Village of Montmartre refuses to die

Montmartre’s ambitious goal of growing its population by 10 residents each year has been reached in 2004, proving that rural Saskatchewan is still viable.

Over 20 residents have moved into the rural community in the past year - some moving for teaching jobs, some buying farms and others discovering the quaint, safe town on the Internet.

“We’re thrilled with the fact that new people, some from as far as Ontario and B.C., have chosen to live in our great town,” said Montmartre’s Economic Development Committee (EDC). “When we came up with our 10-10 plan last year, we knew it was extremely ambitious, and maybe even a little unrealistic, but the fact that we’ve far exceeded our goal means others are recognizing how great our town, and rural Saskatchewan in general, is too.”

The 10-10 plan envisions 10 new residents moving to the town and surrounding area in each of the following 10 years, for a total population increase of 100 people. The population of Montmartre and area currently sits at nearly 1,000 people, meaning the long-term growth plan is for a 10-per-cent increase in residents.

“Even our Village Council thought our plan was a bit too ambitious, but we figured that if we didn’t set a goal, we wouldn’t have anything to shoot for,” said the EDC. “At a time when rural depopulation is all the talk and small communities are dying, we are extremely fortunate and proud to say that we are going strong and we are extremely serious about reversing the current trend.”

A number of new factors have combined to make the town an attractive place to live, including the paving of the streets, the building of a new Village Office, the establishment of Centre 48 Arts and Education Centre and the hosting of Saturday Farmers Markets. Montmartre’s website (www.montmartre-sk.com) is also attracting urban dwellers - some from larger centres like Burnaby and Victoria who are interested in the affordability and safety of rural living.

The EDC has two new projects in the works which it hopes will serve to attract even greater numbers of residents to Montmartre and ensure the long-term sustainability of the community.

The ‘Circle 50’ tourism project is working to bring tourists into the area to discover many of the region’s treasures - from attractive farms to First Nations camps and historic churches to natural landscapes.

Plans are also in place to establish a business incubator in the town which will provide commercial and workshop space for artisans and crafters. It is hoped that the two projects will compliment one another, as tourists will not only be able to take area tours, but they will be able to visit the artisan incubator and purchase Prairie-made handicrafts and gifts as well.

“These next two projects are huge ones and will require a tremendous amount of planning and effort,” said the EDC. “But, we have many provincial partners who are will to work with us and we’ve proven in the past few years that we have the resources and people to make great things happen in our town.”

The Mainline Regional Economic Development Authority, South East Tourism Association and Industry and Resources are currently actively working with the community on the tourism and artisan incubator projects.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled at how things are unfolding - that’s not to say it hasn’t been a struggle and extremely difficult at times,” said the EDC. “But we truly believe rural Saskatchewan deserves a chance to grow and the latest figures show we’re making headway.”

For more information contact:
Christalee Froese
Chairperson, Montmartre EDC
(306) 424-2728
lcfroese@sasktel.net

Cal Abrahamson
Mayor of Montmartre
(306) 424-2085