Town of Carlyle shows it has the 'it' factor: mayor

CBC's virtual road trip series Land of Living Stories explores the hidden gems across Saskatchewan. Reporter Janani Whitfield hit the road to Carlyle in search of inspiring stories of community spirit.

When Jennifer Sedor and her then-fiance were living in Regina and looking for a place to buy a house to call home nearly 20 years ago, they had the sense that life in one of the province's biggest cities was not for them. 

"So we started looking to small-town Saskatchewan, as many a young person might consider doing nowadays," she said. 

They happened to visit Carlyle, about 200 kilometres southeast of Regina, when its annual Christmas-timed Dickens Village Festival was unfolding, and that sold them on the concept of moving to the smaller town. 

Listen: Land of Living Stories on CBC's The 306

The 3068:09Land of Living Stories: Carlyle's Dickens festival

Every small town has their annual fair days or craft shows, but mayor of Carlyle says she was so wowed by her community’s annual Christmas-timed festival , she ended up moving there from Regina. CBC's Janani Whitfield joins host Adam Hunter to talk about what makes Carlyle’s Dickens festival so special as part of CBC's Land of Living Stories series.

"So we were finally able to purchase a home," she said, "because it was much more affordable — and still is, by the way, for anyone who's looking for a wonderful place to live." 

Over time, she's become a big booster of the city — she's now its mayor — and she thinks it lives up to its slogan, "Carlyle Has It," whether people think of their Dickens festival, other major events or its thriving business community.

Listen: Land of Living Stories on CBC's Saskatchewan Weekend

Saskatchewan Weekend9:21Shining a spolight on Carlyle in our Land of Living Stories series

Amazon, TEMU, Etsy, Shein ... the possibilities for online shopping these days are endless. So in a digital era - how do small towns keep their local businesses flourishing? CBC's Janani Whitfield stopped by one community in southeast Saskatchewan to find out the secret to a great local shopping experience. She joins host Shauna Powers to share some of what she discovered there.

"For the most part, it's a very progressive, community-minded, people-focused area," Sedor said. "And that's why we're here and that's why I do the work that I do."

If you would like CBC Saskatchewan to visit your town or city and meet the people creating change there, email community engagement producer Janani Whitfield at janani.whitfield@cbc.ca.