saying is, that right now, I think Saskatoon and Regina are too close to call. Saskatchewan has two major hubs at the moment.

[brannelford]

The new Hub of Saskatchewan? According to whom exactly?? Perhaps you should back up your claims and you suggested to me.

If not for the university then Saskatoon would be what exactly?

To be fair - I think the question should be "if not for the University of Regina", then how much better could the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon be?

I understand civic pride will always make you favour Regina - but I'm a former Saskatchewan resident and I recall learning that Regina was made the capital, and a short while later the provincial university was given to Saskatoon. A little something for everyone, if you will. The Regina Campus was a division of the University of Saskatchewan - all under the same administration. Then along came the 1970's, and suddenly the "need" for a University of Regina (arguably an NDP vote-buying mechanism from Regina MLA and premier Allan Blakeney).

Result: Two universities competing against each other for funds, rather than having a more efficient single adminstration and allocation of higher education dollars throughout the province of Saskatchewan.

I understand Regina also gets a large government grant for its "provincial" art gallery (MacKenzie Art Gallery), whereas by comparison the Mendel Art Gallery in Saskatoon receives barely a pittance from the government.

All this government funding of various educational and cultural institutions, yet the population of Saskatoon has outgrown Regina for the past couple of decades.

*
Notwithstanding all this however, Regina still has a lot going on its favour - namely "recognition". For whatever reason, Saskatoon is either not known, or it poorly markets itself east of the Saskatchewan- Manitoba border. A significant number of Torontonians (where I'm now living) believe that the ONLY city in Saskatchewan is Regina, and that Saskatoon is nothing more than a secondary city - possibly not much bigger than Moose Jaw (which also seems to garner more recognition than Saskatoon).

[Dalreg]

I don't know if those factors would make Saskatoon the new major hub. Mostly because there is no clear-cut definition of major hub

Regina also has good roads (if not better, now that the #1 is fully twinned) connecting it to every major city in Western Canada. Calgary doesn't have VIA either, so I wouldn't really consider that a valid reason, and as for the airport, I think Saskatoon's airport has always been busier, even when Regina was the largest city. Doesn't it have to do with the fact that many workers in the northe are flown in and out of Saskatoon?

All I'm saying is, that right now, I think Saskatoon and Regina are too close to call. Saskatchewan has two major hubs at the moment.

I was merely backing up my previous statement that ccf wanted me to.

As for him backing up his statements, I guess if you have no proof then it is pretty hard to back them up.

As for hubs yes Saskatchewan has two large ones, but the edge would have to be in Saskatoons favour.

As for the thread topic, nope Regina will not over take Saskatoon in the near future, barring a MAJOR government vote buying spree.

[Greco Roman]

Just out of curiosity, in addition to the high number of aborigional people flocking to Saskatoon and Regina as well as the increase in Albertan's moving back to Saskatchewan, are there high immigration rates in either Saskatoon or Regina helping to boost the population of both cities? If so, are there high retention rates, or do they stay for a year or two and move on to bigger cities?

[spiritedenergy]

Do ya think Victoria will ever catch up to Vancouver ? ;). I think it is unfortunate that Saskatchewan has two small cities instead of one medium sized one. Manitoba is a similar size to Saskatchewan, but Winnipeg has many more amenities and is more cosmopolitan than Saskatoon and Regina combined. Can't change history I guess, but I don't think it would do either city any harm, if the other outgrew it and became a more self sustaining size in the process. Victoria benefits greatly from the successes of Vancouver.

this is interesting, I have no idea how other prairie cities look like. Winnipeg is very cosmopolitan, being half of the people I see around visible minorities; what about Saskatoon and Regina? Do they have a lot of immigrants or are they "whiter"?

[governorgeneral]

this is interesting, I have no idea how other prairie cities look like. Winnipeg is very cosmopolitan, being half of the people I see around visible minorities; what about Saskatoon and Regina? Do they have a lot of immigrants or are they "whiter"?

For Regina:

Racial diversity
"Caucasian": 85.7%
Aboriginal: 8.7%
Chinese: 1.3%
Other: 4.3%
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Regina

Visible minority population, by census metropolitan areas (2001 Census)

Total population 190,020

Total visible minority population 9,880
Black 1,580
South Asian 1,665
Chinese 2,370
Korean 225
Japanese 165
Southeast Asian 1,185
Filipino 1,010
Arab/West Asian 480
Latin American 800
Visible minority, not included elsewhere 185
Multiple visible minority 215

Source: Statistics Canada, Census of Population.
http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/demo53d.htm
Last modified: 2005-01-25.

Immigrant population by place of birth, by census metropolitan areas (2001 Census)

Total population 190,020

Total 14,015

United States 1,145

Central and South America 830

Caribbean and Bermuda 360

Europe 6,765
- United Kingdom 1,900
- Other Northern and Western Europe 1,820
- Eastern Europe 1,605
- Southern Europe 1,445

Africa 730

Asia 4,095
- West Central Asia and the Middle East 375
- Eastern Asia 1,140
- South East Asia 1,800
- Southern Asia 775
- Oceania and other 90

Source: Statistics Canada, Census of Population.
http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/demo35d.htm
Last modified: 2005-01-26

Note that Winnipeg is closer to

Caucasian: 78.0%
Aboriginal: 8.6%

Total visible minority: 13.4%, as follows:
- Filipino: 4.9%
- South Asian: 2.0%
- Black: 1.9%
- Chinese: 1.8%
- Southeast Asian: 0.8%
- Latin American: 0.7%
- Japanese: 0.3%
- Korean: 0.2%
- Arab: 0.2%
- Other minority or multiple minorities: 0.6%.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnipeg

[spiritedenergy]

For Regina:







Note that Winnipeg is closer to

is this only for permanent residents? Because there are definetely more than 1.8 % chinese and 2.0 % asian in Winnipeg.

[governorgeneral]

is this only for permanent residents?

From StatsCan:

The census enumerates everyone living in Canada. Included are Canadian citizens, both native-born and naturalized, landed immigrants and non-permanent residents and members of their families living with them in Canada.
http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/reference/info/collection.cfm

The actual numbers for Winnipeg were

Visible Minority Status
Total population 610,450

Visible minority population (31) 81,915

Chinese 10,890
South Asian 12,165
Black 11,275
Filipino 29,995
Latin American 4,500
Southeast Asian 5,030
Arab 1,065
West Asian 815
Korean 945
Japanese 1,560
Visible minority, n.i.e (28) 1,960
Multiple visible minorities (29) 1,710
http://www12.statcan.ca/english/Profil01/CP01/Details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=4611040&Geo2=PR&Code2=46&Data=Count&SearchText=winnipeg&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=

[spiritedenergy]

The actual numbers for Winnipeg were

according to this table (census 2001):
http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/demo53d.htm

in Winnipeg 12.5 % of people are visible minorities, versus 5.2% of Regina, 2.2% Thunder Bay, 5.6% Saskatoon, 17.5% Calgary, 14.6% Edmonton, 8.9% Victoria, 13.6% Montreal, 36.9% Vanciuver, 14.1% Ottawa-Gatineau, 36.8% Toronto, 9.8% Hamilton.

By the way, I'm a non permanent resident and didn't partecipate to any census... i guess that's the most common case.

[governorgeneral]

according to this table (census 2001):
http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/demo53d.htm

in Winnipeg 12.5 % of people are visible minorities, versus 5.2% of Regina.

Neat, that one has both cities right side by side, thanks! No idea why the numbers are different from the same census, but those %ages seem about right from what I picture of the "average streetscape" in either city.

Might depend on what part of town you're in though - does Winnipeg have communities like a "Chinatown", etc? That would skew what you might see. (Regina has a "Chinatown", but it's mostly aboriginal.)

[spiritedenergy]

Neat, that one has both cities right side by side, thanks! No idea why the numbers are different from the same census, but those %ages seem about right from what I picture of the "average streetscape" in either city.

Might depend on what part of town you're in though - does Winnipeg have communities like a "Chinatown", etc? That would skew what you might see. (Regina has a "Chinatown", but it's mostly aboriginal.)

yes but i doubt any chinese actually live in chinatown...

i mostly live in and around university of manitoba, pembina highway and downtown, and the percentage of visible minorities non aboriginal is huge to me; they are mostly students from UofM I guess, and in the UofM i bet almost half of the students are from Asia, the majority from China/Korea/Japan or whatever country with almond eyes.

i also take the bus, and probably the percantage of those minorities taking the bus is much higher than the actual.

[psych1]

yes but i doubt any chinese actually live in chinatown...

i mostly live in and around university of manitoba, pembina highway and downtown, and the percentage of visible minorities non aboriginal is huge to me; they are mostly students from UofM I guess, and in the UofM i bet almost half of the students are from Asia, the majority from China/Korea/Japan or whatever country with almond eyes.

i also take the bus, and probably the percantage of those minorities taking the bus is much higher than the actual.

from the numbers above, I would guess the Philipines;)

[psych1]

This thread is retarded. Obviously Saskatoon would be different without the U of S. Regina would be different if it were not the Capital. Blah blah blah.....

Currently Regina would need a HUGE boom to catch and surpass Saskatoon, could it happen? Maybe... who fu**ing knows! Who knew my house would double in price in less than a year. I believe current mentioned indicators (census, housing starts, GDP's ect.) all favour Saskatoon population wise. Show me something other than civic pride that favours Regina and I will gladly accept it.

So why is it any more retarded (I hate the way that work is abused, but that is my issue :)) than talking about fantasy building which will never be built or arguing about parking lots or metal cladding, which are the hot topics elsewhere in these threads? It's just a discussion point and I think it has led to some interesting discussion. Don't read it, if it bothers you. Obviously the back an forth about "my city is better (bigger) than yours is pointless and silly, but it happens in most threads.

[newflyer]

Out of couriousity what is the the migration between the two cities.

I would presume the number of people migrating between the two are about equal.

[J-MAN]

personaly I actually thought Saskatoon felt a lot bigger then it really was

It's beafutiful river - valley location with a fairly large downtown surprised me
:tup:

Regina on the other hand (not to be insulting) but felt similar -smaller then Brandon MB and really didnt impress me,...

then again I really didn't see that much of Regina other then a quick first time impression,

but thats just me :shrug:

[ReginaGuy]

personaly I actually thought Saskatoon felt a lot bigger then it really was

It's beafutiful river - valley location with a fairly large downtown surprised me
:tup:

Regina on the other hand (not to be insulting) but felt similar -smaller then Brandon MB and really didnt impress me,...

then again I really didn't see that much of Regina other then a quick first time impression,

but thats just me :shrug:

I call BS, I've been to Brandon, and there's simply no way Regina can feel smaller. Either you've never actually been to Regina, or you barely stepped foot in town

Please enlighten us, what made Regina seem so much smaller than Brandon, MB?

[CCF]

personaly I actually thought Saskatoon felt a lot bigger then it really was

It's beafutiful river - valley location with a fairly large downtown surprised me
:tup:

Regina on the other hand (not to be insulting) but felt similar -smaller then Brandon MB and really didnt impress me,...

then again I really didn't see that much of Regina other then a quick first time impression,

but thats just me :shrug:

Not that it bothers me...but when did Brandon or Saskatoon get the quality of downtown buildings Regina has.

[J-MAN]

I call BS, I've been to Brandon, and there's simply no way Regina can feel smaller. Either you've never actually been to Regina, or you barely stepped foot in town

Please enlighten us, what made Regina seem so much smaller than Brandon, MB?


well, I pulled into Regina on albert St, off the trans - canada, turned right onto victoria ave and drove around downtown which seemed very open and small,

with Scarth st being a 2 story resturant of some sort to the right, maybe 8 story building infront of it then the two twin 20 story buildings at the end;

turned right down 12th ave

turned right down hamilton st

then back to trans canada;

...................

sure that was a bit of an exageration comparing it to Brandon but in short I think Regina feels a bit smaller then Saskatoon

thats just my opinion

[swilley]

well, I pulled into Regina on albert St, off the trans - canada, turned right onto victoria ave and drove around downtown which seemed very open and small,

with Scarth st being a 2 story resturant of some sort to the right, maybe 8 story building infront of it then the two twin 20 story buildings at the end;

turned right down 12th ave

turned right down hamilton st

then back to trans canada;

...................

sure that was a bit of an exageration comparing it to Brandon but in short I think Regina feels a bit smaller then Saskatoon

thats just my opinion

You must be careful with the Regina folk, they are easily offended. And whatever you do, DO NOT diss Fiaco! ::D

[J-MAN]

Not that it bothers me...but when did Brandon or Saskatoon get the quality of downtown buildings Regina has.


I would love to see some pictures of Regina's downtown, and get a better comparison,

i'm sure 'taste of Saskatchewan' while i was in Saskatoon may have also shaped my opinion of saskatoon as a more of a booming place



p.s. sorry to the Regina folk :haha:
both great cities :cheers:

[newflyer]

well, I pulled into Regina on albert St, off the trans - canada, turned right onto victoria ave and drove around downtown which seemed very open and small,

with Scarth st being a 2 story resturant of some sort to the right, maybe 8 story building infront of it then the two twin 20 story buildings at the end;

turned right down 12th ave

turned right down hamilton st

then back to trans canada;

...................

sure that was a bit of an exageration comparing it to Brandon but in short I think Regina feels a bit smaller then Saskatoon

thats just my opinion

I like both Regina and Saskatoon, but I agree that Regina feels much smaller than it is...

Infact when I was on my trip to Winnipeg, I spent a Wednesday night in Regina. I decided to exit the highway at the Wascana Parkway at around 10:30ish PM. I drove right through to downtown and I kid you not I encountered only a single car ... travelling a mind numbing 40km .. until I reached College ave. Beyond that the number of people I saw in the downtown area was very minimal.

I did see a lineup of people in front of the Milkyway (ice cream stand east of downtown), but that was as much activity I witnessed than night.

I also stayed in Regina the following Friday on my way back. The city was a buzz on my arrival in the late afternnon, as the Riders were playing that night at Taylor Field. Gainer the Goffer stuffed animals were seen everwhere. It seemed like a massive event was taking place. Since I had a few hours to kill that evening I took a drive, but once again beyond the football stadium the city was complely without action. It reminded me a great deal of Lethbridge. Quite with a slower pace.

Regina's downtown does have a nice collection of 7 to 15 story buildings, mostly government in nature. There are also 3 buildings which were 20+ stories, but each house with government offices, even including the Delta hotel across from the casino. Thanks to Grant Devine's 1980's attempt to show Saskatchewan was open for business many glass buildings were contracted out to Harvard Developments (McCallum Hill) and built, too bad the overwelming majority of the office space in those buildings were/are leased by Saskatchewan governmnet departments and crown corps... Some of those buildings, like the Canada Trust building contain small bank offices, the remaider of it were government offices. In the case of the twin towers.... the lowly bank branch in the lobby has its logo on the tower, in an attempt to hide its real occupants in the rest of the floors.. the other tower ,without logo, doesn't even have a private enterprise to utilize the signage space.

Regina is a really nice small & quite government city.. but it feels like an even smaller city than it is.

For the record I used live in Regina and am reasonably aware of its makeup.

[Only The Lonely..]

Reading this thread makes me think you guys would have an awesome rivalry if Saskatoon had a CFL team.

[yeeg]

Reading this thread makes me think you guys would have an awesome rivalry if Saskatoon had a CFL team.There would be an awesome rivalry with Winnipeg if they had a football team as well...OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHH.....Burn....Just kidding...I couldnt pass up the opportunity to reply...

[newflyer]

Reading this thread makes me think you guys would have an awesome rivalry if Saskatoon had a CFL team.

It would make the Battle of Alberta look like a love-in.

[governorgeneral]

In the case of the twin towers.... the lowly bank branch in the lobby has its logo on the tower, in an attempt to hide its real occupants in the rest of the floors.. the other tower ,without logo, doesn't even have a private enterprise to utilize the signage space.

I'm wondering, what's wrong with showing that Government is using the space? Ottawa is full of buildings with prominent Government logos on purpose (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Identity_Program), so everyone sees what Government does and knows who's paying the rent. Eg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/69/178873224_882c25a67a.jpg
(Photo credit: Steve Brandon (http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-brandon/178873224/) on flickr)

The Saskatchewan wheatsheaf is pretty nice, and it's good accountability for taxpayers to know where the money's going. Eg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y246/ggphotographs/regina/regina-towers-government.jpg
(Photo credit: me, cutting and pasting onto stock photo from PCL (http://constmgmt.pcl.com/projects/Archived/0600175/index.aspx))

[ReginaGuy]

sure that was a bit of an exageration comparing it to Brandon but in short I think Regina feels a bit smaller then Saskatoon

thats just my opinion

Well smaller, than Saskatoon, that's more reasonable, It's just the Brandon comparison that's ridiculous.

Personally, I think Regina feels like the bigger city, but thats just opinion

[CCF]

I like both Regina and Saskatoon, but I agree that Regina feels much smaller than it is...

Infact when I was on my trip to Winnipeg, I spent a Wednesday night in Regina. I decided to exit the highway at the Wascana Parkway at around 10:30ish PM. I drove right through to downtown and I kid you not I encountered only a single car ... travelling a mind numbing 40km .. until I reached College ave. Beyond that the number of people I saw in the downtown area was very minimal.

I did see a lineup of people in front of the Milkyway (ice cream stand east of downtown), but that was as much activity I witnessed than night.

I also stayed in Regina the following Friday on my way back. The city was a buzz on my arrival in the late afternnon, as the Riders were playing that night at Taylor Field. Gainer the Goffer stuffed animals were seen everwhere. It seemed like a massive event was taking place. Since I had a few hours to kill that evening I took a drive, but once again beyond the football stadium the city was complely without action. It reminded me a great deal of Lethbridge. Quite with a slower pace.

Regina's downtown does have a nice collection of 7 to 15 story buildings, mostly government in nature. There are also 3 buildings which were 20+ stories, but each house with government offices, even including the Delta hotel across from the casino. Thanks to Grant Devine's 1980's attempt to show Saskatchewan was open for business many glass buildings were contracted out to Harvard Developments (McCallum Hill) and built, too bad the overwelming majority of the office space in those buildings were/are leased by Saskatchewan governmnet departments and crown corps... Some of those buildings, like the Canada Trust building contain small bank offices, the remaider of it were government offices. In the case of the twin towers.... the lowly bank branch in the lobby has its logo on the tower, in an attempt to hide its real occupants in the rest of the floors.. the other tower ,without logo, doesn't even have a private enterprise to utilize the signage space.

Regina is a really nice small & quite government city.. but it feels like an even smaller city than it is.

For the record I used live in Regina and am reasonably aware of its makeup.

The Delta isn't as full of government offices as you think.

[Dalreg]

There would be an awesome rivalry with Winnipeg if they had a football team as well...OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHH.....Burn....Just kidding...I couldnt pass up the opportunity to reply...

This coming from Calgary? You must have balls, cause you sure don't have a football team!

[circle33]

Reading this thread makes me think you guys would have an awesome rivalry if Saskatoon had a CFL team.

There have been some efforts to intensify the Rams/ Husky rivalry at the CIS level. I'm not sure the public's been affected with the fever just yet.

[yeeg]

This coming from Calgary? You must have balls, cause you sure don't have a football team!
I grew up in Regina and still a Rider fan...Look at my signature...This league was formed by Rider fans in Calgary and you are correct, Calgary doesnt have a football team...

[Greco Roman]

It would make the Battle of Alberta look like a love-in.


Ummmm.......................not sure about that.

[newflyer]

This coming from Calgary? You must have balls, cause you sure don't have a football team!

Actually when the Riders come to town I ussually cheer for the green gophers. ;) Infact I'd say ay least half of Calgary cheer for the Riders when they come to town. Why do you think they banned Gainer from the playoff game here. The Stamps were desperate to keep some form of homefield advantage.
ie: the stamps had a mascot... the riders didn't... but the stands were nearly 50-50.

[newflyer]

I'm wondering, what's wrong with showing that Government is using the space? Ottawa is full of buildings with prominent Government logos on purpose (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Identity_Program), so everyone sees what Government does and knows who's paying the rent. Eg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/69/178873224_882c25a67a.jpg
(Photo credit: Steve Brandon (http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-brandon/178873224/) on flickr)

The Saskatchewan wheatsheaf is pretty nice, and it's good accountability for taxpayers to know where the money's going. Eg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y246/ggphotographs/regina/regina-towers-government.jpg
(Photo credit: me, cutting and pasting onto stock photo from PCL (http://constmgmt.pcl.com/projects/Archived/0600175/index.aspx))

I think the Saskatchewan governmen want people to believe it has a stronger business environment than it does.

The fact the ipsco moved there head office out of the province a number of years ago is still felt in the city and province.

In addition you'd have more than the twin towers with the wheatsheaf... it would be on a number of buildings, not including the crown corp buildings. Also it probably would create concern for the voters if they knew that the government workers such a dominant tenant in Regina's downtown .. if not the knowledge they are housed in a number of fancy glass buildings at taxpayer expense.

[CCF]

You don't think Regina residents realize that this is a government city? If there's anyone in this city who doesn't know that, than they obviously don't care too much.

[newflyer]

You don't think Regina residents realize that this is a government city? If there's anyone in this city who doesn't know that, than they obviously don't care too much.

Of course everyone knows it a govrnment city... but from the skyline one might not know the limited number of private corporations filling those buildings.

Grant Devine once compared the city to Toronto. Ummmm.. yeah. :rolleyes:
... which happens to also be a government city. Just not the same though.

[CCF]

Devine did a lot of things he probably wish he hadn't.

[newflyer]

Devine did a lot of things he probably wish he hadn't.

I agree with you there.

[ReginaGuy]

newflyer, I hear you (and other people) constantly ramble about how Regina completely relies on the government, yet I never hear the statistics to back those claims up.

So here they are, as you see, government services (also including education, social sciences, and religion) only make up a small percentage of the total workforce
http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/1618/reginara5.gif (http://imageshack.us)
source: http://www.regina.ca/pdfs/ReginaProfile.pdf

[yeeg]

Thanks for the stats but I think if you take away the sales and service industry, ie. waiters, waitresses, kid at 7-11 and every other part time/short tenure job out there, then Newflyer would be a lot more accurate...I would think that the long tenure positions are held with the government and its crowns...Thus, making regina a governemtn city...Hey, if my company had more than 4 of my positions in Regina, I would consider moving back...But thats not the case and when they do hire more positions, it will be tough sledding in those said positions...

[Jonitecture]

in the long run, regina will most likely outlast saskatoon, seeing as it is closer too the U.S. and is a goverment city. but in the mean time, mining up north will change the face of saskatoon in the next few years. i guess people in regina can come visit!

p.s- although i think saskatoon is more beautiful from a geographical standpoint, i think reginas downtown is way nicer than saskatoons

[Jonitecture]

some one mentioned earlier about if the railway hadnt taken the southern root saskatoon would be the one major city. wouldnt battleford be the big city? it was already the capitol of the N.W.T and was much more established than Saskatoon. if they had decided too give the university to the bigger city, Saskatoon may have ben bigger than it is now, but i think battleford lost the most by far.

[Echoes]

in the long run, regina will most likely outlast saskatoon, seeing as it is closer too the U.S. and is a goverment city. but in the mean time, mining up north will change the face of saskatoon in the next few years. i guess people in regina can come visit!

I somehow gather that you think that someday Saskatoon will just implode and cease to exist because it's not a government city? I believe that its extremely safe to say that Regina and Saskatoon will "last" forever and continue to grow in their own right.
Yes, government jobs are somewhat more stable than private sector jobs during hard economic times but that certainly doesn't mean Saskatoon's economic future is doomed because we're not the capital city. Also, Saskatoon's economy and source of employment does not consist solely of the mining and resources sector (The same can be said of Regina's government sector). Toon Town's economy is quite diversified and is no longer dependent completely on agriculture, mining, oil, etc. In recent years Saskatoon has successfully positioned itself as one of Canada's leading science and research cities. The Synchrotron as an example is an important investment in the future of our city's economy.
Furthermore, in such a highly globalized society, I fail to see how a city's proximity to the U.S. border is that much of an advantage. Technology connects the globe from end to end at the click of a button. So I don't see how Regina could have any substantial advantage because its closer to...umm... North Dakota and Montana (Not like Regina is a car ride away from New York ;) Perhaps there are more trucking companies based out of Regina to haul freight over the U.S. border (??) but other than that, what difference does it make? If I am completely wrong in saying this someone please enlighten me.
IMO Saskatoon is headed for a bright and everlasting future!:D
:previous: Dont take my little rant the wrong way.. I don't intend to sound rude or condescending. I just couldnt sit back and not state my disagreement over some of the points you made :cheers:

[Jonitecture]

this is only my opinion. i dont think that saskatoon is going to implode, what i meant was, if you look at a map of canada, i dont think it is a coincidence that the most populated cities are all relitavely close too the U.S border. im sure saskatoon and regina will both grow, but regina i thinkwill one day over grow saskatoon for several reasons.

[Dalreg]

this is only my opinion. i dont think that saskatoon is going to implode, what i meant was, if you look at a map of canada, i dont think it is a coincidence that the most populated cities are all relitavely close too the U.S border. im sure saskatoon and regina will both grow, but regina i thinkwill one day over grow saskatoon for several reasons.

Well what are these reasons then?

As for most of Canadas population being near the USA border, think CLIMATE. Warmer down south, so settled earlier.

[J-MAN]

this is only my opinion. i dont think that saskatoon is going to implode, what i meant was, if you look at a map of canada, i dont think it is a coincidence that the most populated cities are all relitavely close too the U.S border. im sure saskatoon and regina will both grow, but regina i thinkwill one day over grow saskatoon for several reasons.

Saskatoons the bigger city and I think it shows......

:slob:
name the several reasons.........

[sharpie]

newflyer, I hear you (and other people) constantly ramble about how Regina completely relies on the government, yet I never hear the statistics to back those claims up.

So here they are, as you see, government services (also including education, social sciences, and religion) only make up a small percentage of the total workforce
http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/1618/reginara5.gif (http://imageshack.us)
source: http://www.regina.ca/pdfs/ReginaProfile.pdf

Are we still talking about this? :koko: Oy. The thing about that table is that all the government jobs include only jobs directly for the government. See those 25000 jobs working in the service industry? A lot of those are crown corporation jobs - jobs that are in Regina because it's the capital. Crowns are good because they're stable, well paying jobs, but won't fuel a lot of growth. Regina's core industries (industries that bring money into Regina) are a lot smaller than Saskatoon's, so when industry is expanding, Saskatoon reaps the benefits more than Regina.

And I know, someone from Regina is going to say "look at Ipsco or the refinery". Well, you're right, but take those two entities away, and my point becomes even stronger. Dudes, don't be so defensive! Regina is a great town, it's stable, people are well off for the most part, but growth has been very slow for decades. That's just the way it is.

[Jonitecture]

Well what are these reasons then?

As for most of Canadas population being near the USA border, think CLIMATE. Warmer down south, so settled earlier.

actually, saskatoon was a more established area becuase of the trade routes and its north of regina. AND by the way, i dont think climate had that much too do with it. i will admit that these cities were established because of historical trade routes, and now it isnt as important too be near the U.S. there may be few reasons why regina may over grow saskatoon one day, i heard a report that saskatoons river will be gone in something like 50 years. i cant predict the future, i just think that regina will over grow saskatoon some day, i am a proud saskatoonian, and like it more than regina, but why should we care? wont we all be dead when this happens. its certainly not going to happen anytime soon! i bet there are some flaws in my thoughts, dont get too worked up about what a fifteen year old thinks.

[Xelebes]

Why would the South Saskatchewan River disappear?

[Dalreg]

actually, saskatoon was a more established area becuase of the trade routes and its north of regina. AND by the way, i dont think climate had that much too do with it. i will admit that these cities were established because of historical trade routes, and now it isnt as important too be near the U.S. there may be few reasons why regina may over grow saskatoon one day, i heard a report that saskatoons river will be gone in something like 50 years. i cant predict the future, i just think that regina will over grow saskatoon some day, i am a proud saskatoonian, and like it more than regina, but why should we care? wont we all be dead when this happens. its certainly not going to happen anytime soon! i bet there are some flaws in my thoughts, dont get too worked up about what a fifteen year old thinks.

And exactly where will Regina be getting its water in fifty years? If the South Saskatchewan River dries up then Regina will be worse off. Think dust bowl!

[J-MAN]

there may be few reasons why regina may over grow saskatoon one day, i heard a report that saskatoons river will be gone in something like 50 years.



wtf ..........what!?

what are these reasons you people keep saying? :shrug:

make some damn sense please!

[HomeInMyShoes]

^The biggest reason involves the sources of the North Saskatchewan River. The Saskatchewan Glacier is receeding quite quickly up the valley in AB. Sure there is runoff from other sources as well, but the glacier is still a major component of the flow. Whether this condition has reversed itself in 50 years is open to debate, but given the current rate of receeding, most of the glaciers in AB are probably gone within 50 years. Both Saskatchewan cities have a lot at stake with what happens with water availability in AB.

[ReginaGuy]

If the South Saskatchewan river ever "ran dry", Regina cought probably get its water from a mix between wells and Last Mountain Lake. Unfortunately as a result, the cost would increase and the quality of water would decrease.

If the glaciers continue to recede, both Saskatoon and Regina are doomed

[babo]

^The biggest reason involves the sources of the North Saskatchewan River. The Saskatchewan Glacier is receeding quite quickly up the valley in AB. Sure there is runoff from other sources as well, but the glacier is still a major component of the flow. Whether this condition has reversed itself in 50 years is open to debate, but given the current rate of receeding, most of the glaciers in AB are probably gone within 50 years. Both Saskatchewan cities have a lot at stake with what happens with water availability in AB.
Your science proves nothing.

It will be Mad Max in twenty years. Scarce water will be only one of your worries.

[Dalreg]

^The biggest reason involves the sources of the North Saskatchewan River. The Saskatchewan Glacier is receeding quite quickly up the valley in AB. Sure there is runoff from other sources as well, but the glacier is still a major component of the flow. Whether this condition has reversed itself in 50 years is open to debate, but given the current rate of receeding, most of the glaciers in AB are probably gone within 50 years. Both Saskatchewan cities have a lot at stake with what happens with water availability in AB.

I think a GEOGRAPHY leason is in order. The South Saskatchewan river runs through Saskatoon. The North Saskatchewan runs through North Battleford and Prince Albert.

The sources both come from the Rockies in Alberta but a few hundred kms apart. As for Glacier melt, very little of the water in the rivers is from them. The majority is from spring and summer melting of the snow that falls in the mountains.

[newflyer]

newflyer, I hear you (and other people) constantly ramble about how Regina completely relies on the government, yet I never hear the statistics to back those claims up.

So here they are, as you see, government services (also including education, social sciences, and religion) only make up a small percentage of the total workforce
http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/1618/reginara5.gif (http://imageshack.us)
source: http://www.regina.ca/pdfs/ReginaProfile.pdf

Sorry to burst your bubble.. but that graph means literaly nothing in terms of government workforce in Regina.

Sure there are 8215 in government services and religion... which is hardly the total number of government workers.

How many government workers are in the other categories which don't fall under simple government services??

Many Crown corp works would not fall under that definaition... as many are admin or trades people... and thats a separate category.

How about STC .. transportation?

How about SGI ... nearly completely admin and some trades.

Arts, Culture and recreation facilities... are primarily government in nature.

Health .. in Saskatchewan its pretty well 100% government, unless some private clinics opened up since I left, but I doubt that, being a die-hard socialist province.

Natural sciences .. also includes a vast number of government positions, including atmospheric, climate and agricultural scientifici research postions. I am very familiar with that, as my father was a Phd climate scientist for the government until he retired.

The admin and management positions would span the whole spectrum of occupational categories, including private enterprise and government operations.

This graph's very limited information does not in any way suggest how many people work for the government in Regina.

[newflyer]

Here is a chart from Stats Can.... about Saskatchewan.

http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/1850/skemplybg7.jpg


Metro breakdown was not available for free... but considering that Regina is the capital it would be fair to assume it would have 25 - 35% of the government workforce minimum (public sector). That may be on the low side considering the number of highrises in the downtown full of government workers.

That would place the number of government workers in Regina would be in excess of 30,000 people. That is a huge number considering the total employment participation of the Regina metro is 115,000.

Of course if we only eleiminate the majority of service jobs ( the previous graph shows it being 25610) , which are not well paying, the economic influence of the government positions in Regina becomes an even larger disportionate number.

[CCF]

Really though, you seem to be the one who cares most that Regina has a high percentage of government workers.

[newflyer]

Really though, you seem to be the one who cares most that Regina has a high percentage of government workers.

It was to answer Reginaguy's claim the Regina is not completely dependant on government. Regina is extremely dependant on the government.

If it weren't the capital it probably wouldn't exsist... or at least be significantly smaller. Perhaps it would be more similar in size to Melfort than Saskatoon.

It not a big deal to me... I am just pointing out that statistical reality. Its Victoria on the prairies... and for the record I think Victoria is a great city.

[softee]

This thread is hilarious.

[ReginaGuy]

Here is a chart from Stats Can.... about Saskatchewan.

http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/1850/skemplybg7.jpg


Metro breakdown was not available for free... but considering that Regina is the capital it would be fair to assume it would have 25 - 35% of the government workforce minimum (public sector). That may be on the low side considering the number of high rises in the downtown full of government workers.

That would place the number of government workers in Regina would be in excess of 30,000 people. That is a huge number considering the total employment participation of the Regina metro is 115,000.

Of course if we only eleiminate the majority of service jobs ( the previous graph shows it being 25610) , which are not well paying, the economic influence of the government positions in Regina becomes an even larger disportionate number.

Thanks for the stats, but please refrain from making up values. How do you know that 35% of the government jobs are in Regina? I can tell you as a fact that there are thousands of government jobs in Saskatoon, thousands in Prince Albert, thousands in Moose Jaw, etc. Not to mention the thousands in Rural Saskatchewan (The department of highways, for one, is huge, and >90% of it is outside of Regina).

And what makes you think that the high rises downtown are "full" of government workers? I've never seen any figures suggesting that. Sure, there are a lot of government tenants downtown, but there are a lot of private tenants as well.

[newflyer]

Thanks for the stats, but please refrain from making up values. How do you know that 35% of the government jobs are in Regina? I can tell you as a fact that there are thousands of government jobs in Saskatoon, thousands in Prince Albert, thousands in Moose Jaw, etc. Not to mention the thousands in Rural Saskatchewan (The department of highways, for one, is huge, and >90% of it is outside of Regina).

And what makes you think that the high rises downtown are "full" of government workers? I've never seen any figures suggesting that. Sure, there are a lot of government tenants downtown, but there are a lot of private tenants as well.

Regina is the capital of a socialist province.. of course it will have a major portion of government workers. Having 30,000 out of 121,000 is definately on the low side of what is probibly the reality. Even if the "huge" .. (still smaller than Health, Education and Agriculture.. all based in Regina) department of highways employs 10,000 people, which it is not .... it still leaves my very modest projections well in tact. The fact that the department of highways is also primarily made up of seasonal workers makes it relatively small if perminant workers are only considered.

Regina is a massive centre of government. Please don't take my word for it... tour the downtown buildings for yourself.

Start with the obvious .. SGI, Saskpower, Saskenergy, Sasktel, Saskoil .. then checkout the twin towers .. CIBC building, Bank of Montreal building, FCC building, the old Crownlife building, STC, Royal Bank, TD bank building.... various Gov Canada buildings.. don't forget the Delta Hotel, which half the floors are leased out as office space... mostly to government departments.

Now include the University, RCMP training barracks and the Casino. Now of course this doesn't include any of the city workers... and this is only the touching the surface. I still haven't touched 2 of the largest government departments. Regina is loaded with government workers. The Regina formers are very willing to brag of the the "large skyline", which Saskatoon doesn't have. The simple fact that those buildings contain massive government operations seems to be missed. It is true Saskatoon has a much smaller skyline, mostly due to the fact they have much less government, filling up buildings Devine constructed to make it look like Saskatchewan.. especially Regina was a business centre. Saskatoon, Moose Jaw nor PA have massive government buildings from what I've seen.

... please I encourage anyone to take the downtown Regina tour. Like I said before its been a few years since I really spent significant time in Regina, so things may have changed a little, but I don't think significantly. Its a mirage.

Regina is a nice quite, clean government city. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. There are many things worse than that.

[BrannyMuffin]

Jobs are jobs.

[newflyer]

Jobs are jobs.

If only that were true. :rolleyes:

[governorgeneral]

http://www.lekowicz.com/wren_forum/wp-content/imageposts/2006/05/Mac-and-PC.jpg

Hi, I'm Regina.

And I'm Saskatoon.

R: You know Saskatoon, we're pretty much the same.

S: I know! Both Prairie towns...

R: Same boiling Prairie summers -

S: - but it's a /dry/ heat -

R: and same endless Prairie winters -

S: - it's not so bad, it builds character.

R: I have the Leader-Post and the Prairie Dog...

S: Me too! Except I call mine "Star-Phoenix" and "Planet S". You have Ring Road -

R: and you have Circle Drive.

S: And both our Chinatowns are mostly native.

R: I'm a government town: 8% of my workforce is in "Occupations in social science, education, government service and religion" (http://www.regina.ca/pdfs/ReginaProfile.pdf)

S: Me too - 8%! (http://www.sreda.com/liveAndWork/work/labourForceData.php) Actually my largest employers (http://www.foundlocally.com/Saskatoon/Hr/Jobs-TopEmployers.htm) are almost the exact same as yours (http://www.foundlocally.com/Regina/Hr/Jobs-TopEmployers.htm) Regina.

R: And did you hear? We're both screwed when the glaciers in Alberta run out and the Albertans use up all the water.

S: Oh. Great.

R: Those bastard Albertans.

[silence]

S: What say we just move there now?

R: I call Calgary!

S: Edmonton!

[BrannyMuffin]

http://www.lekowicz.com/wren_forum/wp-content/imageposts/2006/05/Mac-and-PC.jpg

Hi, I'm Regina.

And I'm Saskatoon.

R: You know Saskatoon, we're pretty much the same.

S: I know! Both Prairie towns...

R: Same boiling Prairie summers -

S: - but it's a /dry/ heat -

R: and same endless Prairie winters -

S: - it's not so bad, it builds character.

R: I have the Leader-Post and the Prairie Dog...

S: Me too! Except I call mine "Star-Phoenix" and "Planet S". You have Ring Road -

R: and you have Circle Drive.

S: And both our Chinatowns are mostly native.

R: I'm a government town: 8% of my workforce is in "Occupations in social science, education, government service and religion" (http://www.regina.ca/pdfs/ReginaProfile.pdf)

S: Me too - 8%! (http://www.sreda.com/liveAndWork/work/labourForceData.php) Actually my largest employers (http://www.foundlocally.com/Saskatoon/Hr/Jobs-TopEmployers.htm) are almost the exact same as yours (http://www.foundlocally.com/Regina/Hr/Jobs-TopEmployers.htm) Regina.

R: And did you hear? We're both screwed when the glaciers in Alberta run out and the Albertans use up all the water.

S: Oh. Great.

R: Those bastard Albertans.

[silence]

S: What say we just move there now?

R: I call Calgary!

S: Edmonton!
Haha. Funny...except the end.

[newflyer]

LOL ...



S: ... but what about all those large government buildings in your downtown.

R: ... :(


.. like I said Regina easily exceeds 30,000 government workers.

http://www.foundlocally.com/Regina/Hr/Jobs-TopEmployers.htm

10 of the top 12 employers are government.... :(

[BrannyMuffin]

LOL ...



S: ... but what about all those large government buildings in your downtown.

R: ... :(


.. like I said Regina easily exceeds 30,000 government workers.

http://www.foundlocally.com/Regina/Hr/Jobs-TopEmployers.htm

10 of the top 12 employers are government.... :(
Saskatoon

Saskatoon Health District
Government of Saskatchewan
SaskTel
Sears Canada
Saskatoon Public School Division
Government of Canada
City of Saskatoon
IPSCO Inc..
Saskatoon Separate School Division
University of Saskatoon (think they mean Saskatchewan ;))
SGI (Saskatchewan Government Insurance)
SaskPower
Crown Life Insurance Company of Canada
Royal Bank
Canada Safeway
Westfair Foods
Saskatoon Pioneer Village
Department of National Defense
Saskatchewan Wheat Pool
Co-operator's Insurance

Regina

Regina Health District
Government of Saskatchewan
SaskTel
Sears Canada
Regina Public School Division
Government of Canada
City of Regina
IPSCO Inc..
Regina Separate School Division
University of Regina
SGI (Saskatchewan Government Insurance)
SaskPower
Crown Life Insurance Company of Canada
Royal Bank
Canada Safeway
Westfair Foods
Regina Pioneer Village
Department of National Defense
Saskatchewan Wheat Pool
Co-operator's Insurance

You substitute Saskatoon for Regina and they're exactly the same...

[ReginaGuy]

LOL ...



S: ... but what about all those large government buildings in your downtown.

R: ... :(


.. like I said Regina easily exceeds 30,000 government workers.

http://www.foundlocally.com/Regina/Hr/Jobs-TopEmployers.htm

10 of the top 12 employers are government.... :(

Take a look at downtown Saskatoon, you'll find plenty of crown/government buildings. In fact, you'll probably find that Regina and Saskatoon have roughly the same amount of Public jobs downtown

I don't understand why you constantly pick on Regina, but pretend as if Saskatoon and Winnipeg are some sort of private sector paradise. They're not. Winnipeg is a little better off, simply because its larger, but face it, we're all a bunch of communists until the NDP are out of power.


Edit: yeah, what BrannyMuffin said :P

[Echoes]

I think someone did just substitute Saskatoon for Regina and called it good. This list cant be accurate at all... what a joke!

How is IPSCO Inc. the 8th top employer in Saskatoon when Cameco and PotashCorp don't even make the list? I was not aware that IPSCO employed anybody in Stoon. What about major manufacturers in Saskatoon such as Case-New Holland, or if this list were a year or so old, Mitchell's Gourmet Foods? I smell major B.S. with this list. What are the Regina and Saskatoon Pioneer Villages? And how are they such major employers in both cities?

Oh ya, and Federated Cooperatives Ltd. doesn't make the Saskatoon list.. Co-op HQ just happens to be in Toon Town. Yet the employees of the Westfair Foods grocery store chain show up on the list and FCL doesn't???

Come on, this can't possibly be fact..

[Ruckus]

Great thread :tup: Here's my hostile and supportive opinion.

I drove down to Regina this past March to observe the city myself as I hadn't been there since 1994 and really don't remember much except for visiting the Sears warehouse store???

First impression, passed the large Ipsco plant and images of Edmonton's refineries/heavy industry came to mind. Just an observation.

I continued on to find Downtown Regina, finally at last! Nice modern glass structure's clustered together nicely.

But I almost felt sick, well I was put off because of the large dominant government logos adorning the most prominent structures. Something didn't feel right.

I drove through the core, and then made my way to Wascana Park and the Legislative building. Very nice considering the drab winter setting complete with slushy streets. I wanted to go for a tour but decided against it. Afterwards, I attempted to find the Regina big box development area that received so much criticism, but gave up because I couldn't remember the area (SW or SE, Victoria???).

That trip combined with my knowledge of provincial politics re-affirmed my jealousy of Regina's modern glass structures and disappointment of past government decisions.

We can't go back in time, so my best hope for glass in Saskatoon looks like condo hi-rise, or a Cameco occupied structure with a modern design.

Regina a government city?

Take a look at election results, specifically Regina and Saskatoon. I discovered a noticeable bias towards NDP in Regina ridings.

Saskatoon ridings had their fair share of NDP support, but the difference in votes for the NDP and votes for the Saskatchewan Party had a more competitive ratio: NDP 1,435 vs Sask. Party 1,914.

In Regina, results might look like this: NDP 2,349 vs Sask. Party 1,000. But why such strong support? Job security perhaps? Capital city? Closer to the U.S. border? Home to the Saskatchewan Roughriders? :haha:

These observations have been stated again and again. The media and all political parties know this and strive to highlight and respond with necessary action.

In conclusion, Regina will never challenge or surpass Saskatoon as the major center (population) because Regina only has government jobs, the end ;)

Comments and suggestions: A nice city, diversify your economy, ditch the large government logos in the downtown and it might feel a little more welcoming to outsiders, unless they're from Cuba :notacrook:

[Ruckus]

Take a look at downtown Saskatoon, you'll find plenty of crown/government buildings. In fact, you'll probably find that Regina and Saskatoon have roughly the same amount of Public jobs downtown

I don't understand why you constantly pick on Regina, but pretend as if Saskatoon and Winnipeg are some sort of private sector paradise. They're not. Winnipeg is a little better off, simply because its larger, but face it, we're all a bunch of communists until the NDP are out of power.


Edit: yeah, what BrannyMuffin said :P

We have Sasktel on the Saskatoon Square office tower, quite prominent too. Other than that there's not much, unless you count some of the smaller structures downtown that display Sasktel, Sask Energy, SGI, STC.

A huge government workforce is more obvious when visiting Regina than Saskatoon because of those glass office towers. If the Bessborough had a Sask Power logo or some other crown corp I'm sure Saskatoon would feel like a government city too.

[ReginaGuy]

I think someone did just substitute Saskatoon for Regina and called it good. This list cant be accurate at all... what a joke!

How is IPSCO Inc. the 8th top employer in Saskatoon when Cameco and PotashCorp don't even make the list? I was not aware that IPSCO employed anybody in Stoon. What about major manufacturers in Saskatoon such as Case-New Holland, or if this list were a year or so old, Mitchell's Gourmet Foods? I smell major B.S. with this list. What are the Regina and Saskatoon Pioneer Villages? And how are they such major employers in both cities?

Come on, this can't possibly be fact..

haha I think you're right, I just looked at a few other cities, and I have trouble believing that SaskTel and IPSCO are among the largest employers in Halifax, NS:haha:

It seems the people who made that list just did Regina and coppied it into every other city. And I don't think Regina's is even right. Where's Brandt? They employ nearly 1000 people in Regina. And Pioneer Village? how did that make it on the list?

[ReginaGuy]

We have Sasktel on the Saskatoon Square office tower, quite prominent too. Other than that there's not much, unless you count some of the smaller structures downtown that display Sasktel, Sask Energy, SGI, STC.

A huge government workforce is more obvious when visiting Regina than Saskatoon because of those glass office towers. If the Bessborough had a Sask Power logo or some other crown corp I'm sure Saskatoon would feel like a government city too.
I agree, Regina definately has much more of a government presence. I guess I took the Saskatoon comparison a little too far. My point was that the two cities aren't that far apart when it comes to public vs private employment