Blue Skies ...

The sun was out ... the wind was blowing ...

... it was a beautiful prairie afternoon.

A River of Many Moods ...

The Mighty, Little Saskatchewan River, as we've observed before runs through the very heart of town, and on any given day you can find reflected in the flowing waters the mood of the day ... if you watch carefully you may see muskrats, fish, ducks, geese and the occasional beaver paddling and swimming through the water anywhere along its course ... and on a good day you'll perhaps catch a fisherman somewhere on the shore hoping that this one won't get away ...

It's not a HUGE river ... but it's a river with a lot of life ...

Four Square ...

One building and four very different types and styles of wall ... the Courthouse is one of those buildings that many of us pass without giving a second glance ... and heaven forbid if we have to actually darken its door for an official visit !!!

Periodically the street in front is crowded with cars and groups of people mill around the front step catching a smoke ... such days tell us that "Court is in session ..."

But otherwise it sits quietly down the street from the down town, watching over the huge spruce trees out front and the four-way stop at the corner ...

It's a beautiful building, both inside and out. Although the white paint covering everything in the interior does little to the wood work that is so obvious when you step in the door ... fortunately the exterior remains a magnificent stone and brick edifice worth seeing ...

Down the Barrel of the Gun ...

Just off Main St sits a World War Two Vintage Sherman Tank,

decked out in the colours of the Prairie Comman, it sits

as a Remembrance to the Men who served in the Manitoba Dragoons,

and as a Memorial to their comrades who didn't come home.

It is also a favourite place for the kids and teens

to hang out in warm weather,

it's not uncommon to see a half dozen climb over it,

and no doubt imagining driving it into an imaginary battle.

Thanks to the sacrifices of the few,

we, the many can continue to dream and play in Peace.

An open mind is like ...

... a parachute !!

I only works when it is open !!

And one of the best places to open a mind is a library.

Minnedosa's Public Library is filled with

books, videos, dvds, music, art, and magazines,

the staff will find it if they don't have it,

and it is a place to exercise your mind and spirit.

And with exercise, a mind and body are able

to achieve and accomplish marvelous things.

At the Crossroads ...

The Train Theme Runs Through Town,

just like the tracks !!

The street signs got a make over downtown

a couple of years ago with the little engines put on top.

Now we can find our way while being reminded

that Minnedosa owes much to the old CPR

that continues to run through town!!

Breath-taking ...

Built in 1903, and opened in 1904 St Mark's Anglican Church with its beautiful stone walls and stunning pink mortar is a memorable building in Minnedosa.

The story is still told that the Rector of the time encouraged his parishoners to take their horse drawn wagons out into the country to gather the stones deposited there millenia ago, for use in the construction of this exquisite stone building. Whether the story is true or not, the Church was built of stones gathered near and far, and through generous volunteer labour, constructed into the beautiful church that still serves the parishoners of St Marks today.

It is a spine-chilling side note to consider that in the early morning hours of February 12th 2006 a flip of a coin decided between trashing gravestones in the cemetery, and burning down a church ... the coin came up "burn down a church", and minutes later three misguided souls were setting the United Church aflame ... It is fortunate for the folks of St Mark's that they turned right on Main St, otherwise it might well have been their unique stone church that was lost to the flames ... had they turned left instead of right, Minnedosa United Church might have been spared, and this distinctive heritage building could have been lost instead ...

The loss of either building can only be regarded as senseless, tragic and devestating ...

A River Runs Through It ...

In Minnedosa the town seems dominated by four entities ... The Mohawk Expansion looming on the western horizon, the CRR cutting through town down one side of the valley and up the other, the Co-op with its multiple locations and large staff and the majestic Little Saskatchewan river that wends its way through town ...

The river often reflects the mood of the community ... it glimmers like a silvery ribbon under a sunny sky ... while in the cold of winter it peeks through holes in the ice with a dark grey sheen ... the river's colour and mood changes with the passage of the days and seasons ...

A NOT-So Secret Garden ...

In places like Minnedosa, it is the work of voluneers that often keeps things running smoothly and helps make new things happen ... The CPR Station, The Heritage Village, Playgrounds and gardens are just some of the the things you find around town that owe thier continued existence to the tireless effort of volunteers.

One of the latest additions to the stable of volunteer created and maintained features in the town's fabric is the Ishii Garden found tucked behind the Minnedosa Library.

Created by the group who have maintained a Town twinning with a city in Japan, the traditional Shinto style garden will provide a peaceful and tranquil refuge.

With its bridges, walk ways, water fountains and a diversity of plants, the Ishii Garden will be a "must see" site in this small prairie town. With the donations and effort of dozen and dozens of volunteers the garden is slated to open in time for the Homecoming 2008 celebration when the heritage and history of Minnedosa is displayed for all to see.

A Golden Wall ...

----

In the waning afternoon sun a long meandering line

of stacked hay bales lies glistening in the sun.

After the rain ...

... comes a GOOD time to reflect.

It's funny what you can see in a puddle

on the side of the road.

Nature's White Noise ...

It cuts through town from the north-eastern corner, wending its way from the dam past the Bison Enclosure, the Heritage Village, the CPR Tracks, the downtown, the schools, the golf course, then the Ethanol Plant before continuing its journey south-west towards Rapid City ... Along the way there are several crossings, bends and curls, and quiet corners to watch the resident musk rats, beavers, turtles and other animals, or to just sit and listen to the soft gurgle as it dances over and around rocks deposited a millenia ago by passing glaciers ...

Known as a misfit stream ... the Little Saskatchewan wends its way across the prairies of west man in the bottom of a wide, deep and magnificent valley, until it reaches the Assiniboine River, which in turns winds its way to the Red River. The two great rivers meet at the crossroads of the continent called "The Forks" in Winnipeg, before journeying north intermingled to Lake Winnipeg on its journey to Hudson's Bay ...

It's hard to imagine that the drops of water we watch flow past us here, will one day be part of the vast salty sea where Polar Bears, Seals and Whales frolick ...

And yet, such is the interdependent nature of the world ... what we do here ... has an effect somewhere, very far away ...

It's a web of connections worth considering as we sit by a babbling stream and hear the soft soothing noise that nature offers ...

The Work Continues ...

Even though the station has been saved ... the work on restoring this gem to its former glory continues, with even more work slated for spring.

The roofers are busy installing the beautiful BC cedar shingles on the roof and dormers ... with weather permitting (a few sunny days would be lovely) they should be done before the snow flies. Then in the spring the Minnedosa Heritage Committee will start working to have the INTERIOR of the Old Station completed for its Grand Re-Opening at Homecoming.

Today's Special ...

For more than a Century, Burgess Quality Foods - or Burgess' as locals know it, has served the grocery needs of Minnedosa and area. A long standing family business it is still owned by a member of the Burgess family.

Rick and his staff are open from 9 till 9 almost every day of the year, and are there to provide you with your every grocery needs. With the creaky wooden floors, and the high Edwardian ceilings, and the long thin aisles, it hearkens back to the "way things used to be" ... Burgess offers small town service, with big city savings, and service offered with a smile ...

And if you're wondering what this week's specials are ??

Well, just walk on down Main St and check out the sandwich board out front ... nothing high-tech here, just a simple advertisement to catch your eye ...

Foggy Manitoba Morning ...

Since the fire on February 12th 2006, that destroyed the 105 year old building of Minnedosa United Church, the former Post Office, now the Town Hall, stands as the most distinctive building on Main Street ... Recently refurbished, the majestic Town Hall complete with the working four sided clock adds much to the street scape of our little Prairie Town ... Towering over over the street, it is visibile from many corners of town ...

Just dying to get in ...

Today is a two-for ... I couldn't decide which picture to use,

so I've cheated a bit ... and used both!

I love older sections of cemeteries.

There is something equisitely picturesque about the old style

of headstones, or to use the original word:

Tombstones!

Cemeteries are a helpful reminder that life is short,

precious and to be cherished,

because one day we will all end up here, one way or another.

Minnedosa's cemetery is perched on a hill on the

south-east corner of town with the BEST view of the Lake.

Visitors often find themselves disturbing deer,
and other assorted animals like

magpies, ravens and the occassional hawk.

If you'll pardon the pun:

It is a restful place!!

Fall Fishin ...

With the sun shining,

the air warm,

and the water waiting ...

... can there be a better way to pass the day

than getting in a little fishing ??

From our fields to your tables ...

A tiny fraction of the national fleet of rail cars

sits on the siding waiting to be filled with grain.

Grain that is destined for far away markets,

and corners of the world many miles from here.

The life's blood of the Prairies

continues to be the farms and the families who run then.

The future, like the destination of the grain in these cars,

is uncertain ... but we will always need to be fed,

and the vast rolling prairie fields lie each season

waiting for the sun to stir the growth that in time,

puts the food upon our tables, both at home and abroad ...

Workin' Before the Snow Flies ...

With a warm sunny day late in the fall,

the workers are trying to get the job done.

It was a good day for it !!

Old Crow's Last Run reminds us all ...

You can't talk about the past in Minnedosa without mentioning the Railroad ... It runs through town and for generations has been one of Minnedosa's main employers ... Some families have had multiple generations of Railroaders ... and most days you can't go far without encountering a Railroader, either active or retired ... in the summer time the "Train Park" is a favourite place for the little people who enjoy climbing the equipment displayed along side the river, alongside the Main Line.

Last year, the former Newspaper editor Bob Mummery authored a book of photos, memories and stories about the History of the RailRoad in Minnedosa. It was put together as a fundraiser for the effort to Save the Station, and helped to remind EVERYONE how important the Rail has been to the little town called Minnedosa. But then, this revelation really isn't news to most people in town ... the daily interuptions as trains rumble along the Main line, the seemingly endless supply of grain cars that line the tracks at Pionner and the song by the late Rick Everett and Dave Proven called "Old Crow's Last Run" serve only to remind us, and to to celebrate the legacy that the Rail Road has left Minnedosa, and the potential it continues to offer !!

Preserving Our Heritage ...

The Heritage Village structures hearken back to another time ... The Blacksmith's shop, the trapper's cabin, The Hunterville Church, the old school and two old houses, along with the recently relocated Octagonal Building form a village like scene within our town that reminds us of what life was like when the Prairies were being opened for settlement and towns like Minnedosa were young ...

In the summer when they are open for tours they offer a step back in time ... a step well worth taking. Many hours of dedicated and loving volunteer time has gone into the restoration and maintenance of these beautiful old structures ... and people of all ages have come and spent time learning more about the history of Minnedosa and area, and the way life was not that long ago ...

Now the buildings, like much of the town await the coming winter ... and in the spring they'll be opened up, swept out and readied for another season of tourists ...

Like the philosopher once said - "There is a time for everything ..."

Autumn Reflections ...

An idle moment at the Prairie Concrete yard ... The loader sits under the vast Prairie Sky on an autumn afternoon waiting to go to work, supplying concrete for the many construction jobs that are happening around us ... the mad rush is on to get things finished before the bitter cold of winter sets in ... Beyond, Grain cars pass on the CPR Mainline destined to far flung corners of the world that can only be dreamed about today in this tiny Prairie town ...

Workin' on a TRAIN Gang ...

Working their way down the tracks, a parade of specialized equpment is doing maintenance on the CPR mainline that runs through town ... they began this morning to the east of town and through the day the men and their vehicles moved steadily westward ...

Sky Scrapers of the Prairie ...

Our urban neighbours may have soaring steel and concrete towers covered with glass, and filled with every imaginable type of lifestyle and business venture, but out on the vast undulating Prairie we have a different kind of skyscraper ... they've replaced the old wooden elevators that used to mark the distances across the landscape and tell weary travellers that a town is approaching.

The modern sky scrappers are an organized jumble of steel and concrete and bear names like Pionner, Viterra, Cargill, Patterson and now newcomers like Mohawk who buy the grain the grows and ripens in the fields these monoliths stand sentinel over. They stand farther apart than their now geriatric predecessors, but they still mark the miles along the highways and railway tracks along which they stand.

They may not be as flashy nor as magnificent as the towers that line our urban streets, but without these ubiquitous elevators and storage facilities none of the wealth that pushed the glass towers skyward would ever have been created and found ... In Minnedosa we have two concrete towers thrusting skyward ... one had just been re-branded from Agricore-United to Pioneer, and the other is being readied to begin ethanol production at the new multi-million dollar Mohawk Ethanol expansion ... both remind all who pass by that agriculture remains the heartbeat of our prairie towns ...

Autumn Afternoon on the Links ...

Nestled on the west edge of town, The Minnedosa Golf course offers 18 exquisite holes for golfers of any calibre ... The food at the clubhouse through the summer is exceptional, and the services and products offered by Deb and her crew in the club house makes any stop an enjoyable experience ...

As the Fall continues its inexorable move into winter, days to hit the links are limited, but the die hards still take the time to head out and play a quick 9, or a more leisurely 18, before retiring to the Club House for a cup of coffee, a sandwich, or a cool one, in the lounge overlooking where preparations are underway for the upcoming Curling Season.

If you haven't had time to play the Minnedosa Course this year, make plans to come on out and hit the links next year ... YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED !!!

Keeping Up-to-date ... the small town way ...

I don't know how other towns do it, but in Minnedosa there is a delightful way to learn about what events and happenings are up in town.

All you have to do is just check out the windows of the stores as you stroll down Main St. Posters, fliers and advertisements for suppers, dances, sales, concerts, and other community events are routinely posted on the glass of the various business in bustling "downtown" Minnedosa.

It's a good way to keep in touch with the pulse of town, and it's an even better excuse for a little bit of exercise as you plan out your calendar for the coming days ...

From Minnedosa To the WORLD ...

If you drive out of Minnedosa along the northern most street that runs west from Main St you will pass a low industrial building on your left, and a gravel parking area on your right ... from time to time the gravel parking area fill with an assortment of bright red farming equipment sitting in neat and tidy rows ... air seeders, bale scoops and other assorted equipment is marshaled there awaiting shipment to distributors across North American and around the world ...

For many years Morris Industries has been located in Minnedosa, and its equipment has been used by farmers both near and far ... bringing jobs, income and prosperity to a number of families in and around town ... The familiar red equipment reminds all who drive by that it was farming that opened the West, and it is farming that continues to be the pulse that beats within communities like Minnedosa.

This Thanksgiving Weekend, it is the bounty of the land that feeds us in ways that stretch far beyond a distended belly at a table overflowing ...

By the way, beyond Morris' equipment, punctuating the horizon line like Medieval tower, lies the Mohawk Ethanol Plant that is under going a dramatic expansion to feed the ever growing bio-fuel industry ... more about that another time ...

Building on BOTH sides of the tracks ...

On the north side of the Tracks, the CPR Station is undergoing a refurbishment and restoration under the caring hands of volunteers from the Minnedosa Heritage Inc group who worked long and hard to save the station from neglect and demolition ... while on the south side of the track the new storage building for the Co-op Home and Agro is nearing completion ...

It's been many years since so much building has gone on so close to the railway tracks in Minnedosa ... maybe it will prove contagious and more and more of it will happen in town ...

One can always hope !!

New Sign ... Same Restaurant ... Good Eats - A TRUE Prarie Tradition !!!

In Canadian Prairie towns the Chinese Food restaurants and cafes stand as ubiquitous reminders of the past ... they remain and even persist in an era of Fast Food Outlets, because they not only hearken back to a simpler time, they offer good, and comforting food that is familiar, yet delightfully exotic ...

It has been said that almost EVERY prairie town once had a Chinese food Cafe of some kind. Some of this is grounded in the harsh racism that marked the early days on the prairies: Chinese families could run one of two businesses - the cafe and the laundry. The irony of course is that in their racism, the town folk trust the outcasts with two of the most intimate actions we possess - our food and our clothing !!

But whatever the reason for their origin, the Chinese Food Cafe remains a presence in many, many prairie towns. Today the tend to be run by recent immigrants from Asian countries, and they may be connected to the past only by thier location, but they remain an integral component of the town fabric. The lunch time buffet at Sun Sun's is seldom poorly attended.

Here in Minnedosa there were two Chinese Food Cafes on Main St - Sun Sun's and Lee's. The former has been refurbished lately, and has just installed a new sign, while the latter once known as The Dominion, remains closed following the death of its owner/operator a couple of years ago. The stories in town of the Dominion are legion ... they vary from the mundane to the fanciful, but they each speak of the central importance a cultural institution like a Chinese Food Cafe had in the life of small prairie towns.

Too bad the importance of the business didn't translate better into an acceptance of the families who ran them ... but then, we trusted them with our food and our underwear, so maybe the racism didn't run as deep as we may fear ...

Under the Autumn Sun ...

The Elks' Playground sits quietly under the sun of an autumn afternoon,

the leaves are crunchy underfoot, the lake glistens over yonder,

the swings rock in the gentle breeze,

the play structures sit unused and seemingly forgotten ...

... for the moment the laughter and play of children is but a memory.

Ubiquitous ...

Storage bins, and a Terra-gator getting ready for the day.

The heart of towns like Minneodsa remains

Agriculture and farming,

and you don't have to look far to find reminders of that.