It’s the tranquility that lured Amie Gruber and her family to White City, Sask. from Regina earlier this year.
“The 15 minutes to the city is well worth what you get out here,” she said.
In August Gruber will open a day care out of her home, and already she is fielding calls from parents.
“I actually put an ad on Used Regina and probably 20 people have already phoned or e-mailed, just for a spot,” she explained.
It’s because her family is just one of many who have made the bedroom community of White City their home. Since the last Canadian Census in 2006, the town’s population has increased by 70 per cent, the most of any community in the province.
“It’s pretty incredible,” said White City’s Mayor Bruce Evans.
He calls the boom exciting, with new homes and businesses popping up all over. Soon the town will be home to a Co-op, some big name franchise restaurants, and potentially two hotels.
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Evans says White City is a place people want to live.
“It’s safe, quiet,” he explained. “The taxes, we think, are pretty reasonable. Lots are a little bit larger than in Regina.”
But with accelerated growth comes challenges. There are so many kids, the town needs a new school, which will likely start this summer and be completed in a couple years. That is not the only issue though.
“Two or three years ago, if someone had asked me, do we have an infrastructure deficit in White City, I would’ve said no,” Evans said. “But we’re approaching that now because of the growth.”
Further down the TransCanada Highway past White City, Balgonie is also booming. Its population has risen by 17 per cent since 2006. Meanwhile, on the other side of Regina, communities there are growing as well, including Grand Coulee.
“Probably in the last 10 years we’ve doubled our population from about 300 to 600 people,” Grand Coulee’s Administrator Tobi Duck said.
“It’s the proximity (to Regina), but you have the small town country life. Kids are playing all over. It’s the best of both worlds.”
The demand for homes in the community is on the rise, potentially because of the Global Transportation Hub, which is situation nearby.
“I get phone calls, probably about 3 or 4 phone calls a day looking for lots,” Duck said. “People want to live out here and it’s a younger demographic.”
The town has annexed land to build more homes, but only time will tell if it will be enough to meet the surging demand.
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