Letters from Members

Well-Bread in Watson
I enjoyed the article about Saskatchewan dining by Jim Sutherland (That was Then, This is Now, Fall 2011). I just wanted to pass along the name of a really good restaurant in Watson, Saskatchewan. The Watson Bakery (now called Good Spirit Bakery & Café) was purchased earlier this year by Peyton Lee who is an excellent baker & chef! Our small town that is largely a meat & potatoes rural crowd with undiscerning palates - we don't even deserve such a fine eating establishment in our midst, but we are so fortunate to be able to have such an exquisite dining experience. She specializes in organic breads but has a lunch menu that features pizza, quiche, empanadas, reuben sandwiches and special dishes once in a while. Tomorrow night she is having an East Indian supper for $20.00/person and I can't wait to sink my teeth into that. Lots of good items for vegetarians too, which I really appreciate.

Margaret Henderson, Watson

Eco Impact?
I have enjoyed several breakfasts and slices of pie in Craik, and am quite intrigued by the environmental innovations showcased there. However, the preciousness of this article (Splash of Green, Fall 2011) does rankle. Anyone who has graduated from public school knows that the recently planted 64,000 poplar trees are virtually meaningless in an ecological ssense. Their excess carbon from photosynthesis is stored as wood, and when these short-lifespan trees die and decompose or are burned for heat, all that carbon is recycled back to the atmosphere. This is natural.

Brian R. Pratt, Saskatoon

Fond Ferry Memories

Your article on ferries (“The River Kings,” Spring 2011) brought back childhood memories. To go to Prince Albert (a rare treat), we usually crossed at Fenton Ferry. Approaching the river, rounding a corner, drivers would honk in case the ferry was just pulling out so that the ferryman could wait for the car. My Grandmother, Sara Boyes, tells a story of hauling lumber for the house Grandpa was building for them, a newly married couple, just arrived (in 1905) from the Muskoka area of Ontario to homestead in the Domremy area. Here is the story in her own words:

“The lumber had to be hauled from Prince Albert. There were no bridges so it was necessary to cross on the ferry at Fenton. This was a new experience for all concerned and on one occasion, the horses became frightened and horses, lumber and all went over the ferry into the icy Saskatchewan. The lumber was not tied to the wagon so floated off. The horses were able to swim ashore with the wagon, but not without great difficulty. The lumber was salvaged with the help of kind people who had seen what had happened.”

The lumber went into a well-built house that became the home of Grandma and Grandpa and eventually, nine wonderful children. It is still lived in, and stands sturdy and proud surrounded by trees, and beyond, ‘waves of golden grain’.

Bettie Jacobson, Regina

Seating by WestJet

Just have a quick comment on an article by Rob Howatson "Best Chair in the Air" (Up Front, Spring 2011). If Rob had checked in for a WestJet flight online he would know that all the WestJet seats that are less-desirable (either no window, don't recline etc.) are marked, and have been for quite a few years. WestJet does point out the crummy seats.
 
Todd Hunt, Regina

Seat Success

Please convey my compliments to the magazine editor for including the website "seatguru" in the Spring 2011 edition.  This site is so cool to check out airline seat selections (especially crummy seats you get assigned sometimes by the airlines)! Well done! Keep up the good work magazine team!
 
Lyle Sobering, Pilot Butte

The Need for Speed?

I would like to comment on the article “Slow Down ...Please!,” by Larry Haas, Chairman of the Board of CAA Saskatchewan (Spring, 2011).  In the article, you mention the need for slowing down for passing tow trucks, emergency responders, highway workers etc. I wholly concur, but I feel that reminder should be expanded to include all violators who speed on highways, streets etc. Let me give you a couple of examples. Last fall, as we were driving on Hwy 41 southwest of Melfort, my wife and I encountered road construction and we were cautioned to travel at 60 kph. We gladly slowed down, but a transport coming from the opposite direction came barrelling through on the fresh gravel, sprayed us, and a rock smashed our windshield. The driver didn't even have the courtesy to stop and find out if everything was alright. He was definitely going much too fast to begin with. I have been told that the truckers have deadlines to meet. Is that an excuse? We also have had RCMP officers pass us while we were going the speed limit. In no time at all they were lost to sight. They didn't have their lights flashing to indicate an emergency, so is that acceptable? Most drivers travel between 110 to 120 kph. The speed limit signs say 100, so who’s right? We sound alarmed at all the accidents and yet everyone is driving safely??? Please tell me as I can't be sure what’s going on out on the road.

Wilfred Hopfe, Nipawin

Cutline Correction

In regards to the Westworld Magazine (Spring 2011, page 15, center picture), this is NOT "Cowboys haze a calf roper during Diamond Days in Warman". This is a picture of a Pick-up Man on the left and a Bronc Rider on the right! Get it right! This is a part of our Saskatchewan Roots!

Sheila Cleveland, Bengough

Editor's note: Thank you for the keen observation. You were one of several knowledgeable readers who caught our mistake!

Snowy Bed Beckons

Writer Darrell Noakes’ enthusiasm is obvious in his story about a winter campout (“Sleeping on Snow,” Winter 2010). He writes beautifully and can transport a person from in front of their laptop to in front of a winter bonfire under the Borealis. Although I am a nature lover and summer finds me camping and kayaking in this beautiful province, I am not too familiar with camping on snow, let alone doing so in the outback. However, after reading Darrell’s wonderful article, I am inspired enough to perhaps give winter camping a try this coming spring. As the Saskatchewan winter gets under way, it is a welcoming and wonderfully timed article to have found it’s way to me.

Joanne S. Chorney, Wakaw

To Back in or Not to Back In

I agree that parking is a “delicate art”... especially in a parking lot. (The Delicate Art of Parking, Westworld magazine, Winter 2010). I’m concerned about encouraging people to back in to parking spots. I can understand that it is easier to see when exiting. It’s the initial parking that I’m concerned about. In actual practise, that means that you go past the spot. Now, you probably have someone right behind you. You either lose your spot now, or hold your ground and try to “encourage” them to back up. Generally, they can’t back up because someone is behind them. Even if you did manage to have no one behind you, now you have to negotiate between two vehicles that are generally not straight in their spots. The chances for removing mirrors, scraping paint etc. are extremely high. Very few people I know are good at backing into tight spaces. Then there is the issue of a foggy, snowy back window. I would not want to witness someone trying to back in to a spot beside my vehicle.
 
Sheryl Riis, Saskatoon

Editor's note: Excellent points indeed. Backing up in any busy parking lot can be dangerous, and must be done with the utmost care and attention. The Saskatchewan Driver's Handbook (page 109) does recommend that drivers "should always back into the space unless it is prohibited" because windows are clear and the front end swing occurs in the aisle, not between two parked cars. But what it doesn't say is that particular circumstances can make that recommendation impractical or even dangerous. Garry Davis, SGI’s supervisor of driver development and safety services, says that backing in between two parked cars is tricky, but it makes driving out from the stall much safer. Choosing how you park is a question of risk assessment, and one that each driver should consider when they park.