Arborg Heritage Village

Lots to see at the Arborg & District Multicultural Heritage Village in Arborg, Manitoba.  

A peek through the front window.

Brandson House and Chapil Barn.

My visit here was well past "tourist season" so I didn't get a chance to see the interiors of the buildings...still a nice visit on a beautiful fall day. 

Photographed on October 18, 2022.

Aldag S.D. No. 1361

A monument at the former location of a one-room schoolhouse in southern Saskatchewan.

"Construction of the Aldag School began in 1912 - completed in 1913.  Enrollment varied from 7 to 35 pupils.  The building was used for church services, dances, card parties and public meetings.  On June 10, 1966 a decision was made to close the school.  The students were bussed to Gull Lake."

As an aside...I grew up on a small farm near the town of Midale in the southeast corner of Saskatchewan.  Through the years the one-room school there was replaced first by a two storey brick building, then by a modern school built circa 1960.  I started school in the new building in 1962 and completed Grade 12 in 1974 in the new wing that had been added circa 1967 to the modern school.  And, believe it or not, the school is still thriving to this day.  A rare thing indeed in this day and age.  Midale has a population of about five hundred and fifty people.      

Photographed near Gull Lake, Saskatchewan on June 17, 2023.

Tommy the Turtle

Tommy the Turtle greets visitors to the border town of Boissevain, Manitoba.  

He gets his name from the Turtle Mountains that span the Manitoba/North Dakota border just south of town.  The "mountains" are much like the Appalachians: expansive, forested, rolling hills.  Quite beautiful.

Say "Hi!" to Tommy when you're in town.

Photographed on September 17, 2023.

"Simply Ideal"

Photographed south of Vegreville, Alberta on January 5, 2019.

Wheat Stalks

Out for a drive with Miss Daisy...

It was a warm winter's day and while driving through the Connaught area of town I spotted this metal wheat sculpture.  An unexpected find in suburbia.  Nice!

I think Miss Daisy enjoyed her ride around town.  She had her window open, got a few treats and a tummy rub or two.  A lovely way for both of us to spend a Sunday afternoon.     

Photographed in Medicine Hat, Alberta on February 12, 2023.

Early Fall at the Arts Park in Boissevain

Something to brighten up a winter's day...

The Arts Park in Boissevain is a community green space wholly run by volunteers.  And even though it was getting late in the gardening season there was still plenty of greenery and blooms to see.  

A couple out for a walk stopped to say hello while I was enjoying the garden.  They said most of the volunteers were older folks but there had lately been some interest shown by a few youngsters.  Here's hoping all the generations can work together to keep this community garden beautiful for years to come.  

The thought and expression, creativeness, hard work and realisation shown here is above and beyond any expectations.  "Thank you" to all those who make our lives just a little bit brighter.

Photographed in Boissevain, Manitoba on September 15, 2023.

Boule Creek S.D. No. 3314

A handsome little schoolhouse near Cadillac, Saskatchewan.  

Kids in the area went to school here for fifty years from 1914-1963.  

An old swing set near the hedge.

The grass in the schoolyard was thick and dense.

And the flagpole still straight as an arrow.

This is the front door where the kids would enter the school every week day.  

The white acrylic sign is looking pretty washed out but the taller black metal sign is holding its own.

The road past the little school on the Saskatchewan prairie...a road which goes ever on.

Photographed on June 17, 2023.

Guard Duty

Nice gate sign...

...complete with big teddy bear on guard duty. 

Photographed near Noonan, North Dakota on June 18, 2023.

Westhazel S.D. No. 1337

The sky was thick with smoke from the forest fires in British Columbia as I drove from Medicine Hat to Lloydminster this past Saturday.  Smoky skies are, in a word, oppressive but, to my delight  I woke up to clear blue skies the following morning.  I always function better on a sunny day...after breakfast, it was time to hit the road and enjoy the nice weather and visit some of the historical sites in the area.  Westhazel School was just one of many discoveries during my Sunday drive. 

This little one-room schoolhouse is in pretty rough condition but still looks pretty solid.  Hope it stands upright for many more years.   

Glad I had a chance to visit on such a pleasant day.

Photographed near Westhazel, Saskatchewan on July 16, 2023.