Land rush

[wanaka]

What is making all the Alberta farmer's flock to Saskatchewan and inflate the price of land well beyond it's ability to pay for itself. The area around Regina is seeing alot of activity currently,and if the talk is true alot more acres will be changeing hands.

[farmers_son]

What is land selling for there?

[cowdog]

They are flocking there for a number of reasons; land value is the main one, you can sell a 1/4 here and buy 4 or 5 good 1/4's there. Land here is under a lot of pressure from the energy industry and the growth of cities. Your government takes a much more favourable view towards agricult, health care and education services are better and there is a better future for your cildren to grow up and be something more than an oilworker. Saskatchewan really is Canada's best kept secret, its to bad people there don't know how to keep it.

[coppertop]

cowdog, I think that young people have opportunities for careers in many areas other than 'oilworkers' here in Alberta. I don't know what you classify as an 'oilworker' but it certainly isn't that shabby of a career for a young person !! In my own community I know of five young people currently taking their post secondary education at various universities and colleges, none of them are planning on a career in the resource industry. Their career choices vary from medical doctor to agricultural mechanics.I agree that land is certainly a lot cheaper in Saskatchewan, but I doubt if folks are moving there in record numbers so their kids don't have to be oilworkers !!!!!

[cowman]

I think if you studied population movements you would see the shift is out of Saskatchewan and into Alberta? Which only makes sense...people don't as a rule move to a depressed area?
Cheap land is what is attracting Alberta farmers and nothing more? I doubt very many go because they are attracted to the NDP party?
Not sure how the Saskatchewan government is more agriculturally friendly...maby "Sask Farmer" could enlighten us? I think he has a high opinion of Sask. crop insurance? LOL

[skhadenuf]

To cowdog, as a Saskatchewan farmer that has relations farming in Alberta, Saskatchewan does not have a more favorable gov. towards agriculture, education, and health. Just look at the last election results where the communistic NDP were wiped out of nearly every rural area. If they were favorable to these areas they would have the support of those people. What doesn't get published much is the amount of failures that occur from new farmers from other provinces or other countries for that matter. Many British, french etc farmers that moved here because the cheap land lure, have found out it's relatively cheap for a reason and that is tht when times get tough the programs like crop insurance etc ore only good for the empoyees of the program and do very little for the industry.

[wanaka]

Land has been going for around 850/acre and cash rent is in the 45/50 per acre.

[perfecho]

I would have to disagree with the depressed area comment. The last numbers that came out showed Sask as ranking third in development and hiring, after AB and BC.

[cowman]

perfecto: I will agree Saskatchewan is on the move finally. It was pretty bad there a few years ago?
Sometimes I wonder if every other worker in Alberta isn't a native of Saskatchewan...and not just oil field...check out the medical staff in almost any Alberta hospital.
Alberta doesn't have anything more than Saskatchewan. Sask. does have lots of resources and probably better farmland than Alberta? The way I see it is you have had incredibly bad government, which usually is the case when you vote in the NDP!

[perfecho]

And some would argue that they will actually receive more for their natural resources than the sell off in Alberta. During Agribition, the standard joke was "if you were passed on the highway by an idiot, chances are it had Alberta plates."
It is true, Alberta has created much wealth to some, however we now boast the highest food bank use, crime rates and homelessness. And gambling revenues exceed oil revenues, (not natural gas) during many of the last few years.
Is this "planning" in the best interest of Albertans?
I have to admit the ND road scares me, however I can no longer stand up and be counted as a conservative...it's become to embarrassing….but maybe “Eddie” can change that.