Page 53 - 2023-2024 Travel Guide to Canada

SK
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DOWNTOWN SASKATOON • SHUTTERSTOCK/SCOTT PROKOP
Development Museum is the most prominent
chronicler of Saskatchewan’s early years
(www.wdm.ca). The Hepburn Museum of
Wheat, a half-hour north of Saskatoon, makes
it easy to experience that most iconic prairie
symbol—the traditional wooden grain
elevator. Two national historic sites, Fort Walsh
and Fort Battleford, bring to life the early days of
the North-West Mounted Police, and their role
in establishing law and order in the West
(www.parkscanada.gc.ca/fortwalsh;
www.parkscanada.gc.ca/battleford).
Visitors are always awe-struck by the remark-
able rare book collection at the Athol Murray
College of Notre Dame in Wilcox, just south
of Regina. It houses the largest collection of
13th to 17th century books and manuscripts in
Canada—everything from original treatises of
philosophers and saints to handwritten
decrees by popes and kings. To really go back
in time, as much as 6,000 years, head to
Wanuskewin Heritage Park in a scenic valley
on Saskatoon’s northern outskirts
(www.wanuskewin.com). It is considered
among the best examples of pre-contact
occupation sites on the North American
Great Plains. Ancient archaeological finds
including a bison kill site and medicine
wheel meld with a vibrant present-day
Indigenous culture. Wanuskewin Heritage
Park has been named to Canada’s tentative
list for UNESCO World Heritage sites in 2025.
ENJOYING THE BEST
Given that Saskatchewan is a major food
producer, it is not surprising that folks here
like to eat well. With a cuisine reflecting
local products and the province’s diverse
ethnic makeup, there are more food-centred
events than you can shake a skewer stick at.
Try Mortlach’s Saskatoon Berry Festival
(www.mortlach.ca) or take in the Battle of
the Prairies where top food trucks from
across Saskatchewan and Manitoba face off
in Moosomin.
Calling Saskatchewan golf-crazy is an
understatement; the number of courses per
capita is among the highest in the country.
Choose from hidden gems in small
communities to famous award-winners such
as Dakota Dunes Golf Links (www.dakota
dunes.ca), Saskatchewan’s #1 Ranked Public
Course according to SCOREGolf. For an
extensive listing, see www.saskgolfer.com.
WHAT’S NEW
Wapaha Sk̄a Oyate: Living Our Culture,
Sharing Our Community at Pion-Era,
1955 – 69 is a new permanent exhibit on
display at the Western Development
Museum (WDM) in Saskatoon. In collabora-
tion between the Whitecap Dakota First
Nation and WDM, this exhibit shares both
Indigenous and non-Indigenous perspec-
tives (wdm.ca/exhibits/whitecap).
At Remai Modern, Picasso: Becoming the Faun is
a comprehensive collection of linocuts.
Revealing the artist’s process and his technical
exploration of the medium, it runs from June 3
through October 22, 2023, in the Connect
Gallery (www.remaimodern.org).
Experience a unique teepee sleepover at the
Wanuskewin Tipi Village. Relive the stories of
the Northern Plains peoples who came to hunt
bison, gather food and medicines and escape
the winter winds (www.wanuskewin.com).
Join Meewasin conservationist Jamie Harder
for an adult-only evening of delicious local
food and beverages with a tour that takes a
light-hearted look at the mating and courtship
strategies of the wildlife at Beaver Creek
Conservation Area. Piloted last season and
back by popular demand, it runs Thursdays
from July 13 through August 24 from 6:00 pm
to 9:00 pm (www.meewasin.com/naughty-
by-nature).
CITY LIGHTS
Regina’s heart is Wascana Centre, one of the
largest urban parks in North America. It is
home to several key attractions including
the Saskatchewan Legislative Building, lined
by an impressive summer flower garden; the
Saskatchewan Science Centre and Kramer
IMAX Theatre; and the Royal Saskatchewan
Museum, interpreting everything from the