Southern Saskatchewan - Tourism Saskatchewan

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All year round in southwest
Saskatchewan, you’ll be entertained and
intrigued by a wide range of festivals
and events. Here, the arts meet the Old
West, and cowboy poetry sessions are a
feature of many formal or informal gettogethers.
The Cowboy Poetry Gathering
and Western Art & Gear Show in Maple
Creek each September showcases
talented poets and musicians from
Canada and the USA.
South of Maple Creek lies the
community of Consul, home of the
Reno Rodeo, described as the “Biggest
Little Rodeo in the West!” This familyfriendly
event each July has all the
traditional wranglers’ events including a
Kids’ Rodeo and Jackpot Team Roping.
Each summer, Consul joins with the
communities of Robsart and Eastend to
present the 3-day South West Quest for
Art & History, (July 20-22, 2012). Take a
self-guided tour to meet artists, view
their art, experience music, history, films
from the Yorkton Film Festival, a parade
and fireworks.
The past of southwest Saskatchewan is
lovingly preserved in many
communities throughout the region.
Nowhere is this more impressive than
in Maple Creek, where the Jasper
Cultural & Historical Centre occupies
what was the town’s school in 1910.
Built of locally-made bricks, with the
original molded-tin ceilings, the
museum features an actual railway
station house, a one-room school, a
collection of Heritage saddles and
Charlie Russell prints. Maple Creek’s
Oldtimers’ Museum welcomes summer
visitors to displays of frontier artifacts,
while they restore the log museum!
In Shaunavon, which was a railroad
centre in the early years of the last
century, the Grand Coteau Heritage &
Cultural Centre brings together the
culture, arts, human and natural history
of the area, and provides tourist
information.
From 1875 to 1883, the North West
Mounted Police (now the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police or RCMP)
were headquartered at Fort Walsh in
picturesque Battle Creek Valley. Today,
this is part of the Fort Walsh & Cypress
Hills Massacre National Historic Site.
Through interactive programming in
this living museum, visitors of all ages
can experience the daily life of a 19th
century Mountie. The lawless days of
the whiskey trade which prompted the
creation of Canada’s national police
force have been recreated at the site
of the infamous Cypress Hills
Massacre, a haunting and significant
milestone in our history.
When you visit southwest
Saskatchewan, there are memories
aplenty to take back home with you.
And if you’re looking for something
more tangible to remind you of your
vacation good times, you’ll be glad to
find all kinds of gift shops and
galleries throughout the area. In Val
Marie, a few kilometers from the
Canada/U.S. border, visit the
Grasslands Gallery, marketing beautiful
fine art and crafts inspired by the
southwest.
Fly Fishing in the Battle Creek
Photo Credit: Tourism Saskatchewan/Greg Huszar Photography
2012/2013 Southern Saskatchewan Vacation Guide 11