Wascana Trails

The Wascana Trails are located NW of Regina along a deep ravine in the Qu'Appelle River Valley. They are part of the Wascana Valley Nature Recreation Site, covering 15km of varied terrain of hills with steep and winding ascents and descents providing excellent views of the river valley.

Wheelchair access by hand cycle on North America's first off-road hand cycle trail.


Directions from Trailpeak.com:

"Go NW of Regina on Highway #11 about 10.5km past where it turns off of Albert (#6). Turn West on secondary Highway 734. At 7.7km where the Highway takes a hard right to the N, go straight (watch for cars as I KNOW you'll be thinking of singletrack) down the gravel road. Another 1.8km (around a couple left hand turns) and you will find the well marked parking lot. There are a few signs on the way so you won't get lost."


Research: TourismSaskatchewan dot com

Photo Credit: davidgane CC=nc-nd-flickr. CLICK TO ENLARGE.

Tenancies (2)

After a somewhat lengthy delay the landlord tribunal is being held on Wednesay where the tenants of the apartment complex will hopefully find resolution in rent reduction, as well as the proper repairs to their units (preferably in a timely manner). It has been a time consuming endeavour to collect tenant signatures in order to obtain a city grant to fund a paralegal to attend.

UPDATE: 17JULY13 - Through mediation at the Ontario Landlord and Tenant Tribunal our Tenant Assocation has obtained retro-active rent reduction on the rent increase over the guidelines, as well as positive feedback on working together to provide satisfactory resolutions on repairs to units.

This photo is of an old farmstead on the central plains in Saskatchewan.

 Photo Credit: kiwehowin CC=nc-nd-flickr.

Tenancies

It has been one of those weeks for the last month, where as a member of a tenant association, the time I usually spend on more pertinent matters such as this blog, book reviews and writing, has been on issues related to general maintenance combined with preparation for a tribunal hearing.

If life were much simpler, as in the photo above, of an abandoned homestead in south-west Saskatchewan. Of course, from its state new housing is in order and imminent. Hopefully this will not be the case with the apartment complex I live in.


Photo Credit: toddraden CC=nc-flickr.

Bench of the Week (29) - Saskatoon

This bench is located along the South Saskatchewan River that flows through Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The South Saskatchwan River joins the North Saskatchewan River in Prince Albert, to the north.


RuneE of Visual Norway has an informal meme of Bench of the Week. Please visit his site to locate other participants.


Photo Credit: Daryl Mitchell CC=nc-sa-flickr. Click to enlarge.

Zen Garden

Innovation Place is a research park located at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, and situated on 80 acres. This zen garden with a small pond and waterfall is an excellent place to enjoy the summer, while in winter the pond serves as a skating rink.







UPDATE: Chris from Iceland inquired about the types of birds in Saskatoon. A perfect place to visit is Nick Saunders of Saskatchewan Birds, Nature and Scenery.

Photo Credits: Jordon CC=nc-sa-flickr. Click to enlarge the photos.

My Town Monday - Samuel B. Steele - Fort Walsh

[1-Cypress Hills]

Fort Walsh became the headquarters of the North-West Mounted Police in 1878, with its beginnings as a fur trading post in 1873. The fort is named after Superintendent James Walsh . The fort was later moved to Maple Creek, Saskatchewan where the railroad was. The fort was used in 1948 to 1962 for the RCMP to breed horses for the musical ride and the force.


[2- Historic Site - Fort Walsh at Cypress Hills Provincial Park]




[3 - Fort Walsh bunk house]



[4 -Fort Walsh Officer's Quarters]



[5 -Fort Walsh bunk house]


In 1875, Inspector James Morrow Walsh with about 30 men were sent to the Cypress Hills region where they built Fort Walsh, not far from where the Cypress Hills Massacre occurred. The NWMP investigation revealed that American “wolfers” (poisoned wolves for their pelts) and horse thieves had instigated the massacre. Although the NWMP were unable to convict any of the participants, the First Nations appreciated the efforts resulting in a good relationship. This resulted in the eventual signing of Treaty 4 in 1877, and Treaty 6 in 1879 and 1882.


[6 - click to enlarge]



[7 - Fort Walsh old book]



[8 - Fort Walsh - Photo of Queen Victoria]





[9 -Sitting Bull]


The country near Fort Walsh was the location where Sitting Bull, Medicine Man, and 5,000 Lakota Sioux followers took refuge from the US Army after the battle of the Little Big Horn in 1876. Walsh was instrumental in ensuring Canadian law was enforced, and peace maintained between the Canadian and American First Nations. When Sitting Bull continued to refuse to leave Canada for the US, Walsh was accused of neglecting his duties to get the Sioux to leave. To separate Walsh from Sitting Bull, whom he had become close friends with, Walsh had been sent to Ontario and later forced to resign from the NWMP due to his “too friendly association” with Sitting Bull and the Sioux. A letter Colonel James Macleod wrote to his wife, Mary, on July 29, 1878 sums up his opinion of Walsh’s association with the Sioux. Sitting Bull and the majority of Sioux refugees returned to the US in 1881 when the federal government refused to provide supplies and food when the buffalo had declined in numbers, almost to extinction.


[10 -Cypress Hills wildflower]




[11 - Cypress Hills is known for star gazing - Aurora]



My Town Mondays were started by Travis Erwin in Amarillo, Texas who has handed the reins over to Clair Dickson. For other participants please visit the new location here.


TO BE CONTINUED

For previous posts on this series: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6.

Sources:
Forty Years In Canada by Col. Samuel B. Steele (1915) [pp. 160, 161]
Glenbow Museum Archives
ParksCanada – National Historic Site

Photo Credits: [1][2][3][5][7][8]-Space Ritual CC=nd-flickr, [4][6]-bribriTO CC=sa-flickr, [9]-wikipedia, [10]-kiwehowin CC=nd-sa-flickr, [11]-Kevin Satt CC=sa-flickr.

Fishing Tuesday - Cowan Lake

[1-Cowan Lake in the morning - click to enlarge]

Cowan Lake is north-west of Prince Albert in Saskatchewan.





[2-Cowan Lake - click to enlarge]





[3-Cowan Lake - click to enlarge]





[4-Northern Pike caught in Cowan Lake - click to enlarge]




[5-Sunset at Cowan Lake - click to enlarge]



Photo Credits: [1][2][5]-nicodeemus CC=nc-nd-flickr, [3]-dbuc CC=nc-nd-flickr, [4]-tkw954 CC=nc-nd-flickr.

Willow Bunch

[click to enlarge]

Willow Bunch is prime cattle country in southern Saskatchewan. The town was established in 1870 and is forty minutes from the Canada-U.S. boundary. Its first settlers were three groups of Metis hunters from Manitoba who wintered here in 1870. They were soon joined by Jean-Louis Legare, a fur trader, and an Oblate Missionary, Rev, Jean-Joseph Lestanc O.M.I.



[slick to enlarge]


Source: willowbunch.ca