Which is the best city in Saskatchewan?

That age-old debate is, well, subjective at best and the basis of some rivalries that have probably be helpful in community building – competition does tend to improve performance.

But whether it is Weyburn versus Estevan or Yorkton compared to Melville or Regina vs Saskatoon, there are too many measuring sticks to really reach a definitive answer based on data rather than personal preference. But one bit of information that may contribute to the argument is the number of businesses in each community.

Entrepreneurship is a powerful tool in helping a community grow and to develop a vibrant arts community, strong educational institutions and local infrastructure. CFIB, for example, ranks Saskatoon #4 and Regina #9 in the country as communities attractive to entrepreneurs.

A new report on how many businesses the major cities in Canada have shows a gap of about 20-percent between our two major centres. Saskatoon has almost 11,000 businesses with employees. Regina has 8,300. To put that in context, Kelowna, although smaller than both, fits in between on this measure and both have fewer active businesses than either Victoria or Halifax.