Why So Few Canadians Live In Saskatchewan As Compared To Alberta

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Canada's Prairie Provinces are both about the same size and share a pretty similar overall geography (Alberta's western end aside). But despite these similarities, Alberta has a population that's about four times the size of Saskatchewan. So what's going on in Alberta that's attracted so many more people than Saskatchewan?

Editing by Kat Olsen

[wheressteve]

As a Canadian and an Albertan I need to add that Manitoba is considered a prairie province by all the people I've known here.

[swagnilla_ice]

Technically Manitoba is also considered a prairie province.

[Spartan_]

Just completely cut Manitoba out of a prairie video, crazy.

[jeffgkinzel]

as a saskatchwan farmer ...its wheat canola and pulse crops
we dont mind having a low population we like open spaces

[stickynorth]

As an Albertan, it's oil... And the politics? The spice must flow...

[ColCurtis]

People from outside western Canada call it SaskatcheWAAAN. We pronounce it Saskatchewin, with very little emphasis on the win.

[seamussc]

As an American, the most disappointing thing I ever learned about Canada is that Saskatchewan's name had nothing to do with Sasquatch.

[jtmachete]

Born and raised in Saskatchewan. Back in the socialist days of the NDP rule in Saskatchewan, the joke was ' last one to leave Saskatchewan, turn off the lights '. Many, many Saskatchewanians left for the work and money of the oilpatch in Alberta. At my 10 year highschool reunion in 1994, 170 graduates out of a class of 268 were in Alberta.

[kermitefrog]

When I was living in Washington one of the family friends who was a long haul truck driver would take my brother and then myself on some of his trips. I remember going on one of these long haul trips to North Battleford Saskatchewan. It was during this time that for the first time I saw the Northern Lights the Aurora Borealis. It was an incredible experience. It looked liked ribbons of multi-colored light and it could be heard as the crackling and buzzing you hear next to a power station.

[patrickgallagher]

I think the Canadian Shield consuming more of Saskatchewan has an impact as well.

[iem]

As someone from Saskatchewan, it’s pretty obvious and can be summed up in one word: oil (lol)
Edit: to be fair he does mention this in his video. Good video might I add, all pretty accurate

[DemonLordR]

My grandpa was from Saskatchewan but my dad grew up in Red Deer, I was born and raised in Calgary AB. Economic reasons drive people to Alberta, but it’s also considerably warmer. Saskatchewan gets insanely cold. Alberta can, too, but southern Alberta has a more reasonable climate overall.

Now I live in southern Vancouver Island so the climate is extremely moderate. The humidity is super refreshing and I feel like I can breathe better at sea level, but I’ll always love the prairies where I was raised.

[atlas]

I used to live in Moose Jaw briefly for work. One night at the bar, I had a chat with a farmer guy. He said he is a third-generation Italian Canadian. When his grandparents moved to Saskatchewan, they moved with another 26 families, all from Italy. They took some lands near Moose Jaw and cultivated them into farmlands, raised cattle, etc. After three generations, he is the only person still staying on the family farm out of all the offspring from those 26 families. Everybody else, including his children, has moved to other cities or provinces. This dude taught me valuable knowledge about discerning different types of beef. I bought him a drink as a return of favor.

[bjdon]

Shouldn’t Manitoba feel slighted for not also being included as a Prairie Province?

[HeavyTopspin]

Excellent analysis! I did have to chuckle when the "before Europeans came" section was accompanied by a picture of a native riding a horse to hunt a bison though.

[Looter]

Saskatchewan had a bigger population than Alberta until the Second World War

[Zastrava]

We Metis arent generally considered First Nations. We're Indigenous but distinct from First Nations. We also have a sizeable population in Saskatchewan with the core of our homeland being the Red River in Manitoba. We also have folks in British Columbia, Northwest Territories, northwestern Ontario, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Montana.

[lynb]

Manitoba is pouting now. Métis = mayTEE. Potash = POTash. Saskatchewan is also the only province that rejects Daylight Savings. Saskatoon is whitespeak from the Cree word 'Mis-sask-quah-too-mina' berry tree, that are similar to blueberries. Hoodies are called bunnyhugs. Alberta has oil but Sask has the One Red Paperclip.

[herschelwright]

Hey Geoff, you should do a video on Manitoba as well.

[cg]

I'd also add the political philosophies dictated development. With oil development Alberta has been very conservative & economically oriented while saskatchewan has been unique as a very socialist province up until the mid 2000s. It's also the home of Tommy Douglas who implemented the first single payer universal health care system in North America. Till this day Saskatchewan still has a very large union presence as well as government owned utilities such as saskpower, sask energy, saskwater & other government owned utilities.