At last, it's okay to talk positively about the place where we live. (Back Page).

Doubling Saskatchewan's population. It's quite a goal but one that is increasingly finding support and provides an interesting commentary on the current mindset in the province.

For two days in early June, the notion of doubling Saskatchewan's population was the centrepiece of a Saskatoon meeting that attracted people from near and far, folks who believe Saskatchewan is an under-developed opportunity just waiting to pop. Sponsored by the Saskatchewan Agrivision Corporation, the Double the Population conference became the latest iteration of a theme that is increasingly gaining currency in these parts -- that the time for a 'growth-based' policy is long overdue.

Others, such as the provincial chamber and its seminal Action Saskatchewan strategy, have been saying much the same thing -- that we need a growth-based agenda. The idea of adding to our population base has emerged as the most visible, tangible measure of that growth.

There may be others but population growth is a pretty good yardstick -- if we have more people, it's reasonable to assume we'll have a bigger economy and so on. A cursory examination of our demographics drives the point home even more forcefully. We have an above-average number of young people, we have an above-average number of seniors. But in between, we're weak. Doug Elliott, Saskatchewan's most knowledgeable statistician, calls it a hollowed out' population base. We have inordinately large numbers of youth and seniors and too few in working age, putting pressure on the economy's ability to generate something called earned income, a key factor in tax generation.

A larger population would make it easier to finance things like highways and hospitals -- more people contributing to the economy and, in turn, helping finance infrastructure as well as public services. After all, wouldn't it be easier to pay for Highway 11 with two million people than with one million?

The opposition Saskatchewan Party figured this out, making the addition of 100,000 residents a key plank in its political platform. And good for them for staking their claim on this topic -- it's a tangible measure representing growth. To put it another way, an expanded population would only result from a significant rise in in-migration, which implies a hospitable, inviting environment, the party's foundation promise.

But it's not the Saskatchewan Party or the governing NDP that put this issue on the agenda -- it was the private sector and organizations such as the Saskatchewan Chamber and Saskatchewan Agrivision, which traces its roots to the Saskatoon Chamber. These were the groups that put the 'growth-based' agenda on our radar screens. For that, they deserve our thanks but it's also interesting to see how well the message has been received. Clearly, there was an appetite for this kind of thinking in Saskatchewan -- all we needed was a rallying point. The Chamber and Agrivision gave us that.

Since they put it on the table two or three years ago, the momentum has grown. Programs that featured Saskatchewan success stories -- such as the Saskatchewan Dream, a broadcast series, and [e-mail] in this magazine served up real life examples of Saskatchewan folks who are doing very nicely thank you. The idea being -- if they can do well here, so can others.

More recent additions to the campaign are Pat Fiacco's I Love Regina and the provincial Future is Wide Open program, touting the benefits and positive attributes of living in Saskatchewan.

In short, it's now all right to use the words Saskatchewan and positive in the same sentence. Had Agrivision proposed a Double the Population meeting five years ago, they would have been laughed out of town. This year, they get delegates lining up to attend.

We have come a long ways in a short period of time but, while we have much left to do, there is no doubt something positive is happening in this province. We're talking about people moving here instead of counseling our kids to move to Alberta. It's a huge reversal and, you know what? It feels good.

Can it be done? Can we double the population?

Others have, so why can't we? Alberta added a million people in less than 30 years. The city of Austin, Texas grew from 200,000 in the early '70s to a million today. Can it be done? Yes. The issue is...will we make it happen?

The decision is ours. But we will have to 'make' it happen because doing the same things but expecting a different outcome defies logic. The good news is the issue is now in play and it's getting some much-needed attention.

Paul Martin is heard daily on 980 CJME and 650 CKOM as well as on the radio stations of the Golden West Broadcasting network in Saskatchewan.