The people have spoken, and boy did they have a lot to say!

The most frequently suggested choice for our official provincial animal is the gopher, which received 27 per cent of the votes.

Here are the top ten suggestions, along with the percentage of the vote each received:

white tail deer - 19 per cent

The winner of the weekend getaway for two to Moose Jaw's Temple Gardens Mineral Spa is:

The winner of the weekend getaway for two to the Land of the Loon Resort is:

Congratulations Blair and Leigh! We know you'll enjoy these wonderful Saskatchewan getaways!

The response to Virtual Saskatchewan's "Great Saskatchewan Animal Quest!" has been overwhelming!

People from every corner of the province, and some from well beyond, have submitted their suggestions - nearly 50 different "animals" were nominated. Many were very straightforward and thoughtful, others were a little more off-the-wall.

One of the latter such entries came from a lady in Saskatoon who suggested we adopt the chihuahua as Saskatchewan's official provincial animal! "(This dog is) full of heart and moxie, and willing to fight against all odds to keep their family safe and proud," she wrote. She went on to say these qualities are exactly those found in Saskatchewan's farmers.

Someone else nominated Preston Manning. Well, I think he's got some time on his hands these days... Preston?

Another suggested the "elusive road gopher" - so named because of the holes it chews into the province's highways. About the size of a housecat, the road gopher has yet to be successfully caught on film... you get the drift!

What quickly became very clear was that people were having FUN with this contest, and that was the primary reason we wanted to do it.

Media from around the province launched their own phone-in balloting on the Animal Quest, and by all accounts the response they received was similarly enthusiastic.

Yes, the winners of the weekend getaways have been chosen. But due to the overwhelming response we've received we're going to continue to accept our readers' suggestions.

We've turned on the tap and the water's starting to gush. We're sure not going to try to stop the flow!

We'll be forwarding the results of our Animal Quest, and any future submissions we receive, to the provincial government. Who knows, maybe we will have helped make Saskatchewan history!

Thanks, very much, to everyone who has taken part in the Great Saskatchewan Animal Quest! Thanks, as well, to our advertisers who make it all possible.

Cheers,
Paul
info@virtualsk.com

Now, the contest is over, so we'll not be awarding any more prizes. But the Great Saskatchewan Animal Quest! has obviously struck a chord with the people of Saskatchewan, and we'll continue to accept your suggestions for as long as you'd like to give them.

So have some fun, be creative, or just waste some time surfing at work - we won't tell your boss! Tell us what beast you think should be chosen as Saskatchewan's official provincial animal!