Val Marie is just one of these typical Saskatchewan prairie villages. Situated in the middle of vast plains. The first thing we saw was ‘off course’ the grain elevator, but as in many other small villages it is not used any longer.Val Marie has one paved road the Main Street with an increasing number of closed shops. There are just two businesses still open: a grocery / general store and a hotel. The remarkable ‘Little Brick House’ is used by the friends of the Grassland’s National Park and is shop, museum and gallery at the same time.Val Marie is an excellent starting point for a visit to the ‘Grasslands National Park’, an absolutely must see site. More information and a free map in the Information Centre of this national park.You will find unique accommodation in "The Convent Inn", one of the most remarkable B&B's we ever had (see tip).Val Marie is located in the south west corner of...
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Gravelbourg - a touch of Europe
by vtveen
Gravelbourg was founded in 1906 by a French priest from Quebec with the name of Louis-Pierre Gravel. Afterwards hundreds of French-Canadian families settled in this part of Saskatchewan. During our visit we still found a lot of French influence in Gravelbourg. Signs do have two languages and we sampled a special atmosphere in some shops and café s. Everywhere we found amazing French names; what about 'Jardin Notre Dame'. We heard that still 50% of the population is from French-Canadian origin.Most important building in Gravelbourg is the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption. A huge Roman Catholic cathedral, built in 1919. Inside most of the walls are covered with murals with scenes from the Old and New Testament, painted by Charles Maillard.The church is 55 meters long and 25 metres high and can hold up to 1500 people. But Gravelbourg has more historic buildings. The best way to see...
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Canada's Largest Turtle
by canuckmike
Built in 1983, Ernie the Turtle is Canada's largest turtle and is the second largest turtle in the world. The world's largest turtle is in North Dakota but that one is made up entirely of tire rims so it's only in the shape of a turtle. Ernie makes his home in Turtleford which is a little less than 100km west of Lloydminster. You can get there on Secondary Highway 303 or Highway 26. Ernie is located on 26. There is a little info hut next to him. I didn't go inside as it was closed when I was there.
World's Largest Bunnock
by canuckmike
If you are looking for the world's largest bunnock, you'll have to head to Macklin. What's a bunnock? It's a horse anklebone. Where is Macklin? It's about 10km from the Alberta-Saskatchewan border near the intersections of highways 14, 17 and 31. Why would Macklin erect a 32 foot tall anklebone of a horse. While in Bunnock is a game invented by Russians in where two teams would stand on opposite sides of the field and knock over bones by throwing bones at them. It was brought to the Macklin region by Russian immigrants and it is here where the World's Bunnock Championships are held yearly.
World's Largest Tomahawk
by canuckmike
In Cut Knife, you can find the world's largest tomahawk. Cut Knife is located a little less than 50 km west of North Battleford along Highway 40. The tomahawk is located in Tomahawk Park which is on the western edge of the town. I guess the tomahawk is supposed to show the unity between First Nations and whites in the area. It is located near the Battle of Cut Knife which happened in 1885.
The prairies own lighthouse...
by the.canadian.muise
Being from Nova Scotia, Canada, I'm used to the oceanside scenes of washed up seaglass, driftwood, faded fishing boats with mended nets...and the ever-present lighthouse. I have to say, though, that I never really expected to see such a thing driving through northern Saskatchewan from Tessier to North Battleford. Strange, strange, strange. I guess it was put up to save the poor souls who might get lost in the blowing snow drifts. An interesting picture if you're headed that way.
St. Nicholas Church near Lumsden
by vtveen
This little wooden church is situated in the Qu'Appelle Valley, east of Craven nearby Lumsden. Craven. Take road '99' from Craven and you can not miss this lovely church.Stroll around and look at the old tombstones and off course take a look inside this simple wooden church. It is the oldest remaining church of Saskatchewan.But most of all: enjoy the quietness of this spot and the living skies of Saskatchewan.DirectionsFrom Regina tahe Highway 11 to Lumsden, turn off and take highway 20 to the north, in Craven highway 99 to the east and after a couple of km's you will see the church on your right hand side on the other side of the valley.
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Lumsden: step into a country pace
by vtveen
Leave Regina over ‘Highway 11’ and after 30 km’s you will find the ‘Lumsden exit’. Even better you take halfway the exit (left) for Deer Valley. Take a look at Condie Nature Refuge and Deer Valley Resort and drive through the amazing plains to Lumsden.Suddenly you descend into a lovely valley and ‘step into the country pace’ of Lumsden.On the main street you will find some beautiful houses, shops, a good art gallery (old post office) and some café/restaurants. Lumsden has a couple of craftspeople.Some km’s to the North on ‘Highway 11’ is an exit to Regina Beach. Here you will find a lovely beach and the best ‘fish and chips’ shop of SK.
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Buffalo Pound Provincial Park – with buffalo
by vtveen
Buffalo Pound Provincial Park is named after a ‘buffalo pound’, which was used by the first nations of the Canadian plains for hunting buffalo. In the park were once areas were the hunter corralled the animals. The plains bison were reintroduced to the park in 1972.We visited Buffalo Provincial Park during autumn and ‘of course’ couldn’t use the summer amenities like a swimming pool, beaches, camp- and playgrounds, but still there was a possibility to make some walks in this scenic landscape of Buffalo lake and the surrounding rolling prairie hills, dotted with yellow coloured trees.We started our walk(s) from the car park close to the lookout tower. First we hiked the ‘Bison Trail’, more or less along a buffalo paddocks. But we did see ‘our’ buffalo from the lookout tower; a herd of about 30 of these grazing ‘monsters’. (It is possible to walk to the Nicolle Homestead.)After returning...
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Big Beaver has still its own store
by vtveen
Big Beaver is in my pinion one of the most remote settlements in Saskatchewan. Along Highway 34 there wasn’t even a signpost; in the village we saw another (paved) road coming from Highway 18. The tiny village is surrounded by the prairies and rolling hills of the Big Muddy Badlands and as far as you can see there are no other living species around (perhaps some cows).There are about 20 people living and it is almost unbelievable it once was a more or less flourishing little village with five grain elevators, a school, houses, garages, shops and a hotel. In that time the rail line ended in Big Beaver.Nowadays it is almost a ‘ghost town’ with just a couple of houses, unpaved roads and a Main Road with just four or five buildings. I suppose one of them will accommodate the Big Muddy Nature Centre and Museum, which was closed during our visit late September (just open from May till...
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