When it comes down to decision time as to where one might want to go to enjoy your retirement years, it seems the Energy City itself is among the best.
According to information contained in a recent Business Advice Source fact-finding and survey service, Estevan is ranked eighth out of nine top communities when it comes to choosing a place in which you might want to retire.
Estevan was the only Saskatchewan centre included in the report and won a spot in the final nine thanks to our relatively mild winters, at least compared with other prairie centres, and our close proximity and easy access to the United States, for those who care to travel and do a little international exchange visits on a convenient schedule.
Another major consideration, said the report, was the fact that Estevan is home to a thriving art and recreation community. Our cultural offerings are many and varied as are our recreational pursuits. The active theatre group, visual and performing arts and musical scene is tabbed as one of the best not only in Saskatchewan, but across the country.
The fact that Estevan receives, on average, more hours of sunshine than practically any other city in Canada, weighs heavily in our favour when it comes to seniors living in relative comfort with strong logistical support.
Moncton, N.B., led the list of preferred retirement communities based on it’s recreational and spectator sports such as hockey and community connections. Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., was second, for obvious reasons, such as being near water, by Niagara Falls and having a very active artistic base both visual and performing.
Third on the list was Kingston, Ont., thanks to the attraction to water and its historical significance and strong infrastructure.
Stratford, Ont., was fifth with the major attraction, again, being water, since it is located on the Avon River and, of course, the very active theatrical community that brings top ranked performers into their midst every spring and summer.
Comox in B.C.. was next with its outdoor attractions and mild winters and it was followed by Rimouski, Quebec, which boasts of having a strong health-related infrastructure with the best ratio of doctors to patients in Canada.
Finishing just ahead of Estevan, was Ottawa and just behind us was Salmon Arm, B.C.
So, perhaps the next time critics grumble about Estevan not having much to offer, one can pose the argument that sometimes they know how well off they are until they take a good look around and start tabulating advantages.
Perhaps there is no need to go somewhere else to retire, when there are several distinct advantages already on the home front.
