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Monday evening I had to travel out on the Goat Trail heading to Prince Albert. Of course, the Goat trail was in shambles as usual, but when I turned the corner at Trurtleford heading across to Glaslyn, I thought I had died and was riding on the highway in the sky. The road was incredibly smooth, made from asphalt it looked like and I was still in Saskatchewan. Unbelievable I thought did a squeaky wheel get some grease or was the Thunderchild First Nation responsible for the lavish upgrading? Never the less I have always enjoyed traveling this stretch of Saskatchewan and always recall my wife’s grandparent’s stories of the days when they worked on the train; they always put together little verses of the rail sidings they stopped at. On this stretch to my recollection it went something like; you can Livelong in Fairholm when your Heartswell, towns which were once vibrant.
As I closed in on Prince Albert I realised that I had only seen three or four other travelers since Ministikwan Lake. As I travelled along the moon was coming up red like a fire ball very daunting as it made its way over head. The moment was peaceful and quiet, a few snow flurries made an appearance, this turned my thoughts to the tragedy a year earlier when 911 got a call and failed miserably to execute the service causing someone to perish. This was a little uncanny as the next morning the event was again on the front page of the Saskatoon Star, the family is now launching legal action
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The next afternoon heading home via Saskatoon I was passing Martinsville when I was suddenly startled by the horn from the train on my right. The train was approaching a level crossing without signals and from my view it almost looked as if several people were playing chicken crossing the track with very little time to spare. I wondered where the fire was, what could possibly be so important that you risk your life to get there. Just after that two people darted across the highway also in a nick of time only to have to wait in the median. One would have to say the city must be causing the need for haste even with good roads.
I also noticed the growing political signage in the country side, yet not a soul has shown up in our neighbourhood. Afraid of the Goat Trail I assume. At any rate on that 900 kilometre jaunt around our Province, nowhere did I experience anything remotely similar to the Trail leading to Ministikwan Lake.
Happy Easter.
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