Iconic Sask. photo now a Canada Post stamp
SASKATOON A photo from Saskatchewan’s Athabasca Sand Dunes Provincial Park now appears on a Canada Post stamp.
Saskatchewan travel writers and photographers Robin and Arlene Karpan captured the image during one of their trips to the northern Saskatchewan park on the shores of Lake Athabasca.
“Getting a shot like this, everything has to work out right,” Robin said.
He can’t remember exactly when the photo was taken, but recalls canoeing upstream from Lake Athabasca, then hiking for a few hours into an area with about 40 giant sand dunes. The pair had to wait for sunset to get one side of the dune in shadow — which, during summer months, happens around 10:30 p.m. — before Robin could snap the photo of Arlene.
It was well after midnight before they returned to their campsite.
The provincial park is strictly a wilderness park, with no roads, transportation, buildings or people, he said.
“It’s part of what makes it special,” Robin said. “It’s a fairly pristine area.”
While it’s the Karpans’ favourite place in the province, Robin said he doesn’t think the dunes are the first thing most people picture when they think of Saskatchewan.
“Saskatchewan is so diverse, from grasslands to boreal forest. I think most people will think of Saskatchewan as southern prairies or northern forest and lakes, but probably few people will think about sand dunes,” he said, adding that it is representative of the province because Saskatchewan has more sand dunes than anywhere in Canada.
The Canada Post From Far and Wide series 2020 edition features images from nine places across the country.
“It’s kind of neat that they chose one of our photos as what they consider as one of the top sites in Canada and it was also nice that this is our favourite place as well,” Robin said.
This is the second year the Karpans have worked with Canada Post.
The 2019 From Far and Wide series featured their image of Castle Butte in the Big Muddy Badlands.