Prairie Towns

The settlers of the prairies often used the natural surroundings of their location to name their towns.  Maple Creek was named because of the many maples that grew along the creek.  Drought has played havoc with all the trees in the southern part of the prairies, so many of the trees are now dead.  Their skeletons are silhouettes against blue skies, like sculptures to past hopes and dreams.  Walking downtown in this little community, it is difficult to believe that at one time 600 car loads of settlers disembarked here, to begin their new lives with longings for a better future.  It was a hard-scramble life making a living farming in the dry lands.

The drive to Fort Walsh goes along a twisting road that passes large wild grass pastures with free ranging cattle and horses enlivening the views.

The Fort was built in 1887 and housed the North West Mounted Police. The need was seen for a fort when whiskey traders from the USA slaughtered 27 natives (mostly elders, women and children, since the braves were out hunting), for a perceived horse theft.  Between that and the out of control whiskey trade in Fort Whoop Up, the Canadian government wanted to bring law to the frontier.  The fort's commander, James Morrow Walsh, was a builder and a just man.  When Chief Sitting Bull and 5000 of his Lakota tribe crossed the border seeking sanctuary after their victory over Custard's troops at Little Big Horn, Walsh greeted and welcomed them.  A mutual respect and trust developed between the two leaders.  

Back in Ottawa, John MacDonald, wanting to free the nation of "that indian problem", set in motion the mass slaughter of the herds of bison, the mainstay for the Nakota and Lakota people.  Food became scarce and government rations to the tribes, even scarcer, as the government tried to force assimilation. Meanwhile, the USofA government was nervous about the Lakota's and wished them under their control.  They sent Commissioner Terry to invite Chief Sitting Bull to return.  Chief Bull didn't trust the Americans and refused.  But after 5 years of dwindling food sources and sickness among his people, he resigned himself to returning, in hopes there were still bison south of the border.

Fort Walsh only operated 8 years, and was then dismantled.  Useful wood and construction pieces were sold off to the railway or local settlements.  The fort was reconstructed in the 1940s. The RCMP repurposed the location and nearby Remount Ranch were used to house and train the horses for the Musical Ride.

At the Fort, we are welcomed by period costumed guides who fill us in on the history and background.  The women are delightful locals, who enjoy their job and make the tour interesting.

We walk along the Metis trail.  Outside the fort there once were encampments of Lakota's teepees and Metis log houses.  It's lovely and peaceful to walk through the aromatic poplars and sage, admiring the small wild flowers and resting on a well appointed swing beside the creek.

Nearby, over another set of twisty roads, and to the greenness of Cypress Hills.  This oddity is a forest of pines and spruce formed when glaciers surrounded it and melted slowly in the valley.  It feels out of place in the barren landscape, a refreshing oasis for tree lovers.  We brought our grandson here when he was 8.  He turned 34 on June 5.   So it's been awhile.

Even mother goose knows a fine place to start her family.

After two days, we move on.  Pass through Swift Current, another town named for it's natural location.  Unfortunately with the prolonged drought, most of the creeks and streams have dried to trickles.  The few small lakes are now shrunken and surrounded by crusty white alkali, a basic salt in the soil.   

As we drive towards Moose Jaw, we see clouds of white dust blown high into the sky.  Whiter than smoke, we wonder at it, until we come to Chaplin Lake.  Here the ditches are sparkling white. No, it's not snow in June, but mounds of pure salt. Sifto has set up a plant at Morse to process this for our kitchens. 

Moose Jaw welcomes visitors with "The Tallest Moose in Canada", Mac.

Strong winds move in overnight, gale force it feels and in the area tree branches break.  The small wooden gazebo in our campsite  comes crashing down.

We opt for indoor things, and find the local library.  This fabulous building filled with marble columns was built by local business men at the cost of $100,000.  They raised the money when Carnagie, known for his philanthropic library buildings across North America, didn't believe the town was the size claimed and refused the $50,000 usually given.  The town did itself proud, as this library has stood the test of time and is a true beauty.

Before returning to the camper we brave the winds and take a moment to appreciate the various wood carvings in their Crescent Park.  Several of the pine trees had died, and rather than just cut them totally down, they invited local artists to create something from the remaining stump.  The results are inspiring and makes me wonder why we ever cut down trees when this is possible.

Moose Jaw is famous for its underground tunnels.  At one time the downtown area was heated by steam, and the steam engineers had to check on them regularly in winter.  This meant climbing into a steamy wet manhole, to check the boilers, then returning to the snowy freezing street.  Many men got ill, so it was decided to build a series of underground tunnels to adjoin the boilers of each building.  The original tunnels would have been rough hewn, and small, requiring you to scurry through like a sewer rat.  When they we abandoned, locals found other uses.  

The tunnels were expanded by the rum runners, as places for speakeasy entertainment and storage of booze during prohibition.  There's speculation that Al Capone and his gang may have also used them.  Local business men discovered the tunnels could house their indentured Chinese labourers, keeping them below ground and out of sight to live and to work the laundries,etc.  After the railway was completed, hundreds of Chinese men didn't have the resources to buy passage home to China, so they moved into small towns in the prairies looking for work.  And, during the Cold War, the tunnels were considered to be as possible  bunkers, a place to go in case of a nuclear attack, although this never truly happened. 

Tourism Moose Jaw now offers three guided tours into the tunnels.  We haven't taken one in 20 years, so decide on couple.  We choose the Passage to Fortune, and Bunker 24.  In the first one, we learn again about racism and the poor treatment Chinese workers received.  Many spent whole weeks underground, in cramped quarters, eating, sleeping and working in the laundry.  Because they were desperate, they were easily taken advantage of by the business owners.  But many persisted, and we learn of a man who worked 14 years to realize his dream to open a herbalist shop.  His great grand-daughter is now a pharmacist in Moose Jaw and shared his story via video.

The Bunker Tour pretends we are recruits to become CIA spies.  We learn about the decoding machines, spy watch, and anxiety that fueled the Cold War in the late '40's and 50's, when Russia successfully launched its sputnik.  This gave Russia the upper hand in surveillance and the ability to deliver a nuclear bomb to North America.  At one time 66,000 people were on the 'Communist Watchlist".  The CIA particularly didn't fancy Tommy Douglas and the CCF party, finding their socialist ideas too close to Communism for their liking.  Canada initiated a propaganda machine telling citizens that the threat of a Russian attack was real and that Communism must not get a hold on Canada.  The videos they developed for this purpose are now humorous, but the reality of falsely based propaganda still thrives today.  Perhaps even  more so with the access to social media and computers.

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A Dog Tale

As we wait for the tours to begin, I chat with a senior man who has an adorable fluffy little service dog.  He shares his story with me.  Two and half years ago, one of his daughters convinced them to get a puppy to replace a long-time older pet dog, who had died.   They brought the pup home and a week later, their eldest son suicided.  The gentleman shared his grief, telling me that there are days their little dog has been a life saver, forcing them to get out of bed and continue living even when their hearts aren't in it.  He went on to tell me they have 5 other children and 10 grandkids.  I think how some goodbyes are heart breaking but how an affectionate lick of unconditional love can help make the moment a bit more bearable.

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The camper sways and fights the wind all the way to Regina, but on Monday, June 9, we awake to a calm day.  What a treat to return to the peacefulness of not being buffeted about.   The skies continue to be clear here, as we take a walk around Wascana Lake in Regina's version of Central Park.  This park has always been plagued with too many geese, but they seem under better control than in previous years. 

It's our day to tour the Legislature Building.  Again, it's been many years since previous visits, and it is good to refresh our memories.  The interior of this building houses marble from 60 places around the world.  It is spectacular as only polished marble can be, coming in its many variations. 

June 10/Tuesday:  We awake to our first smoky day.  CBC tells us the smoke is moving in from Alberta and BC fires.  We decide on indoor events.  The RCMP Museum is situated in an airy modern building.  we review the origins and history of Canada's national police force.

 

Next stop is the MacKenzie Art Gallery.  We have visited this site many times over the years. The main display is a series of art works entitled: Make America Red Again.  The display is a collection of Native art, mostly contemporary and often with the subtle humour we have come to expect from First Nations people we have known.  Of course, taking inside pictures isn't approved but we are permitted one more picture of Saskatchewan artist, Joe Fafard's.....

Today we head to Saskatoon.  Our old Stomping Grounds await.