Wednesday 29th May - Leaving the Praries and on to Ontario

A day of contrasts today.

Woke up to a beautiful sunny day in downtown Winnipeg. Whilst packing bike in their multi story car park people were arriving with clip boards and briefcases for meetings and training sessions – made me so glad not to be at work!

Got out of Winnipeg through the pre rush hour traffic riding through the leafy suburbs – the houses very similar to those in LA – not seeming to fit streets with so much traffic.

Crossed over the Red River – want to say “the mighty …” because it is but won’t. It has so seen much of the history of the development of Canada – rode alongside it last night to see the home of Louis Riel  the controversial Metis Leader found guilty of high treason by the Canadian Government and hanged in Regina in 1885 - and then the equally impressive Red River Floodway, built to help alleviate the devastating floods Winnipeg has experienced as recently as 2011.

Then on to the Trans-Canada Highway again and for the first time this trip was actually riding into the sun! Hadn’t gone far when I came across these signs…

 

Now I’d ridden 1817 miles since leaving Seattle and that is well east of the western limits of Canada so to now be just in the middle shows what a vast country Canada is.

Slowly, imperceptibly the landscape changed. Recalling it now it is difficult to say what came first, trees I think, more than just the wind breaks but clumps then quite large plantations and then what appeared to be forestation. Initially either birch or maybe aspen, definitely no conifers.

 

Then water, not lakes but that brackish layer glistening amongst the trees, then grass. The trees got thicker and fir trees made an appearance. There were turtles in the water at each side of the road, I know because sadly I saw those that hadn’t made it across.

I began climbing slightly and outcrops of granite began to appear along the roadside and then it was clear the road had been blasted through larger granite rocks. I was having to lean the bike more – bends – where did they come from, not corners but sweeping long lazy curves.

 

 

and just to give some scale that is not THE Trans-Canada Highway, that is just the east bound carriageway, the west bound is away through the trees somewhere.

 

The trees crept in closer to the road and as I was still often on my own it’s difficult to say which is more disconcerting – being alone in a vast emptiness or in the now quite thick fir forests. No problem though was there I mean not much big wild life around here…

Wrong!

Some of the trees though appeared to be dying

  Roger, explain in less than 400 words!

                        

Crossed over into Ontario

and then the lakes started, not big ones just lots of small areas of water by Canada standards, all shimmered in the by now really warm and bright sunshine.

 

I had left the prairies and not really realised it – wow!

You may have noticed I’ve been very good recently in not going on about the other old routes that I’ve travelled when the run into the Trans-Canada Highway as well as the old route of the Highway itself...

There have been a few but latterly the Yellow Head Trail has been alongside me.

It is apparently a successor of the Old Northwest Trail which extended from Winnipeg to Edmonton, spanning a distance of 1900 miles.  It follows some of the original trails that were part of the fur trade and the buffalo hunts that reached as far as Edmonton in the west.

Another is the Old Dawson Trail,

 

the first all-Canadian route that linked the Great Lakes with the Canadian prairies. It was a water and land route that began at Fort William (now Thunder Bay, Ontario) and ended at St. Boniface (now Winnipeg, Manitoba).

Whilst doing a slight detour down the Old Dawson Trail -I know what I said yesterday but that referred to planned detours - I saw this church at a little place called Richer which must be worth a photograph..

 

On researching after I find the Roman Catholic Church was built in 1913 by the local French Canadian and Métis community. The  grotto to the right was built in 1954 and  is dedicated to Notre Dame de Lourdes who appeared to a peasant girl, Bernadette Soubirou.

Sorry, but these trails fascinate me!

Back to today, I stopped off at Kenora, the first of the beautiful lakeside towns of the Canadian “Sunset Country” stretching from the Manitoba boundary to the edge of Lake Superior.

 

It had a very Mediterranean feel, mainly I guess because I had lunch – unusual for me – at an Italian restaurant outside on the patio overlooking the float-plane dock – hey, man can’t survive on burgers alone – even if I do give it a good try.

 

See, 2 trains - a museum!

Carried on through equally staggering terrain and the roads got steeper – though not West coast steep – the lakes bigger, often with rocky, sometime tree covered, islands in them, and the rocks more prominent.

 

 Going through the forest at one point this guy passed me - coals to Newcastle eh...

 

The trans-Canada Highway splits then, having a northern and southern route which join up again later. I took the northern route...

 

Stopped again at Dryden, another lakeside town but which was a disappointment. Even their moose – Maximillian – was a bit tame – not only was he smaller and lighter than Mac – being 28ft tall and 9 ton he appeared to have a slightly deranged look and perhaps this time should not be shown to my younger readers!

AS I left Dryden the evening was drawing in so I rode very slowly on to my overnight stop at Ignace peering into every creek, glade and swamp for critters – didn’t see any though I’m afraid.

 

The motel I’d chosen was, well, a “surprise”! Run by a friendly enough family of Greek origin it had lots of interesting sculptures, though hardly of a classical Greek nature. Will be glad when morning comes.

As I sit typing this we have just had a thunderstorm so been out to put bike under cover. Got talking to a guy next door who really looks the Hells Angel part but who, as is often the case, appeared a really nice guy and ardent bike fan, He says that from now until Sudbury  - some 800 miles and 2 days away - I should take it slow and watch for deer and moose and that I am bound to see them and – if lucky – bears. Can’t wait.

 

Tuesday 28th May - Winnipeg

Bit of a bitty day today. Rain was pelting it down still at 5.30 so I cancelled alarm and decided to treat myself to a lay in. Didn’t of course, to “on the roady”.

But got my laundry done – it was open now and had to have some communication with  the guy’s doing the arrangements for freighting my bike back – yes, unfortunately got to start thinking about that.

Lyndsay helped though – found me a BMW dealer in Toronto who is prepared to sell me one of their freight boxes to replace the one that nice customs lady had destroyed. What a star!

By the time all that had been done I set off, in clean thingies, for Winnipeg. By the way did you know Winnie the Pooh is named from Winnipeg. AA Milne got the name from a black bear cub named Winnipeg that had been donated to the zoo when his owner, a Canadian Soldier went off to war.  The soldier -  and bear - originally came from a town White River, in Ontarion, which I may go through later in the trip - exciting stuff eh!

Wanted to see several things today which will probably bore the pants off you I guess, clean or otherwise but involved the settling of the land around here – the Red River area.

The first thing that came to me as I set off was again in the clearing rain was just how vast this country is and how “empty” this part of it was. I was travelling miles in a straight line, 422 yesterday and am still in the prairies with really nothing but a few man-made structures – yes, mainly those elevators, to break up a view which is not barren – although at this time of year crop-less – but certainly doesn’t look very welcoming in this gloom.

 

Then, slowly it began to change. More trees appeared, obviously all planted as windbreaks and not natural forestation but more and more “homesteads” surrounded by such planting began to appear, this one fairly typical...

 

Don’t get me wrong, there were still not that many and they were not all that close together but they were there. The land became darker, richer and as I was thinking how much like home it was, well the flatter parts of Lincolnshire, a sign told me I was in Norfolk – so close eh!

It was in this area that the surveying was started in the Governments attempts at getting people to settle the land west of here. I’d read about the campaigns to encourage emigration which were run in North America and Europe and the practices which went on both by Government Officials and the Railways – who needed customers – which were “questionable” to say the least – sometimes downright deceitful. They banned references to the bad weather etc. and even had their official artists and photographers ensure that all pictures showed a lot of foreground to move the horizon up.

 

Those who moved up from America could, and did, return when they found the land so bare but those unfortunates from Europe, many fleeing from persecution were unable to return “home” so had to make it work or starve.  One group of settlers who had arrived from Eastern Europe – Mennonites – had settled south of Winnipeg in and around Steinbach and I was headed for there to just “have a look”.

But I got lost – how I don’t know but I did. Yes, the roads are all on a grid system so you are usually going North, South, East or West but if you are wrong then you are going a long way North, South, East or West ‘til you can pick up something to give you a reference point. So I lost some time – if you can lose time on a road trip like this, but gained a real feeling for again the emptiness of this place.

Of course found my way eventually and visited the Mennonite Heritage Village – another collection of old buildings brought to one point from all over Manitoba but laid out so well and full of genuine, sometimes the original, possessions of those families who had overcome the hardship of settling here.

Just a little aside, and I say this with no ill intention, but the sweet elderly volunteer who showed me around initially, explaining the collection, asked after hearing me speak, if I was “from out of the Province”. I said yes, indeed out of the Country, from England. ” Oh”, she said “Do you have old buildings there?” – honest!

It was a great site, I know I think they all are, and as every building had a known history it really brought that part of the past alive.

Then looked at an exhibition of photos of old abandoned homesteads on the prairie,

 

See, there are people as "anoraky" as me!!!

Well, that's the last of the planned detours done. Overnight in Winnipeg and then a straight run to Lyndsay, Reece and Darcy in Beaverton - satnav says 1238 miles - into and across Ontario.

Let's see what that brings...

 

Monday 27th May - On the Trans-Canada Moose Jaw and beyond!

Map below...

It has several parts....

http://maps.google.ca/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=200059512251364914226.0004daba15b3107f38ef0

Well up early and not the best view I’ve woken up to..

It’s a strange mix of emotions in the morning. First thing to check, is the bike ok, is it still there even, not that I've e had any indication that it wouldn’t be.  Then a quick look at the weather forecast for where I am and where I want to be. After breakfast I try and pack and load the bike in an organised way so that I know where things are and more importantly that they will fit and stay on.

The tank bag is the most important. One of my drop was due to the fact that I’d got that too far forward and couldn’t get lock on at slow speed. Then I have to put my lips salve on. Plays hell with ones’ lips all that lid-up cruising. Occasionally use Neutrogena – not that its any better than others it’s just that when I’m putting my lippy on I can imagine I’m as rugged as those bearded Norse fishermen who use it –yea  I bet they do!

Then I have to ride a few miles before I stop again and readjust all the things that don’t feel right.  By this time the bike is running ok and as I set off the pleasure really kicks in – I’m on the road again.

I always overdress initially, thinking it’s better to take things off as you get warm than try and get warm when the cold has set in. So, the weather really doesn’t matter, which is good because this morning it’s not at its best.

Am really surprised again about how quiet the road is.

That vehicle approaching is a disc-plough/harrow set. The equipment they use here is enormous. I know we have seen tractors and equipment get bigger in the UK nothing to what they have here.

 

Maybe doesn't look all that impressive until you realise it's size compared to that artic.

When I saw this I really thought I had to hit snow again

 - but it turned out to be salt or potash or some such deposits from the evaporating lake bed.

Off to Moose Jaw and Regina today with a few detours to things I want to see.

First though I rode to Moose Jaw – which apparently was from the Cree native Indian name  moose gaw, meaning warm breezes but as this was definitely a misnomer I didn’t stop long at. It has a checkered history, staring as a Canadian Pacific Railroad outpost, became a focal point for Chinese immigrants, I guess railway workers, is reputed to have been used by Al Capone for his alcohol smuggling enterprises during prohibition and has some shady KKK connection. It also apparently has a giant moose – Mac.  Mac,  built in 1984, is claimed to be the world's largest moose at 32 feet tall and a weighing nearly 10 tons – not that I guess there will be a lot of competition. Anyway, I missed him – I know, I spotted a life-size Moose at 100 yards, in the rain at 60 mph and missed this one – what can I say.

I put a "borrowed" picture of Mac here though for my younger readers ....

 

Now, America is a country of car wreckers’ yards or abandoned used car lots. Oh it’s got lots of beautiful country separating them with rivers and canyons and geysers and things, but essentially it’s all car wreckers’ yards and abandoned used car lots. If they stopped making cars tomorrow America could survive just on refurbishing the millions of old ones it’s got lying around. But they still do make cars so what they are doing or intend to do with all those old ones laying around I don’t know.

Well, Canada has nearly as many such yards but, here’s the clever thing, being a bit more canny – must be the Scottish ancestry – when they have 2 or more of anything they call it a museum. Two cars or more it is an Auto Museum. Two tractors or more it is an Agricultural Museum. If there is an old washing tub or a stove thrown in among the stuff it is a Heritage museum. I’m not knocking that, thinks it’s great. One of them is my first stop  - The Pioneer and Suskanen Ship Museum. Oh yes, forgot to mention that, if there’s a boat amongst your stuff then call it a Ship Museum!

I admit that on one level it was a bit of a disappointment. Most of the exhibits were a bit too modern for me, not many dealt with the early settlers but it was interesting enough. It’s taken as read that a collection of old buildings brought together in an artificial “village” will never be the same as seeing them in situ such as I had on route 66 but the old pioneers dwellings won’t survive being abandoned out on the prairies so it is good that they move them lock stock and wash tub to places like this.

 

This, believe it or not is the childhood home - without the new ramp and steps - a prime Minister of Canada, John Diefenbaker - ok, a bit ago 1957 - 63 - but a bit different from Cameron's pile I bet!

 

 

The ship, well that’s a sad tale which I’ll summarise.   Tom Sukanen was an immigrant from Finland who originally settled in Minnesota in the States with his family.  He moved alone to Manitoba to try and find better surrounding which he did but when he walked back to fetch his family he found his wife had died and his 4 children 3 girls and a boy, dispersed. He only found his son but when he tried to reclaim him the authorities accused him of kidnap or whatever and threw him out of America alone.  He never recovered from that. He found a water course which he believed would lead to the sea so went about building a boat so that he could sail back to Finland. This is the actual boat, but he died in a mental institution before he could attempt the probably ill-fated journey. 

 

 

This link tells the story much better Tom Sukanen

Oh and there was the usual tractors ...

                             and this beautiful 100 year old Grain Elevator.

For those who have no soul and can't appreciate any of the above, how about a barbed wire collection ...

 

From that museum I rode onto Regina. The weather turned to a fine Mizzle for a short time which brought visibility down a lot. It is one thing driving along romancing about how the road disappears into the far distance, another when it just disappears.

 

 

It really is awesome, and I use the word deliberately, to see the weather changes approach. With the horizon so low the clouds - which we are usually looking at above our heads - seem to roll towards you almost like a giant tsunami - it is incredible.

 As I approached Regina you can really see how big the prairie is and how cities just stick out as oasis.

I was going to visit the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Centre. Their Headquarters is now in Ottawa but this was the original “Depot” and is where their training school still is.

Had a wonderful couple of hours here. The history of the North West Mounted Police as they first were lines up exactly with my interest around the pioneers. A lot about Sitting Bull to who apparently took refuge in Canada for a while, with Canadian approval, after his victory at Little Big Horn.

Smart chaps weren't they...

    a far cry from this officer who I just couldn’t resist asking if she would have her photograph taken with me – well. who could. (How long will it take for that smug grin to wear off when I get back?)

 

Should have stopped overnight at Regina but the weather closed in and I decided I would be as happy on the bike IN the rain as sitting in a hotel room listening to it outside so pulled up under a Skating Rink doorway, donned some wet weather gear and rode on through the last of Saskatchewan and to Manitoba – Brandon to be exact.

Arrived damp, tired but as usual happy and feeling very lucky....

                          And then brought back to earth as I made a prat of myself - again -  with the receptionist and  laundry room access by not realising I had driven across another time zone - oh hum...