Saskatchewan Uni Saskatoon, demography

Saskatchewan's fastest growing communities aren't its largest cities, but the satellite communities around them. In fact half the communities that saw large growth rates were towns surrounding Saskatoon, the latest census tells.

Saskatoon

Five of communities that saw the largest percentage of population growth from 2016-21 were Saskatoon’s bedroom communities. The population centre that grew the most was Pilot Butte, where its population grew by 26% from 2016-21! The Mayor said residents are choosing Pilot Butte because they like the small town feel. And yet they are quite close (c20 ks) to large Regina, so enjoying the amenities close gives the best of both worlds.

Pilot Butte residences, work facilities and family parks

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Urban sprawl is a universal problem but the Faculty of City Planning of Saskatchewan Uni has proposed a scholarly & practical scheme. Prof Avi Akkerman said a bedroom community is one where there would be few people in the day, as they commute for jobs or study. Some growing communities have now developed their own business communities and recreational centres, which means they weren’t empty in the day. Called exurban communities, the communities are autonomous, independent of mother city.

The predictable growth of Saskatchewan’s exurban communities, now 288,000, is expected. Land was relatively cheap, agents enticed people to buy cheaper homes, and banks enticed people to take out the cheaper mortgages. And COVID-19 was probably a minor motive for people choosing to move out of large cities. Prof Akkerman acknowledged that the factors that once drew people to the exurban communities could be changing. Inflation is higher now, so costs are rising. While a longer commute may have not been a concern when petrol prices were relatively low, a volatile energy market could change the price of driving to the big city office.

Town councils have created a plan so that the structure can support the growth. Most Mayors welcomed the town's growth, saying they are prepared for even more people. More programmes and services that the residents want are being built but still with a small-town feel

In Jan 2021 Saskatoon was identified as one of Canada's top 10 fastest-growing urban centres. Despite economic challenges and dealing with the COVID, Saskatoon emerged with a strong future. Its growth of 7.6% from 2016-21 was impressive given the global crisis. The city offers a high quality of life, safety, controlled traffic congestion and many outdoor spaces that are for pleasure. And with plans to accommodate up to a million people, Saskatoon is continuously growing and developing.

As Saskatoon expands, surrounding small towns are also growing. These towns are developing unique identities beyond Saskatoon's influence, themselves attractive destinations actively shaping their own futures. Many families seek a small-town lifestyle near a larger city, so they are enhancing community services to build their own economic and cultural services. Eg Brighton Towns on Delainey (pop 14,500), has different townhouses available, communal green space, a community centre, pet walks and family bike spaces. With modern architecture, large windows and high-end finishings, the houses are an excellent move en route to buying a home.

Does Saskatoon need a $2-billion perimeter highway? As developers design new subdivisions near the city, some urban planners are rethinking the proposed perimeter highway. The bypass, first proposed 20 years ago, would now cut right through the growing city. So before spending enormous money, the planners have to look at the big picture.. which has changed. The province recently released a map showing the path of a proposed Saskatoon Freeway. A working group including staff from the many of the rural municipalities is having consultations with landowners who may be affected by the bypass.

Traffic on old Circle Drive East piled up, 

CBC 

Prof Akkerman said Saskatoon would be more successful shelving the perimeter Saskatoon Freeway and limiting Saskatoon’s geographic spread. Note that decades years ago, Circle Drive was supposed to be a bypass perimeter freeway, and it ended up as a clogged arterial road. Another Saskatoon freeway could promote sprawl, burdening taxpayers with decades of upkeep costs. Officials could use other tactics to ease truck-related congestion on existing roads eg having trucks move outside peak hours. So the city and province must rethink the way they manage freeways, re-allocating the $2 billion.

Saskatchewan's Ministry of Highways published this route 

for the Saskatoon Freeway in 2018, 

CBC Canada 

Landowners are jockeying for position, now that the proposed route for a Saskatoon bypass is clear. Once the freeway arrives, the adjoining real-estate quickly goes up in price because of the precious access road. But Akkerman didn't think that the community at large would benefit.

asks to move beyond viewing the neighbouring communities as mere bedroom communities. Towns like White City and Warman developed their business and recreational facilities, gaining a level of autonomy from larger cities. This growth is driven by affordable housing and a desire for more space.

affordable family homes, Warman.

Brighton Towns on Delainey

Colliers Rentals

Rising costs from higher mortgages and pricier petrol are making life more expensive for commuters. So bringing jobs closer to home is a wise decision. Employed Saskatoon residents wouldn’t drop their jobs because of attempts to bring more industry elsewhere eg Martensville doesn’t have to compete with its big neighbour, Saskatoon. Rather it will find niches that aren’t completely filled eg small workshops near workers’ residences. It won’t stop commuting into Saskatoon, but lowering the number of people driving every day would help the environment and reduce the drivers’ financial loads.

Demography is becoming more critical in understanding & managing the environment and population increases have growing negative impacts. Thus demography becomes an important complement to environmental science. But in a recent poll, 23% of people thought the city's roads was the top issue in the civic election campaign (CBC News).

Conclusion
If costs continue to grow for taxpayers, there are fewer resources to repair and replace the ageing structure in inner Saskatoon. While Prof Akkerman didn't believe the solution was to build only high-rise towers, it was important to use the space that residents already used. And Saskatoon needs to declare an urban growth boundary around it to mark the city’s outer limits.

Professor Avi Akkerman

Education News Canada

Akkerman is now lecturing in Demography, showing social sciences students the processes of growth, decline and distribution of human populations over geographic space. Perhaps people in other big cities around the world should participate in these lectures.

Thanks to CBC News Sep 2016; April 2019; and Mar 2022.

Bishop of Durham in Auckland Castle.

William the Conqueror did not instantly dominate the whole of England in 1066. His trickiest problem was the muscular Earldom of Northum­b­r­ia. After discovering that nobles could not be trusted, William I pl­aced his faith in the Bishop of Durham instead. From 1075, the role be­came a Prince Bishop, giving the holder unmatched secular powers to raise their own army, mint coins and levy taxes.

After the Auckland Project was completed in 2021

the crowds arrived to visit the Castle

Bishop Auckland was a small town in County Durham, so much of Durham City's early history seems to have been influenced by the Bishops of Durham and their estate. First established as a hunting lod­ge, it bec­ame the principal country resid­en­ce for the powerful Prince Bishops of Durham who for cent­ur­ies were virtual rulers of N.E England. In fact the power of the Prince Bishops of Durham was second only to the Eng­lish monarchy. Commissioned to defend that monarchy, the Bishops were placed strategically close to the border between England and Scotland, so they needed a home to match their status.

It was no surprise then that they enjoyed Auckland Castle and its lush surroundings as their countryside estate, when the pressures of London, York and Durham became too much. While their role has changed with the passage of time, the Bishop of Durham still has influence in modern life.

The gateway

England's North East

In the subsequent 750 years, 56 different Prince Bishops presided over County Durham as an independent state, answering on­ly to the king and God. But with great power, came great responsibility. Were the Prince Bishops inspir­ing or deceptive leaders?

St Peter's Chapel

Historic England

St Peter’s Chapel was one of Europe's largest private chapels. Originally a medieval banqueting hall, it replaced the orig­in­al C12th chapel, later lost in the English Civil War. In the 1660s Bishop Cosin transformed the Great Hall into today’s beautiful sacred space. He added the decorative ceiling, carved woodwork screen and pulpits, to inspire people to feel the glory of God and the beauty of holiness.

Discover the Bishop Trevor Gallery, named after Bishop Richard Trevor (1752-71). In 1756 an English ship seized looted cargo from the Spanish, including the old master paintings. The captured works were sold in England and the only one of the 13 port­raits not bought by Durham was that of Benjamin. Bishop Trevor was de­lighted, having bought the series of paintings of Jacob and his Twelve Sons by Francisco de Zurb­ar­án (1641-58). They have hung in the Long Dining Room at the Castle 250+ years.

Chairman of Bishop Auckland's Civic Society, Dr Robert McManners, said the timing of the Bishop's purchase was vital. Zurb­ar­an’s income largely came from commissions from the estab­lished Spanish Cath­ol­ic church. Yet the artist meticulously painted these Jewish symbols at a time when the practice of the Jewish religion was outlawed by Papal Bull and enforced by the Spanish Inqu­is­ition. McManners noted that Zurbaran had sympathy for oppressed Jewish people in his local community, and admired the great risks that Catholic artist took to his reputation and livelihood. See my blog post or read Robert McManners, The Zurbarans at Auckland Castle, available at Bishop Auckland Town Hall

The Zurbarans paintings in the Long Dining Room

The Guardian

Bishop Trevor and other bishops had sponsored the Jewish Naturalis­ation Act of 1753 which gave disenfranchised immig­rant Jews, often escaping persecution in their own countries, the same rights as those born in England. Alas this progressive legis­lation was rep­ealed the next year, and soon the Durham bishop bought the paint­ings! Dr McManners believed Bishop Trevor and Francisco de Zurb­aran were both thumbing their noses at their Establishment Churches.

**
In 2001 money was short and Durham's Church Commissioners decid­ed to cash in their easily sold art assets, for £20m. While those with a sense of nat­ional history and art heritage wanted to keep the coll­ec­t­ion together in the Church. It took 9 years of intense lobby­ing be­fore the commissioners conceded, due to a £15m donation by art collector-investment manager Jonathan Ruffer via a new charity, the Zurbarán Trust. His gallery opened in 2021.

The Castle is one of the best preserved Bishops’ palaces in Europe, sit­­ting at the heart of multi-million conservation Auckland Project which started in 2012 and continued until 2019. The goal was to coord­inate the col­l­ection of galleries, gardens and parkland, all organised around Auc­k­land Castle. After discovering the C18th wall colourings, furn­iture and textiles that decorated this elegant castle, they were res­t­ored to their for­mer lux­ury. The team of restorers and conservators show­ed the scope of the power, wealth, infl­uence and faith held by the residents. The most major conservations occurred when the State Rooms were rest­or­ed to their original Georgian Gothic splen­d­our, as de­signed by ar­ch­itect James Wyatt. Now the Prince Bishops’ private resid­ence at Auck­land Castle is rev­eal­ing 8 centuries of opulence and influence, seen in 1,000 years of forgotten pol­itical, economic and religious history!

The deer house

Apart from the stunning castle/Bishop’s Palace, the town (pop 24,000) has a thriving arts and cultural centre – library, cinema, theatre, arts complex and specialist boutiques.

Mentoring local medicos in Africa

We, the Ladies Who Coffee, debated the best ever tv programme. I chose The Surgery Ship, an Australian series filmed when Mercy Ships visited West Africa in 2016 & 17. Thankyou to the helpful Surgery Ship for their data.

Staff waiting to board a Mercyship

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Each human deserves access to surgical and health care solutions. But in some parts of the world, people go without. Since 1978, Mercy Ships began a mission to provide hope and healing to those in need. Each year hospital ships are filled with volunteers who provide life-changing surgeries to children and adults who’d otherwise go without. The staff confront ethical decisions as they decide who can be helped and who cannot not. This is a complex journey for the volunteer medics as they deal with serious cases, and balance the patients’ fates in their hands.

Globally, 5 billion people lack access to safe surgery. Due to this lack of access to surgical care, up to 18.6 mill people die each year. Every day, children and adults in some of the poorest communities die from causes that can easily be treated in hospitals in many nations. 1 in 8 children die before they have the chance to go to school.

With international volunteers, ship staff can deploy state-of-the-art hospital ships to treat more people. As part of the commitment, the staff also train local health-care workers so this important work can continue. c70% of the world’s population lives near the coast, and the hospital ships provide unique platforms for workers to direct medical care to these villages. A customised 3-year partnership model goes to many African countries requesting support.

Grace, 17, from the Democratic Republic of Congo

before and after tumour was removed

express.co

 

A team of volunteer staff are aboard, going to the poorest nations on earth and facing the most severe issues anywhere. The challenge is enormous but the ship makes a huge difference by supporting the silent poor and by providing life-changing surgeries to those in great need.

The staff provides free corrective surgeries for hernias and goitres that plague unemployed adults, and children who miss school because of no accessible medical care. Doing critical eye surgeries gives patients with renewed sight and quality of life. Huge tumours left to grow unchecked, massive deformities and more; some had a 4 k tumour on the face for years, living a life of ridicule and shame.

anaesthetist prepares pre-operation

New Statesman

Many children live in pain and isolation by not having access to medical care for surgeries eg clef lip, cataracts and plastic reconstructive, and dental health care. Cleft lip surgeries are treated early in life in the West, but for many Africans, it can be years before surgery happens. This results in malnutrition and exclusion from the community. 

A child’s life can be severely impacted with poor eye health, so Mercy Ships provide corrective eye surgery and optical care for kids. Good dental health from an early stage means children are not susceptible to a myriad of other health conditions. Children and their families learn the basics of dental health and are provided with vital surgeries. Good dental hygiene prevents gum disease, cavities and teaches basic oral health education. 80% of the world’s fractures and the majority of club-feet occur in developing nations. Without quality orthopaedic surgeries, those who have these types of defects experience a life of pain and shame.

Infection control is a major issue in hospitals in both wealthy and developing nations. Mercy Ships teaches local medical staff to put safe-surgery protocols into practice but often the local environment makes it very difficult to keep even operating theatres clean and sterile. That’s where Mercy Ships projects like hospital refurbishment emerge, changing facilities that are uncleanable into areas where local staff can clean and sterilise, reducing secondary infections.

When the ship departs a country, the staff want to leave an improved healthcare system for the community. Before, during and after field services, Mercy Ships implements health care training projects that teach the medical knowledge, skills and attitude needed to heal patients long after. Infrastructure projects include renovating or expanding hospitals, helping these facilities become more available and to improve the quality of medical services. Previously, local staff struggled to care for their patients in very poor working conditions.

Dr Glenn Strauss performed the very first surgery aboard the Africa Mercy,

while mentoring local doctors

mercyships.co.za

 
The ship’s Medical Capacity Building Projects strengthen the standards of surgical care inside the local communities of the countries served. The legacy is a lasting impact that extends for years.

A child’s life can be dark because of a simple cataract. For most people in the West, a quick trip to the ophthalmologist resolves this issue, but for those who have no access to quality health care, their world dims. For 40 years, Mercy Ships has been dedicated to providing healing to those in need, via the dedicated ship volunteers.

Now to honour Dr Glenn Strauss who joined Mercy Ships in 1997 as an ophthalmologist with the Caribbean Mercy. He and his wife Kim continued to volunteer their skills for short-term missions, helping many to get care for the first time. Eventually the couple closed their practice at home and committed themselves to work fulltime on Mercy Ships from 2005. The couple developed Mercy Vision, a training programme for surgeons and paramedics from sub-Saharan Africa. Later he built a training programme in ophthalmology for regular surgeons.

Mercy Ships continues to provide essential surgery for the world’s most vulnerable people. And they also work to strengthen and support African health care systems via education, training, mentoring, equipment and supplies. Over 30 years, the staff trained 43,300+ local doctors and nurses who then trained others. The long-term impact of this medical training provides quality health care in the countries, long after the ship sails.

What is your favourite tv programme?

First Romanian king; stunning Peles Castle

Romania united in 1859 and became a nation in 1877. First Prus­sian Prince Carol (1839-1914) of Hohenzollern became King Carol I of Romania from 1881. In 1873 when Carol visited the location where the beautiful castle now stands, he loved the stunning Carpathian Mountains scenery. So he quickly bought land in a small vil­lage Sinaia. Why there? Sinaia Monast­ery had been founded by Pr­ince Mich­ael in 1695, used as the roy­al res­id­ence until Peles was built.

                          

Peleş Castle in Sinaia

Under Charles’ control, 300 people laboured endlessly on Peles for two years. In 1875, the impressive castle was fin­ish­ed, spread­ing across 3,200 square ms. Sev­er­al teams of European architects and de­signers had to work throughout the years, including archit­ects Joh­an­nes Schultz (1873-83) and Karel Liman (1896-1924). The summer cas­tle was de­sign­ed in a Neo Ren­ais­­sance style combining features of cl­as­sic European styles - decorated by JD Heymann (Hamburg), August Bembe (Mainz) and Bernhard Ludwig (Vienna).

Carol planned the royal res­idence and hunting pre­serve for summer each year, the name coming from the Peles Creek that passed through the court­yard. Peles sat on a his­t­or­ic medieval road that connected Tran­syl­vania and Wallachia. A rail­way line was soon built to Buch­arest (122 km) and many aristo­cr­atic families moved their summer homes nearby.

He was the first King of Romania, from 1881 until his death. One of the most imp­ortant polit­ical figures in Romania’s his­tory for his successes, Carol refin­ed his passion for archit­ect­­ure. The Sov­ereigns’ Gate opened into the cast­le, and a mon­u­men­t­al marble stair­case went to the Hall of Hon­our, the official recep­tion space with walnut panelling and stat­ues. The ties bet­ween the Rom­anian and other royal families att­racted big names to the cast­le eg Austro–Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph, in 1886. Carols’ wife, Queen Elizab­eth, was a patron of the arts and de­signed rooms sp­ec­ific­ally for artists, mus­icians and writers’ enter­t­ain­ment.

                            

Peles Castle Piano Room

  
The dec­or­ations in each of the 160 rooms were given themes, with the finest examples of Eu­r­opean art, Murano crystal chandeliers, German stained-glass and Cor­doba leather-cov­er­ed walls. Many of the rooms were decorated to resemble the various world cultures eg the 1906 Mus­ic Room’s carved teak Indian furniture was gifted by a Maharajah. It contained a 1621 harpsichord from Antwerp, upright piano and organ

Given his military background, King Carol had a solid knowledge of weapons. The Great Armory Room hosts fine col­lect­ions of 4,000+ arms and ar­mour. Mainly C14th-17th from Western and East­ern Eur­ope and Asia, they were collected in 1903. Note the German armour of the C16th or 17th, and a full armour for the horse and knight.

                               

Welcome inside the front door

Due to its remarkable archit­ecture and exhibits, The Royal Library-Great Salon was special. It impress­ed with ceiling carved from linden wood, gilt, large chandeliers and Italian neo-renaissance decor­ations. See rare books with leath­er covers and gold emboss­ing and look for a secret door behind a bookshelf for the king to hide.

Peles’ architects drew in­sp­iration from classical styles like German and Italian Renais­s­ance, and Fr­ench Baroque eg the German stained glass and painted mur­als on the castle exter­ior. The interior, espec­ially the main hall, is beau­t­if­ully decorated with sculpt­ed wood & stained glass windows, sym­bols of elegance and royalty.

Great Moorish Salon

Wiki

Carrara marble was everywhere eg terraces decorated with royal st­at­ues, so the cas­tle could be an imp­res­sive residence fit for its pol­itical and cult­ural functions. Moor Hall was by painter and sculptor Charles Lecompte du Nouy, having Spanish-Moorish elements with a marble fount­ain.

The castle's 60-seat Theatre Hall and royal box were decorated in Louis XIV style, while the ceiling paintings and decorative fre­sc­oes were designed by famous Austrian art­ists Gustav Klimt and Fran­tz Mat­sch. And handmade silk embroideries adorned the ceil­ing and walls of the Turk­ish Salon. The horology exhibition had 50 different clocks from the private royal collection: grand­fathers, pendulum table clocks, fireplace clocks, al­arm clocks, poc­ket wat­ch­es etc. And pieces that belong­ed to Queen Marie, Carol II and King Mich­ael, mostly dating to the C19th. These collections of dispar­ate int­er­ior decorat­ion styles probably reflected King Carol’s eclectic tas­te.

                       

Theatre Hall, Peles Castle

From the start Peles was one of the most tech­nologically adv­an­ced palaces and expensive in Europe. It was the first European cas­tle fully supplied by locally produced el­ectrical po­wer, had its own 1884 power plant, cen­t­ral heating system in 1897, central vacuum sys­t­em, elev­at­or for the royals, hot and cold running water.

Besid­es Peles Castle, other buildings were erected, such as the royal stables and Foisor Hunting Lodge. And King Carol I’s successor, King Ferdinand built a smaller castle, Pelisor, on Peles grounds. Pel­isor was de­s­ign­ed in the art nouveau-style by the Czech architect Karel Liman from 1893-1914.

Peles remained a royal residence until 1947 when, after the forced ab­dication of King Michael I, Peles and the other royal propert­ies were taken by the Communist govern­ment. In 1948 the whole estate was closed, and art works went to Bucharest’s Art Mus­eum. The comm­unist government opened the castle as a tourist attract­ion, decl­ar­ed it the National Peles Museum in 1953 and kept it open until 1975.

Pres Nicolae Ceaușescu closed the entire estate in 1975-90, making it a State Protocol Area, limited to 1] mil­itary per­sonnel and 2] visiting heads of state. Fortun­ately the museum curators fri­ght­en­ed the President, saving Peles from military damage and from the Ceaus­escus. After the 1989 Romanian Revol­ut­ion, the cas­­tle became a heritage site and re-opened as a mus­eum with c400,000 visitors an­nually. Peles Museum has guides for those wanting historic tours.

Passionate about art, King Carol had collections covering c60,000 art objects. Additionally the ceramics collection held tiles and porcel­ain taken from the greatest C19th centres, was established by Queen Marie from 1914-27, and later pieces were purchased by the Museum. The wealth of artwork includes thousands of paintings and scul­ptures.

                              

Peles Castle gardens and statues

All photo credits: effitimonholiday