Davidson and Loreburn, Saskatchewan

Big White in Davidson, SK

On August 29, 2017, we pulled into Davidson, Saskatchewan, located 115 km south of Saskatoon, on Highway 11.

Our intention of only spending one night at the campground was dashed when we saw its clean condition and practical location.  We spent a precious four days there.

Each campsite has a sturdy picnic table, an electrical outlet (which we don’t use because we have our solar panels), well-developed broadleaved trees and cut grass.

Davidson campground

The road throughout the property is gravelled and the free public washrooms are cleaned daily and have great shower capacity, a porcelain sink and toilet and an always fully stocked paper towel dispenser – all this for $18.00 dollars a day.

We visited the library and met Victoria, a lovely young woman who provided us with a resource area for hooking up to the Internet with our laptop and cups of coffee during our time there.

We agreed with her explanation that libraries throughout Saskatchewan are under threat by being underfunded and it becomes the responsibility of the poorly-paid librarian to come up with practical ways to keep its doors open for the benefit of the public. She volunteers a great deal of her time as a lover of books in print and as a devoted member of the town’s society.  “Google can bring you back 100,000 answers, a librarian can bring you back the right one.” Source ebookfriendly.com

During our stay, we backed our Ural bike off the trailer and toured the community in style. 

Metis fiddler and Red River cart

There is a great rest stop off the highway at the entrance to Davidson. The tall structure of a Metis fiddler is impressive as is the preserved road building belly dump vehicle and an earth scooper from the 1800s to 1930s. The coffee percolator and drinking cup bring a smile to our faces. We saw a few others throughout the town.

Coffee percolator and cup

On day three, we took a 46.5 km ride on Highway 44 west to Loreburn. I asked Frank to stop at an abandoned farmhouse along the way. The structure was impressive with its peaked roof, large windows, and significant front veranda. It must have been a grand home in its day.

Abandoned farmhouse

Our walk through Loreburn included a visit with the librarian, who confirmed with Victoria from Davidson, that libraries are hard to keep open. She admitted that folks can just call in for a book, or read stories on their electronic devices, or ignore the efforts she makes to keep the doors of the gathering place open. She admitted that it is her passion for books that keep her there – underpaid and overworked with volunteer efforts.

The following day, we loaded the bike, filled our water tank to capacity and headed down the road.