Saskatchewan

When you travel to Saskatchewan, don't let the name stop you. Sas-kat-chew-an. Say it all fast with the emphasis on the kat. Don't worry about spelling; it's a Cree word that has been re-spelled by Anglos many times. Saskatchewan is a true prairie province and, like its renowned square and rectangular wheat fields, has utterly artificial boundaries. Other provinces have lakes and mountains as barriers. Saskatchewan is between the 49th and 60th parallels with the US, and Northwest Territories, and falls along 101°30' and 102° W and 110° W: surrounded by Manitoba and Alberta. In 1905 both Alberta and Saskatchewan were created; they just celebrated their centennials.

Natives in Saskatchewan go back to at least 10 000 BC; they followed migrating bison. Europeans didn't show up until the late 1600s as part of the fur trade.

In Canadian culture, Saskatchewan is famous for pioneering publicly supported medical care, advance labour laws and civil rights. Tommy Douglas, a former premier, is revered as the "Father of Medicare." He also has a famous grandson: Kiefer Sutherland.

There are seven Saskatchewan Travel Regions.

Regina is Saskatchewan's provincial capital and is also known as the Queen City, but started out with the colourful name of Pile O' Bones, a leftover from the bison hunting days. The site for Regina was treeless; now it has over 350,000 hand-planted trees with a park system.

Sites in the city include RCMP Centennial Museum, Saskatchewan Science Centre/IMAX Theatre, MacKenzie Art Gallery and the Royal Saskatchewan Museum.

In 1882, Christian ministers Livingston and Lake began the "Temperance Colonization Society" which was intended to raise a family in peace with godly morals and standards. Well over a century later, you can judge. Saskatoon is a university town with a good campus. Check out the Western Development Museum, Ukrainian Museum of Canada, Saskatoon Zoo and Wanuskewin Heritage Park.

This part of Saskatchewan includes the scenic Qu'Appelle Valley with the unique rock formations of Roche Percee in the Souris Valley. Moose Mountain is a plateau rising from rolling plains to form a forest. History buffs should investigate Cannington Manor and Last Mountain House Provincial Historic Parks and Motherwell Homestead National Historic Park.

This is cowboy country where you can explore the historic trails of outlaws and Mounted Police. Key parks and sites include Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, Saskatchewan Landing, Buffalo Pound, Douglas Provincial Park, Grasslands National Park, Wood Mountain Post Provincial Historic Park. Towns in this area include Moose Jaw and Swift Current. Don't miss the T.Rex Discovery Centre in Eastend, St. Victor's Petroglyphs and Big Muddy Badlands.

Check out Manitou Springs Resort for a great mineral spa. The major towns are Yorkton, Humboldt, Melfort and Melville. For provincial parks visit Wildcat, Greenwater Lake and Duck Mountain.

In the part of the province, you will find the Wanuskewin Heritage Park and learn about 6000 years of Plains Indian culture. North of Saskatoon, Batoche and Battleford National Historic Sites and Fort Carlton and Fort Pitt Provincial Historic Parks tell the story of the North West Resistance of 1885. This region includes Saskatoon, North Battleford and Lloydminster.

Where the rest of Saskatchewan focuses on prairies, the north of Saskatchewan is all about boreal forest and lakes. Prince Albert, featuring Prince Albert National Park, is the base from which your north Saskatchewan vacation would centre. West of Prince Albert is Meadow Lake Provincial Park with hundreds of campsites

A Saskatchewan vacation has more options than many people, even Canadians, know about.