Saskatchewan's Communities in the 21st Century

Book excerpt: This report traces the evolution of Saskatchewan's trade centre system for the 40 years between 1961 & 2001. For assessing & classifying communities into functional categories, 68 variables are used. In assessing a community's status & future prospects, the systematic trade centre relationships, the demand thresholds required to support trade & service activities, and the impact of non-systematic events such as the establishment of a manufacturing plant or mine are taken into account. The relationship between infrastructure & economic development is also discussed. The events summarized emphasize a continuous extension of the geographic framework within which people journey to work, shop, attend school, obtain health care and, in general, live their everyday lives. In this process, the concept of community, as a functional entity, has evolved from village or town to a region large enough to satisfy the everyday requirements of rural dwellers.