Teamwork changes small towns’ fortunes

Entrepreneurial spirit booming in rural Saskatchewan

While Saskatchewan cities grow and many rural communities fade, some small towns are refusing to go gently into that good night.

"Our school was dropping. Our last census was 292. We were losing our rail line, our elevator, our SaskPower," says Wayne Myren, the mayor of Ogema, a small town 80 miles south of Regina. But the dark hours for that small town have passed.

In 1989, residents dug in their pockets to save their dying community. In 2001, the town got together to form a strategic plan. Today, the town boasts an economic growth that is almost unrivalled in the province.

In the last five years, Ogema has created 90 new jobs, increased its population to about 330 and has created a diversified, stable economy. Recently, the town received an award from Communities in Bloom for the best sustainable development throughout all of Canada.
Photo courtesy of Ogema Economic Development Committee
Wayne Myren, chair of the Ogema Economic Development Committee, and secretary-treasurer Carol Peterson have overseen the town’s steady growth.

How did they do it?

Teamwork, says Myren. "We’re blessed to have 20 or 30 individuals here that will not say no. They will all take a leadership role or champion a project. And, to me, that’s the No.-1 key."

By Nicole Strandlund – Business Edge

Full Story: http://www.businessedge.ca/article.cfm/newsID/12511.cfm