WARMAN — Pat Jardine is enjoying her retirement and spends most of her time playing pickleball with her friends at the Warman Home Centre Communiplex, the city’s central recreational facility that also has an indoor ice rink.
Jardine, like other residents who call the city home, loves Warman’s small-town vibe and strategic location, as Saskatoon is about 25 kilometres away, with the nearest Costco Wholesale on Marquis Drive just 13 minutes away.
Warman recently ranked number one among all Canadian cities in safety, with an 80 per cent lower crime rate than the country’s average, according to The Globe and Mail’s annual Canada’s Most Livable Cities report.
Warman also placed fifth among the most livable small cities and 19th overall among the most livable cities in Canada. Regina is seventh in the rankings, while Saskatoon, which was ranked the country’s top city to raise a family in another study, was 15th.
Warman is one of three cities in the Greater Saskatoon Metropolitan Area, which also includes nine towns, four villages, two resort villages, six rural municipalities — including the Rural Municipality of Corman Park — and the Whitecap Dakota First Nation reserve.
“I moved here in 2020. I like living here. It has been a good place to live in with a welcoming community. It is a small city, but it has a huge-town feel,” said Jardine, who moved to Warman to be closer to her grandchildren.
“It has all the amenities you need. You don’t have to go far to get what you need. There's a lot to do and plenty of activities for seniors like me. I think a lot of grandparents moved here during COVID, and that is another reason I moved here.”
The Globe and Mail evaluated 454 cities based on economy, housing, community, safety, demographics, health care, education, amenities, transportation and climate. Warman’s safety, business opportunities and community spirit were key to its rankings.
Andy Szachlewicz, who moved to Warman in 2009, recalled there were only about 4,000 residents in the city back then, but that number has more than tripled, rising to an estimated 14,700 after almost two decades.
“It has become busier on the streets because of the population boom. A lot of people here work in Saskatoon, which is about 15 to 20 minutes away. Compared to when I was in Vancouver, it took me an hour and 40 minutes each way to get to work,” said Szachlewicz.
“Warman has a great lifestyle for family time, with the kids playing sports rather than being confined to sitting in the car for much of the day. It is a wonderful and safe community, one of the safest cities in the country.”
Strategic planning
Mayor Gary Philipchuk said city council does not do one specific thing to get recognized on lists for living and raising a family, and that the blueprint for the next three years, passed in August 2025, is focused on guiding Warman’s further growth and development.
“Although Warman’s high ranking in this study is a nice surprise, it is no accident. The strategic plan shared by administration, Planning and Development, Recreation, Public Works, Warman RCMP and Warman Fire Rescue is the blueprint that guides how we govern and how we plan in making Warman a great place to live, work, play and invest in,” said Philipchuk.
City manager Amanda Rosenthal-Hiebert added, “The vision of Warman city council and administration is that of a safe and caring community. We take pride in the community’s efforts of working together and achieving the ranking as Canada’s safest city.”
Growth and development, fiscal and economic stability, infrastructure and services, community and quality of life, and regional and government relations were the five themes city council approved in its strategic plan for 2026 to 2029.
Council identified attracting investment in Warman, diversifying revenue streams, enhancing infrastructure, improving health care and emergency services, expanding recreational amenities and strengthening regional partnerships as focus areas.
They aim to achieve their vision of being a safe, caring and innovative community by fostering collaboration, providing accountable leadership and aligning annual business planning with strategic goals. The plan will be reviewed and updated annually to ensure continuous growth and adaptability.
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British Columbia cities took the first three spots overall in the Globe and Mail’s annual Canada’s Most Livable Cities report, with North Vancouver ranking first among the Top 20 Most Livable Cities, followed by West Vancouver and Pitt Meadows. Ottawa and New Westminster, B.C., rounded out the top five.
The complete list also includes Oakville, Ont. (sixth), Quispamsis, N.B. (eighth), Vancouver, B.C. (ninth), White Rock, B.C. (10th), Winnipeg (11th), Oak Bay, B.C. (12th), Vaughan, Ont. (13th), Québec City (14th), Delta, B.C. (16th), Langley, B.C. (17th), Burlington, Ont. (18th), and Rosemère, Que. (20th).
