Since you're being no help with your lack of insight other than forum policing, here goes:

Weather - winter in Saskatoon is far too cold for me with average lows in negative double digits. Statistically it has more wind than I would care to live with.

Crime - statistically Saskatoon is rated one of the worst cities in the country for crime. Last year it was reported that you're more likely to be assaulted over any other city in Canada. Crime in the area is way higher than the national average. That alone puts me off. Perception is a huge factor and as we see on this forum, it can often outweigh experience.

Isolation - its nowhere near the ocean, of which I love. It doesn't appear to have direct flights to the UK which is important for me and my family. The travel time is far too off putting. It's also too far away from other holiday destinations I like to visit, and/or doesn't have direct access to them. That makes holidays very difficult for me.

My friend who lives there mentioned drug use is high and Saskatchewan has the highest rate of HIV in Canada. That again is something that would make me want to research more even though I'd no doubt not be affected. Perception perception perception.

The lack of decent snowboarding is also a factor, as is the seeming lack of cultural and racial diversity.

I admit some of my perceptions could be outdated or incorrect but I tried to stick with the BritishExpats tried and tested way of crossing areas off a list.

Hope my own opinions help the OP somewhat.

That emmerdale farm place looks a bit hairy......

I've a friend who lives in Saskatoon. Visited her once too for a week. In winter.

Boy oh boy, it was cold. Not terribly so - but it was whole different 'cold' to me at -20 odd than obviously I'd ever been used to in the U.K.

Decisions she'd have to make are little things like if it reaches -xx (forget the number) - it's time to make sure the heater is connected and on for the starter motor or something.

It felt like a city plonked in the middle of nowhere to me. Didn't seem bad, but maybe wouldn't be my first choice.

I guess it depends on your needs and desires and which one is heavier on the scales so to speak.

Having lived in Southern Ontario (Waterloo) and Saskatoon, I have something to compare against. Colder? perhaps on average but -10 or -20 to me are both the same, bloody cold, I have to wrap up with both, I never noticed any difference. If anything the winter lasts slightly longer in Saskatoon, as it does here in Edmonton, than it did in Waterloo. In Waterloo I experienced more snow, although both were white all winter, it was far deeper in Waterloo.

Wind ??? hmmm, never noticed a difference.

The summer is noticeably hotter in Waterloo, at the peak very uncomfortable.

Never seen any violence, although as some posters said, there are some rough areas, which quite simply you avoid going to. Most trouble was gang related in those ares. I lived near the City Centre in Saskatoon, never saw any trouble at all. Waterloo was also trouble free although I never felt comfortable in Kitchener Centre.

This part is true and one of the reasons I moved away, too far from anywhere of interest and the shopping is limited (more for the wife that one).

Probably true, although I never met anyone one drugs, nor was I offered any and I didn't see signs of drugs used. Again, I suspect a lot of this type of thing would be within the areas that you would avoid (areas of which you have in every City). When I was going to live in Vancouver, I was told the areas to avoid where the drug gangs roamed.


I agree with the other posters, your help to the OP is virtually non-existent, I personally wouldn't presume the gall to offer information on something I know nothing about. You say you base your views on statistical data, well there's lies, damn lies and then there's statistics.

In reality Saskatoon is a pleasant enough City, about the size of a Northampton, with a real City Centre and a bit of a nightlife there. Its growing and as someone mentioned, they are struggling to keep up. All in all its not too different than other Canadian Cities, if the statistical data puts you off, then really it shouldn't. If there's work there, then I would go there and make up your own mind, there are plenty of people there who love the place.

So you disagree with the reasons i choose not to live there?

Do disagree that the OP didn't specifically ask for only experienced opinions as to why people would or would not move to Saskatoon?

Do you also disagree that a persons reasons for not choosing to live somewhere is valid even though they have not visited the place?

I gave the OP my reasons for not choosing to live in Saskatoon. My wife has been given options to work around Canada and Saskatoon was one of them. As was Edmonton, Toronto, Calgary, and Montreal. We have valid reasons for not choosing any of them, even though we've not visited all of them.

Nope, I wouldn't. Saskatoon has absolutely nothing of what matters to me in a city so I wouldn't do it long term.

I'd do it for a year though. I'd even live in the 'Peg for a year. Or Nunavut. Or Yellowknife. It would be an adventure but there would HAVE to be an end date.

FWIW I work with a lot of people from prairie cities and, bar, maybe, Calgary, none of them want to go back. We do a lot of project work in different areas and living in the prairies is something you have to suck up for your career, not something enjoyable.

And compared to Vancouver Sk winters are freaking cold. End of.

And now I'm going to wait patiently for jericho to tell me I'm not allowed to have an opinion as I've never lived there, haha

richo, I'd normally agree 100%, but you're in Vancouver while the OP is in Iroquois Falls. Have you bothered to google that? Saskatoon has no threats after Iroquois Falls.

And to pacify PeterF, I have been there, if only once.

Good point. Just googled it and...........holy shit

Of the two, i retract everything i've written and would head to Saskatoon*















*for the kids

We live just outside Saskatoon in Martensville, and love the area Saskatoon in the fastest growing economy in Canada six years running, there is not much you cant get here we have some fantastic facilities the arts and convention centre brings in acts from across the world. Yes we have lousy roads lots of pot holes but we also have some of the most extremes of weather in the world. Traffic is alot better than the larger cities I love that my commute is only 20 minutes to downtown, there are many beautiful area's I suspect people who slate the city haven't actually lived here long, though everyone has differing opinions on what is good.

[QUOTE=PeterF;10074297]Having lived in Southern Ontario (Waterloo) and Saskatoon, I have something to compare against. Colder? perhaps on average but -10 or -20 to me are both the same, bloody cold, I have to wrap up with both, I never noticed any difference. If anything the winter lasts slightly longer in Saskatoon, as it does here in Edmonton, than it did in Waterloo. In Waterloo I experienced more snow, although both were white all winter, it was far deeper in Waterloo.

Wind ??? hmmm, never noticed a difference.

The summer is noticeably hotter in Waterloo, at the peak very uncomfortable.



Never seen any violence, although as some posters said, there are some rough areas, which quite simply you avoid going to. Most trouble was gang related in those ares. I lived near the City Centre in Saskatoon, never saw any trouble at all. Waterloo was also trouble free although I never felt comfortable in Kitchener Centre.



This part is true and one of the reasons I moved away, too far from anywhere of interest and the shopping is limited (more for the wife that one).



Probably true, although I never met anyone one drugs, nor was I offered any and I didn't see signs of drugs used. Again, I suspect a lot of this type of thing would be within the areas that you would avoid (areas of which you have in every City). When I was going to live in Vancouver, I was told the areas to avoid where the drug gangs roamed.



I agree with the other posters, your help to the OP is virtually non-existent, I personally wouldn't presume the gall to offer information on something I know nothing about. You say you base your views on statistical data, well there's lies, damn lies and then there's statistics.

In reality Saskatoon is a pleasant enough City, about the size of a Northampton, with a real City Centre and a bit of a nightlife there. Its growing and as someone mentioned, they are struggling to keep up. All in all its not too different than other Canadian Cities, if the statistical data puts you off, then really it shouldn't. If there's work there, then I would go there and make up your own mind, there are plenty of people there who love the place.[/Q
Same idiotic responses day in day out from the usual tossers on this forum.No actual experience just an over inflated opinion of their views.

I agree. Don't you just hate it when people add no value to threads

I hope my reasons for not choosing to live there are helpful in some way, however.

I live in Regina, and have been to Saskatoon several times as my girlfriend used to live there. Saskatoon is a very pleasant city, as is Regina. They both have their 'ghettos', and most of the crime is isolated to those areas.

I moved to Regina from Fredericton in 2009 and have not regretted moving here at all. The economy is booming in both cities (Regina and Saskatoon), people are friendly and there is lots to do. YMMV.

The weather is not as big a deal as I initially thought. I honestly prefer weather in Regina and Saskatoon to the weather in Fredericton. I'd rather have weather where it is -30 and sunny rather than -15 and lots of snow, which is what it was like in Fredericton. So, it's all about personal preference really.

Before moving to SK, in my experience, I found that whoever I asked about SK bashed it to no end. However, most of them had never been to SK or had been there years ago. Regina and Saskatoon have both changed a LOT in the last 5 years. I have seen dozens of changes in Regina just since 2009.

My advice would be to just do it. Worst case scenario - you move on in another couple of years, but if you do move, then you would be moving to one of the fastest growing regions in the country and that can't be a bad thing.

Lousy roads, you have obviously never lived in Quebec then

Yes, it's a wonderful city with loads of outdoor activities summer and winter.

If it's too cold then put on another layer of clothes and suck it up, if it's too hot jump in the lake or turn your a/c up.

Statistics can be made to say whatever you want them to say.