Saskatchewan: Canada’s Prairie Poster Child
Saskatchewan may not hold exclusive rights to prairie landscapes in Canada, since both Alberta and Manitoba have their fair share of grassy flats. But when most people think of fields of golden wheat swaying in the breeze, blue skies and endless horizons, this central province definitely is the Prairies’ poster child.
What many people don’t realize, however, is that Saskatchewan is not defined solely by its agricultural bounty. Not only is the province home to much more varied terrain than you might think, (boreal forest, sand dunes and badlands, for example) it is also home to vibrant, urban centres. Both Saskatoon and Regina offer stellar dining, enviable architecture and funky neighbourhoods that are known for their unique boutiques and leafy residential streets. (Yes, there are actual trees in Saskatchewan – although most of them in the south have been planted.)
With only 1.1 million people in the entire province, half of which are split between its two largest cities, Saskatchewan on the whole definitely feels more rural than urban. In fact, once you get outside of these cities, there are often so few cars on the smaller roads that you might be tempted to wave when you do pass one.
But even in the smallest towns, you may be surprised to discover something amazing, whether it’s a hipster-run restaurant where you would least expect it, a ghostly grain elevator still standing tall, or a boutique-hotel-calibre loft suite built inside an actual grain bin.
READ MORE ARTICLES ON WHAT TO SEE AND DO IN SASKATCHEWAN:
The Bucket List Experience I Never Knew I Wanted
We were punching the core of a line of intense thunderstorms, barrelling along a dirt road at breakneck speed with what felt like marbles under the wheels. The phone rings from a fellow storm chaser following a few kilometres behind us: ‘I’ve blown a tire and it looks pretty bad”.
I could see the hesitation cross our driver Scott’s face, given what he had just been through. “Punching the core” is storm-chaser lingo for doing what they try to never do: drive right through the centre of a massive storm cell. But Scott’s hesitation lasted for only a moment, because no one is going to leave someone in a bind under the kind of storm we had just battled through. So we turned around and headed back into the thick of it.
“Placemaking” and Public Art in Saskatoon
I had never heard the term “placemaking” used to describe street art until I signed up for a downtown mural tour on a recent visit to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. My guide on the tour was Pam Staples, a graphic designer, illustrator and theatre set painter who has worked in the arts and culture development sector for many years both in Saskatoon and elsewhere around the country. Pam introduced me to the concept of placemaking while we were discovering some of the murals and creative installations in the downtown core.
Where to Eat in Saskatoon – and Drink, Too!
Having visited Saskatoon twice in the past few years, Henk and I have been more than pleasantly surprised by the food scene here, and although we aren’t ‘foodies’ per se, we do like to eat! Here are some of the best restaurants we’ve found (several of which we’ve been to twice, they were that good).
