Why Saskatchewan’s Urban and Rural Economies Rise Together

Why Saskatchewan’s Urban and Rural Economies Rise Together

Listen in as Crystal Froese explores the myth of “urban versus rural,” taking a closer look at how Saskatchewan’s economy actually functions — and how many of our systems are still designed in ways that separate communities instead of aligning their strengths.

Saskatchewan already has one of its greatest advantages: a strong culture of collaboration, deep connections between communities, and a shared interest in long-term prosperity.

Through a thoughtful exploration of growth, collaboration, and regional interdependence, this episode challenges outdated thinking and reflects on what Saskatchewan could achieve when communities move forward together — asking an important question...

Is Saskatchewan missing an opportunity hiding in plain sight?

Paths to Prosperity is a platform for exploring how communities can build resilient, inclusive, and future‑ready economies.

Through thought leadership, practical insights, and conversations with leaders from across Saskatchewan and beyond, Paths to Prosperity examines the forces shaping local and regional economies—and the choices communities can make to navigate change with confidence.

Our focus is on what works, what’s emerging, and what leaders should be thinking about now.

To go deeper on the ideas shaping Saskatchewan’s future, https://seda.ca/about/paths-to-prosperity/ for more podcasts, thought leadership, and resources from the Saskatchewan Economic Development Alliance. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:04

Welcome to Paths to Prosperity, the podcast from the Saskatchewan Economic Development Alliance, where we explore the ideas, leadership, and conversations shaping the future of Saskatchewan. Hi, I'm Crystal Froze. And today I want to talk about something that quietly shapes almost every conversation we have about growth in this province. The way we think about urban and rural Saskatchewan. For generations, Saskatchewan has been framed as a province of contrasts, urban and rural, city and small town, Main Street and Grid Road. And honestly, those distinctions are familiar to all of us. We hear them in political conversations, in economic discussions, even in how communities sometimes describe themselves. But maybe the bigger question is this are we still looking at Saskatchewan through a lens that no longer reflects how our province actually works? The truth is Saskatchewan's economy does not operate as two separate systems. It operates as one interconnected engine, powered by both urban and rural strengths. And when those engines are aligned, the province moves forward. When they're not, progress slows for everyone. As Saskatchewan looks towards growth, resilience, and long-term competitiveness, it may be time to stop thinking in terms of us versus them and start designing for the system we already have. And that starts with challenging one of the oldest narratives in this province, the idea of urban versus rural. The idea that communities are somehow competing for people, investment, or political attention shows up often in policy debates and public conversations. But if you actually look at how people live, work, and move across Saskatchewan, that narrative starts to fall apart pretty quickly. People commute across municipal boundaries every single day. Business operates across regions, not postal codes. Supply chains, labor markets, and investment flows don't stop at town limits. A producer in west central Saskatchewan relies on urban processing, logistics, and export capacity. And at the same time, cities rely on rural Saskatchewan for food security, energy, resources, and export revenue. Families move between community types over the course of a lifetime. A young person may leave a small town for education, build a career in a city, and later return to a rural community to raise a family or start their business. This isn't a hierarchy. It's interdependence. And I think this quote captures it perfectly. Urban and rural Saskatchewan aren't competing economies. They are interdependent parts of the same system, says Elon Boin from Scholy Research and Consulting. Now, while Saskatchewan functions as one system, different places absolutely play different roles. Rural and smaller communities are often where production begins, agriculture, agri food, energy and mining, forestry and the bioeconomy, tourism, culture, and land-based assets. And urban centers, like Saskatoon and Regina, tend to concentrate capacity. Postsecondary education and research, specialized labor and professional services, healthcare, finance, governance, transportation, logistics, and investment capital. And neither role works particularly well without the other. Rural Saskatchewan depends on urban services, markets and institutions to scale and sustain the production. And urban Saskatchewan depends on rural regions for the assets that drive exports, employment, and economic resilience. So maybe the question isn't whether one matters more. Maybe the real question is why do we still talk about them as though they're separate? As Mayor Gerald Elbers from Lloyd Minister has put it, strong cities need strong regions, and strong regions need strong cities. And yet, even though the interdependence seems obvious, the system still feels strained sometimes. Why? Well, because many of Saskatchewan's policies, programs, and investments were designed as though urban and rural were separate worlds. We plan infrastructure by jurisdiction instead of by economic corridor. We fund initiatives as either urban or rural, even when the outcomes are regional. We measure success locally despite province wide labor shortages and housing pressures, and the result? Well, we see labor shortages across a province, even where talent exists nearby. We see housing pressure in cities while surrounding communities still have capacity. We see industrial land, workers, and services planned in isolation from one another instead of as a connected system. And I think this is an important point to stop and reflect on for just a moment. What if these aren't actually community failures? What if they're system design failures? Because when systems aren't designed to connect people, labor, housing, transportation, and investment across regions, friction becomes inevitable. And maybe that leads us to the real conversation Saskatchewan needs to have. The question is no longer how do we support urban growth or how do we save rural communities? The real question is this. How do we design systems that allow urban and rural strengths to reinforce each other by default? Because that changes everything. It changes how we think about labor and training pipelines. It changes how we think about infrastructure investment. It changes how we think about economic development, housing, governance, and even collaboration itself. It means building systems around how people actually live and work, not around outdated boundaries. It means planning infrastructure around economic function and corridors instead of just jurisdictional lines. And it means thinking about investment readiness as ecosystems, not isolated sites. And maybe, most importantly, it means creating governance and funding models that reward collaboration instead of competition. This isn't about erasing differences between communities, it's about aligning them. And honestly, this moment matters because Saskatchewan is entering a period where demographic shifts, labor constraints, climate risk, and global competition for capital are all intensifying at the same time. Regions that remain fragmented will struggle to respond. Regions that act as integrated systems will be better positioned to adapt, compete, and grow. And the good news? Well, Saskatchewan already has one major advantage. We have a strong culture of collaboration. We have deep connections between communities already, and we share a common interest in long-term prosperity. But realizing that advantage requires intentional design and a willingness to move beyond outdated narratives. As Jean-Marc Nadeau from the CEO from Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association has said, continued success in Saskatchewan will depend on how well our communities can work together. And maybe that's the takeaway from this entire conversation. If Saskatchewan's economy is powered by two engines, then responsibility is shared, shared by urban and rural leaders, shared by Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, shared by business, government, and institutions. Because growth is not a zero-sum game between places. It's a collective outcome of how well the system is designed to work. And when both engines are aligned, Saskatchewan doesn't just move forward, it moves forward together. Well, thanks to listening to Paths to Prosperity from Saskatchewan Economic Development Alliance. If today's conversation gave you something to think about, we invite you to subscribe for more monthly thought leadership and conversations focused on the future of Saskatchewan and the people helping shape it. And if this episode resonated with you, share it with a leader, practitioner, elected official, or community builder who believes Saskatchewan's future is strongest when communities work together. Because conversations like this can help build even greater collaboration across our province. Until next time, I'm Crystal Froze, and thanks for listening.