Frenchman River Valley

Three years ago to the day...

Some photos taken while travelling east through the Frenchman River Valley towards Eastend, Saskatchewan.  The light-coloured areas in the hills are white clay deposits.  Great Western Railway operates a rail line through the valley.

It's one of those landscapes that simultaneously feels new yet familiar.  Highly recommended for an afternoon drive at any time of the year.   

Photographed on September 28, 2017.

Frazier Township School

Frazier Township School is about midway between Crosby and Corinth, North Dakota...less than an hour south of Torquay, Saskatchewan, including the border stop at Marienthal.

I like the covered entryway supported by a sturdy lathe-ground post.  The arched window below the roof gable gives a little touch of class to the building.

The chimney is in perfect condition.

Windows on both the south and west sides of the school.  The two small windows are for the boys and girls toilets.

The roofs over the main building and entryway have been metal clad.  I'm thankful for the people who take an active role in preserving a piece of the past.

Photographed on December 19, 2018.

Prospect Valley S.D. No. 4121

A trail that leads to the former location of a pioneer school.

The school is gone but there is a sign that marks the spot.

Photographed near Linacre, Saskatchewan on July 14, 2020.

Pense School

The central detail from Pense School.

These colourful, sometimes anthropomorphic, sometimes cartoonish metal cutouts adorn the upper south side of the building.  Lots of light-hearted fun that the students and teachers see every school day.

Each cutout is individually mounted about three inches from the wall with metal pins.  The shadows created behind the shapes give the photos a "double vision" characteristic.

I don't think there are any exact duplicates.

A view of the main entrance to the school...complete with historic school bell.  How many kids have rapped a knuckle on that old bell?

Photographed in Pense, Saskatchewan on August 2, 2020.

The Lace Window

Above is one of four stained glass windows inside Saint Boniface Catholic Church near Leofeld, Saskatchewan.

I was immediately attracted to the "lace" design on the glass panels being something I had not seen before.  The red and blue pieces are surface-textured stained glass, which is certainly nothing unusual and exactly what one would expect.  But the large opaque panels along with the lime green, harvest gold and amber pendants have all been stenciled to create a "lace" design not unlike a fine lace tablecloth.  Beautiful!     

At the top of each Gothic arched window is a hand-painted panel outlined in blue glass.  This one depicts a chalice, wheat and grapes while the top-most photo shows a lamb holding a pennant with a red cross...both being familiar images in Christian churches.

Photographed on August 3, 2020.

Mister Allbright

A memorial monument for Robert (Bob) Allbright, "one of the good guys."  The marker sits on a hilltop with an expansive view of the surrounding prairie.  A nice place to spend forever.

Photographed east of Maple Creek, Saskatchewan on June 13, 2020.

Green Dell S.D. No. 3118

This one room school sits on a low rise in the open prairie.

Looking up from the road towards the school.

Instead of the usual wooden plank siding, this schoolhouse has a stucco finish.

This design of historical marker is popular in the area.

Photographed near Pennant, Saskatchewan on August 2, 2020.

Святої Трійці

This is Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.  I was on a week-long trip through central Saskatchewan and this was my one-and-only stop in a city of any size.  I really wanted to see Holy Trinity for myself and believe the detour into the city was worth the reward. 

A small free-standing bell tower can be seen behind the church on the left. 

A spectacular handcrafted mosaic tile panel depicting the Holy Trinity above the front doors.  Mosaic panels are rare in this day and age so it was an unexpected pleasure.  The panel celebrates the first one hundred years of the congregation. 

The glass front doors allowed a view of the interior... 

...and the iconostasis is both majestic and grand in its execution.

The stone and carved wooden sign beside the church. 

This angle gives a better idea of the size of the church building as well as a better view of the bell tower.

Some history about the bells. 

A side view of the church... 

...and my favourite, the domes.

Photographed on August 6, 2020.

Dragon

As I passed by Dan McCharles Park today I noticed there was a new resident: a dragon.

This is a chainsaw sculpture by Marina Cole and was completed in the past few weeks.

The raw material for the sculpture was the remains of a Dragon Spruce tree that was damaged by wind earlier this year.

Notice the little hook at the front angle on the wing. 

Note the "bearded old man" at the base.

Photographed in Medicine Hat, Alberta on September 17, 2020.

In the Valley

A Charolais bull taking it easy near one of the bridges along Seven Bridges Road in the Qu'Appelle Valley.

He seems to be having a quiet and relaxing morning.

Photographed near Lumsden, Saskatchewan on August 3, 2020.