Moosomin leads growth according to health numbers
Town of Moosomin numbers up 11.5 per cent over last 12 years
September 25, 2023, 8:41 am
Kevin Weedmark
Saskatchewan Health Covered Population numbers for 2023 show continued growth in southeast Saskatchewan, with the community of Moosomin leading the way in growth across the region.
The number of active Saskatchewan health cards in the Moosomin Region is 17,611 in 2023, up 200 from 2022, and up 812 or 4.83 per cent from the total of 16,799 in 2012, according to Saskatchewan Health.
Moosomin has showed the most growth in health card numbers over the last 12 years, growing from 2,961 to 3,302, an increase of 341 or 11.52 per cent.
The other larger communities in the region all showed some growth as well, according to the Saskatchewan Health numbers.
Esterhazy grew by 83 or 2.76 per cent from 3,013 to 3,096 over the last 12 years, Redvers grew by 66 or 4.88 per cent, from 1,354 to 1,420 over the last 12 years, and Kipling grew by 64 or 5 per cent over the last 12 years, from 1,279 to 1,343.
Moosomin Economic Development Officer Casey McCormac says she sees evidence of growth in the area every day.
“This fits with what I’m seeing,” she said.
“I think that this shows that Moosomin is definitely growing even faster than the rest of the region, but it also shows that our region is overall growing as a whole.”
Why does she think that is?
“I think more and more people are realizing that small town living is better than big city living because the cost of living is getting so much more expensive in the cities. It’s easier to live in a small town because it’s a little bit cheaper but Moosomin still has all of the amenities of a big city.”
What makes a difference in Moosomin?
“I know that we do have a lot for the size of our town, so you can have most of the services of a city in a small town, but we also have that sense of community that you wouldn’t find in a city that makes life so much better.
“Everyone gets behind causes that are important to the town. Also, everyone steps up to help people, such as like when the Ukrainians were moving in here or like fundraising for East Side Playground or MacLeod’s playground and stuff like that. In Moosomin you can have a lot of the services of a city, but still have that real sense of community. That’s why I’m here.”
McCormac said she sees a lot of potential for growth in Moosomin, noting that Justin Young, GM of Nutrien Rocanville, told the Moosomin Chamber of Commerce Tuesday that more new hires at the mine would settle in Moosomin if they could find housing in Moosomin.
“The lack of housing has been preventing us from growing faster, but with Cobblestone House opening with 42 units, and the apartment buildings about to be built, we’re starting to address that issue, and we’re applying for the Housing Accelerator program.
“I think if we can build more apartments and houses in Moosomin there’s huge potential for growth. We don’t need to attract a new industry, we just need the houses.
“We could have so many more people—I know there’s lots of people that work at the mine that want to be in Moosomin but can’t because there’s no room. So I think as soon as we start building the apartments and houses, more and more people will come.”
