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Our Motto: Home is, where our RV is.
Travel Journal August 2009
Area of operation
Travel Journal August 2009 (begins in Vonda, Saskatchewan)
- The month of August began with a party. As reported in July, we were invited to a beach party at a nearby lake.
We understood that it was a town party but after arriving we found out it was a private function, held on the
lakeside property of Peter Boyenko, who had extended the invitation to Renée while at the town office. He had
his motorhome parked there, along with pavilions and tables for the guests. Beer, wine and some hard stuff were
provided. There was also a large dance floor (a remnant of an earlier dance hall) with music in the background.
We were somewhat the attraction for many, since we were the new people in town and they found our lifestyle so
interesting. We sat and talked to Peter, his wife, her brother and the brother’s wife (see photos) for quite a
while and would probably have had a great evening but suddenly a very heavy rain began to pour down.
The lake was about three miles down a dirt road and as soon as the rain began, people started leaving since the
road was impassable after a heavy downfall. We were sure that we would make it out with the truck but we
followed others with the assurance that we would rescue them if needed. Renée also suddenly remembered that
all of the windows in the RV were left open. As we left, it was getting quite muddy and slippery, but fortunately
no one needed our help. As we arrived back at the RV, the rain stopped and again, fortunately, the awnings and
the direction from which it rained prevented us from being flooded.
The following day we spent getting ready for our departure and on Monday, August 3rd, we left Vonda. It was a
Canadian holiday (Civic day) and the local service station was closed. We could only hope that we would find one
open on the way. We took the gravel road via Prud’homme to get to Saskatchewan Highway 2 and on to Prince
Albert. The main highway was so bad that it was much easier driving on the gravel roads. On the way to Prince
Albert, we found an open service station in Wakaw. Upon arrival in Prince Albert we stopped at the visitor’s
bureau and took a break to visit the two adjoining museums; one a schoolhouse and the other a police museum (see
photos). We were shocked to learn that the Canadian penal institutions continued to use such severe methods of
corporal punishment up into the 1960’s (see photos).
After the museum visit we crossed the North Saskatchewan River in Prince Albert and turned onto Highway 55
East toward Weirdale. From Vonda to Weirdale was only about 100 miles but appeared much longer due to the
poor condition of the roads. A few days before, Chuck had called the post office in Weirdale to verify that a
campground did exist. The lady was very friendly and told him to take a left on the highway and if we couldn’t
find the campground, to stop at the post office. As we arrived, the sign on the highway told us to turn right
instead of left. But following her directions we found Weirdale but couldn’t find the campground. There was a
hotel and the Canada Post office nearby, and both were closed. Just as we were about to leave a couple came out
of the rear door of the post office. The lady was whom Chuck had spoken to on the phone. They showed us the
campground a few streets back and almost directly behind the post office. It was the town park with a small
playground and the campground. There were log cabin-style pavilions, an outhouse, electricity, a clay oven; and a
sign that camping was $8.oo a night. The water faucet was there but a pipe had burst the winter before and had
not been repaired. It was extremely difficult to park because there was no space to maneuver between the
playground and the campground, so we parked sideways along the dirt road. A hundred feet away was the town
water pump house and we ran a hose to it for fresh water. Before we finished setting up, the lady from the post
office (Rolena) came by to officially welcome us to Weirdale and brought a potato dish made from freshly
harvested potatoes from her garden! In the conversation that followed she remarked that the campground was
seldom visited. We pointed out that the sign on the highway said to make a right turn, which we learned went to a
private campground. She, and apparently no one else in the town had noticed it. If Chuck had not called
beforehand, we would also have turned right and never found the little campground that we had to ourselves for
over a week!
As we started the satellite search, we discovered that we were no longer able to get a sufficient signal. Chuck
called and they switched us to another satellite, but it was also out of range. We would be without Internet until
we moved southward or found a WiFi signal that was not encrypted.
The first night in Weirdale was quite cool for August, and during the day never reached higher than 62°F. The
first full day it rained which kept the temperature down. That evening Rolena and her husband, Jim, came by to
visit. The following morning we drove to Prince Albert National Park, taking a laptop with us in the event that we
might find a WiFi connection. We drove along with Net Stumbler running and suddenly in the middle of nowhere,
we found an unencrypted signal. We pulled down our email, visited a few necessary sites such as our bank, then
took a drive through the park along Lake Waskesiu with Lobo (see photos) and then walked through the village.
On the return trip we stopped and climbed a look-out viewing stand, where we had a picnic (see photos). We
then drove to the city of Prince Albert, did a little shopping, had supper and went home.
The following morning Chuck got the bicycles down and performed a little maintenance so they could be ridden. A
short while later he heard a shot come from the forest beside us. Renée came out and said that she thought it
came from one of the houses. A man came out of one of the houses. He had also heard it and came out to check
on his young son who was playing outside. No one could pinpoint the location of the single shot but everyone was
certain that it sounded like a gunshot. Later as Renée decided to leave on her bicycle she found that the gunshot
was from the rear tire on her bike. The inner tube had exploded shortly after Chuck had pumped it up, gave it a
test ride and parked it. Yet everyone was positive that it had been a gun shot! Renée couldn’t use her bike so she
walked to Rolena and they had a long conversation where she learned a lot about Saskatchewan and Canada. She
also got tips about local sights to see which can’t be found in tourist brochures. One of these sights was a nearby
lake that gives the optical illusion that the water level is much higher on one end than the other (see photos). This
is hard to discern in a photo but when standing beside the lake, one has the feeling that the water level is tilted
upward on one end. On the way back Renée took a walk with Lobo and picked a wildflower bouquet (see photos).
The following day we drove to Candle Lake (see photos) and then on to Prince Albert to buy a new inner tube.
That evening Rolena picked up Renée and took her to see a spectacular Saskatchewan sunset (see photos).
On Saturday Renée took a ride on her bike, dropping by to visit Rolena and to inquire about the Polka Fest in the
next village, Meath Park, which Rolena had mentioned to her earlier. Rolena volunteers for these community
events and also had the tickets to sell. We have never been to a Polka Fest and decided to see what we had been
missing. The Polka Fests are held all over the provinces and people who like to dance follow the circuit in their
RV’s. Local curling rinks or gymnasiums are rented for the event. Local communities will sponsor the event with
food and refreshments served and the proceeds support community youth programs. Local kids work in the
kitchen and adults run the bar and cash register. The dancing goes on almost non-stop over the weekend with
either locally supplied musicians or those that follow the circuit. Since we don’t dance we made a film instead
(see photos). It also gave us a chance to savor some of the local dishes that have a Ukrainian touch. Dinner
consisted of borscht, Perogies, cabbage rolls, ham and sour cream.
On Sunday Renée was baking bread as Rolena came by to visit. One of the loaves was destined for her since she
and her husband had been so nice to us. Jim had given Renée a beautiful pendant which he had made out of a slice
of elk antler, decorated with a tiny maple leaf. Rolena always had some goodies from her kitchen or something
new to show us about the area. Of particular note was how the entire province was originally partitioned up with
roads north to south and east to west at one mile intervals. Not all of the roads are still in use but as you drive
down a road you can see the beginning of a road every mile. This is nice to judge distances but Canada switched
to the metric system several years ago.
On August 10th the sun was shining and the temperature rose into the 80’s. We celebrated Chuck’s birthday at
the Northern Lights Casino in Prince Albert. Afterwards, Chuck won $5.00 on a one-armed bandit. We also
found a WiFi connection where we could catch up on the email.
August 11th was pack-up day. Renée made a thank you card on the computer for Rolena and her husband and
gave it to them. Rolena was so touched that she framed it and put it on the shelf beside the picture of her, her
daughter and Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
For the night of August 11-12, the meteor shower was supposed to be at its best for our location, and since we
were at a location with very little pollution from artificial light, it would be quite spectacular. But it wasn’t to be.
Although the day was clear and sunny, it quickly became cloudy after sunset.
The following morning it was again sunny and after saying our good-byes to Rolena and Jim, we left Weirdale in
the early afternoon, driving to Smeaton, then north on Highway 106. After traveling about 120 miles, we reached
Deschambault Lake campground and spent the night there. This portion of the Canadian boreal forest has too
many lakes to count and there at Deschambault Lake we once again experienced a breathtaking sunset (see
photos). It almost makes the mosquitoes bearable!
The following day we drove on to Creighton, which is on the Saskatchewan border with Manitoba. Flin Flon is the
first town in Manitoba. We found a campground on Lake Amisk, southwest of Creighton in a community called
Denare Beach. On the way there from Creighton, the GPS suddenly showed the end of all roads, as if we had
driven off the edge of the earth! After about 12 miles, we found the Bayside campground with WiFi! It was a
very weak signal but at least we had Internet most of the time for a week.
During our week’s stay at Denare Beach, we visited the museums at Denare Beach, Creighton and Flin Flon. We
also attempted a visit to a ghost town on the Sturgeon Weir River but were unsuccessful since the bridge no
longer exists. Nearby is a sight that is not well known and not publicized but quite spectacular: limestone
crevices ranging from 20 to 40 feet deep in the forest (see photos). A fall into one of these could be quite
dangerous and with little possibility of being rescued, the visitor’s bureau won’t even mention it as a sight to visit
unless you ask about it. We had the good fortune of being informed by Rolena, who knew of them from previous
visits to Creighton.
Flin Flon is a mining town for copper and zinc with many nearby lakes being a major fisherman’s attraction. Flin
Flon also has a very unusual sight to see: sewer boxes. Since the town was built on the rock formations, the
sewer lines could not be placed underground. So, throughout the town are long wooden “boxes” that cover the
water and sewer lines (see photos).
About this time it suddenly occurred to us that since July 10th when we arrived in Canada, we had not seen any
vehicles with US plates, and had not come into contact with any Americans. As we left Saskatchewan, we
remarked that its residents were the friendliest people we had met since the beginning of our travels.
On August 20th we left Saskatchewan, driving through Flin Flon and south to The Pas. The campground in The Pas
no longer exists, having been replaced with a supermarket. Combined with a lot of misinformation from their
visitor’s bureau, we determined that the only place to spend the night was the Aseneskak Casino parking lot. We
were awoken the following morning by a large grader that was leveling the gravel parking lot (it needed it). We
were sitting on the edge of the lot and fortunately the driver said that we wouldn’t have to move since it was
relatively level there. After breakfast we drove on to Swan River. Here we found the Green Acres
campground with full hookups, reasonable weekly rates (Cdn$118.15) and we were again far enough south for
satellite Internet! We spent ten days there and they began with a stink of ammonia in the kitchen. We assumed
that a bottle top had loosened up so Renée pulled out all of the cleaning supplies but found nothing. Since we now
had Internet, Chuck did a search based on a hunch (the refrigerator was thawing out) and found that the
refrigerator uses an ammonia based mixture for cooling. We immediately contacted a local refrigeration
repairman who said that these systems could not be serviced by anyone except specialty dealers such as RV
service centers. The nearest was in Brandon, over 200 miles away. To keep our groceries from spoiling we
decided to buy an apartment sized refrigerator, running it on the inverter while on the road until we could get
the RV refrigerator serviced. Contacting the dealer in Brandon, we found that the cost of repair was close to
the cost of a new refrigerator and in Canada would be more than the cost of the newer models in Elkhart, IN.
The newer version fits into the same space but has 25% more capacity. We opted to stick with the small
refrigerator until we get to Indiana in November.
Swan River will always be remembered as the town second to none for the number of Second Streets and
Second Avenues. We counted up to eight versions of Second North, South, Northwest, Southwest, etc. The
intersection next to the campground was Second Ave W at Second St SW (see photos).
We stayed at Green Acres over the weekend since it was the last weekend before school started and we
anticipated that campgrounds would be full. There was also a Harvest Festival in Swan River at the museum
grounds (see photos). Fresh bread that was baked in the clay ovens was for sale but was sold out quite early.
We wanted to eat supper there but it was also sold out so we decided to eat in town at a Canadian-Chinese
restaurant. It was a surprisingly good meal!
On August 31st we left Swan River and drove south to Dauphin, Manitoba. Dauphin is a nice little town with a
beautiful city park and campground with swimming pool, bike trails, picnic areas and much more. It was very clean
and well kept. We wanted to stay a week but there was only one full hookup site available and it was crammed
between two other sites. Since we had a full fresh water tank and empty holding tanks, we chose the open
grassed area with only electricity and spent three nights there.
The following has nothing to do with our travels but occurred while we were in Canada and we found it quite
amusing:
OTTAWA - A bumble by the Prime Minister's Office has residents of Nunavut alternately chuckling and
cringing.
A news release sent out Monday outlined Prime Minister Stephen Harper's itinerary as he began a five-
day Arctic tour.
The release repeatedly spelled the capital of Nunavut as Iqualuit - rather than Iqaluit, which means "many
fish" in the Inuktitut language.
The extra "u" makes a world of difference.
"It means people with unwiped bums," said Sandra Inutiq of the office of the Languages Commissioner of
Nunavut.
"It's not exactly a nice term."
Inutiq said people who speak Inuktitut are sometimes offended or even angered when non-northerners
incorrectly spell the name of their capital.
The Prime Minister's Office was apologetic, calling the gaffe a human error that might actually teach
Canadians an important lesson about spelling mistakes.
"Hopefully this unfortunate typo, which we have corrected, will inform the greater public that there is no
(extra) 'u' in Iqaluit," said Harper spokesman Dimitri Soudas.
"We obviously strive to have the highest possible standard in terms of spelling and grammar... When
typos do occur, and we notice them, we either issue a revised advisory or immediately correct it."
He pointed out that at least one story from The Canadian Press, published on Dec. 8, misspelled Iqaluit
with an extra "u."
The initial release was replaced on the PMO website by early Tuesday, but not before being noticed by
some northern bloggers, many of whom were incensed by the mistake.
At least one suggested that the person who wrote the release should lose their job, while some merely
ridiculed the author.
Inutiq estimated that nearly half of the correspondence received by her office has Iqaluit misspelled.
"I just received an invitation from a university who did the same," she said.
A quick search of Google on Tuesday revealed more than 100,000 online pages with some reference to
the improperly spelled version.
Known as Frobisher Bay prior to 1987, the city on the south coast of Baffin Island was named capital of
Nunavut when the territory was created in 1999.
That’s it for August.
To be continued…
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