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 S A M P L E    R E S E A R C H    A R T I C L E

Affluent, savvy bedroom community may reverse the traffic commuting into Saskatoon

BY JOE RALKO

Martensville, 10 kilometres from Saskatoon, is a classic bedroom community where the bulk of employment - 26 per cent - comes from retail and business services for those who work in Saskatchewan's largest city.

Yet Martensville has some characteristics that set it apart from many commuter cities, according to Mayor Gordon Rutten, a former school superintendent who moved to Martensville in 2004, just before the tiny town began its unprecedented growth spurt.

Incorporated in 1966, Martensville has grown by 28 per cent in the past five years.

"With increased economic opportunities in the province comes a population increase and the Saskatoon area is a major beneficiary of that increase. As a result, communities in close proximity to Saskatoon become attractive alternatives for many families who are moving into the area."

The demand for housing has created the first anomaly for a bedroom community: Martensville's average house prices are higher than in Saskatoon, and perhaps the highest in the province.

In July, the Saskatoon Region Association of Realtors reported that the median sales price of a detached house in Martensville, at $298,700, has surpassed that of Saskatoon ($295,000). Year to date, the median price is also higher in Saskatchewan's newest city compared with its largest ($310,000 versus $290,515), and about $50,000 above the province's urban average.

And yes, Martensville is a city. To receive city status in Saskatchewan, a community must have a population of 5,000 or more. Martensville hit that milestone last September with a population of 6,500, officially making it the province's 15th city.

Sometimes known as the "Community of Lakes," Martensville has more than 200 acres of green space within city limits, the mayor said.

"A series of connected walking paths have been developed over the years that meander through the city from one end to the other," Rutten explained.

"Since we have a surface drainage system, we have a series of retention ponds and canals within the city to handle runoff. We have integrated the lakes and canals into lighted walkways that take people over bridges, past the lakes and canals themselves, to ball parks, acres of green grass, pocket parks, benches, residential areas and a toboggan hill."

Families are likely also attracted to the area by a new recreation and aquatic centre and an emphasis on education in a city with a rapidly rising student population.

"Our demographics seems to have hit critical mass wherein young families are attracting other young families," the mayor said.

Dillon Shewchuk, the economic development manager for the City of Martensville, said the community's growth is directly tied to the recent economic boom in Saskatoon.

"I believe changes in the City of Saskatoon related to demand and price of housing had a lot to do with the population growth of Martensville," Shewcuk said.

"The vicinity of Martensville to Saskatoon made the community a viable option for housing developments as land became more expensive and scarce in Saskatoon."

This leads to the second bedroom community anomaly: more Saskatoon workers are finding employment in Martensville, in effect reversing the bedroom commute and creating viable business opportunities, according to Shewcuk.

from Western Investor, October 2010