YORKTON - Our community chest might want to puff up just a bit more this week as Yorkton has made the Globe and Mail’s list of the 100 most-liveable cities in Canada.
Now we are talking a rather long list in cities in a country with only 40 million people, and the city was ranked 73rd, but hey at least we were on the list.
Actually, when you look around Yorkton it’s not to difficult to understand why we made the list.
Corporately, the city is in a pretty solid financial position with the overall debt rather low and manageable.
What is interesting there is that in terms of infrastructure the Gallagher Centre expansion is not that far in the past, the fire hall is relatively new as is the water treatment plant, the ‘public works’ building on Yorkton Road is newer, as is the Deer Park Golf Course Clubhouse.
Broadway Street is re-skinned and York Road is in the midst of a major overhaul.
Recently we heard Yorkton Council discuss that city snow removal is about as good as it gets in terms of Saskatchewan cities.
And we see amenities from new playground equipment for children, to an added nine baskets for disc golf, to an ever expanding network of paved pathways.
That is not to say there are concerns with municipal costs, water and taxes and fees, but no community is immune to taxpayer disgruntlement.
Of course making a community liveable goes beyond what the corporate municipality does.
That means the people banding together to create a better place to live.
We see that in Yorkton often, from the line-up for pancakes this past Saturday morning, to the Santa Claus Parade that evening with bake sales and a new comic convention, and laser tag and free seasonal movie sprinkled throughout the day.
And if we pause to look back over the year we saw 44 events tied to Culture Days, the popular YBID June Days promotion, Summer Fair and tractor pulls and Harvest Showdown, dance festivals, hockey tournaments and live concerts, and literally dozens of events small and large for residents and visitors to enjoy.
Certainly that is part of our heritage. People in Saskatchewan have long come together to do things which make community – well community.
So it’s not a surprise we do it well here.
But, that the big press in Toronto recognized what we do well is ultimately kind of cool.
We can take some pride in that and well we should.
