Cross-Canada Cycle Journey 4:
Saskatchewan
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I reached the core of the Prairies. Alberta is only part-Prairies, with a Rockies-east-side containing teeming mountain towns such as Jasper and Banff, as well as the metropolitan hub of Calgary. Manitoba has Winnipeg to fall back on, as well as a green western zone rubbing the Ontario border. Saskatchewan is Prairies-all-the-way, from west to east, in and out. And I was going to cycle the most countryside-stretch I could possibly lay my hands on: the southern Red Coat Trail, consisting of infinite dusty pastures reaching as far as the eye could see, only once or twice a day interrupted with a sleepy old cowboy town consisting of two unpaved roads and a gas station.
Day 28: Maple Creek – East End
Distance: 109.4km
GPS: All Trails
Terrain: Narrow shoulder, sometimes no shoulder. Asphalt, but not always good quality.
Views: Cypress hills, farm fields, valley.
Water Situation: Shops and houses in Maple Creek, then absolutely nothing until East End. Your only chance to obtain water is knocking on the doors of farm houses, as filtering water from farm fields is not recommended.
Food Situation: Maple Creek. East End.
(Sunny, hot, head- and sidewind, last 50km tailwind)
In Drumheller I was staying with a friend-of-a-friend. In Maple Creek I was welcomed by a friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend. Keep that snowball rolling, it’ll get me across Canada! Perry, born and raised in the small settlement of Maple Creek and missing a few front teeth due to an ice hockey incident (how very Canadian), warmly welcomed me with a home-cooked meal, plenty of wine and a comfortable bed, while he slept on the couch to guarantee my comfortability. Maple Creek was established in 1882 to shelter the construction crew of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and nowadays houses about 2000 residents and a community weed shop, marked by a sign calling to “support your local farmer” (doesn’t get more Tegridy than that! – yes, huge South Park fan). It’s your last opportunity to buy food supplies and even water until you reach East End some 110km down the road, which makes it a required stop.
Day 28: Maple Creek – East End
Distance: 109.4km
GPS: All Trails
Terrain: Narrow shoulder, sometimes no shoulder. Asphalt, but not always good quality.
Views: Cypress hills, farm fields, valley.
Water Situation: Shops and houses in Maple Creek, then absolutely nothing until East End. Your only chance to obtain water is knocking on the doors of farm houses, as filtering water from farm fields is not recommended.
Food Situation: Maple Creek. East End.
(Sunny, hot, head- and sidewind, last 50km tailwind)
In Drumheller I was staying with a friend-of-a-friend. In Maple Creek I was welcomed by a friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend. Keep that snowball rolling, it’ll get me across Canada! Perry, born and raised in the small settlement of Maple Creek and missing a few front teeth due to an ice hockey incident (how very Canadian), warmly welcomed me with a home-cooked meal, plenty of wine and a comfortable bed, while he slept on the couch to guarantee my comfortability. Maple Creek was established in 1882 to shelter the construction crew of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and nowadays houses about 2000 residents and a community weed shop, marked by a sign calling to “support your local farmer” (doesn’t get more Tegridy than that! – yes, huge South Park fan). It’s your last opportunity to buy food supplies and even water until you reach East End some 110km down the road, which makes it a required stop.
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Today was the day I would really fulfil my Prairie Plan: Cycle the gritty Red Coat Trail, the ancient accessway of the18th century North-West Mounted Police. But first I had to cycle 60km southwards, blasted by heavy side- and headwind, to reach the Saskatchewan-start of this iconic road. A stunning stretch, as it cuts straight through the Cypress Hills Provincial Park, but because of that also a demanding one, as this marks the highest point of the province (1392m). Funnily enough, these charming hills actually don’t contain a single cypress: The early French-speaking Metis hunters were the ones who come up with the name “Montagnes des Cyprès”, the term “cyprès” actually referring to pine trees. As back then, and still nowadays, the Canadians are far from being bilingual (both the French and English speaking) this was mistranslated. This pretty site also marks the grim origins of the Red Coat Trail, which was promptly set up to maintain order after the Cypress Hills Massacre: A key event in Canadian history when American and Canadian wolf hunters slaughtered a native Assiniboine encampment over the presumed theft of a bunch of horses. Nowadays, it’s a calm oasis flourishing with pine, aspen and spruce, providing a natural home to a diverse wildlife.
With burning muscles and a sunburnt nose I reached the crossing, a sharp left unpretentiously introducing me to the Trail. I didn’t have much of a goal that day, but as water was unavailable for the full 110-120km, my prime aim was acquiring this precious liquid needed for survival. Close before nightfall I reached a farm house, whose inhabitants sure enough would have some tap water to share. They sure did. They also had a fancy RV in the garden, where they offered me to sleep in. Canadian hospitality: It’s not a one-off, some separated tale to tell about an unusually kind stranger. It’s every day of every week of every month. What a nation.
With burning muscles and a sunburnt nose I reached the crossing, a sharp left unpretentiously introducing me to the Trail. I didn’t have much of a goal that day, but as water was unavailable for the full 110-120km, my prime aim was acquiring this precious liquid needed for survival. Close before nightfall I reached a farm house, whose inhabitants sure enough would have some tap water to share. They sure did. They also had a fancy RV in the garden, where they offered me to sleep in. Canadian hospitality: It’s not a one-off, some separated tale to tell about an unusually kind stranger. It’s every day of every week of every month. What a nation.
Day 29: East End - Cadillac
Distance: 110.7km
GPS: All Trails
Terrain: Narrow shoulder, sometimes no shoulder. Asphalt, but not always good quality. Road quality excellent around East End.
Views: Farm fields.
Water Situation: East End. Then again in Shaunavan. In between those, your only chance on water is knocking on the door of farm houses. Cadillac has a donation-based campsite with a water tap.
Food Situation: East End. Shaunavan. Tiny gas station in Cadillac.
(Sunny, half of the time side-wind, half of the time tailwind)
A relaxing night was followed up by an eventful morning. My spontaneous hosts had already left the premises, pre-sunrise ranch responsibilities… So that was a perfect timing for the RV door to slam shut by a gust of wind and instantly lock, while I was still packing up my bike outside. Just a day in the life! Of course I had no key, no phone number, nor any idea what their names were, so I decided to just ring up the main bar in town and start describing what they look like. Fair enough, within minutes I figured out I had been staying with “The Whitneys” and a little social chain reaction was set in motion to track them down. Small community politics! Within half an hour I was hurled through the window by Mr. Whitney, as size-wise I seemed to be the most suitable intruder to steal my own stuff. At last, in the end of the morning I was rolling again, which didn’t bother me much as I started to appreciate the died-out traffic situation after 5’ish. I’m a night owl, which I extend to the roads!
Before I truly took off, I stopped over at East End downtown, where a small yet modern museum contains the world’s most complete T-Rex skeleton. Alberta may be the most dense dino-habitat on the planet, Saskatchewan provides a tasty little aftermath!
Distance: 110.7km
GPS: All Trails
Terrain: Narrow shoulder, sometimes no shoulder. Asphalt, but not always good quality. Road quality excellent around East End.
Views: Farm fields.
Water Situation: East End. Then again in Shaunavan. In between those, your only chance on water is knocking on the door of farm houses. Cadillac has a donation-based campsite with a water tap.
Food Situation: East End. Shaunavan. Tiny gas station in Cadillac.
(Sunny, half of the time side-wind, half of the time tailwind)
A relaxing night was followed up by an eventful morning. My spontaneous hosts had already left the premises, pre-sunrise ranch responsibilities… So that was a perfect timing for the RV door to slam shut by a gust of wind and instantly lock, while I was still packing up my bike outside. Just a day in the life! Of course I had no key, no phone number, nor any idea what their names were, so I decided to just ring up the main bar in town and start describing what they look like. Fair enough, within minutes I figured out I had been staying with “The Whitneys” and a little social chain reaction was set in motion to track them down. Small community politics! Within half an hour I was hurled through the window by Mr. Whitney, as size-wise I seemed to be the most suitable intruder to steal my own stuff. At last, in the end of the morning I was rolling again, which didn’t bother me much as I started to appreciate the died-out traffic situation after 5’ish. I’m a night owl, which I extend to the roads!
Before I truly took off, I stopped over at East End downtown, where a small yet modern museum contains the world’s most complete T-Rex skeleton. Alberta may be the most dense dino-habitat on the planet, Saskatchewan provides a tasty little aftermath!
I pedalled on to Dollard, to only discover that there was absolutely nothing to be found here… which pushed me forward to Shaunavon, a small bustley town which, just like most other ones around here, came into existence with the built of the Canadian Pacific Railway. With self-invented nicknames such as “Boomtown” and “Oasis of the Prairies”, modesty is not something they can be accused of. They had a bakery and a proper coffeeshop though (like, the decorated-by-trendy-artworks-and-scented-candles-and-run-by-a-homosexual-with-a-tiny-dog-kinda-coffeeshop), so I was content.
I blasted out the last 60km to Cadillac in one go, as frankly, there wasn’t anything interesting in between. Not that Cadillac is particularly interesting. The town consist of a few unpaved streets housing about 100 residents… but it’s called Cadillac! Come on, that must count for something! I’m low-key obsessed with the Prairies place names, having witnessed signs screaming out names like Climax, Gem, Leader, Standard, Cereal, Forget, Plenty and Cut Knife… and now, Cadillac. Out-there names for underwhelming towns, making me want to hang out with whomever came up with it to begin with.
I blasted out the last 60km to Cadillac in one go, as frankly, there wasn’t anything interesting in between. Not that Cadillac is particularly interesting. The town consist of a few unpaved streets housing about 100 residents… but it’s called Cadillac! Come on, that must count for something! I’m low-key obsessed with the Prairies place names, having witnessed signs screaming out names like Climax, Gem, Leader, Standard, Cereal, Forget, Plenty and Cut Knife… and now, Cadillac. Out-there names for underwhelming towns, making me want to hang out with whomever came up with it to begin with.
Day 30: Cadillac - Viceroy
Distance: 177.5km
GPS: All Trails
Terrain: Narrow shoulder, sometimes no shoulder. Asphalt, but not always good quality.
Views: Farm fields.
Water Situation: Cadillac has a donation-based campsite with a water tap. Shops in Ponteix, Hazenmore, Lafleche, Limerick and Assiniboia.
Food Situation: Cadillac (gas station), Ponteix, Hazenmore, Lafleche, Limerick, Assiniboia.
(Sunny, tailwind)
The Prairies definitely wasn’t love at first sight. I was in fact pretty outraged to have my beloved Rocky Mountains taken away from me, to be replaced with nothing, absolutely nothing! My disgust with the Highway 1 didn’t facilitate the process… but since I’ve been on the Red Coat Trail, life has been pretty good. By no means am I cycling through the absolute highlight of Canada, but summer has been kicking through, I’m witnessing new wildlife such as antelopes, skunks and cute little prairie dogs, and on a daily basis I’m experiencing pleasant interactions with countryfolks who just cannot believe what odd, foreign woman with a funny unknown accent has just cycled into their sleepy village where nothing ever happens. I thoroughly enjoy rocking up for a coke at a rusty little gas station, or ordering a coffee or a meal in the only roadside restaurant within the last 100-200km and just take in the stares, before a friendly conversation in southern accent is to be enjoyed.
Today the first conversation of the sorts took place in Hazenmore, in a giant yet entirely deserted restaurant run by a friendly old woman called Lois. A well-meant “oh my” escaped her mouth when she heard me talking, and my coffee and the 4 top-ups were instantly on the house. I had cycled the 45km to get here from the donation-based community campground of Cadillac in one single go, as for once, the wind was in my favor. And I was going to ride that bastard out! It allowed me to rush through an incredibly monotonous stretch of road of exclusively bland farmland vistas.
I took a lunch break 40km further at Lafleche, where a little supermarket could be found, and then speeded forward towards a town called Limerick. Where I of course had to act upon:
There was once a woman from the Netherlands
Who bought herself a bike and some cycling pants
Canada looked rad
So off she sped
With 9000k on her hand
I had yet another 45km to go to reach the town of Assiniboia. A soulless, industrialized locale with little appeal, yet offering a low-priced Asian restaurant to rapidly inhale some food at. I glanced at my phone, on which I religiously followed the wind reports, and to my great dismay discovered that tomorrow the wind would make a full 180: an actual storm would be blasting right in my face! So I continued, even though the tailwind slowly retired. No wind is better than headwind. I must continue as far as my beaten legs can carry me, to take as much distance away from that wretched tomorrow.
Distance: 177.5km
GPS: All Trails
Terrain: Narrow shoulder, sometimes no shoulder. Asphalt, but not always good quality.
Views: Farm fields.
Water Situation: Cadillac has a donation-based campsite with a water tap. Shops in Ponteix, Hazenmore, Lafleche, Limerick and Assiniboia.
Food Situation: Cadillac (gas station), Ponteix, Hazenmore, Lafleche, Limerick, Assiniboia.
(Sunny, tailwind)
The Prairies definitely wasn’t love at first sight. I was in fact pretty outraged to have my beloved Rocky Mountains taken away from me, to be replaced with nothing, absolutely nothing! My disgust with the Highway 1 didn’t facilitate the process… but since I’ve been on the Red Coat Trail, life has been pretty good. By no means am I cycling through the absolute highlight of Canada, but summer has been kicking through, I’m witnessing new wildlife such as antelopes, skunks and cute little prairie dogs, and on a daily basis I’m experiencing pleasant interactions with countryfolks who just cannot believe what odd, foreign woman with a funny unknown accent has just cycled into their sleepy village where nothing ever happens. I thoroughly enjoy rocking up for a coke at a rusty little gas station, or ordering a coffee or a meal in the only roadside restaurant within the last 100-200km and just take in the stares, before a friendly conversation in southern accent is to be enjoyed.
Today the first conversation of the sorts took place in Hazenmore, in a giant yet entirely deserted restaurant run by a friendly old woman called Lois. A well-meant “oh my” escaped her mouth when she heard me talking, and my coffee and the 4 top-ups were instantly on the house. I had cycled the 45km to get here from the donation-based community campground of Cadillac in one single go, as for once, the wind was in my favor. And I was going to ride that bastard out! It allowed me to rush through an incredibly monotonous stretch of road of exclusively bland farmland vistas.
I took a lunch break 40km further at Lafleche, where a little supermarket could be found, and then speeded forward towards a town called Limerick. Where I of course had to act upon:
There was once a woman from the Netherlands
Who bought herself a bike and some cycling pants
Canada looked rad
So off she sped
With 9000k on her hand
I had yet another 45km to go to reach the town of Assiniboia. A soulless, industrialized locale with little appeal, yet offering a low-priced Asian restaurant to rapidly inhale some food at. I glanced at my phone, on which I religiously followed the wind reports, and to my great dismay discovered that tomorrow the wind would make a full 180: an actual storm would be blasting right in my face! So I continued, even though the tailwind slowly retired. No wind is better than headwind. I must continue as far as my beaten legs can carry me, to take as much distance away from that wretched tomorrow.
At 177km I almost collapsed. There was absolutely nothing around me but farmlands, but I saw a car pulling into a side lane. I decided to follow it. In the US this could result in me getting shot, but in Canada I hoped that a female voice in the dark wouldn’t scare off a local. And indeed, greeted with a cheerful “howdy” I had promptly assured a camping spot on his vast yard, the bushes sheltering me from the storm that soon would ruin my life.
Day 31: Viceroy – Ogema - Griffin
Distance: 43.7km (to Ogema) & 119.8km (to Griffin)
GPS: All Trails (and the rest day here)
Terrain: Shoulder, sometimes cracked.
Views: Farm fields.
Water Situation: Ogema has a supermarket and some bars. Pangman has a shop. Weyburn is a proper town with many businesses.
Food Situation: Ogema, Pangman, Weyburn (watch out: early closing times).
(Viceroy – Ogema: Storm against me. Ogema-Griffin: Sunny and cloudy, side- and tailwind)
The wind reports weren’t lying. I thought the wind would lift up my tent with me in it. This is what you call a storm, and it was right on my nose, with a strength I simply hadn’t experienced before. I tried to give it my best, but there was simply no cycling in this weather: In my attempts of pounding against the wind I noticed we were of similar strength, causing me to basically stand still and struggle not to fall sidewards. Every 10 minutes I had to stop and seek shelter, lying behind some meagre bush or rock, trying to regain my strengths. I don’t need this in my life. Yet, I was in the absolute middle of nowhere, 40+ km away from the next best town. I had no option but to keep going, ploughing against the storm and better judgment. It took me hours and hours. The sight of Ogema in the distance, AT LAST, brought tears to my eyes. As I hadn’t find any accommodation on the standard booking engines, I checked out the municipal campground… yet, no shelter! I need to be out of the storm, for f’s sake. Then my eye spied some rusty little sign with flickering lights. “One Stop Inn”, it said. I went in and enquired about rooms. They had 3, a night in one of ‘em would set me back CAD 40. I almost threw it at the Indian man running this godforgotten place while stumbling up. It’s probably the most underwhelming room you’ve ever seen, with a musty odour greeting you upon entrance, and sheets and towels adorned in hairs from the previous guests (no worries, I got those replaced, that stuff grosses me out). But it were four walls, providing shelter to my stormy nemesis. I grabbed snacks and a bottle of wine and simply veg’ed out. Done for the day, over and out.
Day 31: Viceroy – Ogema - Griffin
Distance: 43.7km (to Ogema) & 119.8km (to Griffin)
GPS: All Trails (and the rest day here)
Terrain: Shoulder, sometimes cracked.
Views: Farm fields.
Water Situation: Ogema has a supermarket and some bars. Pangman has a shop. Weyburn is a proper town with many businesses.
Food Situation: Ogema, Pangman, Weyburn (watch out: early closing times).
(Viceroy – Ogema: Storm against me. Ogema-Griffin: Sunny and cloudy, side- and tailwind)
The wind reports weren’t lying. I thought the wind would lift up my tent with me in it. This is what you call a storm, and it was right on my nose, with a strength I simply hadn’t experienced before. I tried to give it my best, but there was simply no cycling in this weather: In my attempts of pounding against the wind I noticed we were of similar strength, causing me to basically stand still and struggle not to fall sidewards. Every 10 minutes I had to stop and seek shelter, lying behind some meagre bush or rock, trying to regain my strengths. I don’t need this in my life. Yet, I was in the absolute middle of nowhere, 40+ km away from the next best town. I had no option but to keep going, ploughing against the storm and better judgment. It took me hours and hours. The sight of Ogema in the distance, AT LAST, brought tears to my eyes. As I hadn’t find any accommodation on the standard booking engines, I checked out the municipal campground… yet, no shelter! I need to be out of the storm, for f’s sake. Then my eye spied some rusty little sign with flickering lights. “One Stop Inn”, it said. I went in and enquired about rooms. They had 3, a night in one of ‘em would set me back CAD 40. I almost threw it at the Indian man running this godforgotten place while stumbling up. It’s probably the most underwhelming room you’ve ever seen, with a musty odour greeting you upon entrance, and sheets and towels adorned in hairs from the previous guests (no worries, I got those replaced, that stuff grosses me out). But it were four walls, providing shelter to my stormy nemesis. I grabbed snacks and a bottle of wine and simply veg’ed out. Done for the day, over and out.
Great decision-making was done. I woke up in Ogema with the wind in my favor. I noticed, however, that the hotelier had kept my bike in the storage room, where a new delivery of heavy packages was crammed right into the chain. Great, one of the chain pieces had deformed, causing it to skip every few seconds. That’s what you want, with another 592km to go to the next bicycle repair shop. In a futile attempt to find a solution, I pulled over at a car mechanic in the few-blocks town of Pangman, who instantly helped me to clean out my chain, free of charge… but without the needed result. Weyburn, which is in fact quite substantial in size, Prairie-wise, unfortunately did not cater to cyclists either. This was just going to be my new reality for the next week, skipping 300 times an hour. Talking about challenges: while my knee was getting stronger and more cooperative, my butt was damaged to a point I was wearing 2 sets of chamois over one another, like a giant adult diaper. I couldn’t care anymore. I’m not in Canada to flirt or be pretty, I’m here to cycle across it, in whatever ridiculous state.
I pulled into a sleepy town called Griffin. Just as in Trossachs, which I passed earlier that day, there was absolutely nothing there in terms of shops or businesses. Just people in their houses, for which they for some reason chose this entirely remote location. In the case of Griffin, I fully understood though. This place looked peaceful, well-kept and it radiated tranquillity. Lying in the grass among the bumblebees I decided to stay, as storm was once again coming. Obviously you can’t expect a hotel here… but this is Canada.
Within an hour I had received an invitation to stay in the house with a complete stranger, pizza and ice hockey games included.
I pulled into a sleepy town called Griffin. Just as in Trossachs, which I passed earlier that day, there was absolutely nothing there in terms of shops or businesses. Just people in their houses, for which they for some reason chose this entirely remote location. In the case of Griffin, I fully understood though. This place looked peaceful, well-kept and it radiated tranquillity. Lying in the grass among the bumblebees I decided to stay, as storm was once again coming. Obviously you can’t expect a hotel here… but this is Canada.
Within an hour I had received an invitation to stay in the house with a complete stranger, pizza and ice hockey games included.
Day 32: Griffin – Carlyle
Distance: 90.4km
GPS: All Trails
Terrain: Shoulder.
Views: Farm fields.
Water Situation: Stoughton has many businesses and supermarkets. Then a gas station with a small shop in Kisbey. Arcola has a supermarket. Carlyle has 3 supermarkets and many eateries. There will be some houses along the way to ask water from as well.
Food Situation: Stoughton, Kisbey, Arcola, Carlyle.
(Sunny and cloudy, tailwind storm-style)
My night rest in some stranger’s house was extraordinary. This time I didn’t actually need it though, as the storm had indeed picked up: entirely in my favor, like never before! Honestly, it was almost dangerous, as I’m sure I could take over a motorcycle at this point. Definitely not complaining though, as I was simply flying through the stale Prairie-fields with the absolute minimum effort inserted. I could’ve not only broken, but doubled my distance record… but Canadian kindness came in the way. My travel friend Pete, who I visited recently in Calgary, decided to splurge on a fancy hotel room in Carlyle, only 90km down the road. It threw me in an internal state of dilemma, as this weather was downright miraculous and (I didn’t know it yet, but:) would never return again. Yet, as the booking was non-refundable and quite frankly, I almost forgot what an actual good hotel looked like from the inside with the high Canadian prices, I gave in.
I roamed around the rather unstimulating town of Carlyle, yet another locale that was purely evolving around the Canadian Pacific Railway, but has kind of died out since it went out of use. Nowadays, the local business evolves around oil drilling (it even adopted that terrifying pumpjack as its iconic image). More interesting was the Moose Mountain Regional Park just up north, where I decided to hitchhike to now I had time on my hands anyway. It’s an unlikely green and fertile area, marked by forests and lakes, which seems entirely out of place in the dry and dusty Prairies. It feels like a swift side-trip to Ontario, almost like having dropped in and out of a random portal. Value was added by a native woman who drove me around, coming from the adjacent territory of Bear Claw, who enlightened me with personal stories about struggles* between the natives and white immigrants who claimed their land later. A conflict I had heard and read a lot about, but until now only heard an elaboration on from white sources (who without exception all favoured the native side in the matter as well).
* The relationship between the native Indian population (First Nation / Inuit / Metis) and the white, European immigrants who laid hands on these lands in recent timelines, is rather problematic. The natives not only found their land unlawfully taken away from them and their resources exploited in the heights of colonialism, many of them were murdered and their families brutally separated in order to erase native culture among children under the flag of “assimilation”. During my visit, the country found itself in the wake of recent proof being revealed, highlighting the existence of 215 unmarked children’s graves next to catholic churches. This has put a damper on national celebrations such as Canada Day, which many locals found embarrassing to celebrate with this new information at hand. Natives, although having reassigned certain territories and received stronger rights, still experience a secondary position in society.
Distance: 90.4km
GPS: All Trails
Terrain: Shoulder.
Views: Farm fields.
Water Situation: Stoughton has many businesses and supermarkets. Then a gas station with a small shop in Kisbey. Arcola has a supermarket. Carlyle has 3 supermarkets and many eateries. There will be some houses along the way to ask water from as well.
Food Situation: Stoughton, Kisbey, Arcola, Carlyle.
(Sunny and cloudy, tailwind storm-style)
My night rest in some stranger’s house was extraordinary. This time I didn’t actually need it though, as the storm had indeed picked up: entirely in my favor, like never before! Honestly, it was almost dangerous, as I’m sure I could take over a motorcycle at this point. Definitely not complaining though, as I was simply flying through the stale Prairie-fields with the absolute minimum effort inserted. I could’ve not only broken, but doubled my distance record… but Canadian kindness came in the way. My travel friend Pete, who I visited recently in Calgary, decided to splurge on a fancy hotel room in Carlyle, only 90km down the road. It threw me in an internal state of dilemma, as this weather was downright miraculous and (I didn’t know it yet, but:) would never return again. Yet, as the booking was non-refundable and quite frankly, I almost forgot what an actual good hotel looked like from the inside with the high Canadian prices, I gave in.
I roamed around the rather unstimulating town of Carlyle, yet another locale that was purely evolving around the Canadian Pacific Railway, but has kind of died out since it went out of use. Nowadays, the local business evolves around oil drilling (it even adopted that terrifying pumpjack as its iconic image). More interesting was the Moose Mountain Regional Park just up north, where I decided to hitchhike to now I had time on my hands anyway. It’s an unlikely green and fertile area, marked by forests and lakes, which seems entirely out of place in the dry and dusty Prairies. It feels like a swift side-trip to Ontario, almost like having dropped in and out of a random portal. Value was added by a native woman who drove me around, coming from the adjacent territory of Bear Claw, who enlightened me with personal stories about struggles* between the natives and white immigrants who claimed their land later. A conflict I had heard and read a lot about, but until now only heard an elaboration on from white sources (who without exception all favoured the native side in the matter as well).
* The relationship between the native Indian population (First Nation / Inuit / Metis) and the white, European immigrants who laid hands on these lands in recent timelines, is rather problematic. The natives not only found their land unlawfully taken away from them and their resources exploited in the heights of colonialism, many of them were murdered and their families brutally separated in order to erase native culture among children under the flag of “assimilation”. During my visit, the country found itself in the wake of recent proof being revealed, highlighting the existence of 215 unmarked children’s graves next to catholic churches. This has put a damper on national celebrations such as Canada Day, which many locals found embarrassing to celebrate with this new information at hand. Natives, although having reassigned certain territories and received stronger rights, still experience a secondary position in society.
Day 33: Carlyle – Deleau
Distance: 129.8km
GPS: All Trails
Terrain: Shoulder until the border of Saskatchewan. In Manitoba the shoulder disappears entirely, so you have to ride on the 2-lane road which is also shared with trucks and cars.
Views: Farm fields.
Water Situation: Carlyle has 3 supermarkets and many eateries. Manor has a shop and eatery. Redvers has several eateries, a bakery and a gas station. Gas station with little shop at the highway next to Sinclair. Reston has a shop and cafe.
Food Situation: Carlyle, Manor, Redvers, Sinclair, Reston.
(Both sunny and cloudy depending on the time of the day, side- and headwind)
I might have given in to an afternoon of rest in luxury, but my eyes were still on the wind. A factor of major importance in the Prairies. Unfortunately, my chances to ride out the storm had expired, and tomorrow the wind would turn from friend to fiend. However, from 4AM to 10AM it would be wind still. So I did the impossible (for a night owl and religious morning-misanthrope like me): I would start cycling before sunrise. The hotel was kind enough to leave me a breakfast-package, and at 4’ish I was locked and loaded. This was the very first time I experienced Canada by morning glory, and let me tell you, it was most definitely worth it.
I passed a few little and rather unremarkable villages today, including Manor and Redvers, but I opted for a little stopover at Reston. Just like any other day in the Prairies, my mere presence attracted the curiosity of the locals… which in Reston resulted in 2 glasses of wine and an invite to spend the night. I declined (the bed, not the wine of course, who do you think you’re dealing with?), and decided to pedal on to a donation-based campsite in the tiny hamlet of Deleau, just across the border of Manitoba. The campsite was magnificent, as not only did it have all the facilities from picnic benches, firewood to a modern toilet building… it actually had a little unlocked hut (a vending stall in summer) which was big enough to sleep in. It took me about an hour to swipe all the dead bugs out and prevent new ones from coming in, but in the light of yet another thunderstorm pouring down, this was luxury!
Distance: 129.8km
GPS: All Trails
Terrain: Shoulder until the border of Saskatchewan. In Manitoba the shoulder disappears entirely, so you have to ride on the 2-lane road which is also shared with trucks and cars.
Views: Farm fields.
Water Situation: Carlyle has 3 supermarkets and many eateries. Manor has a shop and eatery. Redvers has several eateries, a bakery and a gas station. Gas station with little shop at the highway next to Sinclair. Reston has a shop and cafe.
Food Situation: Carlyle, Manor, Redvers, Sinclair, Reston.
(Both sunny and cloudy depending on the time of the day, side- and headwind)
I might have given in to an afternoon of rest in luxury, but my eyes were still on the wind. A factor of major importance in the Prairies. Unfortunately, my chances to ride out the storm had expired, and tomorrow the wind would turn from friend to fiend. However, from 4AM to 10AM it would be wind still. So I did the impossible (for a night owl and religious morning-misanthrope like me): I would start cycling before sunrise. The hotel was kind enough to leave me a breakfast-package, and at 4’ish I was locked and loaded. This was the very first time I experienced Canada by morning glory, and let me tell you, it was most definitely worth it.
I passed a few little and rather unremarkable villages today, including Manor and Redvers, but I opted for a little stopover at Reston. Just like any other day in the Prairies, my mere presence attracted the curiosity of the locals… which in Reston resulted in 2 glasses of wine and an invite to spend the night. I declined (the bed, not the wine of course, who do you think you’re dealing with?), and decided to pedal on to a donation-based campsite in the tiny hamlet of Deleau, just across the border of Manitoba. The campsite was magnificent, as not only did it have all the facilities from picnic benches, firewood to a modern toilet building… it actually had a little unlocked hut (a vending stall in summer) which was big enough to sleep in. It took me about an hour to swipe all the dead bugs out and prevent new ones from coming in, but in the light of yet another thunderstorm pouring down, this was luxury!
Less promising was the transition from Saskatchewan to Manitoba. The notorious province, feared and dreaded by cyclists. It didn’t need a “welcome-to”-sign, as the second you enter, the pleasant, asphalted shoulder of Saskatchewan instantly turns into a torment of deep gravel. Your only option is moving to the 2-lane road, which is also used by all vehicles including big trucks. As they can’t simply scoot over to another lane to grant you space and safety, they hazardously have to race right passed you. Luckily, truckers are polite enough to wait until the opposing lane is clear to go… unlike the car and pick-up truck drivers, who find their 10 seconds time-gain generally more important than your life.
Saskatchewan has been great. A highlight of my Prairies experience by its mere simplicity. With Manitoba, however, I had a cyclist-nightmare on my hands.
After Saskatchewan: 33 days, 3475.2km
Saskatchewan has been great. A highlight of my Prairies experience by its mere simplicity. With Manitoba, however, I had a cyclist-nightmare on my hands.
After Saskatchewan: 33 days, 3475.2km
Quick Budget Fact Overview
Canada Facts
Short History Recap
Ice Age: First humans migrate from Asia. 11th century: Norse establish first known European settlement on Newfoundland island. 1583: Newfoundland England's first overseas colony. 1701: 38 indigenous groups sign peace treaty with France. ’56: Seven Years' War between New France and larger / economically-stronger British colonies. ’63: Treaty of Paris → England acquires all French colonies east of the Mississippi incl. New France (becomes Quebec). ‘74: Quebec Act recognises French language & Roman Catholic religion. ‘76 onwards: Refugees from American War of Independence settle in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Quebec & Ontario. 1800s: Immigration from UK. ’37-38: Armed rebellions, dissatisfaction with ruling elites, poverty and social divisions. ’67: British North America Act → unites Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in Dominion of Canada. ’85: Canadian Pacific railroad. 1914: WWI → Canada fights on side of England and France. ’39: WWII → Canadian forces in Europe and Atlantic. ’49: Founder member of Nato. ’50: Canada/UN participates in War in Korea. ’65: New flag. ’70: Front de Liberation du Quebec kidnap an English trade official and murder a Quebec minister. ’82: England transfers final legal powers over to Canada. New constitution. ’91: Canadian forces participate in Gulf War. ’92: Canada, US & Mexico finalise North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta). ’95: Referendum in Quebec rejects independence by a margin of 1%. ’99: Territory of Nunavut created in northern Canada (self-governing region with majority of indigenous population). 2002: Troops in Afghanistan. ’10: Winter Olympics. ’14: Mission to map Arctic seabed, in support of bid to extend territory up to North Pole. ’16: Free trade agreement with EU. ’17: Promised compensation to indigenous people who were kidnapped to be brought up by primarily white middle-class families. New trade deal replacing Nafta.
Canada Facts
- Capital: Ottawa
- Language: English, French
- Population: ± 39 mln (Ottawa: 1.76mln)
- Sq km: ± 9.985 (Montreal: 365)
- Currency: Canadian Dollar ($ - CAD)
- Electricity Outlet: A + B / 120 V / 60 Hz. Check here.
- Country Code Phone: +1
- Emergency Phone: 911
- Visa: Some countries need to apply for a visa, which can be done here or here.The ones that don’t need to apply for a visa waiver, called an ETA, which is a very cheap and fast process.
- Vaccinations: None.
- Climate: The country is so huge, that we’re dealing with several climate zones. The far north has a Tundra Climate (ET). Below that a zone of Subarctic Climate (Dfc), with patches of Dwc and Dsc. The southern stretch along the US border is mainly Humid Continental (Dfb), with patches of Temperate Oceanic (Cfb).
- High season: June-September. Summer is most pleasant due to the harsh climates in the colder seasons.
Short History Recap
Ice Age: First humans migrate from Asia. 11th century: Norse establish first known European settlement on Newfoundland island. 1583: Newfoundland England's first overseas colony. 1701: 38 indigenous groups sign peace treaty with France. ’56: Seven Years' War between New France and larger / economically-stronger British colonies. ’63: Treaty of Paris → England acquires all French colonies east of the Mississippi incl. New France (becomes Quebec). ‘74: Quebec Act recognises French language & Roman Catholic religion. ‘76 onwards: Refugees from American War of Independence settle in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Quebec & Ontario. 1800s: Immigration from UK. ’37-38: Armed rebellions, dissatisfaction with ruling elites, poverty and social divisions. ’67: British North America Act → unites Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in Dominion of Canada. ’85: Canadian Pacific railroad. 1914: WWI → Canada fights on side of England and France. ’39: WWII → Canadian forces in Europe and Atlantic. ’49: Founder member of Nato. ’50: Canada/UN participates in War in Korea. ’65: New flag. ’70: Front de Liberation du Quebec kidnap an English trade official and murder a Quebec minister. ’82: England transfers final legal powers over to Canada. New constitution. ’91: Canadian forces participate in Gulf War. ’92: Canada, US & Mexico finalise North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta). ’95: Referendum in Quebec rejects independence by a margin of 1%. ’99: Territory of Nunavut created in northern Canada (self-governing region with majority of indigenous population). 2002: Troops in Afghanistan. ’10: Winter Olympics. ’14: Mission to map Arctic seabed, in support of bid to extend territory up to North Pole. ’16: Free trade agreement with EU. ’17: Promised compensation to indigenous people who were kidnapped to be brought up by primarily white middle-class families. New trade deal replacing Nafta.
Budget Bites
Sleep Cheap
- Main Supermarket Chains Canada: Sobeys, Metro, Walmart, No Frills, Foodland, Maxi, Your Independent Grocer, Real Canadian Superstore, Safeway.
- Local Dishes: Poutine (fries with cheese curds and gravy), Tourtiere (meat pie), Wild Pacific Salmon, Pate Chinois (layered ground beef, cream corn and mashed potato), Alberta Beef, Rappie Pie (grated potatoes pattie with pork fat, sea food and ground meat), Hodge Podge (vegetable/potato stew), Yukon Reindeer, Caraquets (oysters), Nova Scotia / Newfoundland Lobster, Fish and Brewis (hard biscuits mixed with cod or pork), Pealmeal Bacon (broiled lean pork loin), Split Pea Soup (incl. pork), Jiggs Dinner (beef, greens and split pea pudding), Fiddle Heads (cooked rolled fern leaves), Bannock (typical bread), Beavertails (deepfried bread with sweet toppings / Canadian donut), Montreal Bagel (boiled in honeyed water), Trempettes (crispy sweet pancakes), Touton (thick pancake), Cipaille (meat pie), Maple Taffy / Tire d’Erable (maple syrup frozen over snow), Butter Tarts (pastry), Saskatoon Berry Pie, Nanaimo Bars (crumb-custard-chocolate cake), Pouding Chomeur (cake with hot syrup), Cretons (pork spread), Oreilles de Crisses (deepfried pork rinds).
- The Veg Situation: Going veg is not so complicated in Canada, as vegetarianism and veganism is widely accepted. Most supermarkets contain veg products, be it very processed at times. Veg restaurants can be found here.
- National Drink: Ceasar Cocktail (Canadian bloody mary, sometimes with food hanging off of it), beer, wine.
Sleep Cheap
- Hostels / Hotels / Guesthouses: You probably knew already, before even booking your trip, that visiting Canada isn’t cheap. This goes for accommodation as well. Without being paid to say so, I love Booking.com: They have the biggest selection, are transparent about the final price and have an efficient search engine tailored to your specific needs (cheapest first!). If you use it often enough, Genius-discounts are applied. Air BnB is not what it used to be, price-wise, but in Canada they usually offer cheaper stays than in hotels or even hostels. Be mindful of the additional booking and cleaning costs though, as they can really add up. Writer’s Choice: In Saskatchewan I didn't find any Couchsurfing or Warm Showers hosts, but I was spontaneously hosted by the friendly locals I met along the way. The other nights I wild-camped or used the donation-based campsites in the small towns.
- Couchsurfing: allows you to stay with locals. Nowadays it has a moderate sign-up cost (unless you put a third-world country as homebase), but paying extra for verification is unnecessary: Positive reviews are way more important. Once active, there are no costs for staying at someone’s house. In order to get accepted, make sure to write an elaborate review explaining why you applied to this specific profile and think you and your host are a good match (copy-pastes tend to be ignored). The Couchsurfing community in Canada definitely is a rather active one, incl. events organized in most of the cities. If your’re biketouring you can also look into Warm Showers, which is a bikepacking community focussing primarily on 1-night stays.
- Wild Camping: is officially legal in Canada. You can pitch your tent anywhere on crown land and you’ll even be abe to find free camping spots. The WikiCamps App Canada is extremely useful for finding these, with community reviews. If public land is scarce, you can ask permission to camp on someone’s private land. Canadians are very kind and hospitable and will likely allow you to do so. In national and provincial parks camping is only allowed on designated campsites or with a permit, and you’ll have to pay a nightly fee (wild camping in these areas is heavily fined).
Mama Said
Transport
Next?
- Safety: Canada is a very safe country with a low crime rate. Outside of the main cities, I met people who don’t lock their houses or cars. In nature, there are several wide animals to take into account, including black bears, grizzly bears, rattle snakes, coyotes, lynxes and cougars.
- Tap Water: is safe to drink.
- The best credit/debit card for traveling is Wise, as they use the live conversion rates with minimal exchange fees. Wise also has the lowest fees for sending money to foreign accounts. That said, I do find their customer service rather questionable. Revolut is comparable, but they have higher exchange fees in the weekend and less wallet-options. Also, you can only wire money to Revolut in the currency you opened the account with, whereas Wise has IBAN’s from a wide variety of currencies, so you don’t have to pay a double exchange fee. Both Revolut and Wise have the option to open a Canadian Dollar wallet. Most Canadian ATMs charge a fee for cash outs, but card payments are accepted everywhere.
- Simcard: Data is known to be incredibly expensive in Canada, with one of the highest rate-per-gb in the world. Prices are even higher if you buy your SIM at the airport. Therefore, either go to the flagship stores to buy a sim (yes, you also pay seperately for the sim, without anything on it), or simply buy one in supermarkets, post offices, gas stations and even in the Dollarama. You can then add credit or a bundle online or via the app. The brands with the cheapest deals are known to be Lucky Mobile, Chatr, Koodo Mobile and Fido (although still terrible money-worth compared to basically everywhere else in the world). The best network coverage is known to be by Telus, Bell and Rogers. If your phone supports eSims, this might be worth looking into, as it’s in most cases more affordable. I used Lucky Mobile which had the cheapest data packages (sim bought in Dollarama), and noticed I had a similar coverage compared to any of the more expensive brands.
Transport
- Walking: Montreal is a pedestrian friendly city. Yet, as it’s rather big, alternative transport from neighbourhood to neighbourhood might be recommended.
- Cycling: Montreal has 1065km of bicycle lanes. Find a map here. There’s a bikesharing system called BIXI, which charges an unlocking fee and a rate-per-minute.
- Public Transport: Montreal has buses and an efficient metro system. You can pay per ride (incl. 1 transfer to bus) or 2 rides, or get a 3-day, unlimited evening, unlimited weekend or week ticket. Oddly enough, the week ticket runs from Monday to Sunday, so if you buy it on a Sunday it only works one day. The weekend ticket starts Friday 4PM. You can pay at the ticket machines, at the metro desks or get an Opus Card. Buses also sell tickets. Children travel free.
- Taxi / Uber: Canada has taxi apps such as Uber, Lyft and Zoomzoom. Car2Go is a car sharing app.
- Train: Canada has a train network operated by Via Rail, but this is a notoriously expensive option (generally double the bus prices, which are also not cheap). Book as early as possible and buy tickets on Tuesday to save some money. There’s a train line to the suburbs as well, called Exo.
- Car Rental: This is not a cheap endeavour in Canada. However, the best deals can generally be found when the car is picked up from an airport.
- Airport: Montreal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport. Reached by Bus 747 (special ticket needed) runs 24/7.
- Hitchhiking: is relatively safe and easy in Canada, but definitively not common. Don’t bother with the ride-share websites or Facebook groups, as people dare to ask more than the bus and even train tickets. More info on hitchhiking in and out of Montreal can be found on Hitchwiki.
Next?
- In Canada: Manitoba.
- International Destinations Close By: United States, Greenland.
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