Wasagaming Campground is situated on the edge of Clear Lake, a large natural lake which is fed by underground springs, which makes its water very clear. The small village of Wasagaming was established in the early 1930 as was the National Park. Many of the buildings in the Park are of the same vintage and architecture as those in Prince Albert National Park. In fact, the infamous Grey Owl actually lived here before he moved to Saskatchewan.
There are several small resorts, and boutique hotels, restaurants, gift shops and Park administration buildings. The sandy beach is bordered by a well kept park and tennis courts and a marina complete this beautiful summer destination. There is also an extensive cottage community consisting of about 250 cottages, that are leased from the National Parks and are only occupied from late May until the end of September.
We had a slow start in the morning, and it was too windy for kayaking. We decided to explore the community. We found the cottage that our friends, Bill and Carol, owned until last year. It is a beautiful setting right on the shores of the lake.
We enjoyed a great lunch at the local restaurant called Wigwam. The park information officer at the administration office told us that the Park is home for a herd of bison and there is good chance that we could view them in their natural state. We drove the 45 minutes to the bison range near Lake Audy. On our way there we stopped and watched a black bear sow and her two small cubs foraging in the grasses alongside the road. The cubs were still very young and they probably weighed less than 10 pounds.
At the bison-viewing stand we could see two large bulls lying in the grass some distance away. We then took a drive through the range, and as we turned the corner we were met with a herd of about 10 bison and four calves standing in the middle of the road. We shut off the car and just sat and watched them. The officer had told us that they are not afraid of vehicles and will not harm you as long as you sit quiet and let them do their thing. They slowly grazed and sauntered around our car, snorting and swishing away flies with their tails. It was a magical moment that lasted for almost a half hour. They grazed past our car so we drove on. When we returned the same way about a half hour, they were nowhere to be seen. That completed our afternoon! We were elated to have been so “up lose and personal” with these majestic animals.
We returned to the trailer to wash up and change. Earlier in the day we had booked a supper cruise on the “Martese”, a dinner cruise boat. The Martese is a sightseeing/ dinner cruise boat. During the day it takes folks around the perimeter of the lake, then has a supper cruise, and then a sunset cruise. It was a wonderful way to end the day, with a four course meal on a supper cruise. Kelsey, the captain, gave a running commentary of the history of the lake, the park and other specifics that make this National Park another proud jewel of Canada.
Chicken Cordon Bleu
The sun sets late here in Manitoba, so Debbie challenged me to a game of lawn checkers. Of course she won. We returned to the trailer and hoped that tomorrow we could do some kayaking.
We both woke up early this morning and so we got right at it and started breaking camp. Debbie wanted to do a load of laundry and this time would be perfect for me to publish some blog notes. We had a coffee and a muffin at Tim Hortons and then found a laundry for Debbie.
I returned to Tim Hortons and started getting photos and editing the blog. I was about to publish one post – the wifi here was poor- when all of a sudden a pop up screen came on to tell me that I was being hacked!! I tried to remove the pop up and was unable to. I immediately shut down the computer. I met Debbie at the laundry, and after she had finished the clothes and putting them away, we decided to try a different location. We went to Starbucks and again the pop up screen was there. The screen was giving me a 1 800 phone number and I called it. After a few minutes it became obvious that this was a scam. The scammer was very persistent and finally Debbie said “shut it down!!” We were concerned as to how deep this hack had gone and so we went to a nearby Staples store to get assistance. Austin, the techy, checked out the computer, was able to remove the pop up, and explained the type of scam to me. Debbie was more knowledgeable about this then I was and I learned a valuable lesson.
After getting refocused we headed down the road to Manitoba. Our destination was Riding Mountain National Park. We headed east on Hwy #16 and after about 100 kms we took secondary #247 . The drive was most enjoyable and we reflected about the things we had done, experienced and learned about Saskatchewan:
1. The province of Saskatchewan is F L A T ! “You can see your mother-in-law coming for three days!” The horizons go on for miles. On the Saskatchewan license plates is the motto, “Land of the living skies”. No kidding. We saw incredible thunderstorms, and rain clouds. We were so surprised how a storm can come on to you within minutes and then its over in a half hour after being quite violent.
2. The province of Saskatchewan is a major supplier of food for the world’s population. Farming is major industry. The technology used in farming and the machinery needed to produce the wide variety crops is simply remarkable. The Canadian farmer is a major player in the GNP of Canada.
3. We have met so many Saskatchewan-ites who are born and raised in Saskatchewan and still live in the same community or area for the rest of their lives. They are proud of their province, and accept the difficulties of the winters as just another minor issue to put up with. They are also true supporters of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and they wear the colors proudly!!
4. Saskatchewan is rich in its history. The province has done well in building museums in different communities featuring various aspects of the development of the province. Even with a population of 1.2 million people, they have been instrumental in shaping politics and political parties in Canada. Three prime ministers came from the Province of Saskatchewan!
5. We decided that we would travel across Canada and try to use secondary highways as much as possible. We have enjoyed taking these alternate highways however, although they are maintained they are rough. We had to get an alignment on the Santa Fe because of the bumps. Saskatoon has many potholes in their streets.
6. Distance is no problem for a Saskatchewan-ite. They think nothing of driving 100 kms to meet a friend for coffee!
Overall, Saskatchewan has been a pleasure to travel through. We enjoyed meeting the people who live there; they are welcoming, open and interesting.
Entering Manitoba
The drive to Riding Mountain National Park was finished faster that we anticipated, and we pulled into the Park at around 5:00. Wasagaming Campground is a large campground with 731 sites. Our site was situated at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac.
We are here for three nights and this looked very promising. We set up camp, started a nice campfire, and opened a bottle of Proseco to celebrate arriving into another province.
Happy Canada Day! We have talked about being in Ottawa for Canada Day, but the timing of some of the other adventures that we had booked conflicted with that plan. Then we talked about celebrating it in Regina, the capital city of Saskatchewan, but we decided that this would impact our travel plans to be in Thompson, Manitoba on time. We opted to celebrate Canada in Yorkton as it fit into our time plans better than the other ideas
When I asked at the campground office what plans were in store for the Canada Day celebrations we were met with a blank stare and this immediately deflated me. This morning we decided to go to the Tourist Information center to see what plans they knew about. It turned out that there was a family celebration to be held at noon until 4:00 pm at the Western Development Museum. There was to be various talent acts and performances. No parade was in store and the week starting on July 03, was the annual rodeo and exhibition. There were fireworks planned at 10:30.
We decided we would take in these events. We went to the local WalMart and bought weird Canada hats. They were sold out of T-shirts. Debbie had finished her Canada banner and we had to hang it up on the trailer as well as flags and lights. The festivities at the WDM were interesting and there was a very large turn out. Many events for the kids and a continuous line up of singers, dancers, and even an old time fashion show. The fashion show was interesting as the WDM had organized it and the models were the local high school cheerleaders. The clothes were fashions ranging from the 60’s to the 80’s. The master of ceremonies explained what fashion designer made the clothes and how they shaped the fashion industry. It was interesting to hear the importance of the Canadian fashion designers and how they were influential to the world markets. Several Canadian designers had clothes that were bought and worn by Jackie Onassis, and many celebrities and royals.
We ate hot dogs and hamburgers, sat in the sun and got sun burnt and mingled with the locals. It is fun to see how other people celebrate Canada Day, but over all it is evident that we are all proud Canadians and living in a free and great country.
Later in the afternoon we went to Boston Pizza, for supper. When you are in Saskatchewan means that you must support the Saskatchewan Roughriders and they are playing tonight against the Toronto Argonauts. As we were watching the game on the television, an Environment Canada alert interuppted the game and informed us that a tornado warning was issued for the area south of Regina, around Moose Jaw and areas south from there. About the same time the CFL football game was delayed as a lightning and thunderstorm was occurring in Regina. We watched the events unfolding on TV and were thankful that we had left the area earlier last week. We then went out to search the best place to watch the fireworks, and I talked to the guy responsible for the fireworks who assured me that the fireworks were still on schedule even though that big old grey cloud was looming on the horizon.
Proud and sun burnt Canadians!
Debbie’s handiwork!!
We went back to the trailer for a couple of beers to wait for the fireworks and I watched the cloud coming our way. Within a half an hour the winds became so strong that it was breaking branches in nearby trees and blowing over billboards and road signs!! The rains and thunder came with it and we listened and watched the storm as it ripped past us. It was obvious now that there was not to be fireworks tonight. At about 11:00 we decided to go to bed. The winds had died down somewhat, but the rain continued. That big ole black cloud had found us again!!
Today was another day to “pull up stakes and move on”. We had enjoyed Moose Mountain Provincial Park, but we had decided to go to Yorkton to spend Canada Day there. The Parks had distributed a brochure showing the Canada Day festivities planned for the park. We were sad that we were leaving, as we would have enjoyed them, however, we had reservations in Yorkton. We left the Park after saying goodbye to Tracey and her family. They had suggested that we stop at the Red Barn Market approximately 4 kms past the park entrance as there was a farmer’s market there and reportedly to be quite an event. As we approached we were surprised by the number of cars parked along the highway and we decided to stop and take it in.
The place was packed with folks. Vendors of all sorts were selling crafts, vegetables, jams, ceramics, woodcraft, clothing and jewelry. A country Western band was entertaining the folks who were eating hot dogs and hamburgers. I found a small jar of Saskatoon berry jam, which I wanted for breakfasts. Debbie found some quilting patterns, so the stop was worthwhile and certainly a surprise, considering that the location is miles from any centre.
As we headed north toward Yorkton, we decided to divert west for 50 kms to take in the scenic drive through the Qu’appelle valley. The Qu’appelle valley stretches from the outskirts of Regina for 150 kms east towards the Manitoba border. The valley was created by ice age glaciers and has a series of lakes and the Qu’appelle river flowing east to Manitoba. The scenery is beautiful, with rolling hills, lush fertile fields and forests on the flanks of the hills. It truly was worth taking the extra time to see part of this valley.
Qu’appelle Valley
We climbed up out of the valley and continued Northeast on Hwy#47 and #10 to Yorkton. This is rich farmland and the crops are green and growing vigorously. In our travels through Saskatchewan, we have learned that Saskatchewan is Canada’s number one producer of crops. Saskatchewan grows 99% of Canada’s chick peas.96% of lentils, 86% of Durham wheat, 83% of flaxseed and 70% of mustard. They also grow half of Canada’s canola. Pretty impressive stats, and we were fortunate to see a lot of this province’s farmlands and their communities.
We found the Yorkton Municipal Campsite on the edge of the town and checked in. We were given a quiet site with no immediate neighbors and set up for the evening. Tomorrow we are going to celebrate Canada Day with the locals.
We had expected to stay in the campsite for another night, but somehow when we made the on-line reservations we had entered the wrong date of departure. We now had to leave this site and take our chances in finding an opening later today or move to the overflow. Debbie had a coffee date with Maryanne and Tracey so while she was away, I packed up the trailer, hooked up and went to the camp office. I explained our situation to the park attendant and told her how frustrated I was with the reservation system. She explained it to me a little more in depth however, it looked as if we would have to go to the overflow. I was just about to leave the office when she stopped me and told me that a vacancy just popped up as we were talking. I took the site, paid for it and happily moved the rig into the opened site. Lady luck was on my side.
The park reservation system has been a frustrating experience for us. It is quite similar to booking tickets to a concert. People have literally booked their campsites months in advance to secure them. The problem is, that if they don’t show up, the site is unavailable to anyone else. Parks don’t mind because the site has been paid for. If people don’t cancel the Parks cannot fill that open site. If you cancel your reservation before 48 hours your get a partial refund however. after 48 hours there is no refund. There is a first come first served opportunity if there is room, however on a long weekend there would be a slim chance in getting a opened site. I was simply lucky. We have booked all of our sites to Winnipeg up to mid July. This reservation process takes the spontaneity out of our trip.
Debbie returned after her coffee with her kindred quilters. She had a lot to tell me. Tracey took Debbie to Maryanne’s cabin/house on the lake. It is a beautiful house, with the yard right to the water’s edge. Maryanne and Tracey showed her the quilts that they had made. Tracey only had a couple that she had brought with her in her trailer but Maryanne had quite a few that she keeps at the house. She had just completed a beautiful bird quilt top and had it long armed, she still had to put the binding on. They talked for a couple of hours over coffee and learned about each other’s lives. Tracey is married and has three boys and a daughter. Maryanne is married, has three girls and a son. They have been friends for years and only live about 10 km’s apart. Debbie says it is great to meet quilters as they have so much in common. She thanked Tracey and Maryanne for making her feel so welcome in Sask. They are going to keep in touch and the ladies might come to the retreat in April.
Tracey and Maryanne
A view from Maryanne’s Deck
The afternoon was spent under the awning as it started to rain, again. I worked on the blog, and then hand ground some coffee beans.
The rain finally stopped in the late afternoon and I was able to barbeque and we experimented with making a cherry pie in the coals of the fire with our cast iron pie press. We burned the first one but the second attempt was slightly less burnt and tasted delicious.
Earlier in the afternoon, I lifted a wood tick off of the back of my calf and then found another on my arm. We decided that our new routine was to do a “tick check” on each other before going to bed. It’s a new form of foreplay!! “Find the Tick!” It was time for bed.
Wind seems to be a constant here. It was too windy for kayaking but we are going to make the best of the day. The Moose Mountain Provincial Park is very large and is situated around Kenosee Lake and several other smaller lakes. The village of Kenosee is established on the eastern shore of Kenosee Lake. After breakfast we decided to explore the area and get to know this park. A large public beach is located on the edge of the village, and many cottages line the shore within the provincial park. Several summer and Bible camps are built on the west end of the lake. The Provincial campsite is quite large and has over 400 campsites.
Kenosee Lake
Near the main beach was a Mini Golf course and Debbie challenged me to a game of Mini Golf. It was a hard fought game and Debbie beat me 88 to 116. I think she cheated!!
Debbie has been working hard on completing a Canada Day Banner, and wanted it completed before July 1, so we went back to the campsite. It was a perfect day for her to do that, and it would give me some time to work on the blog. We have been in areas without wifi for several days.
While Debbie was sewing, at her sewing machine in our campsite, a lady and her daughter rode by on their bicycles and she stopped and exclaimed, “your sewing!” She stopped in and they began talking, and you guessed it – she was a quilter! Tracey is camping at the lake with her family. She and her husband have a large grain farm near Torquay, near Estevan, Saskatchewan. Debbie and Tracey talked quilting and soon another friend of Tracey joined them. Maryanne is also a quilter and she owns a cabin on Kenosee Lake. They have been friends for a long time and Maryanne also lives 10 kms from Tracey. The conversations continued and they invited Debbie to join them for coffee the next morning. These quilters seem to just pop up at the strangest places and seem to connect immediately!!
It was how big??!!
The evening was still warm and we enjoyed a few beers, had a barbeque and a shower. As we went to bed we could see storm clouds building in the distance.At 2:00 am I was awakened by thunder and lightning. For a continuous 2 hours, sheet lightning lit up the night sky and rain pelted the trailer. It was simply spectacular, and I had to wake Debbie up so she could witness this too. It was about this time that she noticed her feet getting wet and we realized we had left the trailer windows open and the wind was driving the rain inside! I got up to find the counters wet and water on the floor. After mopping up the water we laughed because that ole grey cloud found us again! We finally fell asleep around 4:00 in the morning.
It rained overnight, but it looked like today could be sunny all day! Debbie whipped up a bacon and egg breakfast and we readied ourselves to leave today for Moose Mountain Provincial Park.
Before we were to leave Moose Jaw, it was important for us to stop in at the Temple Gardens Mineral Springs and Spa. This historic place is built in the heart of Moose Jaw and a natural mineral spring is piped one kilometer into the pool. It is renowned for it therapeutic properties. Although we are not mineral springs “groupies,” we decided to go and take a dip. We thoroughly enjoyed the spa and felt great. It was time to head out on the road again.
On the outskirts of Moose Jaw is a small point of interest that I had been told about that I wanted to see. In the early 1900’s a Norwegian man by the name of Tom Sukanen had built a ship that he was going to sail to Norway from Moose, Jaw Saskatchewan! I wanted to find out more. We drove about 20 kms south of Moose Jaw to his place. Over the years the local antique car enthusiasts have restored the grounds to include many old cars and historic buildings and antique items of interest. Right in the middle of these buildings it the hull of the ship standing approximately 25 ft tall, from its keel to the roof of the cabin! The story is that Tom immigrated to Minnesota, USA, and then decided that he wanted to homestead in Saskatchewan. He left his wife and children in Minnesota and walked to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. He successfully started his homestead and then several years later, walked, – yes walked – back to Minnesota to bring his family to Saskatchewan. When he arrived in Minnesota, he learned that his wife had died and his children had been placed in foster homes. Tom returned to Moose Jaw, (walked!), and continued to work his farm. He was well known in the community as a very strong man, and an inventor, building several unique tools and implements to use in farming. He longed for Norway, had researched his sailing route, – navigate the Saskatchewan River to Hudson Bay andthen sail across the Atlantic to Norway. He was a good carpenter and for several years built the hull for his ship. Unfortunately, his grief was taking its toll and Tom had to be institutionalized.
Tom,what were you thinking
The wife of Tom’s neighbor was instrumental in making sure that Tom’s ship would not be destroyed. She rallied friends and the community to save this unique endeavor. Friends built a small chapel in memory of Tom, whose remains are buried near his ship.
We left Tom’s ship and headed east and south to Moose Mountain Provincial Park. The drive along Hwy #13 east is called the Red Coat Trail. It is the approximate route of the North West Mounted Police, as they headed west to enforce law and order.
We stopped in Weyburn for coffee and a snack and then continued on. The area east of Weyburn is a very large oil reservoir and there are many rocking pump jacks bobbing up and down as far as the eye can see. The huge fields of grain stretch out for miles.
We arrived at our reserved campsite at about 5:30. To our dismay, we learned that we had reserved our site for two nights not three! Because of the upcoming long weekend the campsite was full, which meant that we would have to leave or go to the overflow campsite for the third night. Oh well we will think of something. We could see that black cloud looming in the distance.
It was my turn to make breakfast and while I toiled over a hot stove, Debbie reorganized the trailer. We had tickets to see the famous tunnels of Moose Jaw at 10:30.
The tunnels of Moose Jaw are well known because during the Prohibition days in the USA, Al Capone travelled to Moose Jaw and set up a successful bootlegging syndicate. Moose Jaw is a main terminus of the CP Railway and the railroad runs right to Chicago. Al Capone, had moved from New York to Chicago and as the law tightened their grip on his illegal liquor sales, he moved his operation to Moose Jaw.
The main buildings in Moose Jaw near the railroad station are joined together underground by tunnels. These tunnels were built as the buildings were erected so that the maintenance folks could access the steam pipes that heated the buildings. The tunnels run from building to building and cross under main street to other buildings. It was a perfect place for Al Capone to set up his business and still keep a watchful eye on the law. He had also managed to bring the Chief of Police under his “care”. It is believed that Al Capone was making one million dollars weekly.
We are not allowed to take photos of the tunnels. Actors are dressed in period costumes and take the groups through the tunnels, showing the hidden doors, and escape hatches that were used. They also showed the hotel room that was used by Capone, which had a secret passage to the tunnels. We really enjoyed the hour of walking through the narrow passages and suddenly ending entering into some small room that was used for the storing of his guns or counting his money or refilling the liquor bottles or casks.
The second tour of the tunnels had a different theme. This tour focused on the life of the Chinese immigrants that had come to Canada in the mid 1800’s. The Chinese immigrants came in large numbers because China was going through a major depression and Canada needed workers to work on the railroad that was the major project in Canada at that time. The immigrants were exploited by unscrupulous sponsors who brought them to Canada, promising work and housing etc. for a fee of course.
As the railroad grew westward these workers moved west with it and then when the railroad was completed these workers were suddenly out of work. As Moose Jaw was a terminus for the railroad many of these workers ended up here homeless and unemployed. They moved underground into the tunnels. They started up laundry and cleaning businesses inside the tunnels where they lived and worked in the same area. The laundry was a huge operation that housed 50 – 100 workers who worked round the clock, washing, folding, and ironing, in horrible conditions. The workers slept in a three- tiered bunk bed situation and because they worked in shifts, they shared three to a bunk! The temperature was hot and humid, subjected the workers to various types of disease. This resulted in one worker setting up a Chinese naturopathic drug store to heal the sick workers.
We were also shown the Chinese opium den that had been established in the tunnels. Obviously this was an escape from the hardships for some. There were racial issues that occurred in the community and the workers were called “coolies”, and treated as second-class citizens. Some of these Chinese workers were successful in moving beyond the tunnels and starting successful businesses within Moose Jaw. This tour also proved interesting and informative.
It was time to see daylight again, so we toured the city looking at the murals and getting a taste of Moose Jaw. We ate delicious burgers in the Park, and then went to the Western Development Museum of Moose Jaw. This WDM featured transportation. We really enjoyed the museum but we also realized that we were “Museum-ed out”!!
Before we went to the WDM, we had to visit Mac the Moose! He is the iconic statue for Moose Jaw situated at the entrance to Moose Jaw on the Trans Canada Highway. Mac has been very popular in the news because he had recently been de-throned as the largest moose statue in the world by Storelgen, a rival statue built in Norway. Storelgen is situated about 240 kms north east of Oslo, Norway. He is 30 cms taller than Mac! Storelgen means big moose in Norwegian.
Well what do you know?! Mac is missing his antlers! Because of the huge news media coverage, there has been a movement afoot to remake the antlers for Mac so that he can regain his claim as the largest moose statue in the world. Many donations rolled into Moose Jaw, including a very large donation from Moosehead Beer Corp from Halifax. Mac’s new antlers will be installed sometime in September.
Debbie spoke to the Moose Jaw information centre host, who told her that tourism has boomed since the news media blitz and tourists from all over the world have come to Moose Jaw specifically to see Mac. We to had to take photo of the hornless Mac, and we also took photos of the Snowbirds Jet, as Moose Jaw is also the home of the Snowbirds, the iconic arial precsion flying team.
Poor Mac – No antlers!!
Debbie and Mac
On our way into downtown, Debbie spotted Quilter’s Haven, a neat, well-stocked store. The owner was very friendly and engaging. Stores close at 5:00 in Moose Jaw, but the owner kept the store open until Debbie left at 5:30, with a bag of more quilting goodies.
We returned to the trailer and picked up our lawn chairs as we were going to an outdoor concert in Crescent Park.
The tourist brochures claimed that the Mad Greek restaurant was a “must eatery”, so we went there, before going to the park. We ordered his famous boneless ribs with the homemade sauce. It was truly delicious but the large portion was enough for us to enjoy it for two days!
A five-piece band was playing good old country music, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash and some other old favorites. Half way through the performance the daughter of the lead singer, came on stage and sang a series of rocking country tunes. She had driven from Saskatoon to sing tonight. The evening was warm, no rain and there was a pretty good attendance, considering it was the first of several concerts in the park for the summer.
That big ole black cloud had not followed us today, so all in all it was a great way to end the day.
We woke up early. Danny was travelling to Ottawa this morning and I was driving him to the airport. We left Saskatoon as soon as I returned from the airport and headed down another highway, this time our destination was Moose Jaw, however, we were going by way of Watrous and Manitou Beach.
We travelled east on Hwy #16, then south on Hwy#2, a secondary highway that would bring us right to Watrous, and Manitou Beach. This area is well known for its Potash mines, another valuable resource for Saskatchewan.
The town of Watrous and its neighbor Manitou Beach is known for the Manitou Springs Mineral Spa. The resort was built in the early 1900’s. It was the most popular summer resort on the prairies and rivaled Banff Hot Springs. Little Manitou Lake is called the Dead Sea of Canada. It is 14 miles long and a mile wide. The water in the lake is the unique feature. The minerals in the water possess natural therapeutic skin and body care properties only a few places in the world have, such as Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic and the Dead Sea of Israel.
Little Manitou Lake
Mineral Springs Spa is an upscale Hotel and Spa with a large pool. Tourists from all over the world have and still travel to this Spa to take in the benefits of the water. I spoke to one of the workers who told me that often ten or more tour buses arrive each day in the summer.
The specific gravity of the water is 1.06, and you become so buoyant that you can literally float around. The water temperature is around 103 degrees. We spent two hours relaxing in the therapeutic water.
The other well kept secret is the Danceland Ballroom also in Manitou Beach. This huge building is built on the banks of the lake. It is the size of a huge airport hangar, and was built in 1928. The uniqueness of this structure is that the hardwood floor is built on large cords of horsetail hair between the floor joists and the floor. It took a boxcar of horsetail hair to cushion the floor. This design makes the floor flexible and takes the stiffness out of the floor making it easier to dance on. There are only three such dance floors in existence in North America.
Debbie recalls her mother and her aunt often talking about going to dances at the Danceland Ballroom as they were growing up. They were born and raised in Seimens, and made the trek to Danceland and to the spa. Debbie’s mother, later in life, visited her sister annually in Seimens and they would travel to Danceland to go dancing, and to the spa to enjoy the therapeutic waters.
We entered the building because the doors were open and some workers were setting up the ballroom for a dance tonight. We were able to take some photos and take in the wonders of this famous ballroom. We saw the agenda, and each weekend for the year there is a dance or a function taking place. Dances are advertised and busloads of dancers come to dance each weekend. It was now time to hit the road again.
Hwy #2 is a secondary road that takes us south through rich farmland. Things were going along nicely, we were enjoying the scenery and watching the storm clouds gathering in the distance when all of a sudden the trailer started to vibrate and I knew immediately that I had a flat tire on the trailer! We had made a conscious decision not to take a spare tire for the trailer, as we had limited space and the odds of having a flat tire on the trailer were low….. .
Lucky for us we were entering the hamlet of Simpson, (can’t find that on the map!) and were directly across from a Co-Op service station! We limped into the garage and again our luck held as they actually had trailer tires to fit our Armadillo! The cause of the flat is that the tires were worn to the cords! We had only travelled 5600 kms. The garage owner looked at the treads of the flat tire and the other tire, which had a similar wear pattern. He feels that the tires were a poor quality and were underinflated. I had checked the tire pressure the day before when we reloaded in Saskatoon and they were at the recommended pressure. We replaced both tires, with six ply radial trailer tires and were on the road within the hour. (I later called Armadillo and explained the situation. Mike was surprised about the tires however, he honored the warranty and e-mailed me the restitution for the cost of the tires. That is customer service! Mike is chalking that up to product development.)
We were on the road again and it was now getting late in the afternoon, and we were now driving towards the storm clouds!
Lightning flashed constantly and a wall of water was coming down towards us. We turned onto Hwy#1 for a short distance before we turned south again on Hwy#2 when the storm hit us with a vengeance. The rain was mixed with hail and the wipers could not keep up. We pulled to the side of the road, as did the truckers and others. We sat it out for about 30 minutes until the storm abated and we could see again. Because of the storm, we actually missed our turn to go south and we had to backtrack a short distance. About 3 kms later we drove into an area of about one kilometer where the ground was still white with hail. Another unique experience!! We arrived in Moose Jaw around 6:00.pm Riverside Campground is a municipal campground and was recommended by Danny. Our site backed right on to the river. We found that we were surrounded by RVs who were having a rendezvous. They were having a meeting in the campsite next to us. It was too late for us to change sites, but the campers were fairly quiet and were later sent to their rigs as it started to rain again! It was time for us to go to bed. We are looking forward to exploring Moose Jaw.
Danny, the best Saskatchewan guide, historian and host that you could ask for, had given us a recommended itinerary for spending our day today. After breakfast we headed north to visit Batoche and Duck Lake, two historic sites that were part of the development of the fabric of this country.
The trip north was different, as we had left the trailer and the kayaks at Danny’s house. The SUV felt nimble and without the kayaks on the roof, there was no wind noise.
On the way we stopped at the Sieger Wheeler farm site. This was the home of Dr. Wheeler, who developed the world’s best strain of hard Marquis wheat that changed the farming industry and put Canada on the map as the world’s premier wheat supplier. The farms and fields in this region are evidence of the importance of wheat farming. Unfortunately the farm site was closed to the public today.
The Wheeler Farm
We continued on to Batoche, a National Parks Canada Historic site. In the early 1800’s French Canadian farmers and homesteaders were moving west to start farms and new lives. They were known as the Metis, and they surveyed their plots of land and developed the area of Batoche along the South Saskatchewan River. They had developed their cultural way of life, married local indigenous partners, raised families and farmed and prospered. The village of Batoche housed 500 townsfolk, and there was a population of approximately 1500 in the region. Trade and commerce was booming and farming was a success.
Batoche – “Bend in the River”
The Canadian government of the day was encouraging homesteading, however the formula for granting land and their rule of government was not being accepted by the Metis and the Indigenous peoples, including the “half breeds”. Louis Riel had been involved in the forming of an alternate government in the east, unsuccessfully, and was now in hiding in Montana. He was brought back to Canada, and plans were made to try to persuade the Canadian government of the Metis needs. These attempts were made with the assistance of Gabriel Dumont, a local, well respected Metis hunter and fearless man. Several attempts were made by the Metis to petition the government to develop a workable solution but they fell on deaf ears. At last the Metis decided that they would put up an active resistance to the plans of the federal government.
It was therefore, in March of 1885, the Government under the direction of Mackenzie King, the prime minister, formed a battalion of soldiers and a short battle took place in Batoche. Several soldiers and residents of Batoche were killed, the townsfolk surrendered and the village was destroyed.
The site is now a National Historic Site. There are several buildings still standing that have been restored and Parks Canada hosts tours and developed interpretive displays and films.
As we arrived, 7 school buses had also arrived with end of the year tours for students. Madison, a park host, greeted us. She assured us that the student tours would not affect us. After her explanation of the site, we toured the museum and enjoyed a short informative movie, before we set out to walk around the area. The entire site is spread out over a large area. Most of the students were toured around the vast property on shuttles but we decided to walk.
Kiara, a park information host, provided our own personal informative and in depth session of the life of the Metis in Batoche. Kiara, is a third generation Metis and was in period costume. Many of the items in the church and rectory belonged to the priest and the teacher who lived in the rectory. After our visit with Kiara, we set out to visit the cemetery and battle sites. We walked the path to visit a restored home of a Metis family that was approximately half a kilometer from the cemetery. About half way there, the rain started as a drizzle, and by the time we arrived at the house, the rain was pelting down and the house was locked! We could see across the river that the storm was wide ranging and was to last for a while. We decided to walk back, in the rain, arriving at the interpretive centre looking like drowned rats!!
About 50 feet before arriving at the interpretive centre a kind park employee offered a ride on a gold cart! We were soaked by then so 50 feet did not make any difference. It was a nice gesture non-the less. We bought a coffee to warm us and dried off a little and then said goodbye to the hosts. As we were climbing back into the car, Madison ran towards us, and apologized fervently for abandoning us at the house. She offered to take the blame for the oversight. We tried to explain to her that we were not upset and complimented her for the informative afternoon.
It was now time to visit another informative site, Duke Lake. Duck Lake is famous as it was as a result of a skirmish at Duck Lake weeks before the Batoche incident that sparked the government’s decision to overthrow the Metis self proclaimed government. The skirmish at Duck Lake resulted in 2 people being killed. This incident is now looked at as a communication breakdown.
The NWMP were entering Duck Lake, to discuss the tensions that had increased in the area. A local Metis civilian was stopped by an interpreter roadside, an argument ensued and as a result they were both killed, many shots were fired and eventually the skirmish ended with the retreat of the NWMP. Obviously this incident was brought to the attention of the government.
We drove to Duck Lake, a small village on the edge of hwy #11, approximately 30 kms from Batoche. It is an active farming community and in its heyday was rivaling Prince Albert as a hub for the railroad. We entered the museum. Again, this building is impressive and well arranged showing the culture of Duck Lake, its indigenous culture and that of the Metis, and how life went on in the 1800’s, and how the area progressed and prospered after the Batoche incident.
The museum’s main focus is a four-story tower. Small dioramas meet you at various levels as you climb the stairs. At the four points of the compass, you can look out at windows that focus on the points of interest in Duck Lake and points in the distance. The visit to this museum brought both of these historical events into perspective and gave us a better understanding of what happened then. It also allowed us to focus on how it affected how Canada dealt with similar situations in the future.
We simply could not leave Duck Lake without visiting the local quilt shop. We had both dried up and Debbie was intent on visiting this “diamond in the rough”. The building is a run down old service station that appears to be abandoned. After finding the entrance, she was astonished by the size of the store, and its huge inventory! It was like a maze inside, in which she constantly got lost. The owner was a very quiet First Nations woman, who helped Debbie maneuver her way around. The store had hundreds of bolts of material and supplies needed to finish the quilts. They had 2 long armed machines in the store that she uses to complete the many quilts that people drop off to be completed. The owner is also a Judy Neidemeyer instructor and has a whole room of her patterns and supplies. Debbie came out of there with a bag in hand and a smile a mile long!
It was now time to drive the hour back to Saskatoon. The rain had stopped but thunderclouds and lightning flashed on the horizon. When we got back, Danny had barbequed some delicious homemade sausage which we ate as we recalled the day. It had been a great day, full of information, surprises and fun.
In the evening Debbie and I reloaded the SUV, loaded on the kayaks, and hooked up the trailer, as we were heading south to Moose Jaw tomorrow.
Quilting in a Kayak 