Is Saskatchewan really that boring?
How the beautiful parts of the province get overlooked due to inaccurate assumptions
mohammad quraishi, contributor
“Saskatchewan is flat!” is a common trope you hear, in episodes of “Corner Gas” for instance..
There’s even a popular joke about Saskatchewanians being able to see their dog running away from home for three days. Many people who drive through Saskatchewan often label it “boring” or “uninteresting.”
I find statements like these problematic for a variety of reasons.
It is a gross over-generalization to define an entire province solely based on the experience of driving down its highways. To those that label the drive as uninteresting , I wholeheartedly agree with you. Highway 1 through Saskatchewan was chosen for efficiency, not its appeal to interprovincial tourism. The highway was built to minimize travel time and construction costs but missed the opportunity to take visitors past Saskatchewan’s serene lakes and through its valleys. It could be that, even if the construction did incorporate a scenic detour, many drivers would remain oblivious to Saskatchewan’s beauty. But seeing this beauty is the first step to believing that Saskatchewan is not so boring.
Unfortunately, the route of the Trans-Canada Highway is set in stone (or more precisely asphalt-covered gravel) and is unlikely to change anytime soon. Thus, drivers must bear with the flat views and farm fields during their drive. While I do admit that our province is relatively flat and unobstructed compared to the towering Rocky Mountains in Alberta or the towering trees of Cathedral Grove in British Columbia, I disagree that this is a drawback or makes Saskatchewan disinteresting.
The clear line of view to the horizon allows me to witness vibrant meteorological and celestial phenomena that any obstruction would only serve to detract from. For example, Saskatchewan sunsets and sunrises set the sky ablaze with majestic hues of pink, red and orange that are not visible if the sun isn’t visible above the horizon. At such a low angle, the light from the sun must travel further to reach us meaning the shorter wavelengths of light, such as red and orange, are able to reach us through our atmosphere to create the striking visuals we see each day. This view isn’t possible for those whose view of the sun in its furthest position is blocked by trees, hills or mountains, and one I deeply miss in my travels outside Saskatchewan’s rectangular borders.
This province far exceeds its slogan of being “The Land of the Living Skies” so aptly plastered over all our license plates. There is so much adventure, beauty and joy to be found in this glorious province that I can’t possibly hope to exhaustively list here. All I can do is invite you to give yourself a chance to stop by and experience it yourself (from or beyond the highway)!
