From Saskatchewan to British Columbia

On leaving Prince Albert SK, we travelled through North Battleford to Lloydminster which sits on the Saskatchewan/Alberta border.  On the way there, the fields of canola, wheat and pasture for cattle and horses etc start growing oil and gas paraphenalia, as evidenced by black storage tanks, flares and "donkeys" .

oil patch donkey

oil tanks in fields

Following the Yellowhead Highway we stopped at Vegreville for the night, close to the world's largest Pysanka (Easter Egg) which was the town's centennial project in 1974.  The park also had a neat exercise area, reminiscent of those you sometimes see in China.  We were right beside a CN freight line and I counted 108 cars on the one train that went past.

Vegreville Pysanka

Following the Yellowhead Highway, we by-passed Edmonton and turned northwest towards Whitecourt. Valleyview passing through a vast expanse of boreal forrest (evergreens, poplars, aspens and birch) and rolling hills, giving way to good flat  farmland around Grand Prairie which is part of the Peace River watershed.

Today we drove from Grand Prairie, Alberta to Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Mile "0" of the Alaska Highway, and drove the Hudson's Hope Loop to go and see the Peace Canyon Dam and the WAC Bennett Dam (also on the Peace River)  that provide a third of the power to British Columbia.  We were able to go on a tour of the large dam and learnt about how the dam was built and how it works.  There were an assortment of eagles (golden eagles and bald eagles) waiting at the exit tunnel for fish coming through the manifold.  We are staying at Charlie Lake near Fort St. John for the night.

Dawson Creek, Mile "0" Alaska Highway

on the Dam Tour in the Turbine Hall

Bald Eagles at the exit manifold

Peace River

WAC Bennett Dam