Wirelessly posted (Vodafone/1.0/SAMSUNG-B2100/BUIC6 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 UP.Browser/6.2.3.3.c.1.101 (GUI) MMP/2.0)

Hi. Is anyone from/living in/have experience the cities of Saskatoon,Reggina,Lyodminster or Estervan? Asking for any info or experiences, good and bad. Any help greatly appreciated.

Re: Cities of Saskatchewan
 

Of those- I only have experience of Lloydminster, as the City was a client of mine in my previous employment.

Lloydminster, as you probably know, straddles the AB/SK border. You definitely see a difference in how much/little each Province has when you cross from one side to the other. The Sask side is quite grotty compared to the Alberta side.

The City itself has some very nice facilities- the new rec centre in particular is worth a mention. It has a few strip malls, with all the restaurants/stores you'll be accustomed to in Edmonton/Calgary. It's grown quite quickly and as such, most buildings are very new. Most of these are on the AB side.

However, it's not a place I'd chose to live personally. It's a working class city, so depending on your job/occupation, it could offer decent employment prospects, but has very little in the way of character. It has a population of about 22,000, so although it is officially a City, it would be better described as a town. You can drive through it- one end to the other- in about 5 or 6 minutes. There's very little to do there and I used to hate my twice annual commute.

Re: Cities of Saskatchewan
 

Estevan and Regina are shitholes.

Wirelessly posted (Vodafone/1.0/SAMSUNG-B2100/BUIC6 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 UP.Browser/6.2.3.3.c.1.101 (GUI) MMP/2.0)

Interesting. How so?

Re: Cities of Saskatchewan
 

Ugly, dirty, crime ridden, cold and desolate, lacking descernable culture and in the middle of nowhere you'd want to be.

If you absolutely have to live in Saskatchewan, Saskatoon would be your best bet.

Wirelessly posted (Vodafone/1.0/SAMSUNG-B2100/BUIC6 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 UP.Browser/6.2.3.3.c.1.101 (GUI) MMP/2.0)

Thanks.

Re: Cities of Saskatchewan
 

I'm in Saskatoon and love the place compared to other places I've been. It's infrastructure is not falling apart (like Montreal) and its easy to move around (unlike the GTA). :thumbsup:

Re: Cities of Saskatchewan
 

I can only think of 2 advantages that Regina has
1. The trans canada highway to get you out of the place either east or west
2. The Roughriders.

Re: Cities of Saskatchewan
 

A client of mine moved from London, UK, to Vancouver and brought many of the people with them. In just under a year, and a decent investment, the new boss decided they'd like them closer to him in Saskatoon. Most of those who moved to Vancouver are now finding work their or returning to the UK.

They made their decisions AFTER visiting the area.

Re: Cities of Saskatchewan
 

Depends what you are looking for?
Why the comparison?
How long do you intend to stay?

Wirelessly posted (Vodafone/1.0/SAMSUNG-B2100/BUIC6 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 UP.Browser/6.2.3.3.c.1.101 (GUI) MMP/2.0)

Its for a married couple with two very young children looking to settle in one of these cities. They would prefer a house with a big garden and to be near but not in the city. They are very active and outdoor orientated people.

Re: Cities of Saskatchewan
 

I only have experience of Lloyminster.

Its horrible (from what I saw and that was along the border) no real scenery, same old same old stores and malls. Its an archetypal small city that could be the same as any other small city.

I know people have their dislikes for Calgary but at least you have the mountains to look at. If I had to live in a place like that - or even somewhere like Lethbridge (with many apologies to my good friends that love it there) i'd slit my wrists.

This is all based on the fact I have spent 5 days in Lloyd and a total of 3 days in the last 4 years in the Bridge - so may very well have missed out on some stunning local beauties :sunglasses:

Re: Cities of Saskatchewan
 

I dont think Regina is a shithole. I actually think it's a great place to live. You have to realize, though, that these things are subjective and answers will vary widely depending on each individual's background and experience.

Another thing I have found in Saskatchewan is that the majority of the people living in Regina don't like Saskatoon and vice versa. I'm not really sure why as I think they are both nice little cities. I lived in Regina for more than 2 years and might be heading back there shortly.

I moved to Regina from Fredericton, New Brunswick. Fredericton is ranked amongst the top 5 places to live in Canada. When I was told I had to move to Regina, people around started saying things like, "Oh God, why Regina?!", "Be careful, I hear there's a lot of crime there" etc. However, I find that most people that will give you opinions about Saskatchewan have either never been there. All these negative opinions really helped me have a positive experience once I got to Regina because I came with no expectations and an open mind. (I could really relate to the article on Regina in the BE Wiki).

Regina is ranked 28th on the best places to live list from Maclean's, but I wouldn't move back to Fredericton now. Probably, not until we retire because my partner's family lives there.

Regina has a population of about 210,000. The people are friendly. The city is definitely booming. Firms, atleast in my line of work, can't get enough people. The city of Regina has already issued more than $500 million worth of new construction permits this year. I think the crime statistic paints a very unrealistic picture of the city. From what I understand, the vast majority of crime is contained in one particular neighbourhood (North Central). There's no reason for anyone to have to go to there. You might think Regina is crime-ridden and a shithole if you are from a place like Fredericton, which is picture perfect and there's hardly ever any crime. I'm from Mumbai, India so like I said it's all relative.

Regina has a nice and developing downtown area, with a couple of major projects already underway, and more due to start in the new year. The cathedral area just south-west of downtown is one of the most popular places to live and shop for young to middle-aged professional families. There are new self-sufficient residential/commercial areas that are growing by the minute in the south-west, north-west and east ends of the city. There is a great selection of live entertainment in the city throughout the year, great sports facilities (we even have a dedicated cricket field) and a wide variety of restaurants....everything from Russian to Thai to Indian to Ethiopian. Bushwakkers has been ranked one of the top ten best brew-pubs across Canada. It's been a regular Friday hang-out for my co-workers and I after work. Wascana park is also a major activity hub in the summer.

I've been to Saskatoon 4-5 times, but for very short visits each time. So, I can't really comment on the city in much detail. From what I saw in the downtown area, though, I thought Regina's downtown area was more impressive. However, my partner who has been studying at the U of S since September says she thinks Saskatoon is a prettier city.

Personally, from my experiences in Regina, and what I've heard, read and seen on my visits to Saskatoon, I think they are both great places to live as long as you have an open mind and don't mind the harsh winters. They both have their pros and cons.

I have been to Estevan a few times for work, and its a small working-class town. The biggest employer in town is probably SaskPower, which operates two big coal-fired power plants in the area. I wouldnt pick it as a place of residence as it's too small a town for me. So not much in the way of night-life and variety of activities in town.

Feel free to PM me if you have any more questions about Regina.

Good luck!

Re: Cities of Saskatchewan
 

We live in Warman just 15 in drive North of Saskatoon( www.townofwarman.ca/ ) a very family orientated community,a new middle school is just being built,new leisure centre opening.
We have a 100ft x 60ft back yard but that'll depend on how much you can afford to buy and as you can only use it for 6 months of the year because of the cold and snow, how much do you need??
We are 2.5hrs North of Regina,5hrs from Edmonton,6hrs from Calgary so "the Rockies" are achievable in a day's drive, Table Mountan is 2hrs, local manmade ski resort, ok for teaching on, Elkridge Resort is North of us, there is golf course's everywhere which are well kept.

As you might have guessed we like it but we are not 'Townies' and lived in villages in the UK so we feel comfortable here as it covers all the bases for our girls which are just entering the dreaded teenage years...:eek:

Saskatoon is a booming area because of the money around the potash mines.

We have seen the Northern light 3 times in the last 2 weeks. :thumbsup:

Everbody has different needs but it suits ours at the moment....

Good luck :sunglasses:

Wirelessly posted (Vodafone/1.0/SAMSUNG-B2100/BUIC6 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 UP.Browser/6.2.3.3.c.1.101 (GUI) MMP/2.0)

Brilliant thanks for that. They are leaning towards choosing the saskatoon area i think anyway. Thanks.

Re: Cities of Saskatchewan
 

Regina is NOT a shithole, the people on here giving their opinions are entitled to do that, but REALLY what help is that by defining a place as a shithole !!

Technically every place on Earth is a shithole as there is literally shit all over the place.

I live in Saskatoon and have a friend in Regina, so frequent the place. Out of the two I prefer Toon BUT in my opinion there is nothing wrong with Regina. They are very different towns. Yes Saskatoon I think is prettier, partly because it has the river running right thru the City.

I am sure when asking for advice they really don't want to see SHITHOLE as the description. All I can say is it is a good job we all don't like the same thing or else we would have those people encroaching our beautiful Saskatoon.

Work is plenty, our Health System is brilliant, we are the cheapest Province to insure a car, and Saskatoon claims to be one of the sunniest Cities in Canada.

So to all of you Toon and Regina non - lovers - SOME OF US THINK IT IS BRILL !!! Shove that in your town where the sun don't shine.

Sorry off my soapbox now !!

Re: Cities of Saskatchewan
 

Nice soapbox....almost got up there with you.....but loud applause all round eh?!

Re: Cities of Saskatchewan
 

Amen, people on here are asking for genuine help, it is affecting the rest of their lives, so at least give a decent answer. BTW where do you live ?? Did I see you are in Martensville or Warman?

Re: Cities of Saskatchewan
 

Haha good to see some passion for the Sask cities for a change!!:thumbsup:

Re: Cities of Saskatchewan
 

http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/03/04/t...a-murder-rate/

http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/03/04/t...vated-assault/

http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/03/04/t...robbery-rates/

http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/03/04/t...exual-assault/

Looks like a scary place to live according to the stats :unsure:

Still, anywhere that rhymes with vagina is good with me :sunglasses:

Re: Cities of Saskatchewan
 

Sorry but I have lived here for 4 years, and never seen a robbery or do NOT feel unsafe. So the figures mean naff all in every day life of living here. Or am I being naive thinking there are no other places on earth that have murders, robberies, rapes etc!

Re: Cities of Saskatchewan
 

Taking subjective advice from strangers on an internet forum, and basing life changing decisions on them is pretty ****ing stupid.

You love it, but what if they move there based on your advice and information, hate it, and are unhappy? You're affecting the rest of their lives.

Re: Cities of Saskatchewan
 

I didn't mean to upset anyone I just gave my opinion, albeit a tad blunt, of the places. If you have to live in either of those cities then I'm sure people would make the best of it but I'm also sure that they're not places one would choose to live.

Re: Cities of Saskatchewan
 

If people move their whole lives based on what people put on here, then that is sad, plus I WOULD be living in a shithole !

Re: Cities of Saskatchewan
 

One would dearly hope that if one is of an open mind to ask a question on an internet forum then one would hope they have an open mind to the response they get.

Is that not the point of an open discussion??

Re: Cities of Saskatchewan
 

Maybe the OP would like to see official stats on crime to give them some more information? They have a family so i would imagine info on crime, education, recreation, etc would be more beneficial than "SOME OF US THINK IT IS BRILL".

Granted, i don't live there but it looks like a shithole so we didn't even contemplate it.

Re: Cities of Saskatchewan
 

So what's the difference if somebody says its a shithole and another says it's brill?

Re: Cities of Saskatchewan
 

I don't see any shit in Saskatoon, it is a very clean place !! But REALLY if you are thinking of moving somewhere I for sure would not base my move on what I read on here..................it is called the internet and getting on a plane..............and having a mind of your own to make your own mind up !
Finished on my soapbox now !!

Re: Cities of Saskatchewan
 

I did say, if you have to live in SK then I'd have to recommend Saskatoon and as you and the other poster both live there then I must be onto something.

Re: Cities of Saskatchewan
 

Guess we should never judge a book by it's cover....

Most of the crime in Saskatoon is the local Indian families after a session... We seem to hear more about knives etc from Alberta way than Saskatoon and as we are out in Warman I hope we are far enough away....:thumbsup:

It's a bit like saying "thats not normal?"

What is "normal"? I was brought upin a christian family on a farm in a small Buckinghamshire village, thats normal to me, but some people live in the city in a high rise block of flats and that is "normal" to them....:nod:

Re: Cities of Saskatchewan
 

I share schumachergal's experience. In more than 2 years in Regina, the closest I came to personally hearing about a crime was when a colleague's iPod was stolen.

I don't feel unsafe in Regina at all. It might be different when it comes to the North Central neighbourhood though. I don't know what thats like and I've never had to go there for anything. One can use statistics to paint any kind of picture one wants. It would be a shame if someone chose not to move to Regina or Saskatoon simply because of those statistics because IMO, they are not reflective for real day-to-day life in those cities.

From all the cities I've lived in in my life, I think if you found Regina or Saskatoon scary, then you'd have to live in a village somewhere to feel safe.

Re: Cities of Saskatchewan
 

Hear Hear - If we lived our lives on any statistics you would never go thru the door !
It just gets to me when people say things and maybe not even live/or lived there !
I feel the same way too about Regina. I have never felt unsafe there either.
Let's face it I would think everywhere on this planet has an unsafe area, but some more than others and learn to just avoid them !

Re: Cities of Saskatchewan
 

The problem is, when it comes to subjective opinions and answers, i'm always right.

Re: Cities of Saskatchewan
 

:thumbsup: Good one!

I suppose it's a universal truth then that Leeds United is the greatest football club in the history of mankind! ;)

Re: Cities of Saskatchewan
 

:eek:I think I've just fractured a rib thru laughing...awesome..:rofl:;);)

Re: Cities of Saskatchewan
 

Well that explains your attitude towards Saskatchewan. ;)

Re: Cities of Saskatchewan
 

Green is the colour when we're marching on together!

Re: Cities of Saskatchewan
 

....Being as the OP is currently based in Glasgow no where in Canada is likely to feel that scary. Think you got crime rates in Reggina?! Ha. Novices...:lol:

Re: Cities of Saskatchewan
 

Sounds like going from Mumbai to Saskatchewan and going from Glasgow to Saskatchewan is pretty much the same thing in terms of 'adjusting to the crime rates'.

"Think you got crime rates in Canada?!", is exactly what I said to people in Fredericton when they were warning me about the high crime rate in Regina.

Re: Cities of Saskatchewan
 

Bingo.Its all relative. Thanks for your info in this thread by the way, appreciate it.
I don't think anyone is as naive to base life changing decisions such as emmigrating on the posts of an internet forum ( as some seem to suggest they would), but it is good to get honest opinions from those who have been
in the position before and are willing to share their experiences.
Thanks all.