The Town of Kindersley will make formal application today to the Minister of Government Relations to become Saskatchewan’s next city.

Council approved submission of the Application for City Status at the May 9, 2016 Regular Meeting of Council, formally requesting that Kindersley be declared the next city to reach a Government of Saskatchewan-recognized population of 5,000. Formal designation is being sought to coincide with the scheduled municipal election this October.

Council’s resolution acknowledges concerns of accuracy that many communities have identified with the 2011 Statistics Canada National Census of Population, including the Saskatchewan communities of Davin, Atwater, and Keller, which were reported to not exist in the Census data.

Kindersley’s application requests that the Government of Saskatchewan’s own Health Covered Population data be used as the reliable source for Kindersley’s population. Since 2012, Annual Reports for Heartland Health Region have verified Kindersley’s population to be consistently above the 5,000 threshold to be formally constituted as a city in Saskatchewan: 5,357 (2015), 5,462 (2014), 5,349 (2013), and 5,321 (2012).

Government of Saskatchewan ministries and organizations such as Great Plains College, Saskatchewan Economic Development Association, Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce, and others use Saskatchewan Health’s Covered Population data and publicly recognize Kindersley’s population as more than 5,000.

“This is an exciting time for Kindersley as we look to our future and continued growth as a city. The decision to apply for city status is one that Council has made thoughtfully and for the benefit of our residents,” said Acting Mayor Shaun Henry.

Legislation requires that upon incorporation as a city, a municipal election must be held. General elections for Saskatchewan urban municipalities are already scheduled for October 26, 2016.