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| A deep blue slough in a wheat
colored prairie field |
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The roads aren't
marked. (Rural roads, those in the know explained
to one newcomer very seriously, all have names.
It's just that the names aren't posted publicly.
It's quite a shock for someone accustomed to road
markers to discover that most gravel roads in
rural Saskatchewan begin to look frighteningly
alike.) R.M. maps are available at Municipal
Offices which are found in almost every small
town in Saskatchewan. |
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| Every side road, every
slough, every house is marked on the RM map. By
the use of symbols, the maps define road quality,
locations of farmsteads, locations of schools and
churches, and other points of interest. To
understand the map, consider that Saskatchewan
was divided into divisions of land that are a
mile by a mile (a section) which were broken down
into four parcels of "quarters."
(Farmers still say, "I farm seven
quarters," rather than "I farm 1 3/4
sections." |
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| Snow geese swoop, swirl and form
patterns across the prairie sky. |
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A Township (TWP) is
36 sections in blocks of six, numbered beginning at the
bottom right-hand corner, working left, up a row, and
across to the right, etc. Townships run south to north,
the numbers increasing up the map. Ranges (R) run east to
west. By knowing the quarter, the section, the township,
the range and the Rural Municipality, you can pinpoint
your location exactly or find any destination point. |
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| Herds
of buffalo are becoming a common sight on
the prairies |
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The description is
always in this order: quarter, section, township,
range and W2nd which signifies "west of the
second meridian." For example, "SW 1/2
28-30-15 W2nd" translates as "the south
west quarter of section number 28 in township 30
in range 15, west of the second meridian".
RMs are each assigned a number. RMs were numbered
in consecutive order from right to left and from
the south end of Saskatchewan working up to the
north. Because each map covers a fairly small
area, you will need to determine how many maps
you will need. Anyone in any RM office will be
able to help you. |
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| Now that you know where
you want to go, and have your RM map to hand, you
will soon decide that there is no fun to be had
by sticking to main highways. If you haven't ever
driven gravel, slow down. Gravel roads are
narrower than highways. Respect on-coming
traffic. Gravel is dusty, stones have an
interesting way of flying up and providing star
burst decorations on windshields, and hitting a
gravel ridge at high speed is an almost certain
invitation to a roll over. Saskatchewan has a
healthy deer population. As dusk, they come out
to feed and many of them are convinced that the
best bit of snack is always to be found on the
other side of the road. They are unpredictable,
so watch for them. However, they are also
graceful, beautiful, and wonderful to watch as
they float effortlessly across a field. |
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| Prairie photography can be very
rewarding |
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Don't try to pet
the livestock. There are petting zoos scattered around.
Farm animals are not pets. Bison, especially, are just
this side of wild, even though they are now raised as a
source of meat. Take your photos from the other side of
the fence. Infant bison are a delightful shade of orange
but don't try for a close up. An ostrich, an impressive
bird of small brain, will try to eat anything, including
a camera that is too close to the fence. Don't try to
drive on alkaline mud flats (for example, around the
Quill Lakes.) The alkali leaves a readily identifiable
white residue so is easy to spot. The mud flats have no
secure bottom. Vehicles get stuck. Going for help can be
a long walk. When travelling gravel roads, PLEASE stop at
unmarked level railway crossings. These are not abandoned
lines. |
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| Spectacular sunsets over the
water are a prairie delight as well |
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They are
freight lines. Some of them are very busy. Stop -
Look - Listen - Live.
Saskatchewan has wonderful stands of saskatoons
and chokecherries. However, before picking wild
fruit, do some checking. Farmers spray their
fields for various insect pests. Some of the
residue might be on the berries. Ask whether that
particular spot is safe. |
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If you want a
berry-picking experience, there are U-Pick saskatoon
plantations dotted around the province. Please don't
camp, start fires, hike, collect plants or drive across
farmland without asking. Just remember - this is, truly,
our back yard. Most often, we are more than willing to
share it with you. Often, we will even take the time to
pour coffee and describe some of the best places to
nature watch. All we ask is that you treat our back yard
the same way you want us to treat yours. |
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