< Magazine Index > < Index For This Edition >

I’d always planned to retire in some exotic location, and I browsed  the pages of each issue of International Living for just the right spot.  I considered everywhere from Ireland to Uruguay.  However,  just  before retirement,  the bottom fell out of my business and even “cheap” wasn’t cheap anymore ! I was now looking for “Extra-cheap”  It was by coincidence that I found such a place.  My wife and I had relatives out on the prairies and her father who lived near us wanted to go out and visit them. Believe me I’d never had the ambition to go out there myself because I imagined it all a vast monotonous plain. When I arrived in this are of Saskatchewan I was pleasantly surprised by the around of trees, the sometimes rolling landscape and the amount of lakes. But when I reached my final destination, Middle Lake - I fell in love with the town. It was so quiet and laid back,  not at all like the environment I was used to on the outskirts of Toronto. It didn’t take me long to decide I wanted to stay here,  particularly when I found out the price of property.  The first house I bought needed some fixing up but only cost me $3,500 (Cdn).  I spent about $10,000 bringing it back to its original look and I added a wood stove because I’d always dreamed about whiling away the winter evenings with those shadows dancing on the wall. I didn’t have a garage and was planning to build one at the cost of About $5000,  when another house came up for sale  which had an attached garage.  It was a larger, story and a half house on a very nice lot, and I got it for $10,700,  which included the appliances  which were almost new. Of couse back East,  there are still some people who laugh at me. They think I’ cut off from what they consider is civilization.  But I’m on line with my computer, and I have a TV satellite dish that keeps me in touch with the world.

Prairie Paradise "To me this town is not only a paradise,  its a very inexpensive one.  The present population is about 300, and there are a number of houses for sale in this town and the surrounding area for $6000 and up.  For those who can’t afford a villa in Costa Rica or a  French farmhouse, it’s an excellent alternative." by Darwin C Vickers Escape From America Magazine Newsletter Index Learn to speak French More on Canada Submit an Article to EFAN Subscriptions are Free

I find the general cost of living here reasonable,my property taxes are less than $600 a year and because I drive a l980 LTD, my road tax and insurance is only $350 a year.  Believe me, its me that does most of the laughing when I think of those Easterners.

Middle Lake is a great little town with very friendly people.  There is a mixture of young and old, with a bit more emphasis on the old.  However we have a fine modern school K-l2,  and we are only  one and a half hours from an excellent University. At the other end of the scale we have a beautiful nursing home  and apartments for those who can’t, or don’t want to take care of themselves anymore.

In the town itself there is a general store, a post office,a bank, a garage, a cafe, a hotel, a pool hall, bowling alley and skating rink. Half an hour away the town of Humboldt (pop.5000) has a shopping mall and an excellent medical clinic and hospital.   And in Saskatoon, (pop approximately 150,000) we have wonderful shopping, dining and an International Airport.

Yes,  there is a bit of a down side.  It gets very cold in winter.  But the skies are often blue,  and if you’re retired,  or work out of home,  you can just stay in your snug little house and look out at the beautiful snowscape.  Then of course the summers make up for it,  Saskatchewan has more hour of sunshine  than any other province,  and as the name suggests, Middle Lake is on the water and we have a  great beach , children’s playground and park. 

To me this town is not only a paradise,  its a very inexpensive one.  The present population 
is about 300, and there are a number of houses for sale in this town and the surrounding area for $6000 and up.  For those who can’t afford a villa in Costa Rica or a  French farmhouse, it’s an excellent alternative.