When we first moved to Saskatchewan in 2008, we purchased an acreage that had the old Menard Schoolhouse on it.
The first thing my husband did was research the school. We even located one of the teachers who had taught at the school, and we were fortunate to meet with her, talk about the good old days and learn the wonderful history of the school.
Saskatchewan is full of history and amazing places that have put this province on the map, and I think this is often forgotten when people come to visit.
They see a flat, desert-like landscape, but for those that live here, we see much more.
This is the Land of Living Skies and if you have not seen one, you are missing out on one of the most beautiful natural beauties of living here.
Only here do you see field after field of canola. When it is in bloom, it shines yellow as far as the eye can see and meets the sky. In fact, 12.4 million acres are seeded in canola, which is up nine per cent from last year. It is also where a person will see the largest combines, and not one, but several harvesting in one field. It is an amazing site.
Saskatchewan has over 100,000 lakes and rivers, with Lake Athabasca being the largest.
Did you know that Reindeer Lake is the deepest at 216 metres? It was also season 10's site for the series Alone.
Little Manitou Lake is only 12 feet deep but is five times saltier than the ocean, and Lake Diefenbaker is the largest man-made lake. This lake was filled in 1967.
Did you know that three major rivers empty into Hudson Bay?
For those who think we do not have trees, more than half of Saskatchewan is covered in forest, which is approximately 3,450,000 square kilometres.
The railway track that runs from Stoughton to Regina used to be the longest stretch of straight tracks, which is 137 kilometres.
Moose Mountain Provincial Park is known as the park with art, with the Artist Colony, the Chalet and the many biking and walking trails. They also have great trails for horseback riders.
Cypress Hills is an interprovincial park with its hills rising 1,900 feet above the surrounding terrain, and is the highest point in Saskatchewan.
The area is called a Dark Sky Preserve, which means there is very little unnatural light to impede the beauty of the night skies.
In this province, there is no shortage of wildlife. Common sightings are the white-tailed deer, but drive down a back road and moose or pronghorns could be seen.
Coyotes are always out and about and if one goes to the hills, a black bear could be seen. Elk or cougar may be spotted as well.
Bobcats, lynx and wolves are also active here but not as common to see.
The big mounds of dirt seen in fields or ditches usually belong to badgers and let’s not forget the wild pigs.
Most of these animals are dangerous, so it would be wise to view them from a distance.
Look to the skies and a majestic bald eagle might be flying over or an owl could be sitting on a power pole.
As for history, Leslie Nielsen was born in Regina, professional wrestler Rowdy Roddy Piper was born Saskatoon, where Joni Mitchell grew up, and Brent Butt was born in Tisdale.
Who has gone to see the tunnels of Moose Jaw. It is said to be where Al Capone visited.
There are so many things to go and see, which makes Saskatchewan anything but boring, and if a person still thinks it is, they have not done their homework on the beauty of this province, where the land reaches the sky.
