As part of Matador’s partnership with Canada where journalists show how to explore Canada like a local, Jeff Bartlett brings back some serious inspiration from Saskatchewan.
I’M THE FIRST TO ADMIT I didn’t know much about Saskatchewan except that it was home to both Old Time Pilsner and the rowdiest CFL fans in Canada. I’d driven through the province once, following the TransCanada highway from Winnipeg to Edmonton through a seemingly endless stretch of farmland. Even Tourism Saskatchewan’s advertising slogan, Saskatchewan — Hard to Spell, Easy to Draw — plays on its flat reputation.
After a week spent a few hundred kilometres north of Saskatoon, where the prairies cede territory to the Canadian Shield, all my provincial prejudices were erased. 
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1. There are many roads, but not so many routes.
An ironic fact about Saskatchewan: it's home to more kilometres of road than any other Canadian province, yet there are few roads north. Floatplanes remain the most efficient means of transport.
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2. They're called "living skies" for a reason.
The slogan "Land of Living Skies" is stenciled onto Saskatchewan license plates. And even though the province receives more sunshine than anywhere else in Canada, I watched thunderstorms play out dramatic scenes each afternoon.
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3. It isn't flat.
Saskatchewan isn't just prairies. The majority of the province sits on the Canadian Shield, which stretches from the Great Lakes to the Arctic Ocean. The thick bedrock is covered in boreal forest and lakes.Intermission
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4. This is canoe country.
Home to 100,000 lakes, Saskatchewan is prime canoeing territory and nobody knows the rivers, lakes, and portages like Churchill River Canoe Outfitters owner Ric Driediger. He's been guiding trips in the province for nearly 40 years and he isn't shy about sharing the area's secrets with any canoeist heading out on an adventure.
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5. The province played a major part in the fur trade.
The fur trade helped shape Saskatchewan's history since the first European, Henry Kelsey, arrived in 1690 and it isn't dead yet. Traditional trap lines are passed down through families from one generation to the next and many still spend their winters in the bush, trapping wolverines, pine martin, wolves, and beaver. The Robertson Trading Post plays the role of wholesaler to an emerging Asian market.
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6. Chainsaws are for more than cutting firewood.
Hand-worked log cabins are common along trap lines and on remote lakeshores. Not to be confused with log homes, these log cabins were built by leaseholders with few tools more precise than a chainsaw.
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7. Canoeists are assisted by "traffic signs" on the river, courtesy the Cree nation.
Rock paintings are common along the Churchill River. This one warns of the upcoming rapids pictured on the left.
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8. The oldest building in Saskatchewan is an Anglican church.
The Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Stanley Mission is the oldest standing building in Saskatchewan. Although the town has moved across the Churchill River, religious services still take places at the church. It is also protected as both a provincial heritage property and historic site.
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When I drove across Canada, everyone told me to skip the prairies and drive through the US. But nobody told me about the prairie skies. I was enthralled the whole way! Amazing.
The skies are amazing. It is a shame so many people, myself included, cruise right through. Los to see there!
My great-grandfather was a guide in Northern Saskatchewan, my dad met my mom when he moved up there to fly those little planes, and you seem to have missed out on the tiny wild strawberries and the blueberry season— in which you will pour handfuls of berries into your mouth and fill up huge buckets in an afternoon with the tiny berries. love it!
i love that story!
Awesome. They were having a dry summer up north, so the berry season wasn’t too good. Next time?
I moved to China a few years ago after growing up in Saskatchewan. This makes me realize that I miss home more that I thought I did.
Thank you so much for this article. I grew up in southern Saskatchewan and now live in Edmonton. There is just nothing more peaceful and ‘home’ to me than the flat prairie, but I enjoy being reminded of what else Saskatchewan has to offer. Thanks again. This made my day.
Rhonda – thanks for posting this. SK will always be home.
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