Saskatoon to Calgary (with a detour)

In front of Steven and Alma's beautiful home in Saskatoon.


what the road in front looks like at 120kmph



Breakfast at an A&W, of which there are many in Western Canada

What a sky awhat a field. there's a house where the trees are.

Had a great day in Saskatoon yesterday. The weather continues to be nice; it was sunny and hot as I went for a walk along the waterfront and some of the streets downtown after having spent some time along Broadway which is just a few short blocks away from where teven and Alma live. I was asked to accompany Steven, Alma, their niece Maria and a friend to the jazùz festival. The music was quite good as were the G&Ts that Alma had brought along in a cooler bag. Afterwards the three older folk had a wonderful bbq that Steven and Alma prepared. Afterwards we called Jane and continued the conversation using the speakerphone on me blackberry.

This morning I left the Lewis-Weibe's residence at just after 7:30 and started to make my way to Calgary along Highway 7 stopping for braekfast at an A&W in Rosetown and a while later a gas and coffee at Tim Hortons in Kindersley. Invariable wherever I stop someone comes over to talk to me about my BMW. It's true that they are few and far between around here.

Crossing into Alberta I stopped at a provincial tourist information kiosque to ask for a roadmap. Rather then providing one for free the province charges $2; this came as a bit of a surprise. I guess the fiscal situation here is worse than I thought. I stopped for a hamburger lunch in Hanna where a big screen tv was showing the Spain Portugal World cup soccer match. A short while later a sign along the highway indicated the distances to Drumheller and Calgary. I looked down at my new $2 map and noticed that the Royal Tyrrell Museum was in Drumheller and that there was a route that one could take from there to Calgary. Since I was curious and had made good time I decided to make a stop at the museum. First, the typography around Drumheller is very interesting as it is located in a deep trench formed by the Red Deer River. The museum itself is remarkable and well visited. It is certainly worth a return visit of more than the hour and a half I spent there. Jane has often mentionned a desire to see it.

After leaving the museum I headed for Calgary along Highways 9, 72, and 2. A huge black cloud was just to my left for a long part of this section but I ignored it, and it did likewise; you could seee the dark veils extending from the clouds to the ground indicating that rain was falling quite heavily south of the route I was following. I had meant to gas up in Drumheller but had forgot to do so. While my bike has an impressive range, over 400km on a tank, one still has to put in fuel regularly. When I finally reached a gas station in Airdrie, on Highway 2 just north of Calgary, the low fuel warnings on both the bike and the GPS unit had been flashing for some time. This was cutting it just a little too fine; a lesson for the rest of the trip.

It was a short hop from the gas stop to the Super 8 directly accross from McMann Stadium where I'm staying for the night.

Tomorrow morning I will be picking up Jane at the airport, and after picking up a key from their daughter Kirsten (and seeing the two perfect grandchildren) we'll be heading up to Neil and Glenda's condo in Canmore.

Yorkton to Saskatoon via a famous composer's town

This is a picture of the Lanigan SPC facility.


In the small town of Mozart the streets are named for famous composers and the signs are decorated with music notes, an original and amusing touch.




The Mozart Credit Union (where he keeps his royalties)




And the CO-OP, where the socialist doubtless purchased his booze and tobacco.



And since you've all been asking (well really no one has) a picture of the Yorkton Tim Hortons.

I left Yorkton around 8:00 Sunday morning. The weather was nice, some clouds but much sunshine breaking through between the cloud cover. Even if it was Sunday there was some roawork, paving along a 5 kilometre section which involved one unintended stop. While the posted speed limit is 100 kph, the traffic, which was quite light, actually moved along about 10 km faster, a very good pace. I saw a moose in a field along the highway; and in the prairies when you see a moose in a field along the highway you actually get to see it for a long time, even if it's galloping at full moose speed towards a stand of trees way off in the distance.

At some point I noticed on the roadmap which I store in the pocket provided for it on the tank case that I would soon be arriving at the turnoff for the town of Mozart. I decided to make the short detour to visit it. There are four streets in Mozart, each one named for a famous composer by the wife of farmer Lund in 1909 who had been given this honour by the CPR engineers who stayed on their farm when the railway wwas being put through this part of the prairies. (This information is from some research Jane did after I told her I had seen the Mozart CO-OP and the combined Mozart Credit Union and Post Office.

As one approaches Saskatoon, from Lanigan on one sees a number of Saskatchewan Potash Corporation Operations. They are unmistakable, the mine headframes and the huge stockpiles of potash stick out from the otherwise flat landscape. What was ever clearer on this part of the trip is the extent to which the long period of rain in this part of the country had had an effect on farmers. Many fields have not been seeded and others are covered with ponds of standing water, the ground being saturated and there having not been enough sunshine for it to evaporate.

I stopped for a ham and eggs beakfast/lunch at a small family restaurant and while I was there a group of bikers arrived, all dressed in their leathers.

I arrived at our friends Steven and Alma at about 4:00 and was welcomed by a host of Weibe's, Alma's family. As it turns out a niece was moving yesterday and a number of aunts, uncles, nephews and cousins had helped them do so. They, their children and others (some 35 in all) had been invited to come over for a bbq of ribs and burgers with all the fixins at Syeven and Alma's. It was a fun evening. A number of folks wanted to hear all about my trip so far and my plans for the rest of it.

Today is a down day in Saskatoon and I'm intending on going to visit the riverfront redevelopment,one of the strategic infrastructure projects with which I was involved while at Infrastructure Canada.

There would be more to write, but my two fingers are getting tired.

So far this trip has exceeded my expectations. It is truly an amazing way to see this great country. I often think how blessed we aree to live in such a great place where we can enjoy such diversity and such beauty. Every turn of the road of the road, over every crest there is something to admire, and often the view simply takes your breath away.

I'm looking forward to Jane joining me in Calgary so that we can share the ride through the Rockies. I know it's going to be impressive.

More later

Yesterday's pictures

This elevator complex was just past the Manitoba Saskatchewan border.

This "punch buggy" had been turned into a planter in a roadside parc.

This was the first unubstructed prairie view I saw when I turned onto the Yellowhead Highway which would take me to Yorkton. It was nothing compared to those I would see further down the road, but I was impressed nonetheless.

And here is the first grain elevator I saw along the same highway. These structures are huge and they dot the landscape.


From the top down here are pictures of a grain elevator in Manitoba

Another day, another province, another friend

I pulled out of Winnipeg early this morning leaving the Sheraton Four Points, and a Tim Hortons on the Pembina Highway and taking the ring road, Highway 100 to the Trans Canada, Highway 1 in the direction of Portage la Prairie. Shotly thereafter I took the Yellowhead Highway, number 16 all the way to Yorkton. The landscape duringg the first part is quite flat but changes into long rolling terrain as you approach and cross into Saskatchewan. One can easily see the effect of all the rain they've had around here as there are large puddles of water in the fields. The weather was pleasant, cloudy with sunny breaks when I left Winnipeg but the skies got more covered and much darker as I went along.

I stopped for breakfast in Neepewa, pancakes and bacon, delicious. While there this really interesting character walked into the restaurant and came to my table.

- How long you been riding a BMW, he asked?

- Some 30 years. I said.

- So you know they call the bikes Beemers and the cars Bimmers.

Butch, whose originally from Alberta, has been riding BMWs for a left as well, stayed at my table andnwe chatted throughout my breakfast. He's an ambassador for the BMW Owners Association and he went on at lenght on the benefits of being a member, one of which is receiving a copy of the BMW Owners News magazine. Before we parted Butch, gave me his copy of the August 2009 issue of the BON that he fetched from the back of his car which he had left parked at the gas station accross the road when he first saw my bike and decided to investigate, and he had a good look at my bike and my GPS unit. He, like I, marvelled at the technology in that small unit. He was a really nice gentlemen and it was nice to have someone to talk motorcycle with.

No sooner had I left Neepewa it started to rain so I pulled over to put on my rain gear. However, the rain did not last very long. I stopped for gas and to wash my bike in Russell and arrived at around 2:30 in Yorkton, having spoken to Jane, Jean-François and Pierre-Alain during the ride.

My impression of Yorkton is of a fairly depressed city, though I may be totally wrong about that I must say though that there are many bikers cruising the streets. I've yet to see another Beemer.

I am having trouble adding pictures so I'll try later.

Bujold's Boondogle Trip

Well another day on the road. I have decided, after consultaion with, and a strong suggestion from Jane that I should use this trip, to the extent possible, to visit some of the Strategic Infrastructure projects that I was involved in. After all there is a legacy of those in many of the cities I will be going through. Today it is the Winnipeg floodway; I know it is here somewhere. maybe Ken McConnell can send me a map.

Today started off in Fort Frances under rainy skies. So I put on all my rain gear and went for a coffee at Tim Hortons. No sooner had I pulled out of town on Hwy 11/71 that the skies cleared and they remained that way for the rest of the day. I had breakfast at Monique's log cabin in Nesttor Falls where I saw a cute little kitten; it made me think of Rose and Lilly. Highway 71 which runs through Lake of the Woods country is very beautiful; there are many small lakes on both sides of the highway and the wildlife is abundant. I saw three deer, a bunny rabbit - no doubt a distant cousin of the Orléans bunnies- and some eagles - I have a picture of a speck flying between the trees and I swear it is an eagle. As I needed some gas i decided to follow Hwy 17A through Kenora. The downtown waterfront is very nice.

The remainder of the ride on Hwy 1 is nothing to write home about. It's longish and certainly flat. I arrived at my Winnipeg hotel early enough to change and go to the Forks for a stroll and dinner.

My picture's today include the rainbow Motel and Tim Hortons in Fort Frances, Monique's Log Cabin Restaurant, my new deminutive feline friend, a picnic table in the forest near one of the many small lakes.

Mostly sunny along Superior

Got an early start after a coffee at the Tim Hortons in Wawa. The ride, all 820 kilometers was easy. The temperature was ideal, low twnties and the traffic was very light. There is some road work and I was held up twice, once for over 15 minutes (see middle picture). There is some amazing scenary along the way, especially between Marathon and Thunder Bay where Highway 17 hugs the shore of Lake Superior at certain points. I stopped at the Terry Fox Monument just outside of Thunder Bay. I had been to this site before with Minister Clement when he was the Minister of Health and had responsibility for FEDNOR.

On a slightly negative note, my phone did not work from around the Sault up until I arrived here in Fort Frances. Is it possible that there is no network access for that whole stretch??

Tomorrow I travel to Winnipeg, about half the mileage of today; that is good as I will be able to visit something or other.

From Big Nickel to Big Geese

Left Coniston this morning shortly after 6:30 with my brother, he on his Vulcan 800. After a quick stop for coffee at Tim Hortons in Sudbury we headed off to the Big Nickel. Needless to say that it wasn't very crowded. After looking around and taking a few pictures, we headed west on Highway 17. Gilles had said he'd ride west till 10:00 and then turn around. We made it to Blind River together under a cloudy sky but with the temperature holding around 20 degrees.

I then continued on with the sky getting greyer by the kilometre. I stopped to put on my rain gear near Iron Bridge; and not a second too soon. The skies opened up and it poured until around Montreal River Harbour. I arrived in Wawa at about 4:00 and toured around before dinner. There are actually three Wawa geese as the included pictures attest.

Since Wawa is a Bell cell network free zone I was unable to call Jane, that is until I mastered Skype and was able to use the free wifi at the motel with the small notebook computer I brouught along for the trip.

After dinner at the Kinniwabi Pines Restaurant, the best dining establishment in Algoma, according to the proprietress of the Parkway Motel where I'm staying, I'm now ready for a good night's sleep as tomorrow's is a long ride from here to Fort Frances.

Day 2 - Coniston

Here are the twin stacks of Coniston; this is all that's left from the smelter that was there, and because of their size they can be seen from a long distance, including from Highway 17 as one arrives from the east.

Before arriving at Coniston there is this road sign which the Coniston Lions Club erected along Highway 17. Jean-Yves was instrumental in having these marker signs put up east and west of the entrance to town. I always smile when I see one of them as it welcomes me back home. You can see the trees growing on what was previously bare rock. (I'll have to ask if bears have returned to the neighbourhood.)

Above is the view from the lookout onto Lake Nipissing between North Bay and Sturgeon Falls; and on the right, the Tim Hortons in Deep River, the first of what will certainly be many stops at such fine estabilshments on this trip.


Below are Jane and phil, both of whom got up real early yesterday to say "bon voyage" - they are both fluently bilingual you know, well Phil is actually + bilingue que Jane.

And here's a picture of phil and I on the bike just before I left. I think he thought he should be coming along for the ride but I was able to convince him that he was needed to take care of Jane and the cats - Jane, ok, Rose and Lilly, not so much.

Well, waht about today? It's been raining since very early this morning so there hasn't been any riding yet. If it clears later this afternoon I will go out with my brother Gilles for a ride. He and I went to Lowe's to pick up a small piece of hardware to manufacture a cover for my GPS "key". We then picked up Jean-Yves at City Hall and went for lunch.

First day of the trip

Left home at around 6:20 this morning after saying goodby to Jane and Phil. I was early enough to beat the Ottawa traffic and to get to Tim Horton's in Deep River for coffee and a toasted bagel, with peanut butter no less. The weather today was very nice; sunny and warm, bordering on hot towards Coniston. There is very little construction on Hwy 17, only one stop before Mattawa (it's always Mattawa!). Stopped for a hamburger and fries at Larry's Fries in Sturgeon Falls and arrived at my brother Jean-Yves home at 2:00. It's quite something to see how the trees are growing around Coniston when one remembers that it was a barren (lunar looking) landscape when I was child. also, my home town is SMALL; a five minute bike tour is all that's necessary to go over most streets.

The plan for this evening is an early dinner with Jean-Yves and a visit to Candace's house to see the renos they've completed to date. I've spoken to Gilles and he and I will go for a ride tommorow.

Getting ready for my trip

Hello all,


Well, it's about a week from departure and much of the planning, and the packing is complete. I've done a number of test runs, including a 3 day (1-day) trip to New Hampshire and Vermont. The bike goes into the shop next week for new tires and the 40k servicing. I am planning to leave early Monday June 21st after the last performance on Sunday of the Mahler 8th Symphony at the Place des Arts in which I'm performing as one of 250 or so choristers from Ottawa and Montréal.





The route so far is Ottawa - Coniston (Sudbury for those who are not up on their Northern Ontario geography) - Wawa - Fort Frances - Winnipeg - Yorkton - Saskatoon - Calgary (where Jane will join me for the trip through the Rockies) -Kelowna - Kamloops - and Vancouver. Jane and I will be spending a few days in and around Vancouver visiting friends and touring, and the she'll return to Ottawa in time to pick up her niece and drive her to her summer camp. I'll continue on my voyage of discovery. From Vancouver I will travel to Victoria (likely via Nanaimo) and onwards be ferry to Port Angeles in Wahington State. The plan from that point on is less defined but it looks like I will basically follow the coast south towards San Fransisco. At some point I will make a sharp left and start returning to Ottawa.





Let's hope for nice weather!!





I'll keep you posted.