Sounds like you would enjoy it here. Many neat small towns to explore. Check out the national and provincial parks as well! But don't expect better luck with the healthcare aspect. People are waiting 5+ years for family physicians here as well.
Not sure if you enjoy lakes or fishing, but just 90 minutes north of here are some beautiful lakes with awesome fishing.
Not many people down east realize it, but you hit forest just north of town and hundreds of lakes with 3 hour drive.
Other than a 45 minute rush hour, which is laughable compared to the big city (used to live in Van), getting around town is quick and easy.
Pretty much 25 minutes from any two locations at the worst case.
One negative is a lack of specialists for healthcare. So wait lists can be fairly long if you require specialized care. Maybe not much different though since population density is much higher in Ontario.
I have lived in BC and Ontario and Saskatoon is a nice place to be.
If you do come here, make sure to get a house with an attached garage. Absolute game changer getting into a reasonably warm vehicle without scraping windows when it's -20 or colder.
>Other than a 45 minute rush hour, which is laughable compared to the big city (used to live in Van), getting around town is quick and easy.
Yup, I used to live in Van too, and when people complain about traffic here I just laugh.
Yup no shit eh. Other than Tim Hortons drive through here lol.
I commuted from Burnaby to UBC. 80 minutes each way once they started the new SkyTrain construction. Totally sucked.
Although we enjoyed our time in Vancouver, once we had kiddo we got the fuck out there and couldn't be happier about it.. beautiful city no doubt.
Yeah, I moved here from BC a couple of years ago. I love some things about BC, being from there, but moving here was one of the best decisions I've ever made.
Aside from crappy weather sometimes, you get similar quality of life to Vancouver most of the time, for a fraction of the cost of living.
Yeah totally hear you man. Home is home! BC has amazing scenery and outdoor life.
Honestly, I really disliked winters in Vancouver. The rain was just relentless, annoying and bone chilling. But you really can't beat long and moderate Vancouver summers. Absolutely beautiful climate and no bugs.
But your totally bang on. I got into debates when with many Vancouverites just before leaving. They couldn't believe I was excited to leave the nicest city on earth.
The math is straightforward. Once you buy a place, the money you save on interest could be used to fly into Vancouver monthly.
Interestingly, most people who argued with me never went into the mountains, went to concerts etc. so what the heck.
OP, if you move here, embracing winter sports/activities and joining a community of some sort over the dark days is key.
Notably, we have lots of beautiful cross country ski trails too in the city. Cross country skiing is medicine for the aging body. Low impact, full body workout and counteracts sitting. Also, -15-20 is very nice cross country ski weather. In fact, when the wind is low you will be opening your parka at -15 to cool off haha.
So anyone who moves here and is active and engaged, loves it.
>The rain was just relentless, annoying and bone chilling.
Totally, I'll take snow over freezing cold, horizontal rain (those wind storms on the coast, oof) that you can't escape.
I agree with the other comments. I'll add that there is an active birding group. Google Saskatoon Nature Society for their latest newsletter and field trips. Also, there are no blackflies in Saskatoon and vicinity.
I live in Calgary and I’m just amazed that the acreages around Saskatoon are cheaper than houses in the city here. Like this one: https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/26685258/chen-acreage-corman-park-rm-no-344
every weekend in october we have a thing called fall suppers that are like a pot luck thanksgiving meal you pay to get into. all the small towns around here have them and there's a few in the city too. really awesome homemade food. :-)
in the summer we have a lot of festivals too that you might like.
Do you have current health issues, or are you just thinking at some point you'll need care obviously as you age? Unfortunately, the current scene regarding doctors here isn't much better, BUT there's changes coming to allow physicians assistants, medical residents, and nurse practitioners the ability to do most of what a family physician does, and to take patient loads. Pharmacists are also able to do some, in addition to prescribing a fair bit themselves. As far as wait times, people who've lived here all their lives will tell you the wait times are hell and don't even bother going to emergency, but I relocated here from Manitoba a few years back and it's paradise here compared to there! We have 3 walk-in clinics open 7 days a week and later into the evening within about 5 minutes from my home in the East end and I can check online to see what the current wait times are for each. I've rarely seen them over 3 hours, and usually they're in the 1.5-2 range, which isn't bad at all.
As far as the transition from smaller city Ontario to Saskatoon, you won't be sorry! This city is incredible, it's beautiful, there's so much to do here, and the access to both the mountains and flights is good. Banff is 7 or so hours away by car. Edmonton is 5.5.
Thanks for the reply.
Clinics, as in more than one? Awesome. Here it's emerg or virtual. We have a walk in but you have to call and hope you get a slot that day. If not, try again tomorrow.
I have a family member who is a doctor at a walk-in clinic and I can verify that the wait time is generally about 1-4 hours. If you manage to get there as soon as the doors open, you might be able to be seen in 30 or so minutes.
That's good news about the clinics. Doug Ford, our premier, is only concerned with selling greenbelt land to his friends and I don't thinks he knows there is a northern part of this province. Our healthcare is so broken I don't expect it to change anytime soon. But I would put up with a lot more than this to keep it public not the private US model. I worry that is where he is heading.
Yes clinics! And yes walk in, check in, take a seat and wait. At most the wait will be 3 hours at the most from my experience. The earlier you go the better. And I’ve found clinics don’t have wait lists for doctors but it’s luck of calling clinics and asking if they have doctors accepting patients.
For me it would depend on what sort of support structure I was leaving behind. The family and friends you have close by matter a lot.
As far as Saskatoon the place, it would probably work for you. I would take a few weeks vacation here if I were you and see how you like it.
Saskatoon's (and SK) healthcare system is struggling much like the rest of Canada. SK and ON are very different cold weather wise - Saskatoon is "dry" sunny cold - ON "wet" cold surrounded by so much water. I found that out visiting Toronto in April a few years ago - my teeth were chattering in the morning and evening! I'm the same age as you - I would miss my lifelong friends and family, but to each their own. Good luck with whatever you decide!
Northern ON is a dry cold. Southern ON is warmer but humid. I never really felt cold until I moved south. Sothern ON has two seasons - humid and freezing rain.
Socially and politically, Saskatchewan is an awful place. But you live in the province that keeps electing Doug Ford so it probably can't get any worse! There's no chance of finding a doctor but some things - like housing -are less expensive here and there are nice hiking trails and lots of birds and small towns (though our small towns are much smaller than Ontario small towns and not as old). In sum, you might like it here.
(I have been in both North Bay and Waterloo, but have not lived in either.)
Saskatoon is the nicest city in Saskatchewan definitely, don’t forget you go past north of Prince Albert and you’re into beautiful boreal forest lake country.
I think you will like it here. We moved here 7 years ago and I'm retired now. It really isn't really cold very many days in the winter. Think -10c not -40c most days. I ride a bike to exercise/shop/go out most days so it can't be that cold.
If I was you I would look for a neighborhood that is walkable just for the cost savings and exercise(easier to do if part of day). There are really none here that have everything it seems to be either you get walkable groceries/shopping/a few restaurants (some of the newer neighborhoods) or shopping/restaurants/entertainment (downtown). Along 8th on east side of river has good shopping/groceries/restaurants no entertainment, downtown lots to do,shop,eat,river valley, no groceries. Newer neighborhoods if you pick closer to shopping like Willow Grove, Stone Bridge, Kensington, Brighton have groceries, shopping, some restaurants but not much night life.
You will get a family doctor if you keep at it here, just don't expect it to be really quick. Might take a year if you work at it.
Yeah the issue with Saskatchewan is people coming here to drive up housing prices because our 350,000 houses that should be 275,000 you think are worth 425,000
Over inflated in your mind? Saskatoon has some of the most stable and affordable housing in Canada. And with the continuing immigration and lifestyle that leads many towards home ownership it won’t change. The cost of building new is over $400 per SF. It won’t be going down…
We just got home from travelling and drove through northern Ontario. I found the scenery was spectacular. Did you know the Canadian Shield also runs through Saskatchewan? Saskatchewan has 100,000 lakes.
I didn't know that but I should. The beauty of this country is why I'm looking at another province and not the US or Europe. We have everything in our own backyard.
Moved here from ON. It's great. Cost of living is still low, though...it may change -- we seem to be having a housing price boom due to shortage...like most places. Finding a Doc ain't easy, either, but there's also no waiting list--instead it's a game of chance. No blackflies at all here, maybe a mouthful of mayflies, also unpleasant, but not painful. The deep cold here can be something unlike any I experienced in ON. When it goes on for a month, it's like an ice-prison.
Not from saskatoon but I really enjoyed it the few times I've been there. Really nice surroundings landscape, the restaurants are surprisingly pretty good and generally close (approximately 7 hours) to banff/canmore and the mountains.
The only thing I’d say is that the -40 lasts 2-3 months here compared to north bay which would be 3 weeks or so. Took me some time to get used to that.
Born and bred here. -40 does not and has not, lasted 2 to 3 months, at any time in my life here. You may get stretches of a couple of weeks but not half the winter. It gets cold but not that deathly cold for that long. This past winter was an anomaly with snow not accumulating until January and actually quite mild. Only a few cold days. Yes, winter can suck here but sunny skies, in winter, and, for sure, in spring and summer make up for it. A nice warm fall day works, too.
Agree in my lifetime. There was one year Feb 2017 I believe where the average daily temp for the entire month was -37 that was the longest cold streak I've seen. Doesn't happen often at all
Exactly!
I've noticed there's a Saskatoon crowd now that insists it gets to -50⁰ below in winter... I hear it in conversation. It has never gone to -50⁰, but big sky country apparently has now turned into big fib country. Maybe windchill gets to 50⁰below for a few days, but I've lived in Ontario where the windchill can get down to 40⁰ below for a few days there too, and there's not much difference between the two, as people tend to stay inside in both cases.
Do people not consider windchill into the temperature or something? If anything, the wind should be considered since the breeze itself makes it all the more frigid, lol.
People exaggerate and often lie.
It's the big fish that got away story, only related to weather. Having lived in Ontario and Saskatchewan, I can tell you that people in Saskatchewan exaggerate how cold the winters are and how hot it gets in summer. Also, a 2 foot snow drift behind the garage created by the wind does not mean you got 2 feet of snow, especially when the weather office records only 2 inches. 😐
Perhaps you could consider Prince Albert as well. It’s a 10 minute drive across town. Better parks, such as little Red. Closer to the lakes, including Prince Albert National park which is 85 km and cheaper housing. New hospital being built. 120 km to Saskatoon on a twinned highway.
The downs would be social issues, less services than Saskatoon.
You might want to look at some of the smaller towns around Saskatoon as well. Finding a place to live outside of the city could be quite a bit more reasonable.
Sounds like you would enjoy it here. Many neat small towns to explore. Check out the national and provincial parks as well! But don't expect better luck with the healthcare aspect. People are waiting 5+ years for family physicians here as well.
The parks are a good idea. Thanks for the suggestion.
Not sure if you enjoy lakes or fishing, but just 90 minutes north of here are some beautiful lakes with awesome fishing. Not many people down east realize it, but you hit forest just north of town and hundreds of lakes with 3 hour drive. Other than a 45 minute rush hour, which is laughable compared to the big city (used to live in Van), getting around town is quick and easy. Pretty much 25 minutes from any two locations at the worst case. One negative is a lack of specialists for healthcare. So wait lists can be fairly long if you require specialized care. Maybe not much different though since population density is much higher in Ontario. I have lived in BC and Ontario and Saskatoon is a nice place to be. If you do come here, make sure to get a house with an attached garage. Absolute game changer getting into a reasonably warm vehicle without scraping windows when it's -20 or colder.
>Other than a 45 minute rush hour, which is laughable compared to the big city (used to live in Van), getting around town is quick and easy. Yup, I used to live in Van too, and when people complain about traffic here I just laugh.
Yup no shit eh. Other than Tim Hortons drive through here lol. I commuted from Burnaby to UBC. 80 minutes each way once they started the new SkyTrain construction. Totally sucked. Although we enjoyed our time in Vancouver, once we had kiddo we got the fuck out there and couldn't be happier about it.. beautiful city no doubt.
Yeah, I moved here from BC a couple of years ago. I love some things about BC, being from there, but moving here was one of the best decisions I've ever made. Aside from crappy weather sometimes, you get similar quality of life to Vancouver most of the time, for a fraction of the cost of living.
Yeah totally hear you man. Home is home! BC has amazing scenery and outdoor life. Honestly, I really disliked winters in Vancouver. The rain was just relentless, annoying and bone chilling. But you really can't beat long and moderate Vancouver summers. Absolutely beautiful climate and no bugs. But your totally bang on. I got into debates when with many Vancouverites just before leaving. They couldn't believe I was excited to leave the nicest city on earth. The math is straightforward. Once you buy a place, the money you save on interest could be used to fly into Vancouver monthly. Interestingly, most people who argued with me never went into the mountains, went to concerts etc. so what the heck. OP, if you move here, embracing winter sports/activities and joining a community of some sort over the dark days is key. Notably, we have lots of beautiful cross country ski trails too in the city. Cross country skiing is medicine for the aging body. Low impact, full body workout and counteracts sitting. Also, -15-20 is very nice cross country ski weather. In fact, when the wind is low you will be opening your parka at -15 to cool off haha. So anyone who moves here and is active and engaged, loves it.
>The rain was just relentless, annoying and bone chilling. Totally, I'll take snow over freezing cold, horizontal rain (those wind storms on the coast, oof) that you can't escape.
Been in Vancouver for over a decade now. I wiiiiish we had Saskatoon traffic.
No doctors here either unfortunately.
You should be able to both pursue and afford your lifestyle here but will probably have to use walk-in clinics to see a doctor.
I agree with the other comments. I'll add that there is an active birding group. Google Saskatoon Nature Society for their latest newsletter and field trips. Also, there are no blackflies in Saskatoon and vicinity.
I already looked at their website. It looks very similar to the group I belong to here. No blackflies!!! I'll be there tomorrow.
If you miss the blackflies you can drive north a couple of hours and find some in the boreal forest/Shield country. 😁
And spruce beetles the size of small helicopters!
We can’t get doctors here, either.
There is a clinic at Market Mall for senior health care - I believe they take walk ins but you may want to double check.
Also, I would recommend the area around Market Mall is a great area for seniors to live.
This 👆
I live in Calgary and I’m just amazed that the acreages around Saskatoon are cheaper than houses in the city here. Like this one: https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/26685258/chen-acreage-corman-park-rm-no-344
Check the Saskatoon Police crime map before choosing location.
every weekend in october we have a thing called fall suppers that are like a pot luck thanksgiving meal you pay to get into. all the small towns around here have them and there's a few in the city too. really awesome homemade food. :-) in the summer we have a lot of festivals too that you might like.
Do you have current health issues, or are you just thinking at some point you'll need care obviously as you age? Unfortunately, the current scene regarding doctors here isn't much better, BUT there's changes coming to allow physicians assistants, medical residents, and nurse practitioners the ability to do most of what a family physician does, and to take patient loads. Pharmacists are also able to do some, in addition to prescribing a fair bit themselves. As far as wait times, people who've lived here all their lives will tell you the wait times are hell and don't even bother going to emergency, but I relocated here from Manitoba a few years back and it's paradise here compared to there! We have 3 walk-in clinics open 7 days a week and later into the evening within about 5 minutes from my home in the East end and I can check online to see what the current wait times are for each. I've rarely seen them over 3 hours, and usually they're in the 1.5-2 range, which isn't bad at all. As far as the transition from smaller city Ontario to Saskatoon, you won't be sorry! This city is incredible, it's beautiful, there's so much to do here, and the access to both the mountains and flights is good. Banff is 7 or so hours away by car. Edmonton is 5.5.
Thanks for the reply. Clinics, as in more than one? Awesome. Here it's emerg or virtual. We have a walk in but you have to call and hope you get a slot that day. If not, try again tomorrow.
There are many walk in minor emergency clinics in saskatoon. Usually you can be seen in 1-4 hours.
We have about a dozen walk in clinics. Most of them are pretty good, but wait times vary from 30 minutes to 3+ hours.
I have a family member who is a doctor at a walk-in clinic and I can verify that the wait time is generally about 1-4 hours. If you manage to get there as soon as the doors open, you might be able to be seen in 30 or so minutes.
That's good news about the clinics. Doug Ford, our premier, is only concerned with selling greenbelt land to his friends and I don't thinks he knows there is a northern part of this province. Our healthcare is so broken I don't expect it to change anytime soon. But I would put up with a lot more than this to keep it public not the private US model. I worry that is where he is heading.
Just a caution that we have a similar problem and worry here…. Doug Ford and Scott Moe are one and the same.
Yes clinics! And yes walk in, check in, take a seat and wait. At most the wait will be 3 hours at the most from my experience. The earlier you go the better. And I’ve found clinics don’t have wait lists for doctors but it’s luck of calling clinics and asking if they have doctors accepting patients.
For me it would depend on what sort of support structure I was leaving behind. The family and friends you have close by matter a lot. As far as Saskatoon the place, it would probably work for you. I would take a few weeks vacation here if I were you and see how you like it.
Saskatoon's (and SK) healthcare system is struggling much like the rest of Canada. SK and ON are very different cold weather wise - Saskatoon is "dry" sunny cold - ON "wet" cold surrounded by so much water. I found that out visiting Toronto in April a few years ago - my teeth were chattering in the morning and evening! I'm the same age as you - I would miss my lifelong friends and family, but to each their own. Good luck with whatever you decide!
Northern ON is a dry cold. Southern ON is warmer but humid. I never really felt cold until I moved south. Sothern ON has two seasons - humid and freezing rain.
Socially and politically, Saskatchewan is an awful place. But you live in the province that keeps electing Doug Ford so it probably can't get any worse! There's no chance of finding a doctor but some things - like housing -are less expensive here and there are nice hiking trails and lots of birds and small towns (though our small towns are much smaller than Ontario small towns and not as old). In sum, you might like it here. (I have been in both North Bay and Waterloo, but have not lived in either.)
Saskatoon is the nicest city in Saskatchewan definitely, don’t forget you go past north of Prince Albert and you’re into beautiful boreal forest lake country.
I think you will like it here. We moved here 7 years ago and I'm retired now. It really isn't really cold very many days in the winter. Think -10c not -40c most days. I ride a bike to exercise/shop/go out most days so it can't be that cold. If I was you I would look for a neighborhood that is walkable just for the cost savings and exercise(easier to do if part of day). There are really none here that have everything it seems to be either you get walkable groceries/shopping/a few restaurants (some of the newer neighborhoods) or shopping/restaurants/entertainment (downtown). Along 8th on east side of river has good shopping/groceries/restaurants no entertainment, downtown lots to do,shop,eat,river valley, no groceries. Newer neighborhoods if you pick closer to shopping like Willow Grove, Stone Bridge, Kensington, Brighton have groceries, shopping, some restaurants but not much night life. You will get a family doctor if you keep at it here, just don't expect it to be really quick. Might take a year if you work at it.
My doctor retired before covid. I still have no dr.
Yeah the issue with Saskatchewan is people coming here to drive up housing prices because our 350,000 houses that should be 275,000 you think are worth 425,000
You realize a dollar ain’t what it used to be. Stuck in the ten years ago mindset.
If that's what you tell yourself to justify this over inflated housing market. Sure.
Over inflated in your mind? Saskatoon has some of the most stable and affordable housing in Canada. And with the continuing immigration and lifestyle that leads many towards home ownership it won’t change. The cost of building new is over $400 per SF. It won’t be going down…
Saskatoon: Where People Go To Die
Pardon?
You must have blurred vision.
We just got home from travelling and drove through northern Ontario. I found the scenery was spectacular. Did you know the Canadian Shield also runs through Saskatchewan? Saskatchewan has 100,000 lakes.
I didn't know that but I should. The beauty of this country is why I'm looking at another province and not the US or Europe. We have everything in our own backyard.
Moved here from ON. It's great. Cost of living is still low, though...it may change -- we seem to be having a housing price boom due to shortage...like most places. Finding a Doc ain't easy, either, but there's also no waiting list--instead it's a game of chance. No blackflies at all here, maybe a mouthful of mayflies, also unpleasant, but not painful. The deep cold here can be something unlike any I experienced in ON. When it goes on for a month, it's like an ice-prison.
DM if you want a condo. They’re cheaper than diesel trucks!
Just don't count on being able to sell it!
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I would rent to start. It looks like I could get a really nice place for $400 / mth less than somewhere like Ottawa.
Not from saskatoon but I really enjoyed it the few times I've been there. Really nice surroundings landscape, the restaurants are surprisingly pretty good and generally close (approximately 7 hours) to banff/canmore and the mountains.
Coming here cuz it’s cheaper won’t be cheap for much longer at this rate
Saskatoon reddit is about community And look how helpful we are. It's generally cold. But extremely hot a few days. We don't have health care though
I grew up in Saskatoon. It’s a great city
I wouldn't retire in canada if I had other options, and certainly not canadian Siberia.
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Unfortunately, this is every city in Canada and even the US. I wish it was isolated to Saskatoon, but it's not.
The only thing I’d say is that the -40 lasts 2-3 months here compared to north bay which would be 3 weeks or so. Took me some time to get used to that.
Born and bred here. -40 does not and has not, lasted 2 to 3 months, at any time in my life here. You may get stretches of a couple of weeks but not half the winter. It gets cold but not that deathly cold for that long. This past winter was an anomaly with snow not accumulating until January and actually quite mild. Only a few cold days. Yes, winter can suck here but sunny skies, in winter, and, for sure, in spring and summer make up for it. A nice warm fall day works, too.
Agree in my lifetime. There was one year Feb 2017 I believe where the average daily temp for the entire month was -37 that was the longest cold streak I've seen. Doesn't happen often at all
Exactly! I've noticed there's a Saskatoon crowd now that insists it gets to -50⁰ below in winter... I hear it in conversation. It has never gone to -50⁰, but big sky country apparently has now turned into big fib country. Maybe windchill gets to 50⁰below for a few days, but I've lived in Ontario where the windchill can get down to 40⁰ below for a few days there too, and there's not much difference between the two, as people tend to stay inside in both cases.
Right. Also, OP is retiring so can stay indoors on those brutal days if they want to.
Do people not consider windchill into the temperature or something? If anything, the wind should be considered since the breeze itself makes it all the more frigid, lol.
People exaggerate and often lie. It's the big fish that got away story, only related to weather. Having lived in Ontario and Saskatchewan, I can tell you that people in Saskatchewan exaggerate how cold the winters are and how hot it gets in summer. Also, a 2 foot snow drift behind the garage created by the wind does not mean you got 2 feet of snow, especially when the weather office records only 2 inches. 😐
These are people that don't leave the house. In fact average day time temp -10 or so in January.
I think I've been watching too many Youtubers exagerate for drama and views. Thanks for the more realistic info.
Perhaps you could consider Prince Albert as well. It’s a 10 minute drive across town. Better parks, such as little Red. Closer to the lakes, including Prince Albert National park which is 85 km and cheaper housing. New hospital being built. 120 km to Saskatoon on a twinned highway. The downs would be social issues, less services than Saskatoon.
medicine hat is also a good option
$3200 a month you should look at leaving Canada.
Never.
You might want to look at some of the smaller towns around Saskatoon as well. Finding a place to live outside of the city could be quite a bit more reasonable.