Wanderer keen to see all of province
Kevin Dunn hopes to meet many people, listen to a lot of music, drink a lot of tea and get to every corner of province as roving ambassador in 2018
REGINA If Kevin Dunn isn’t a road trip pro yet, he will be by the end of 2018.
The Saskatonian is the province’s newest Saskatchewanderer. Dunn’s predecessor, Andrew Hiltz, logged about 46,000 kilometres on his odometer.
An avid weekend- tripper, 25-year-old Dunn spoke to media on Friday morning at a Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) location in Regina.
Q Where are Dunn’s favourite spots in Saskatchewan?
A In his hometown, Dunn is a big fan of the Meewasin Trail, “one of the most beautiful walks that you can take.”
In Regina, Dunn is looking forward to exploring Wascana Centre.
Beyond the cities, Dunn is planning a return trip to Meadow Lake and Cypress Hills, where he first travelled last summer.
“I was just wowed” by Cypress, he said. “I was not expecting to see all the trees and how high up you really were, because the elevation, that’s the highest in Saskatchewan…
“You feel like you could be in B.C. or something like that. You just never expected to be in that sort of terrain in Saskatchewan. But that’s the unique thing about it, that it’s here and you could go there in a day and just see so much in one day.”
Q What are Dunn’s road trip vices?
A Dunn relies on Spotify for music, but is also looking to break out some “Throwback Thursday” CDs from the early 2000s, when he would travel around the province with his dad. A song that comes to mind is The Guess Who’s Running Back to Saskatoon.
Dunn skips the coffee and Red Bull — “I’m more of a tea person to be honest,” he said.
As for snacks, granola bars are a must. Sunflower seeds and licorice are other go-tos.
Q What does Dunn hope to accomplish in his new job?
A “What I’m looking forward to the most is going to the places I’ve never been to before, meeting people and sharing their stories,” said Dunn, who will shoot photos and video by hand, as well as using a drone to get aerial shots. He’ll post those to saskatchewanderer. ca, as well as to social media.
Q Where is he most excited to travel?
A Dunn hasn’t spent much time north of Prince Albert. He wants to visit La Ronge, Narrow Hills Provincial Park (150 kilometres northeast of Prince Albert) and the Gem Lakes.
“I plan to go east, south, west, everywhere I’m able to,” said Dunn.
“Exploring eastern Saskatchewan is a big part for me, because that’s where my family is originally from, around the Quill Lakes region.”
In that area, Greenwater Lake Provincial Park, and communities like Tisdale and Melfort, are on his list.
Dunn is an outdoorsy guy, but will also be venturing indoors on his travels. Close to home, he expects one of his first sites will be the new Remai Modern gallery in Saskatoon.
Q How is it that he gets to wander across Saskatchewan as a job?
A The provincial government created Saskatchewanderer as a summer student position in 2011. Since 2014, it has been a full-year gig that pays a salary of roughly $60,000.
CAA Saskatchewan is a major sponsor, providing Dunn with a Toyota RAV4, gas vouchers and more.
MySask411 is another sponsor.