Martensville Messenger September 15, 2016 | Page 14

Page 14 - SEPTEMBER 15, 2016 - MaRTEnSvillE MESSEngER Old Population Stats Tell A Tale For all the evils of social media - and there are many - it can be wealth of information. The downside is that it puts people in silos that they need not ever feel compelled to leave. Whether it be Twitter or Facebook, many have already spend far too much of the 21st Century trapped in these echo chambers, where they choose to only hear from those who have the same view. But every now and then, you are reminded what an amazing tool social media truly is - especially when it comes to providing valuable tidbits of current and historical information. One such amazing tidbits floated down my Twitter feed the other day. It was simply a screen capture of the “Waghorn’s Guide” of the 1910 populations of cities and towns in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. Of course, some might see this as little more than that endless array of trivia that flows down the social media tube - no more useful than the abundance of cat pictures or friends telling you what they had for lunch that populate your social media feeds. But this particular bit of trivia was actually a gem because of its insight into how much (or, in some cases, how little) Saskatchewan and other Western communities have changed. Consider the 1910 populations for the listed Saskatchewan communities: Alameda, (450); Arcola, (1,287); Balcarres, (400); Balgonie, (500); Biggar (400); Broadview, (500); Carnduff, (600); Carlyle (400); Craik, (450); Cupar, (300); Didsbury (1,000); Davidson, (675); Duck Lake, (439); Esterhazy, (450); Francis, (400); Govan (500); Hague, (300); Grenfell (950); Hanley, (600); Humboldt, (1,200); Indian Head, (1,800); Kamsack, (400); Lashburn, (300); Lanigan, (750); Lloydminster (1,300); Lumsden (300); Maple Creek (1,200); Manor, (375); Melfort, (750); Melville, (1,740); Moose Jaw, (18,000);North Battleford, (1,800); Nokomis, (750); Outlook, (550); Oxbow, (750); Pense, (300); Prince Albert, (7,000); Qu’Appelle, (800); (Quill Lake), (300); Regina, (15,000); Rosthern, (1,100); Rouleau (450); Saltcoats, (450); Saskatoon, (10,000); Sintaluta, (400); Swift Current, (1,800); Vonda, (400); Wadena, (300); Wapella, (520) Watrous, (900). Weyburn, (2,500); MLA Report From Nancy Heppner Saskatchewan Education Funding is #1 in Canada projects such as portable classrooms, preventative maintenance and renewal. Since 2007, our government has increased education funding by over $1 billion. This includes 40 new schools and 25 major renovations across Saskatchewan. Record funding to school divisions has also helped to hire over 700 new teachers and nearly 200 student support workers in the province. A new study from the Fraser Institute finds Saskatchewan education funding is #1 in all of Canada. There is more to do as our province keeps growing and we will continue working to ensure Saskatchewan students have the brightest future possible. Parents Encourage d to Keep Children’s vaccinations Up-To-Date investing in Education infrastructure to Keep Saskatchewan Strong Eighteen new schools with over 800 new childcare spaces are currently under construction in Regina, Saskatoon, Warman and Martensville and will be ready to welcome students in September of 2017. Our government has committed approximately $1.4 billion toward 65 major school capital projects and numerous smaller As a new school year begins, parents are encouraged to ensure their kids vaccinations are up-to-date. Free childhood immunizations are available for all infants and school-age children in Saskatchewan. Publicly-funded routine vaccinations are easily available in Saskatchewan at public health clinics (for preschool children) and through school-based programs (for school age students). All residents over six months of age may also receive a free influenza immunization to protect them during flu season. You can learn more at saskatchewan.ca/immunize or by calling HealthLine 811. Whitewood, (600); Wolseley, (1,400); Yellowgrass , (500); and; Yorkton, (3,000). By way of comparison, the following are the 1910 populations for other Western Canada communities - big and small, alike: Banff, (500), Birtle, Man. (400) Blairmore, Alta. (1,000); Calgary, (30,000); Dauphin, Man. (3,500), Edmonton, (25,000); Fernie, (3,000); Grandview, Man. (860); Kamloops, (3,000); Red Deer, (1,750); Winnipeg, (150,000), and; Vancouver, (90,000). It makes for interesting trivia here - not the least of which is the fact that Winnipeg was bigger in 1910 than Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton, combined. This tells us much about the importance of oil and sea trade in the last century compared with the relative insignificance of the Prairie grain trade that dominated Winnipeg and our province in the early years of last century. Oil and other commerce opportunity dramatically took over migration patterns. Similarly, it tells us that Indian Head, Swift Current and North Battleford and Wolseley were virtually the same Provincial Politics with Murray Mandryk size a century ago. A preferred location on the CPR main line in a fertile grain-growing area was obviously no guarantee of long-term community success. Further economic opportunities were required and in the context of Saskatchewan, rapid growth is a relative thing. Consider that all four of these Saskatchewan communities in 1910 were the same size as Red Deer, smack dab between oil rich Edmonton and Calgary. It pretty much tells you what you need to know about the relative success of the two provinces. But what may be most telling is how many small farming communities are virtually the same size now as they were back then. This, despite the fact Saskatchewan’s population has gone from 492,000 in 1910 to 1.1 million today. How little some communities have changed reflects how much the province, as a whole, has changed. ABOVE: MLA Nancy Hepner the rest of Canada and to many developed countries. The Standing Committee on Human Services is examining the issue and has launched public hearings to find ways to boost our province’s organ and tissue donation rates. The committee will report its findings and recommendations to the Assembly by November 30, 2016. For more information, please contact committees@legassembly. sk.ca. Peace sign in place of Twin Towers Your City; Your Newspaper Your City; Your Newspaper Public Hearings On Organ and Tissue Donation Options One organ donor can save up to eight lives, and one tissue donor can improve the lives of more than 75 people. With only 11 deceased donors last year, Saskatchewan’s rate of organ and tissue donation is low when compared to Letter to the Editor The Martensville Messenger welcomes letters to the editor for publication. Letters must be signed and a phone number and/or email address included so the writer’s identity can be verified. ALL letters are the opinion of the writer and NOT the Martensville Messenger. We reserve the right to edit letters for length, clarity or compliance with the current standards of public taste. Submit your letter to [email protected] or [email protected] or drop by the Martensville Messenger office at Bay #7 - 301 Centennial Drive North.