Exploring the Elbow on
Exploring rural Saskatchewan can be fun and builds our knowledge of the province. Today’s edition of Where We Can Go explores part of a gigantic man-made lake and dam that has changed the face of the province.
The day trip up Highway Two North to the junction of Highway 42 goes past or through the well-groomed communities of Tuxford, Keeler, Brownlee and Eyebrow.
Don’t be afraid of touring the towns. At Brownlee you might get a tour of a distillery.
From just west of Eyebrow, turn onto Highway 357 and head to the junction with Highway 19 that takes you to Elbow and the Gardiner Dam.
On the way to Elbow the highway cuts through Douglas Provincial Park. Three hiking trails on the east side of the park offer exercise and insight into the sand hills and and trees terrain. Two of the trails are short. The third is longer but
Sod shack
Yacht club
rewards hikers with the awesome sight of a 500 foot high sand dune.
An interpretive display in the park office explains the natural features and wildlife. Be prepared. Visitors spotted a bear in the area a year ago.
Once a sleepy farming community Elbow has gradually been transformed into a summer resort community.
It all started in 1967 with opening of the $21 million Gardiner Dam/Lake Diefenbaker
development, intended to irrigate farms, supply hydroelectricity and develop recreation communities around the 140 miles of lake shoreline.
Not much was happening with Elbow tourism until the 1980s when Premier Grant Devine’s government backed a controversial championship golf course along the lake at Elbow in the middle of nowhere.
Since then Elbow’s tourist attractions have mushroomed with a large RV court, marina and yacht club and area housing/ cottage developments like Tufts Bay. A large piece of the 400-tonne Mistusinne Rock is tucked away on the outskirts of town. The gigantic rock, considered sacred by the local Indigenous people, was blown up to be covered by the lake waters. A Peace Tower sculpted by the late Joe Fafard of Pense rests in a park.
The town sports a variety of shops, galleries, cafes and attractions like mini-golf
Peace tower
and ice cream.
The big attraction on Main Street is the replica settler’s sod shack built in 1967 to celebrate Canada’s Centennial.
The road north takes you to the impressive dam via Highway 44 and Danielson Provincial Park.
Estimated driving time: 3.5 hours one way.
Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@ sasktel.net.