Prince Alberta Housing the Harbinger
Prince Albert, the third-largest city in Saskatchewan, has taken a hard economic turn from forestry to bio-fuel and mining: witnessed in the upcoming demolition of the last pulp mill in town. But local businesspeople say the change should - eventually - prove a smart shift for the city of 40,000.
Prince Albert is certainly not easing up on its pro-business hustle.
The average price of a home has doubled in the past five years, building permits are at record levels, a new industrial park has been opened and mining plays are on the horizon.
"We continue to show positive growth," Mayor Jim Scarrow said in his recent state of the city address. "All the financial indicators show 2009 [was] a significant growth year, second only to 2008."
Located 150 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon, the city on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River is a service, retail and distribution centre for northern Saskatchewan`s resource industries - mining, forestry and agriculture.
The Prince Albert & District Association of Realtors had a record sales year in 2009 reporting $164 million in sales versus $157 million in 2008.
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