| | So now that the dust has somewhat settled on my national travels, it's nice to finally be at home and get back to life. I haven't been home for a weekend in two months, or really even a full week. Ridiculous, right? It sounded like a great idea at first, however I am not as young as a used to be and definitely love being in my own bed. But, after gallivanting all over the country almost every week, I thought I'd reward myself with a vacation. What a great idea. So I picked Saskatchewan. Because lots of travel needs more travel, in my mind. After the wedding of two very dear friends, I got on yet another plane (don't ever ask me about my carbon footprint, I will probably ask you about a punch in the face) and jetted off to Saskatoon to visit some friends and witness a legend. And you know, I think it was one of the best decisions I've made in a long time.
Saskatchewan has never held much excitement for me. I drove through it twice on the way to Winnipeg and back, and was not impressed. All I remembered was a long straight highway that never seemed to end. No mountains, no wildlife, and stuck in a fifteen passenger van with alot of guys who wanted to constantly play the safari game. Being a prairie province and fully in the Canadian Shield, it seemed pretty plain in my mind and in any fantasy cross-Canada trip I had in my head never included Saskatchewan. That could be skipped.
You know what can be skipped? Highway 1. Go north. That's where you'll find the goods.
Did you know Saskatchewan is the only province to remain unaffected by the recession? Or that the premier is embarking on a North American tour to entice potential workers, because the province cannot keep up with its demand for labour? The guy I sat beside on the plane worked for a well-known oil company, and told me a "pond" of oil had recently been found and is being internationally fought over. That puts the former have-not province on the map. Potash has never been higher. And you better believe Saskatchewan has some of the toughest penitentiaries in the country; it makes up a formidable portion of the province's industry.
But enough about that. I flew to Saskatoon, where my dedicated friend drove an hour and a half from Prince Albert to get me at 11 at night, and turn around and drive back again.
You might be wondering why I have friends in Saskatchewan. Or maybe not. Regardless, I was actually supposed to live in Prince Albert not so long ago. I spent alot of time during my training with my future coworkers, whom I later abandoned at the end without ever setting foot on prairie soil. I promised that I would one day come visit. I don't think they believed me. Little did they know.
I didn't take any pictures of Prince Albert, unfortunately, but if you've ever seen Prince George it is pretty much the same but smaller. I was shocked to wake up the next day and go for a run along the North Saskatchewan River, which was identical to running along the Nechako in Fort George Park. PA is bizarro PG. It was almost unnerving. It even had a mill smell at times. So I spent a day touring around my former potential job site, which was absolutely fascinating being one of the oldest institutions in the country. Though I never wanted to work in a place such as that, I think I would have been okay had I ended up there after all. There was something sort of familiar and almost...engaging, I guess would be the word.
We left for Saskatoon the next day. On the way there I got to see my fill of grain elevators and even some silos after some searching. That got old, I will admit. But Saskatoon was a great surprise. Named by Maclean's magazine to be the most dangerous city in Canada 2007, it is a great little community with all the history a story seeker such as myself could imagine. I actually witnessed nor was the victim of any crime while I was there, just to be clear. Saskatoon is called the city of bridges, and even the Paris of Canada. It was shockingly pretty, clearly planned out and felt like an easygoing university town.
The Delta Bessborough, the oldest hotel in town. Stunning, no?
The back. I thought it looked like a jail.
Elevators inside. YES those are red lions engraved on there!
Vimy Memorial Gazebo. I loved this, can't you just see a string quartet in matching red jackets playing in this on Canada Day or something?
One of the many bridges...University Bridge, I think. I've never been to Paris, but I thought this would totally pass for Parisian...maybe aside from all the green grass and trees.
Okay enough sight seeing. The big reason I went to Saskatoon was to see the legend, the man, Leonard Cohen himself. I felt very Canadian, flying two provinces over to see a national treasure. I know approximately no one in BC who listens to Leonard, and Raylene knew no one in Saskatchewan. So we made it happen.
This is a very dark Raylene at the Ivy. I was SO excited to eat here, after learning Neil Young had eaten here a few weeks earlier. I didn't get anymore pictures as we got a little stressed when our server screwed up our order and almost made us late for the show, however all hard feelings dissipated when she told us she had served Mr. Young herself, got backstage passes and tickets from him AND something else she likely would not appreciate having a stranger post all over her blog. Good enough for me, that was about as close to Neil Young as I was going to get.
Ya we weren't super close. But we were on the floor, and I tell you it was one of the best shows I've ever been to. I have never been to a concert where there were people up to my grandparents' age down to people younger than me. It was phenomenal; his music and his poetry is transgenerational. And you know, I think I like his music better with his voice all ripped up and gravelly than I do when he was younger and kinda nasally.
The next day, we did a walk around the University of Saskatchewan before hitting Broadway.
I'm pretty sure I'd be okay going to law school here. I don't know what people are complaining about.
Remember these? I do. I remember Oregon Trail on the arrow keys!
At the Convocation Hall, no longer in use because it is too small. Sad. It is BEAUTIFUL. It is lined throughout the building with names of those lost in WWI, and here is a list of nurses who died in duty who hailed from Saskatchewan.
This is a little bit of a gushy post, but someone needs to. Saskatchewan is completely underrated, and I am guilty of perpetuating that lie. No more.
This past weekend I decided to not go to the Liberal Convention in Vancouver, since I thought three weekends down south could simply not be justified. I was sad to miss out on speeches from Chretien, Louise Arbour, and of course Ignatieff. CLEARLY. And this video is a little bit much but after years of worry and disappointment, it made me feel like someone put their arm around me and told me everything was going to work out alright.
Enjoy.
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| | Posted 5/4/2009 10:24 PM - 1 View - 0 eProps - 0 comments
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