Quote:
Originally Posted by thefourthtower
Saskatchewan goes fishing in Calgary’s labour pool GORDON PITTS
From Tuesday's Globe and Mail
Published Monday, Nov. 01, 2010 7:17PM EDT
Last updated Tuesday, Nov. 02, 2010 6:38AM EDT
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Increase text size For two weeks, Calgary commuters have been bombarded with billboards and transit ads contrasting their overburdened, stressful existence with the pristine lifestyles of some unnamed utopia.
“Goodbye gridlock, hello home for dinner,” say one teaser ad, showing a young dad pounding up the paving stones to his house. “Goodbye heavy debt, hello disposable income,” says another, displaying another man in jeans striding along a lakeside dock.
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But growth has its costs in urban sprawl and traffic congestion. Calgary has become like just any big city, while Regina still gives great lifestyle – and now good careers for returning expatriates, as well.
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“ Regina has attempted such campaigns in the past, but lifestyle is the selling point now – cottage lakes within commuting distance of downtown, lower house prices (on average, a third lower), and much lighter mortgage commitments.
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Man this is ripe with irony. We try to sell ourselves on our differences from Calgary, while turning ourselves into Calgary through population growth (which I agree with) and suburban style development (which I abhor). Really, Regina and Saskatoon until very recently have attempted to be miniature versions of Calgary and the only saving grace was that we are smaller, so the flaws in planning don't show so much (i.e. the suburban comute is 15 minutes rather than 45 minutes, not because we have built better cities, but because our poorly built cities aren't as big). Yes, talk suggests that tide is turning in Saskatoon and Regina (e.g. Regina Downtown Plan and focus on infill in Saskatoon), but I haven't seen much hard evidence that practices are changing yet.
Well, for the time being we can still fool those ex-Saskatchewanites into thinking they can have Calgary style housing and roads with Regina/Saskatoon lifestyle advantages.