Short drives foster stronger community connections

Jocelyn Taylor, a 20-year-old student in the village of Craven, said her experiences are both rewarding and challenging as a regular commuter attending the University of Regina. 

Craven is only 37 kilometres northwest of Regina.

“It is worth it for me.” said Taylor. “I just have to allot the proper time to make it to my destination.”

“It gets a little difficult in winter and especially from Craven, but if you can calculate your time accordingly and all that it is very manageable. Being away from the city and living in the quiet peaceful countryside makes it worth it to live out here.”

Taylor’s family, all the way back to her great grand-parents, are originally from Craven. Her family in the past moved to other locations, but they always ended up back in the heart of Craven.

“My wife and I used to live in the City, but it was just too disruptive so we moved out here away from the noise. It’s very much worth it,” said Ellias Welsh, a retired Esso worker who has lived in Craven for 31 years. 

“I typically spend $367 in gas three days a week going to the city. But I try to shop locally as much as possible to conserve gas and stay home. I don’t wanna go anywhere else. I’m happy here.” 

For small town Saskatchewan people, commuting is quite common, but unlike the usual retired residents, for students it can be more of a struggle. 

“I found that my social life mainly lies in Craven, however I do have to skip a lot of events with friends in the city because of commuting, as it does get expensive driving multiple times in one day,” said Taylor. 

As a young student, having a fulfilling social life is crucial, but living out of town can be restricting at times. 

“We both typically commute two to five times a week for nursing classes at the U of R,” said Ashtyn Ritco and Avery Ritco, twin sisters who reside in Craven.”And I also commute two times a week for work,” said Ashtyn. 

Taylor believes small town connections are worth all the time, money and energy spent travelling and deems Craven to be overall a very commuter friendly place after her 20 years of experience. 

“The sense of community here is strong. My family’s heater broke this past winter from the cold snap and the whole town pitched in and brought their portable heaters to help,” said Taylor. 

While it is said to be worthwhile, there are factors that have to be kept in mind when commuting from a small town to the city. A big one including the financially challenge for some individuals. 

“I don’t come from a very wealthy family,” shared Taylor. “A car is cheaper than finding another place to live that’s closer to the city. Thankfully I have a very fuel efficient car, I only have to pay maybe 80 bucks every two weeks. That’s however assuming you have no car issues.” 

On top of that, there are many other factors that commuters like Taylor have to keep in mind including,“visibility, road conditions in our harsh winter months, accidents, obstacles like the long train that runs directly through town and drunk drivers,” said Taylor.

“You overall have to be more alert and cautious as a commuter.”