Statistics Canada has released their quarterly population statistics and Saskatchewan has seen substantial growth.

In a three-month period, 6,465 people have become residents of Saskatchewan which is the largest quarterly population jump seen by Saskatchewan and Statistics Canada since they started releasing statistics in 1971.

“Saskatchewan’s economy is firing on all cylinders and creating thousands of new jobs,” Trade and Export Development Minister Jeremy Harrison said.

“That’s attracting more people than ever to our province.”

According to Statistics Canada, Saskatchewan’s population is now 1,194,803 as of July 1st.

“Saskatchewan has plenty of opportunities, welcoming communities, and a more affordable cost of living than most other places in Canada,” Harrison said.

“A strong economy and a growing population means a better quality of life for all Saskatchewan people.”

Today, Harrison spoke at the South Leisure Centre about Saskatchewan’s growth. He noted that the growth is largely due to the increase in immigration to the province and it’s a main driver in our growing economy.

“Not only does immigration help to fill a range of job vacancies and allow our economy to continue growing at a rapid pace but it also increases our diversity. Our government believes that increasing immigration is critical to building a strong Saskatchewan,” says Harrison.

“That’s why our growth plan lays out two goals to achieve by 2030; having 1.4 million people living in Saskatchewan and creating 100,000 new jobs. These targets are critical for our province to meet its economic needs and address gaps in the labour market.”

Even with this massive growth, the province is still booming with job opportunities with over 15,000 jobs available on the Saskjobs website as of today.

Harrison also believes that after the population took some hits and mostly remained stagnant during the pandemic, this growth is the start of a trend for Saskatchewan.

“Saskatchewan is stronger than ever. In fact, the conference board of Canada predicts that Saskatchewan will lead the nation in economic growth this year and I have no doubt that we will live up to that expectation,” says Harrison.