I was talking to an out of province relative on the phone who asked me how big Saskatoon is in 2018.  I said in square miles…I mean kilometres?  He said no, population.  I said I was hoping he wouldn’t ask that because that’s a number that changes depending on who you ask.    Saskatoon is a CMA, Census Metropolitan Area, and has been so since the mid 1980’s.  If you ask me how many people are in Saskatoon I will give you the biggest number possible because, well, you know, bigger is better.  The CMA includes communities within a relatively short drive of the city limits including Martensville and Warman, both of which have city status so they’re cities within the metropolitan area of a city, which sounds strange when you put it that way.    Wikipedia says Saskatoon’s CMA population is 295,000 and in just the city it’s a bit over 246,000.  However, those numbers are definitely out of date so don’t quote them.  Last July the City itself said its population was 271,000 and projected close to 277,000 by this July which I believe considering the rate we’ve been growing.    Statistics Canada last July showed the CMA number at 323,800 and that number is surely larger by now when you add in the growth in surrounding communities.  So I guess the next time someone from “away”, as they say in the Maritimes, asks me how big is Saskatoon, I will of course use the CMA number, logically add a few bodies since last summer, and say offhand we’re pushing 330,000.  Who’s to contradict me?

That’s Coffeetalk. I’m Vic Dubois.