This past weekend, as my fiance and I drove to our new home in Frontier, we found ourselves in dire need for bathroom facilities. Though we usually schedule in our stops, we decided to stop in Elrose at one of the local businesses. The first place we stop at was the local tavern, but our watch said it was 10:45 and it did not open until 11:00. Next we drove across the street to the gas station, which we expected to be open on a busy Saturday morning - we were mistaken...not a soul in sight! Now, in a small state of panic, we head into town and down was looks like the main street. Joel stops at building just a block in where many cars are parked and says "let's try this place". I was worried that it was either going to be closed, they would say we would have to buy something, or I would wet my pants in the process. Well I didn't wet pants, and we did open up the front door to find a small hairdresser's shop and she directed us to the bathroom. The building turned out to be a type of hall or community center. Inside were local businesses as well as smaller conference rooms. The building was old, but it looked as if it had just been redone and well cared for. On the way out of town we took a small drive to take in the town, and found that the small wartime houses that scattered the streets were well lived in and the community was vibrant.
I felt very welcomed into the town and we were not looked at outsiders, but as guests that needed the services of the town. I encourage you that if you are heading South of Rosetown down highway 4 that you stop in Elrose for at least a drive, and if time a quick haircut. I will always remember the welcoming smile she gave us as and the carefree "of course just down the hall" - courtesy that is rarely found in a bigger center and someone contagious through the water of small communities.
As a side note, after my fiance and I had moved in all of our stuff into our new duplex we paused on the side deck for a just a minute to take in the small town air. What a wonderful feeling. I am so excited to start my new life and raise my family in this environment.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
New Purpose for this Blog
So I have decided what the purpose of this blog will be (beyond getting participation marks in my ECMM 470 class).
As some of you may have heard, my life long goal is to visit every small town in Saskatchewan. Some find this goal admirable and others laugh and say that's I'm crazy. Either way, it is something that I have decided to do and have been working towards for the past 10 years or so. I have a map, and I mark down the towns that I have visited.
I must say that with any good goal there are guidelines and rules as to what constitutes "visiting". Sometimes simply driving past the town will count, but only if either you can see the entire town from the road way, or if some bit of town is located on either side of the highway (then you can say that you "drove through it"). If neither of these scenarios works then you must pull into the town and at least take a drive down Main Street.
Up until now, I have not been keeping a dated record of when I visited, a note about the town, or even a photo. I have decided the this blog would be the perfect medium for keeping track of my goal. I can catch up on towns that I have visited thus far (or at least provide my readers with a list and a small memory of town) and I can continue to keep track as the years go on.
I do admit that visiting every small town before I die is a lofty goal, but I hope that it will be an exciting adventure and that after I pass on that my children will continue the journey.
As some of you may have heard, my life long goal is to visit every small town in Saskatchewan. Some find this goal admirable and others laugh and say that's I'm crazy. Either way, it is something that I have decided to do and have been working towards for the past 10 years or so. I have a map, and I mark down the towns that I have visited.
I must say that with any good goal there are guidelines and rules as to what constitutes "visiting". Sometimes simply driving past the town will count, but only if either you can see the entire town from the road way, or if some bit of town is located on either side of the highway (then you can say that you "drove through it"). If neither of these scenarios works then you must pull into the town and at least take a drive down Main Street.
Up until now, I have not been keeping a dated record of when I visited, a note about the town, or even a photo. I have decided the this blog would be the perfect medium for keeping track of my goal. I can catch up on towns that I have visited thus far (or at least provide my readers with a list and a small memory of town) and I can continue to keep track as the years go on.
I do admit that visiting every small town before I die is a lofty goal, but I hope that it will be an exciting adventure and that after I pass on that my children will continue the journey.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Going South
Besides being sick with the average Saskatchewan March sickness life is looking up! My fiance - Joel - may have a in Frontier, Sask. As some of my readers may know I am from what I would consider "south Sask" but nothing could prepare me of the area that we will be living in - way way way down south.
Frontier is a small community found 37 minutes from the US border. It's landscape is a flat prairie in the center of rolling hills extending from the Frenchman River. I find it ironic that the town is found in what most people would consider the "middle of no where" but really is found in the "middle" of everywhere. Frontier is two hours away from Swift Current (the closest Saskatchewan city), Medicine Hat (closest Alberta city) and Hammond? something like that (the closest American city). Two hours is not that far of a stretch. It is enough to claim the small town wonders that only living in a remote area can offer, but close enough that the nearest Walmart trip is within half a day's drive. I also find it ironic that in small towns it is a common saying that the school is the center of the town, but literally in Frontier, the school is in the center of the town. The school is well kept up and looks bright and cheerful. Center Ave is bustling with activity. The tavern is filled with smiling faces looking for yummy meal, the grocery store worker helps an elderly lady carry out her groceries, and credit union stands at the end of Central Ave in a new building and a brightly light up sign sporting a butterfly. Despite this hometown attitude, the boarded up windows of houses where sideways have yet to be shoveled all winter still line the streets of Frontier. Small towns in Saskatchewan are dying, there is no denying it, but it is through memories and the small town attitudes that they will continue to live on forever.
Frontier is a small community found 37 minutes from the US border. It's landscape is a flat prairie in the center of rolling hills extending from the Frenchman River. I find it ironic that the town is found in what most people would consider the "middle of no where" but really is found in the "middle" of everywhere. Frontier is two hours away from Swift Current (the closest Saskatchewan city), Medicine Hat (closest Alberta city) and Hammond? something like that (the closest American city). Two hours is not that far of a stretch. It is enough to claim the small town wonders that only living in a remote area can offer, but close enough that the nearest Walmart trip is within half a day's drive. I also find it ironic that in small towns it is a common saying that the school is the center of the town, but literally in Frontier, the school is in the center of the town. The school is well kept up and looks bright and cheerful. Center Ave is bustling with activity. The tavern is filled with smiling faces looking for yummy meal, the grocery store worker helps an elderly lady carry out her groceries, and credit union stands at the end of Central Ave in a new building and a brightly light up sign sporting a butterfly. Despite this hometown attitude, the boarded up windows of houses where sideways have yet to be shoveled all winter still line the streets of Frontier. Small towns in Saskatchewan are dying, there is no denying it, but it is through memories and the small town attitudes that they will continue to live on forever.
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