Over Christmas my sister and her husband made the journey from southern Saskatchewan up to boomtown Alberta. We spoke about the changes taking place in some of the small towns, not all for the better. Even places like North Dakota are noticing what happens with a boom. The problem with finding accomodation and when you find it - the unexpected high cost. Young men making one hundred grand a year and more up in Ft. McMurray.
And for some, it sounds pretty great. For others its a nightmare.

At age 10 our family lived in Beverly - which was a coal mining community and one of the faster growing towns - that was in 1957 - and I recall going from an outdoor biffy to indoor plumbing, from wooden walks to paved walks and paved roads. Lots of dust and lots of noise. Things were changing. Progess had arrived at our town. But as Singer-Songwriter tells us - "I can see the sun setting fast but as they say, nothing good ever lasts..." and certainly things would never be the same as time went by.

For a time some of the small towns in Alberta seem to be reaching the bitter end, such as the town of Ryley - which is now becoming the place for Edmonton to dump its garbage. Many other small towns and villages are noticing an influx of both good guys and bad. Those who want to get rich by work and those who try to get rich by home invasions, threats, drugs and the list goes on.

So keep an eye on your town, because, as they say the suns setting down and nothing good ever lasts....and hold onto the memories, for that may well be all you have with the boom and progress weaving its way through the small towns of Alberta, and Saskatchewan as this blog is being written....