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Happy 2012!; hey, Saskatchewan has a new campsite reservation system coming on stream in March; one of Saskatchewan's landmark hotels now offers spa services to visitors and locals alike; have you booked your resort cabin for summer 2012?; and, virtual saskatoon berry pie for all who live south of 60!
If you enjoy camping in Saskatchewan you might want to circle Monday, March 12 on your calendar. Or maybe more appropriately, you might want to enter a reminder for that day on your computer calendar. March 12 is the day Saskatchewan Park's new online, real-time reservation system goes live. And considering how popular our parks have become—2011 witnessed a visitation record—you might even want to be sitting at the ready in front of your computer at 8 a.m. on Monday, March 12.
Summer's gone, but our recollections live on. A particularly fond memory gleaned from one of Saskatchewan's most beautiful summers in years is of an impromptu visit to the small southeast Saskatchewan community of Wolseley. Everyone involved in provincial tourism is convinced travellers using the southern route of the Trans-Canada Highway would have a far different view of our province if they got off the main drag and did a little exploring. Here's yet another reason to do so.
Many Saskatchewan-born people (and some we simply claim as our own) have made big names for themselves in sport,
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science, literature, business, politics and entertainment—Joni Mitchell isn't the only Saskatchewan woman to score a million seller on the pop charts (recognize another in the photo?). Here's our third list of Sasky notables, updated with new information and full of surprises for the uninitated. We're in the process of compiling our fourth list, so if you think of someone we've missed in the first three instalments, we welcome your suggestions! (See the bottom of the story page for links to our first two compilations.)
One of the last people with a first-hand perspective on the short but fascinating life of Edouard Beaupré, sometimes known as "The Willow Bunch Giant'', passed away in 2010. Ovila Lesperance gave generously of his time to help make our tale about the Giant one of the favourites among Virtual Saskatchewan readers. It must be said it's a sad tale of exploitation. But we suggest readers keep in mind the times in which the earliest of these events occurred, as well as the satisfying end to a journey that death didn't deter for far too long.
The Saskatchewan Ministry of Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport is staging consultations into proposals to establish two new provincial parks in the Lakeland and Hudson Bay regions of the province. The new parks won't be hived from the wilderness and assembled from the bottom up -- both areas contain recreational sites with camping facilities and enjoy a certain degree of popularity, at least among people in their respective vicinities. There will be a few wrinkles to iron out and some questions about adequate funding for new parks when existing ones have suffered. But in all likelihood, Saskatchewan will have two new provincial parks by spring 2012. And Virtual Saskatchewan says "Cheers!'' to that.
View a complete listing of Virtual Saskatchewan stories
or peruse story summaries by category, such as 'people', 'places
of interest', etc.
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