Maureen Reed: March 2008 Archives

Recent news stories describe a building boom going on in small-town Saskatchewan and soaring world grain prices helping some farmers experience the best prices for wheat in their careers. This is a welcome relief from last year when the big rural news story was the closure of twenty-four schools. Not every small town is experiencing the population boom that comes from being within a reasonable commuting distance to a large centre. A different approach is required to revitalize these communities. Eco-tourism has been one approach taken. The town of Hafford, located one hour northeast of Saskatoon off the Yellowhead highway (Hwy 16), used its community spirit or social capital to build its eco-tourism industry. The experience at Hafford serves as a lesson in the importance of social and economic capital.