Mossbank baby boom

By Brigid McNutt 

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Walking into Mossbank’s Prairie Heritage Restaurant, I was invited to join a table of six women for their morning coffee. "Put a toonie in the basket, then pour your own cup," I was told. "You’re in a small town now—just help yourself." 

Taking a seat, I was warmly welcomed into the chitchat. The women shared stories of earlier times when there was still a hospital in Mossbank. Some of them gave birth to their children there before its closure in 1969. The end of the hospital is just one example among many failed ventures in the community. A once-vibrant town, Mossbank has experienced population decline and business and service closures for the past 50 years.

But, as our conversation moved to present day, Irene Stark’s face lit up. She had some good news to share—there are currently 15 three-year-olds in Mossbank. 

"Usually there’s five or six. Fifteen is a big number. There’s a large group of us with young kids," said Sarah Jolly, a parent and teacher at the pre-school in Mossbank’s school.

Speaking to town mayor Carl Weiss in the town office, he said the community can relax knowing that this growing number of children means they no longer need to worry about the viability of Mossbank School. 

"We’ve got now well over 100 students at the school. If we hadn’t gotten that number over 100, we would have probably ended up losing that school. We’re really fortunate that we’ve got the young families here and staying and their kids going to school," he said.

Weiss has noticed an attitude change since he moved back to Mossbank 20 years ago. Mossbank "was stagnant, it sat here. People were not excited about moving ahead," he remembered. 

Cherilyn Jolly-Nagel, a parent and former economic development officer, agreed things have changed.

"Over the last several years there’s been kind of an active groundswell to really get some new things going in Mossbank," she said. "The business climate is great. We’ve got everything we need, and sometimes more, just right here." 

Mossbank has a pool, a playground, two ball diamonds, volleyball courts, a hockey rink, and an active library—all of which have been credited with attracting Mossbank’s youth. 

Jolly-Nagel believes she gets the best of both worlds by living in Mossbank.

"I feel great raising my kids in this community. It’s safe; it has a lot to offer. It’s not a culture shock for me to go to the city. And yet, I have access to the farm and the community and the small town with which to raise my kids." 

There has been a change in the agricultural business in the past 15 years, as the younger generations have started to take over the farming—another factor in the comparatively high number of young families in Mossbank. 

Jolly-Nagel believes that when agriculture is doing well and the commodity prices are higher, Mossbank will also do well. The farmers spend their money in the community and put their children in the school. 

"This area in particular did really well the past couple years. We got through the flood. We fared well in general terms, and I think Mossbank will do well because of that," she said.

This rings true throughout rural Saskatchewan—when agriculture prospers, small towns like Mossbank can grow. 

"The young generational boom that we have happening is kind of a down payment on where the community can go in the future. We’ve got new kids here, that’s a good sign," said Jolly-Nagel. 

Mossbank’s high number of young children mirrors Saskatchewan’s population growth as a whole. According to Statistics Canada, last year Saskatchewan had the fastest population growth rate of all the provinces. Since 2007, the population has grown by over 50, 000, bringing Saskatchewan’s current population to 1,057,884.

Dawn Archer runs a daycare out of her home in Mossbank. She said this year has been extremely busy, and she believes this trend is only going to continue.

"I know lots of moms are going to be having babies. There are so many families with kids coming in," Archer told me over the shrieks of children leaving for the day. 

It was evident by the sheer number of toys in the backyard that her daycare is full. After a hectic day, a sandbox littered with toy trucks, a tiny trampoline, and bright plastic slides have been abandoned for the night. Archer is enthusiastic and ready for another busy day. 

"It keeps our school going," she said. "It’s just fabulous.

The sandbox is full at Dawn Archer's daycare.