Last Day in Saskatoon

My Sunday afternoon Porter flight was right on time and as I sat back in my seat and looked out the window to a picture perfect prairie day I reflected on my trip.

It felt as if I'd been here for months. The pace had been just right - not a frenzy of visiting, trying to pack it all into a week, but a leisurely two week stretch where I was busy with events and activities every day, though not in a rush. It gave me time to rediscover Saskatoon, and this Saskatoon is not the same city I grew up in. It had become far more interesting, incredibly diverse, larger, more confident, more beautiful, and busier. Yet, some of what I remember was still there - the significant Indigenous population, the perpetually beaten up (but improving) 20th and 22nd Streets, the Swiss Cheese roads pitted with potholes and some craters capable of swallowing a scootering child whole, the buxum summer foliage, the terrible drivers, the oldies radio stations.

The greatest surprise of all was the diversity. On Canada Day we walked along the River Landing area where crowds had gathered for the fireworks. I felt like I could have been in Toronto's Harbourfront Centre, or old Montreal, or Vancouver's waterfront. The faces ranged from Saskatchewan Ukrainian white to African black and every possible shade between these. There were Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Indigenous, Christians and I can only assume dozens of other religions. There were straights, gays, lesbians, and two-spirits. Despite these differences, everybody was wearing or carrying Canada swag and what I saw in front of me was a proud and joyful community of newcomers, oldcomers, family, and friends. I am quite sure I wiped a tear away from my eye at one point. It was magnificent, as were the fireworks later that night and the roars of approval from the crowd of United Nations.

In contrast, small town Saskatchewan had hardly changed. I had a chance to travel out to Foam Lake and Fishing Lake with my dad and step-mom Loretta for two days and was warped backwards in time about forty years. Yes, some minor things had changed but really, it was the same. I visited with many friends from birth - the Ford Foundation, Leah Laxdal, Guy Mumford, as well as family - Nicola Martin, Shannon and Jody Latimer, and neighbours. Dad toured me around the grid roads where I'd had so many adventures as a teenager, ripping around in my beat up vehicles, sometimes with weaponry, sometimes just booze, usually both, skirting disaster by swerving through soft gravel, tempting a ditching, always with a carload of farm boys and girls. These grid roads were the same, except for more moose now (Dad tells me).

The days in Saskatoon were fun and the nights were long, rarely finding myself in bed before 1 am. We had several magical nights in Curtis's backyard oasis, laughing and drinking, story telling, goofing around, with the brothers and wives, and this is when I missed Ana the most. During the days I played basketball with my nephews, rode around the city on my dad's amazing e-bike, went for long walks, had drinks on patios. Most mornings were spent with my mom, enjoying leisurely tea and toast, then in the afternoons we'd go for a swim or lay in the sun.

I reconnected with so many people. My aunts Lynn and Tammy and cousin Isabella were in town for a few days so I spent a lot of time with them, catching up on life after not seeing them for many years. I spent a day and night with my cousin Jason and his family and got to know his lovely twin girls who I hadn't seen since they were babies. I spent an evening with my uncle Don and aunt Donnie at their home in Warman, a rapidly growing town just outside of Saskatoon. He showed me his jeep project. He's the only guy I know who can buy two junky classic Jeeps, reduce them to a pile of pieces them assemble from scratch, rebuild two engines into one, disassemble then reassemble transmissions and gears, completely rewire it, paint it, and somehow figure out how to put it all back together after a project span of five years. Maybe ten. Actually, there is one other guy who does this - my uncle Blaine, but I didn't get to see him this time. He and Don are mechanical geniuses. Lastly, I spend a couple hours with my high school buddy Wenona and her husband Steve and daughter Chloe, on their deck. It had been more than a decade. They haven't changed.

And parties. On my second day in Saskatoon Curt hosted a party for his wife Carrie's 50th and my mom's 71st. It was amazing. Ghosts from the past appeared. Sheldon Olsen and his gorgeous family. The troubadour Arron Adair. Andy and Rachel and their beautiful baby Archie. Aunts and uncles and cousins. Mom had an afternoon party in the luxurious clubhouse of their apartment complex. The step-siblings were there - Jay and Sherry and Lana, and we had a wonderful catch up. My aunt Hazel and uncle Ian hosted a Wednesday night soiree in their backyard oasis. Everybody showed up. The food was incredible, drinks aplenty, and the entertainment consisted of three pugs (one white, one grey, one black) chasing around a Pitbull Boxer shepherd hybrid big dog. They went crazy. We cheered them on.

Other moments.

Touring the University of Saskatchewan grounds with Mom, Tammy, and Isabella and visiting the grain and flour exhibition at the agriculture building, the dinosaur skeleton and fish tanks in the biology building, and watching gophers chasing each other in the Bowl.

Playing golf with Mom on the putting green and swimming in their fantastic new pool.

Playing 21 with my nephews on Curtis backyard basketball court.

Riding Dad's electric bike at 34 kph down Wilson Avenue then doing a huge river loop up and down the South Saskatchewan.

Buying Carrie a gift for her 50th birthday I know she would use - a vegetable platter!

Being dazzled by the July 1st fireworks display.

Taking a selfie with my mom, dad, and two brothers outside of Christie's bakery - our first time together in years.

Playing pool with the brothers and nephews in Mom and Rick's clubhouse.

Visiting the Remi Modern and being surprised to find a huge Shelley Nero exhibit, then moving onto rooftop cocktails with the brothers and wives.

Grooving to the Thundercats hip hop show at the Roxy Theatre on 20th.

Hanging out on the deck at the Ford cabin at Fishing Lake, where the only change in 40 years is everybody's a bit older.

Hanging out on the deck at the old Olson's Oasis cabin at Fishing Lake with cousin Nicola and family.

Having a fire at the Althing and watching the ominous skies threatening rain.

Watching a mile long CP Rail train passing through an enormous canola field.

Getting an excellent haircut...but it took three stylist - first pass by Mom ("How's it look, Mom?" I ask. "It will grow back", she says.), second pass by Curt (drunk on his patio), and final pass by Carrie (sober fine tuning).

Enjoying a chili pepper then hot dog eating contest at the Gather Local Market.

Picking haskap berries and sour cherries with my dad at my stepsister Angie's place.

Watching the AC/DC cover band rip it up at Bud's on Broadway...which also has not changed in 40 years.

Helping Curt out with a completely unplanned kitchen renovation at his commercial building The Two Twenty.

Having a beer with Dad on the patio of Winston's in downtown Saskatoon.

I rarely do any journaling when on visits to Saskatoon. There's just never any time. But I did take quite a few pictures to remind me of this visit and to be able to piece together a few of the memories.

Thanks Saskatoon. We'll be back soon!