"Blame it on Alberta" is not a new CBC sitcom. It's one explanation for Manitoba's static population growth.

According to the 2001 Census, Manitoba's head count inched up by only half a percent over the past 5 years while Alberta's population surged by 10 percent. The oil-rich province is luring fortune hunters from across the prairies.

"Part of the problem for Manitoba is the attraction of Alberta," said Statistics Canada analyst Francois Nault.

He says the quest for good jobs is by far the leading motivator for interprovincial migration. And Alberta is the place to be for the young and ambitious.

The Alberta Advantage may explain the tug put not the shove that is sending off Manitoba's youth. The answer is to be found in other census data.

Statistics Canada reports that Manitoba is bucking a nation-wide trend toward urbanization. Why are Manitobans not beating down the doors to get into Winnipeg For the same reason that many Winnipeggers have quit the city - high taxes.

The high property tax deterrent keeps Winnipeg's numbers down and places like east St. Paul and Headingley booming. 2001 Census data reports that the head count in these residential communities spiked up by 20 percent compared to .2 percent growth in Winnipeg proper. And Calgary can also thank Winnipeg refugees for its remarkable climb in the census charts.

To date, the province's answer to the brain drain is a glossy magazine mailed out to ex-patriot Manitobans urging them to give up their high-paying jobs. Give up their low taxes and return the land of milk and honey.

How successful would a "come home" campaign work if the Chinese government tried to lure back its economic refugees to a country where the clocks are set back 25 years. Maybe it happens in fairy tales, but until Manitoba and Winnipeg fix the tax fundamentals first, the population, the jobs and the investment will continue to elude us.

Manitoba legislators should not stand on ceremony as the young and the restless look for better lives outside the province. They need to create the "Manitoba Advantage" to compete with anything Alberta has to offer.

Winnipeg Mayor Glen Murray hit on a good idea when he opened up an urban design competition to remake parts of downtown Winnipeg. Why not take it one step further and launch a new public policy competition.

Call it Vision 2002 - a contest for the best ideas that will give life to an urban renaissance in Winnipeg. Go to the grass roots for some fresh ideas on how to kick start the economy, grow the tax base, improve transit and traffic congestion, stem urban sprawl and control urban crime. And throw in some prize money for the best submissions in each category.

Vision is what it took for Calgary and Edmonton to surpass Winnipeg in most urban indicators and it's vision that will restore Winnipeg as an oasis on the prairies.