Harris, Saskatchewan - Where a Brothel Thrived

Big White at the Once Was Brothel

The first and only people we meet outdoors in the small village of Harris, 81 km south-west of Saskatoon, is a middle-aged man working in his large yard and his daughter. He declares that he got the house and vacant property beside it for a fair price, likely, he boasts, because at one time it was a brothel. Its proximity to the hotel is a giveaway he says.

Aside from that interesting bit of history, the town is well maintained, has a bountiful museum and displays its past on brass plaques stationed along many of the avenues and streets.

Autographs and Comments Welcome

We begin our self-guided tour by signing our names on the fence on Railroad Street and notice immediately that the hotel beside it is operating a lounge and possibly some rooms to rent.

Harris Hotel

Deeper into the community, there are several homes that are well looked after and others that are not. Further down this foot route, we find the Mason Temple & Evergreen Tree hidden behind some large bushes. This property is a municipal heritage possession these days and sadly has been attacked by some who use graffiti to identify themselves.

Mason Temple & Evergreen Tree

On Main Street, there are two churches sitting kitty-corner to one another. Both are boarded up, unused.

Two churches in Harris, SK

Further down sits the New Horizons Centre with the words Orange Temple imprinted on the concrete walk leading to the building. We believe this building to be the senior centre. The Orange Order was born in the charged sectarian climate of northern Ireland in the late 1700s to defend the interests of Protestant settlers against the native Irish Catholics. (source http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/orange_order.html

New Horizons Centre, Harris, SK

We end our stroll back at the bus and board her ready for the next exploration of another fabulous town in Saskatchewan. Less than 6 km south of Harris is a rest stop on the right-hand side of the road. These much needed soft places to land for an avid traveller are far and few between in this province.

Zealandia – A Town in Transition

Flag of Saskatchewan

We stand with one of the librarians in Rosetown, Saskatchewan, a small community 152 kilometres west of Saskatoon on Highway 14, listening to her explain that there are no real communities worth visiting east of here on Highway 7. ‘You’re only an hour from Saskatoon, so why stop at any of the towns?’ she says. We explain that our mission is to visit as many small towns on secondary roads in the prairies as possible, meet the residents and write about them and their community. She has no comment.

Garage of the past

Twenty kilometres east on Highway 7, we pull into the quaint and well-kept town of Zealandia. We park Big White beside a weather beaten boarded up ageing garage. It was established in the early 1900s. A few strides into our hike, we come across a cenotaph for WW1 and WW2 veterans from the local area and a beautiful playground area purchased and constructed by the Elks No. 292.

Frank at Cenotaph

The wide gravelled roads are flanked by trimmed grass, tall trees and a sidewalk. We get the impression that we’re in a well-maintained park. A while later, we meet a young man detailing his truck. His name is Chris. We ask about the availability of water to fill our container and he offers to help in true Saskatchewan hospitable fashion. He explains that most folks living in Zealandia work in Rosetown and have purchased homes here because they are ‘cheap’.

Fun things in a well-tended yard

We continue our walk and admire the new homes and the old. Each structure offers a sense of Zealandia in transition. A coiffured yard with an RV and two upscale cars could tell a tale of the people who occupy the grand house, while the property next to it reveals an empty abode covered with spider webs clinging to its broken windows and four-foot high wild flowers claiming every inch of its yard. Who lived there? What might have been their occupation? When did they move away, and why?

Empty house is hidden behind its yard

The crunch of gravel under my feet puts a smile on my face and slows my pace.

I catch up to Frank who is having a lively conversation with a woman laying on a hammock in her back yard. She is explaining that Zealandia has had two fires in its history. No dates are offered but she is saying that the town’s people rebuilt the community buildings after the first, only to have another devastating fire soon after. From her yard, we can see the bell atop the fire hall.

Fire hall and Town Office

In the early evening, we sip coffee beside our bus and are greeted several times by other locals. We feel welcome and appreciated. No one questions why we are camping in their town. Frank tells me that he could live here in a heartbeat. Location. Location. Location.

Big White in Zealandia, Saskatchewan

Come in When the Light is On

Village Square, Perdue, SK

Every village in Canada has a unique set of characters living in it and Perdue, Saskatchewan, has a full deck of cards. We met six of them the first day we arrived at this quaint community located sixty-three kilometres west of Saskatoon on Highway 14.

We are greeted at the front door of the New Horizon’s Senior Centre by its President, Jean. She is sporting a dramatic oversized coat of many colours and has a beautiful smile on her face. She shares with us later that she is over ninety years old.

Our host guides us over to the table where there sit three other women. The table is covered with two large plates of homemade and store-bought cookies, a container filled with cream, a bowl of white sugar and a stack of napkins. 

Grain elevator in Perdue, SK

We are invited to sit and Joyce is the first to introduce herself. She presents a big smile and extends her hand to Frank first and then me. She explains that she’s lived in Perdue her whole life and asks if we’ve ever heard of the game of broomball. Before we can answer, she explains that Perdue was the first Canadian city to host the game of broomball back in 1908. She keeps our attention for a while. 

Next, we are introduced to Elsie, who, unfortunately, has forgotten her hearing aids at home and is only able to say her name and smile. We learn the next day, when we meet Elsie again at the centre, that she loves store-bought cookies best because she bakes so many homemade treats for the club.

Cora sits quietly, her body likely racked in discomfort, I imagine because she’s stooped forward and her face is grimaced with pain. 

The others speak to her but she doesn’t often respond.

Later, Gerald and his wife, Esther enter the centre. They sit comfortably around the conversation table and are served coffee and treats by Jean, today’s hostess. They ask us two of the most familiar questions, ‘Where are you from?’ and ‘What brings you to Perdue?’

Big White at the Perdue campsite

We claim Vancouver Island as our starting point and are delighted to share with them that we’ve been on the road living in our RV for nearly three years. We explain our intention to visit as many hamlets, villages and towns as possible on our direct route from one housesit to the next.

Our new friends express their delight in our having chosen their campsite as our layover for a few days. We let them know it’s our pleasure and that they are some of the friendliest folks we’ve met.

“You’re welcome anytime, Susan and Frank. But check the light above the door. When it’s on, someone is here so come on in.”