Backroads Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan has us enamoured. With much history to explore and friendly folks, it’s a place to catch one’s breath, feel at home and revel in its sheer (and sometimes stark) beauty. There’s broad fields of gold, a charming street in some little village or stand there and stare at an historic grain elevator and know what it is to find heaven. Given our busy schedule we don’t visit near often enough (a good argument to have us cloned) but when we do, we go all in. Sleep will come later, there’s things to do and see in the land of living skies.

Taking us back to last summer (hopelessly behind as always), we’re operating out of of our home base in picturesque Wolseley. We’re here on assignment to take in the town’s Drive-In Theatre, a business going back to the 1950s. That’s a post delayed till Covid is behind us, by the way. With time to burn beforehand comes a decision…what to do? That’s super easy…the road calls! We simply point ourselves in a direction, with no plans or expectations and when done many happy hours later, we’re back where we started. Our pleasure level: pig in poop.

This is not deep history project, just random things that caught our attention as we drove about, with maybe a little backstory here and there. It’s a casual, fun piece, where we don’t have to work too hard. Unbutton the shirt and view the world with wonder. Now, let’s take a look at what we saw.

1) Only the grain elevator remains.

1-2) File this under remote, a lonely grain elevator found in some farmer’s field off a little used road. Dating back over a century it’s been abandoned for almost half that. A rail line used to pass on the far side, but it too is long gone with scant evidence to show it was ever there. The elevator earlier belonged to Maple Leaf Mills, then later the mighty Saskatchewan Wheat Pool, a farmer owner cooperative and once the biggest grain firm in the country. It’s said there was a town of sorts here, but it probably didn’t amount to more than a couple buildings at best.

3-4) This 1955 Dodge Regent, a Canada only model. It’s basically a Plymouth with Dodge trim made from 1951-1959 over several model-generations. That decade chrome was king and even this low cost offering had its share. To see a 1957 Regent, with (wait for it) tail fins (!!!!) AND in BIGDoer colours (!!!!) go here: Dunshalt Bunkhouse.

5) Three in retirement, (L to R) an early-’50s Chrysler and two Mercuries, one early ’70s and the other late ’50s. Saskatchewan is an old car hot spot. We wonder the history of these rides and any plans the owner might have for them. Many times these old cars simply sit and rust away, but here who knows? No one was about so questions remain unanswered.

6) On Main and Railway in Glenavon. Many prairie towns has two streets so named and they always marked the most important intersection. Down by the tracks (CNR secondary line) it’s an iconic grain elevator. Wood ones are still pretty common in the province, although each years there’s a few less.

7) The Sportsman’s Inn Glenavon. A small town hotel is a must-stop for us. Yummy food and ice cold brew + chatting with locals = one good time. According to those serving us the building goes back to 1910.

8-10) This massive engine once worked at a pipeline pumping station nearby. It’s an Alco V16 from the 1950s. Not just for locomotives, these also found work in generating or pumping plants, drove drilling machinery and powered ships. Look at the sheer size of it and imagine the din made when at full throttle, One of four at the plant in which it operated these were expected to run twenty four seven for months on end without break. And now this one sits in the middle of a children’s playground.

11) On some forgotten Main Street, this former business. In the early days, the small towns scattered across the province held much promise but now many are a shadow of their former selves. Those heady days of old and now it’s silence. No one want to live outside the big city and so these tiny prairie towns wither and when the last few inhabitants pass on, it’s curtains.

12) A steel-wheeled McCormick-Deering. A division of International Harvester, this line was offered from the 1920s-1950s. This appears to be an early to mid-1930s example. Rubber tires became universally accepted later that decade. They’re much easier on the bum for one!

14) Across the tracks remains of an old grain elevator. The green-ish shade tells us this one belonged to Cargill Grain Company a fair sized player in the industry. Company colours were a way to distinguish you from the competition.

15-17) A building losing its battle with time. In town once bustling and full of activity, it’s a former place of business (looks very general store like) this weathered reminder of a once busier era. So many untold stories here, if only we knew. Who’s to chronicle them? Probably no one I guess. We have the enthusiasm but lack the resources. Will this building be there when next we return? Will it collapse soon?

18-21) At Calvary Memorial Shrine built in the 1980s. It’s witness to a yearly pilgrimage but otherwise is quiet and empty here at a crossroads.

22) A shout out to a certain friend whose obsession with hay bales rivals that of us and Bolers. He knows who he is. Those silly things that captivate us. Here, we capture one in the wild, timid and unmoving after being separated from the herd. Shhh, move slow or it’ll spook. That’s not the mighty BIGDoer-mobile but a lowly rental got at a killer price, abused, drag-raced, bag-driven, doughnuts done and then returned with a cheeky smile…”there’s a knock in the engine…by the way.”

23) Holy Family Catholic Church, Odessa. Given the French backgrounds of many early settlers in the area, Catholic Churches are common. This one’s much bigger than one would expect for a small town of this size.

24-25) Reminding us to have a great day, this former rail car turned billboard. Triple DDD? So that’s DDDDDDDDD, right?

26) The Holy Apostles St’s Peter and Paul church built in the 1950s. While these style of “onion dome” churches (typically Eastern Orthodox) are more often seen in northern sections of the province, they can be found elsewhere too.

27-28) This stack is all that remains of a coal-fired power plant in Indian Head that operated for a few decades in early twentieth century. The structure looks true and solid, a testament to those skilled craftsman that built it.

29) The Money Express is made from a GMC Old Look bus. This model was produced from the 1940s to the late 1960s, in many sizes and configurations. What’s with the destination sign? No idea. Was this fodder for a motorhome conversion? Perhaps, but these old buses are not great at highway speeds. Can you say redline at eighty clicks?

30) Indian Head has a fairly modern grain elevator to the right, and across the tracks something older and wooden. Derail: a device to stop runaway railcars. Located on industry sidings, it puts errant ones on the ground before they pick up speed and do more damage down the line. CPR runs a lot of trains along this stretch of track.

2) And now it stands alone in a field.

31) This “twined” elevator in Sintaluta dates from the 1920s and 1960s. Note the Canada 1867-1967 Centennial Logo on the tallest section. This one’s owned by a farmer and used for storage but formerly belonged to the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool.

32-33) Another set of twins (when two once separated elevators are moved and joined to become one operationally), has elements that date to the mid-1950s and the early-1900s! The latter is the brown/green section and is currently the oldest elevator in the province. It still displays a faded National Grain Company logo, circa 1940s-1970s. Later belonging to Cargill Grain (hence the green), today it’s privately owned and used for seed cleaning and grain storage. We’ve toured some other oldies from pre-1910 closer to home (examples here: Alberta’s oldest grain elevators and here: Grain Elevators of DeWinton).

And with this so comes an end to this fun little adventure. Taking it easy, it’s seeing things in a fanciful way and not all stuffy and serious like as we’re sometimes apt to do. Love road trips like…it’s freedom. For some places seen, we hope one day to make a return and take a closer more in depth look. If we can swing it. If Budget (and Avis, Enterprise, Discount, et al.) takes off the blacklist.

Till next time, it’s happy travels.

They’re saying…

”I love their explorations and adventures! Especially those with the history behind them.” Hanna Wylie.

More random wanderings…
Take The Backroad Home.
A Stop or Two Along The Way.
Stops Along the Way….

If you wish more information on what you’ve seen here, by all means contact us!

Date of Adventure: August, 2019.
Location(s): Eastern Saskatchewan Backroads.
Article references and thanks: Jim Pearson @ Vanishing Sentinels, Jason Sailer, Allpar.com.
If you visit any of these places, please be respectful.

3) This 1950s Dodge Regent,

4) It’s a Canada only model.

5) The three amigos.

6) At Main & Railway.

7) The Sportsman’s Inn.

8) On display, this huge engine.

9) It was once used at a pumping station.

10) These were commonly used in locomotives.

11) It’s an “Alco” 244.

12) Hanging with ghosts.

13) No worrying about a flat.

14) Grain elevator remains.

15) A former business, long empty.

16) Soon to be no more.

17) With a broken back.

18) At the Calvary Memorial Shrine.

19) Not all that long ago.

20) Once a year there’s a pilgrimage here.

21) On opening a door.

22) For a certain friend.

23) Holy Family Church, Odessa.

24) An old rail car turned billboard.

25) Have a great day!

26) In Montmartre.

27) A former power plant.

28) All that remains is the stack.

29) The $$$ Express.

30) Down by the tracks.

31) Taking us back to Canada’s Centennial.

32) And not far away.

33) The old “National” logo still shows.