Accommodation
in the YWCA Banff had been more than adequate. The setting is something to die for.
Early morning views of the snow-capped Mt Rundle as you wake up and the smell
of fresh grass are stuff of dreams. How I wished I had more time in this place;
even permanently stay on and keep soaking in the experience day after day. Spring
had really not taken its place in the seasonal calendar and hence, the YWCA was
not busy either. Staying in such accommodation also has the benefit of laundry,
serviced kitchen and common rooms. The kitchen opens at 6 am while laundry can
be done only after 8 am so as not to disturb residents on that floor. I came
down for a cup of hot water at 4 am to make coffee and the kind young man at
the reception opened the kitchen for me to help myself.
Once
again it was muesli and cold milk with oranges for breakfast before setting off
for Swift Current. It didn’t take long to hit the TCH 1E, which was my route
for the rest of the day – no detours. I had nearly 650 km to do today, which I
targeted in 9 hours. The maximum speed varied quite a bit all the way from 80
to 110 kph, but was 110 kph most of the time. The road conditions were superb
all the way through. The Calgary bypass was reached in under two hours, where I
tanked up. I was surprised by the fuel price there – just 117.9 cents to more
than 172 cents a litre in Vancouver! When I remarked about the cheap fuel,
Amandeep, the young girl at the counter, mentioned that it is so in comparison
to British Columbia. Getting out of Calgary did take some time due to the
morning rush and awful lot of construction works going on.
After
Calgary it was a smooth ride all through. I reached Medicine Hat just short of
midday and pulled into a gas station for toilet and a short nap. All done
before half past and the balance 220 km was done is just over two hours. The
snowy Rocky Mountains had kept me company till short of Calgary. Just short of
Calgary the imposing range became shorter and flatter. And some time after
Calgary the Rockies even disappeared from the rear view mirror. Thereafter, the
landscape was flat and undulating grasslands. There were vestiges of snow on
the ground still and farming activity was yet to pick up. Massive showrooms and
storage places with farm equipment were seen on the way which indicated that
farming is the main economic activity in the region. Another feature was a
large number of camper vans and units put out for rental in many towns along
the way.
The
petroleum industry is big in Canada, it being the fourth largest oil producer
with the third largest oil reserves in the world. Its exports are largely to
the USA and new exploration is going on at hectic pace. Evidence of this could
be seen all along the drive in Alberta. Wells are all over between the grids on
the roads and in open fields. It is said that almost 100 new wells are spudded
daily in this province alone. Canada has more upstream activity than downstream
activity and possibly because of this, despite its large reserves and
production, products are imported into the eastern shores of the country. This
is mainly due to lack of refining capability for the type of crude it produces
and pipeline deficiency for oil cartage.
Along
the way there were hoardings advertising Canadian Badlands. These are peculiar
formations that happen over years due to deposits and erosion. Due to the
difficulty in navigating it the white settlers called them badlands while for
the indigenes, the First Nations people, it was sacred land. It is also reputed
to have been the popular hideouts for outlaws and bandits, thereby enhancing
the reason for it to be called badlands. There are more than 1.3 First Nations
people in Canada belonging to over 630 First Nations speaking more than 50
distinctive languages. These are the people who first came into contact with
white settlers, traded with them and helped them settle.
About
a 100 km short of Swift Current there were warnings on the road of an accident
and the need to navigate safely as per road signs. The penalty for not
following the direction is three times the normal fine. Worried about the
penalty I erred on the side of caution, much to the consternation of vehicles
behind me. While approaching the accident spot I realised that it was a rail
accident and not a road accident. A freight train seemed to have jumped track
and a few carriages were on both sides of the track. The number of relief and
retrieval trucks and equipment deployed by CP railway at the site was
remarkable in itself. The job was being done in a very orderly manner and I
counted at least 15 cranes of various capacities at the site. The accident site
looked very different from the ones I was used to in the Indian Railways.
The
day was clear and sunny most of the time. In a place it did drizzle a bit, but
nothing more. The conditions overall were so good that, despite the stoppages,
I was at the Caravel Motel in Swift Current a little after 2.30 pm; 649 km in 7
hours and 15 minutes!. Along the way the crossed over into Saskatchewan, the
third province after British Columbia and Alberta. The slogan on the license
plate of vehicles registered in the province is “Land of Living Skies”. The
Caravel Motel is right on the TCH 1E and was easy to find. The facility, yet
again, is managed by an Indian family. Even though the lady said that they
belonged to Delhi I suspect they are originally from Punjab. Their son, Jaggie,
checked me in and explained a few sights I could visit during the few hours I
had. After going through them in the room I decided to stick to the Riverside
Park, not far away from the Motel.
Swift
Current is a product of the progress of the CP railway. I saw more evidence of
that at the park where a plaque indicated that a dam had been built there for a
water source for watering the steam locomotives. The dam built in 1888 of
earth, stone and plank was used for riding sleighs on the frozen reservoir
during the winter months. This and the surrounding park continues to be a
recreational area for the residents of Swift Current. When I was around the
park, nearly 50 children of less than 10 years of age were brought there by
their parents for football coaching. It was indeed a very heartening sight.
Just as in Australia I find that people in Canada devote a lot of attention to
outdoor activity and the children are taught young of its benefits. The fact
that all good habits must be taught young is evident in these countries where
road rules, discipline and civilised behaviour are imparted at a very young age
and parents and teachers make those behaviours demonstrable. Bad habits can be
picked up any time!
In
the park I met an elderly couple who were out on a stroll. They stopped for the
chat. They told me how, more than 30
years ago, they had won a lottery and had the opportunity to ravel to Mumbai.
They were befriended by a person at the hotel, over breakfast, and invited them
to attend a wedding in his family. The couple so thoroughly enjoyed the
experience that the memories of those days still brought sparkles to their aged
eyes. The gentleman told me that farming is the mainstay of the economy of the
town, but the weather patterns had changed considerably in the past five years
leading to crop destruction and lesser productivity.
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