After having picked up coffee at the A&W near our motel we started off for Cadillac that is about 40 minutes south of Swift Current.  It doesn’t take long for us to be out in the middle of nowhere.

We see a sign indicating a point of interest ahead, so we pull over to check it out.  The point of interest is two small markers on the east side of the road.

The plaque describes:

Fort Walsh- Fort Qu’Appelle Trail

In the mid 19th Century the trail, which passed near here was the major route linking the Cypress Hills and Fort Qu’Appelle. Fur traders used it to transport the provisions, which they had acquired through trade or hunting, back to Fort Qu’Appelle. From there, the pemmican and dried or pounded meat were shipped to more northerly posts.

After 1875 The North West Mounted Police used it to conduct patrols from their post at Fort Walsh in The Cypress Hills, until railways and then highways were constructed. This trail was the main transportation route of the ranchers and homesteaders who came to South-Western Saskatchewan.

The road is long and straight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It isn’t long until we arrive in Cadillac.  They have.cute Welcome sign. The wheels spin in the wind  🙂

The street signs are also interesting.  The streets, like the town are named after cars.

Southern Saskatchewan has a big french population.  We are told that Cadillac  (the town and the car) is named after an explorer.  Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac was a French explorer and adventurer in New France.

We see the Cadillac Museum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It isn’t open at the moment, but there is a sign……

 

So we call Luanne!!  She lives next door and tells us that she will be there in a few minutes.  She arrives and gives us the keys to enter as she has a bad hip and is slower to get up the steps.

We had enjoyed our chat with Luanne.  She was happy to talk to new people.  Cadillac has less than 100 people today.

This is the school that we assume Stu’s Dad went to.  According to Luanne it was bought by an Artist from Alberta named Robert Scott.  He has created a living space for himself and has large studio space as he creates very large murals.

 

 

 

 

 

We also found out that the Hotel bar opens at 11:00 and that they have good meals.  We are hungry, so we head over brunch.  Sadly it is closed.

 

 

 

 

 

We are hungry so we leave town in search of food.  We set Google Maps to Fife Lake, the town that my father grew up. Odd that our fathers and my mother, born the same year and  grew up 2 hours from each other in this province!!   Along the way we come to Ponteix the next town to the east.

We find a bigger town than Cadillac, with more amenities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have a great breakfast.  2 eggs, lots of bacon, hash brown potatoes and toast for $6.50 each.  Very satisfied we headed off to the next ancestral homestead.

Along the way we see homesteads that were obviously someones dream home at one point.  Large main house, large barn and outbuildings that most likely housed hired workers for the farm.  Today not so impressive.

We come to a town called Rockglen.  This name is very familiar to me.  I often heard my parents and other relatives speak about this town.  I must have seen it when I was here when I was about 12, but I was happy to see it again.  I found myself really wanting to be able to talk to my Mom, ask her a lot of questions……  🙁

We drive through some very interesting landscapes.  We all expect the  prairies to be flat, the roads long and straight.  In this part of Saskatchewan, there are lots of hills and valleys and winding roads.  It does eventually flatten and straighten out again by the time we reach Fife Lake.

We do drive through the town, but are feeling a bit tired and decide that tomorrow is the day we come back to Fife Lake for lunch at the Fife Lake Hotel.

We have a hotel in Assiniboia so we head for there as it is about 30 minutes north.  Back tomorrow to continue our heritage tour.  🙂