The Province of Saskatchewan, Canada

An Education Destination

The province of Saskatchewan is located in west-central Canada and has a population of approximately one million people. Saskatchewan’s two largest metropolitan areas, Saskatoon and Regina, have almost half of the population and are home to three world class universities, including Canada’s only First Nations University. Every year over 20,000 students choose to continue their education in Saskatchewan.

Saskatchewan universities are home to such world leading research centres as the Canadian Light Source Synchrotron, Innovation Place Research Park, the Petroleum Technology Research Centre, and the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization. In addition, Saskatchewan is home to the largest uranium, potash and nutraceutical companies in the world.

Saskatchewan Facts

· World leader in Agriculture, Bioscience, Life Science, Engineering and Accounting

· Lower cost alternative to BC and Ontario where we enjoy a lower cost of living than residents in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver

· Third fastest growing economy in Canada

· Cultural capital of Canada

· Affordable entertainment, activities and excursions

· Several cities are top entrepreneurial centres in Canada

· Clear air and water, open green spaces and blue sky

· Four seasons with temperatures ranging from -30C in the winter to +30C in the summer

· Open and welcoming to immigrants

· 100,000 lakes, many forests in the north and farming in the south

Regional Centre of Expertise

Saskatchewan is a world leader in agriculture, bio-science, life science, and engineering. In addition, the Saskatoon - Craik - Regina corridor was recently designated as a "Regional Centre of Expertise" (RCE) on Education for Sustainable Development in the United Nations University. While there are approximately 30 RCEs in the world, there are only three such centres in North America, all of which are in Canada.

RCEs bring together organizations at the regional/local level to jointly promote education for sustainable development. They build innovative platforms to share information and experiences and to promote dialogue among regional/local stakeholders. Praxis International Institute believes so strongly in this, that we made the commitment to build a “green” campus in the very heart of the REC. We aim to become self sufficient in terms of its energy and food production, pro-active in reducing use of consumable materials and recycling all others.

Employment

Saskatchewan has a bright future with a labour market growing at an annual rate of 4%, one of the highest in Canada. Studies show that tens of thousands of additional workers are needed in the next 3-4 years. For this reason, the Government of Saskatchewan has both initiated and expanded programs to facilitate more immigration and expanded opportunities for youth. People wanting jobs and business opportunities can find them in Saskatchewan.

Activities and Lifestyle

Saskatchewan has all of the amenities you might expect from more populated provinces including sports venues, concert halls, live theatre, parks and fine restaurants. At the same time, the cost of living is much lower than other parts of Canada. Affordable housing and automobile insurance, together with free health care, all contribute to a high standard of living and desired quality of life.

Saskatchewan people are known for their generous support of the arts. Saskatchewan boasts two symphony orchestras, a myriad of theatre groups, both amateur and professional, and many playwrights, photographers, painters, and other artists.

International Gateways

Saskatchewan's two major cities, Saskatoon and Regina, host numerous cultural events and festivities every year to celebrate the diversity of the people in Saskatchewan. Events such as Folkfest, Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan, Dragon Boat Festival, Taste of Saskatchewan, German Days and Ukraine Day bring people together from Saskatchewan, Canada and as we saw in the World Junior Hockey Championship this year, the world. International guests can arrive in Saskatchewan via Saskatoon's John G. Diefenbaker International Airport or the Regina International Airport, which have daily connections to major cities across Canada as well as the United States.

Province of Four Seasons

Saskatchewan enjoys four distinct seasons: Spring, Summer, Winter and Autumn. The climate in the summer is warm - typically between 20 and 30 degree Celsius - and winter days average minus 20 Celsius. Saskatchewan usually leads Canada in sunshine hours, so people can enjoy many diverse outdoor activities all year. Swimming, boating, biking, rollerblading and other summer activities are replaced in winter with skating, tobogganing, skiing, snowmobiling and a wealth of other winter activities. Team sports are also very popular; baseball, football and soccer in the summer, and hockey in the winter. Some summer sports, such as soccer, continue into the winter and are played indoors at sports facilities such as the SaskTel Sports Centre, the Saskatoon Field House and the Saskatoon Kinsmen/Henk Rugs Soccer Centre.

Wilderness Sanctuary

Saskatchewan is a beautiful province known for its fresh air, unspoiled wilderness and breathtaking scenery. It is officially described as the "Land of Living Skies." The province is popular with outdoor enthusiasts who can choose from over 100,000 lakes and rivers as well as 100 regional parks, 40 provincial parks and two national parks.