Although a few months have passed since our last tidbit’s installment, the newly elected Council will continue to inform the community of events and general information concerning Waskesiu through this link. We wish to thank Herve Langlois for keeping us all informed with his tidbits since the inception of the waskesiu.org site.
Since July, Waskesiu has experienced summer in September, snow in early October, road work and paving at the end of October, Remembrance Day in November and snow again in December. January brought balmy temperatures followed by a heavy blanket of snow.
Open, in winter?
The Park is open in every season, including winter! Yes, winter! Not only is the Park open, but some of the hotels and restaurants are open as well. The Hawood Inn, Lost Creek Resort and Lakeview Suites are open all winter, some with xc-skis available and fireplaces and hot tubs to warm up after a ski or hike. The Hawood Inn’s restaurant and bar is open for a candle-lit dinner or to watch the Winter Olympics. The Asian Station, in its third year in Waskesiu, has also opened on weekends for those craving wonton soup or a fresh spring roll.
What’s on this winter:
On the home page there is a link to the weekly information bulletin as well as the ski trails map and weekly trail grooming report.
The Narrows Road is open all winter for those wishing to snow shoe one of the trails, view the otters at the Narrows, or fish for perch in one of the bays.
The cook shacks are a great way to enjoy the outdoors and then come in for a fire and snack.
The hike along Kingsmere Lake to Grey Owl’s cabin was posted #2 and featured in last month’s edition of Explore Magazine’s 50 Awesome Winter Adventures. Bring your snowshoes and give it a try. There are four campgrounds along the way where you can start a fire and top-up your hot chocolate.
Enjoy winter camping at Paignton Beach, Birch Bay, Southend, Crean Kitchen, Trappers Lake and Fish Lake. Register at the Visitor Centre or by phone (306) 663 4522. Park use and camping fees apply.
The ice rink in Waskesiu is also open to the public. Lace up your skates and join the recreational 4-on-4 hockey on Thursday and Sunday nights at 7 pm. The rink is smaller than a normal rink and soft pucks are used - helmets are required. Guests are asked to donate a toonie to assist the Waskesiu and District Recreation Association in maintaining the rink.
Road Work:
The road work in Waskesiu began last autumn. The cabin area streets were paved. The remaining work will continue in the spring and summer 2010. Click for more information and photos.
Deterring theft in the community:
There were a number of break-ins throughout the townsite this year. As a deterrent, this fall barriers have been erected at Ajaawan Drive. The RCMP committed to undertake additional measures throughout the off-season.
Destination Marketing Area:
The Park and surrounding area stakeholders came together to form a Destination Marketing Organization designed to strategically market the Prince Albert National Park and area through collective pooling of human and financial resources. An interim Board of Directors is undertaking the initial set-up of the organization. SaskTourism brings their expertise to the Board as they already established two other ‘destination’ areas within Saskatchewan. SaskTourism promotes these areas in its domestic and international marketing endeavours.
Enforcement:
What is the best means to get a hold of the RCMP in Waskesiu? According to Sgt. Jamie Gabriel, the following numbers should be noted:
For immediate assistance, call 310-RCMP (310-7267). This is the direct link to the RCMP dispatcher.
For other inquiries or to report non-immediate problems, call 663-4400. This is the Waskesiu number and you may get a recording. Calls to this number may not be dealt with immediately.
For emergencies, call 911. This will link you to the Prince Albert 911 station who will relay your call to the RCMP dispatcher.
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