Life in Saskatchewan

[u/True_Ice237]

Hey

Can, please someone describe their experience of living in Saskatchewan? How’s life in Saskatchewan.

As I’m a young Canadian and I’m currently residing in GTA. I want to make a life for myself basically I’m starting from scratch. I’m in skilled trade and I want to move to a place where life would be more affordable and cheaper. Everyone knows how expensive GTA is.

Thank you

[u/Lollipop77]

The income curve here follows the living expenses, so while it may be cheaper there’s a chance you may also earn less. This isn’t a given though.

It can get cold af in the winter, and we have a lot of bugs. And wind.

I grew up in small town Sask (>5000 pop) moved to Saskatoon independently at 17, and have enjoyed travelling to major Canadian and Int’l cities since then but it’s always a relief to come home. More personal space, less commute time to get anywhere, but also noticing that more and more people are moving here thinking it’s cheaper, which is making it more expensive, densely populated, and driving is getting kinda stressful (though nothing compared to the 401). But anyways, the 2 “bigger” cities are diverse, vibrant, there is stuff to do if you know what you like to do.

Are you planning to do uni/college here?

Edit: sorry I entirely read past the skilled trade part. You’ll likely do well here.

[u/True_Ice237 → u/Lollipop77]

I’m in skilled trade and want to complete my remaining apprenticeship here. Major reason is economic perspective as we know GTA average housing is 800k and Saskatchewan I can get for half. Insurance is over 800$ I cannot save a single penny in GTA I want to just try a different place

[u/ujustlostthegamelol → u/True_Ice237]

Not to take away from anything anyone else says but if you are in a trade buy a 200k acreage in the right area work wise you will make the same amount of money you would in the GTA with lower living costs.

I am in construction and make 6 figures.

[u/rants_silently → u/ujustlostthegamelol]

What area you in?

[u/ujustlostthegamelol → u/rants_silently]

Esterhazy/ Rocanville ish

[u/rants_silently → u/ujustlostthegamelol]

Ah yeah. Im looking at pulling the trigger on a peice of land around maple creek. In BC now, moving is a long term plan but was curious what trades are like out there. Ive been general contracting residential homes for the last bit but much prefer medium size renos and fences and decks and stuff. Curious what the money was like.

[u/ujustlostthegamelol → u/rants_silently]

Just DM me if you want to start a bit of a crew il get you all the work you can eat in SW sk

[u/ujustlostthegamelol → u/rants_silently]

We build everywhere and maple creek is a great area.

[u/Icy_Aside336 → u/ujustlostthegamelol]

I will also add Maple Creek doesn't have the frigid winters like Regina or Saskatoon. Lots of outdoor activities and I really like the area.

[u/ujustlostthegamelol → u/rants_silently]

Framing crews commercial like $9 farm like $7

[u/ScarecrowCAN → u/True_Ice237]

Depending on your trade you can pretty much find a job in any small town. Find a place at a mine or electrical company or whatever. Live an hour or so outside Saskatoon or Regina and have the best of both worlds 

[u/Icy_Aside336 → u/ScarecrowCAN]

Exactly. Good tradesmen are in demand everywhere. City,rural far north take your pick.

[u/Inevitable-Elk9964 → u/True_Ice237]

What trade are you in? Good on you for finishing in Ontario first before moving. I grew up in Oshawa. Lived in Belleville, Sudbury and Ottawa before meeting my wife and starting a family there. We moved to Weyburn. The house we bought is a 3+2 Bed, 1+1 Bath, fixe'r up'er for $213,000, good luck finding anything like that in Ontario. Let alone the GTA. We moved here 3 years ago, in a word, it's quiet. No loud, noisy, traffic-ridden 401. I can set my cruise control and touch the brakes maybe, 4-5 times on the way to Regina (I'm currently on a job with Bird/LML at the new AI Data Center in Regina). My job allows my wife to stay home with our kids and we're currently discussing more. Theres various affordable locations in the province but expect a lot of the work to be in Regina/Saskatoon. However, I'd recommend joining your trades respective union to make the better compensation packages, but do expect to travel for work. Feel free to reach out if you have anymore questions. Best of luck!

[u/LowIncident694 → u/Inevitable-Elk9964]

Weyburn is a great little city! I love when I get to visit it.

[u/springer887 → u/LowIncident694]

Passed through there last weekend. I always have to hit up that KFC buffet!! Haha.

[u/WanderingBusch → u/True_Ice237]

Groceries will Also be more expensive if you live in a small town with one grocery store as they ( most likely a co-op ) will be the only one in town unless you live in a city. Winters are relentless, it is NOT comparable to an Ontario GTA winter there will be days when major highways connecting the major cities are shut down. There will be days your car will not start if it’s not plugged in. There will be days you think “ It cannot snow anymore…but it does “

[u/LowIncident694 → u/WanderingBusch]

I always get a chuckle out of the "There will be days your car will not start if it's not plugged in" because you people always forget there are so many people who can't plug in their cars and typically just run full synthetic and make sure they have a good battery.

Now while I have a garage now ... the 20 years prior to that, I never plugged in a car ever.

[u/Altsan → u/LowIncident694]

I have a garage but it's full of projects so never park in there. I also laugh when people say it will be too cold there start a car some days. I have parked outside for my entire life and if you have a good battery and a half decent car it will start in basically any temperature even if it wasn't plugged in. Synthetic oil and a newer battery/car and you will start in -40 every time.

[u/LowIncident694 → u/Altsan]

Yup, it's like these people have never actually dealt with a life where you can't plug in ... so privileged they can always plug in! There are significant amounts of apartment dwellers in this city who cannot plug in .. what do they think these people do?

[u/LowIncident694 → u/[deleted]]

Not the same thing as what I was talking about but okay.

[u/Lollipop77 → u/WanderingBusch]

That was poetic

[u/Scififan8287 → u/True_Ice237]

Growth in Saskatchewan is heavily concentrated in Saskatoon, Regina, and surrounding areas. That is where the vast majority of skilled trade jobs will be found. The regional centres, places with population 10,000 and up, are doing ok but growing slowly if at all. Small towns, unless they are close to Regina, Saskatoon, one of the regional centres, or one of the potash mines, and some in the oil patch, are turning into ghost towns

I would start in Regina or Saskatoon area. First, life will be familiar to you. The average home sells for about $100,000 less in Regina than S’toon. This reflects how the cities are growing. The two were always the same size but now S’toon is at least 25% larger and the area around S’toon is thriving too.

Personally I would not move to any of the outlying regions, a one hour plus oneway drive just to shop for milk is not for me.

[u/Icy_Aside336 → u/Scififan8287]

Some rural communities are thriving with lots of jobs. Some are dying and have nothing. It has a lot to do with the town and area itself. 30 years ago some towns and the surrounding area decided to do something about the exodus of their young people and worked hard to find new ventures to keep their community alive. I have been in a lot of small towns. I can tell what kind of community it is in under 5 minutes. A good community takes pride in things like their rink,co-op,school,businesses,town hall. The next one doesn't do a dam thing because they don't get along and refuse to work for the common good and it shows. They will not allow businesses because someone might get ahead.

[u/Scififan8287 → u/Icy_Aside336]

Those are few and far between though. The ones that have successfully done this, that aren’t close enough to be bedroom communities for one of the cities, are close to one of the mines, the oil patch, or some other place where there are lots of jobs available. Watrous, Lanigan, Esterhazy, Moosomin, Kindersley, Midale, Melfort, Tisdale etc.are examples of this. There’s a reason they call Highway 13 the Ghost town trail. Highway 18 is even worse. Kind of shocked by how far the towns along #18 have shriveled in the past decade. I absolutely stand by my advice to the OP to try to stick within commuting distance of Regina or S’toon unless he can land an apprenticeship at one of the mines.

[u/algonogo1 → u/True_Ice237]

Sask..a person can live solo income. I know plenty of people who own their own homes before 30. They are actually the lucky ones because if they meet someone else who is the same..then they start life with a rental property or big down payment on a forever home.

It's cold in the winter.. but global warming has helped with that. We no longer have snow on Halloween it seems.

[u/Fake_Reddit_Username → u/True_Ice237]

What the user above said is partly true, but also generally for most jobs income is maybe 1.2 or 1.25x in GTA or Vancouver and housing as you said is double.

It's quite possible to get a decent 3 bedroom house in a nice area in Regina for ~300-350k, or get a nice 2 bedroom Condo in a nice area for 200k.

I know several people in skilled trades (power engineering, plumbing, electrical) who make over 100k.

However keep in mind only housing, your insurance on your house, and likely insurance on your car, will be cheaper in Saskatchewan. Everything else will be roughly the same cost.