Village Squire, 1976-08, Page 22Travel
Good news on travelling to
the Bad lands
BY CLAUDE LEMIEUX
There's something good about the
Badlands of Saskatchewan.
They're just across the United States
border from Montana and North Dakota,
close to the provincial capital of Regina and
smack in the middle of an area that offers
history, museums, Indian carvings and the
Great Outdoors.
Regina, a good starting point for a tour of
the area, is easy to reach by plane, train, bus
or car. Situated in the heart of the fertile
wheat -growing plains of Western Canada, the
city was named in honor of Queen Victoria in
1882 after having been known by the
Tess -than -noble name of Pile O'Bones. In
earlier times it had been an important buffalo
killing ground. Population of the metropolitan
area now exceeds 150,000.
The completely man-made city had to
import its building materials, trees, shrubs
and even grass from outside the area.
The 300 -acre Wascana Lake was also
man-made as was Wascana Centre, the
1,600 -acre park in the centre of the modern
city.
Regina is the hone of the recruit training
centre for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
and has been a "Mountie -'town since the
North West Mounted Police was established
in 1873.
Young Mounties can be seen at their drill
parade and the RCMP Museum contains
equipment and weapons of early NWMP days
and articles kept as evidence in famous
Canadian trials.
20, VILLAGE SQUIRE/AUGUST 1976
Buffalo Days are held every year in Regina
in early August. The six-day annual
celebration brings out early pioneer cos-
tumes, giant barbecues, stage entertainment
and other fun fare.
Aug. 1, is Pile O'Bones Day, when
everyone remembers' Regina's past and
braces himself for the wild week that follows.
The Saskatchewan Museum of Natural
History has unique displays of animal fossils
as well as exhibits depicting the way of life of
the Plains Indians.
Chinese, Egyptian and Mesopotamian
antiques are found in the Norman MacKenzie
Art Gallery along with European and
Canadian paintings.
The 'Diefenbaker Homestead, childhood
home of the former Canadian prime minister,
has been moved to Wascana Park and is open
to the public.
The play, The Trial of Louis Riel, is shown
three times a week in summer at
Saskatchewan House. Riel led a rebellion
against Canada nearly .100 years ago. He was
defeated and hanged at Regina but has
remained a hero in the eyes of many
Canadians.
There are first-class hotels, motels and
restaurants in Regina as well as Targe
department stores and specialty shops.
Moose Jaw, 44 miles from Regina is an
industrial centre in an agricultural area with a
population of 32,000. The Moose Jaw' Art
Museum has a collection of Sioux and Cree
bead and quill work, Indian ceremonial items,
firearms and exotic edged weapons and items
depicting the early history of Moose taw.
There is also a permanent collection of art
and the museum hosts several travelling
exhibitions each year. The Wild Animal Park
has buffalo, black bear, foxes, elk,
white-tailed deer, cougars, lions and many
ether Canadian animals, plus a playground,
picnic site, rides, a restaurant and a novelty
shop.
A fourth branch of the Saskatchewan
Western Development Museum is scheduled
to open in late July in Moose Jaw (the other
three are in Saskatoon, Yorkton and North
Battleford). It will display communications,
aviation and other transportation artifacts of
early. Saskatchewan.
The Museum of Anthropology and
Archeology, at the University of Saskatche-
wan, displays items related to man's
evolution, prehistoric man in Saskatchewan,
Indians and fur traders and aboriginal rock
art.
There are in addition, the Museum of
.Ukrainian Culture, the Marquis Gallery, the
Memorial Library and the Shoestring Gallery,
all of which are worth a visit.
Moose Jaw is also the centre of an
extensive handicraft business.*
Eight miles to the south of the city is the
Prairie Pioneer Village, home of the Moose
Jaw Antique Automobile Club. Also nearby is
the quaint Hutterite village of Baildpn where
people dress and live as their ancestors did.
These Hutterites are descendants of Austrian
peasants who emigrated to South Dakota in
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