Maybe. But I think it is more that the all of the needs people have (Career, recreation, health and recreation are in the larger communities). I saw this happening in SK when I was there. Small towns were (and are) dying everywhere. Farmers do not need to live right on the farm any more (unless they have livestock) , they can drive back to the work that they only do several months of the year yet enjoy all the facilities that city dwellers have. Fuel costs might have been part of it, but most farmers drive nice new pickups!