Saskatchewan - Driving through the Land of Living Skies

Saskatchewan – Driving Through the Land of Living Skies

"Welcome to Saskatchewan"

A couple of gofers trying to block our route

When we were shopping for our trailer, I kept reading that you really need to be handy to own one—there’s always something needing attention. That advice has proven to be absolutely true. Here’s my list of fixes so far:

• Leak in the hot water tank supply – I rerouted the PEX hose to relieve pressure on the fitting. That seems to have resolved the issue.

• Inverter adjustment – When we're off-grid, we use our batteries and inverter to power things like the coffee maker and microwave. I noticed the output voltage was a little low. A look at the manual revealed it could be adjusted via DIP switches. I increased it from 115 to 120 volts, which made the coffee maker—and the boss—very happy. While making the adjustment, I also discovered that one of the inverter mounts had come loose and the other had pulled out entirely, so I re-secured them both.

• Squeaky stabilizer jacks – The four jacks we lower at campsites were making quite a racket, so I sprayed them with white lithium grease. Problem solved.

It's become clear that regular inspections, both inside and out, are essential. Towing a trailer across all sorts of road conditions is hard on the equipment, and things do shake loose.

Here are some fun and fascinating facts about Saskatchewan:

• Often called Canada’s breadbasket, the province is a major agricultural producer—especially known for wheat, canola, and other grains.

• It's a global leader in potash and uranium production and has substantial reserves of coal, gold, and rare earth elements.

• Nicknamed the “Land of Living Skies,” Saskatchewan is renowned for its expansive skies and spectacular sunrises and sunsets.

• Manitou Lake is a unique saline lake famous for its therapeutic, mineral-rich waters.

• Southwest Saskatchewan is rich in dinosaur fossils—including the world’s largest Tyrannosaurus rex ever discovered.

• It’s the birthplace of Canada’s medicare system, having introduced the first universal, publicly funded healthcare program.

• With 2,000 to 2,500 hours of sunshine annually, it’s the sunniest province in Canada.

• Saskatchewan doesn’t observe Daylight Saving Time. Instead, it remains on Central Standard Time year-round—aligned with Alberta in the summer and Manitoba in the winter.

  
  

Many massive farm operations along our route

Flat and straight Highway #1 (Trans-Canada Highway).

 

Nice to see some wind generators

Our drive from Brandon, Manitoba to Indian Head, Saskatchewan looked like a simple one. But as we made our way west, our phones lit up with tornado warnings. The next day, Environment & Climate Change Canada reported eight “highly probable” tornadoes in the province.

The upside? A strong tailwind gave us our lowest energy consumption to date—385 Wh/km (for any EV owners following along). We usually cruise at 90 km/h, which makes for a relaxed drive and helps keep our consumption manageable. On the wide-open, lightly travelled Trans-Canada Highway, it’s easy for other vehicles to pass us.

Speaking of EVs, we brought a CCS charging adapter with us and have made good use of it at several FLO chargers. They require a bit more fiddling to start a charge, but they've been reliable and conveniently located.

On Friday, June 20, we celebrated the Summer Solstice in Indian Head. There, the sun rose at 4:42 a.m. and set at 9:10 p.m., giving us 16 hours and 28 minutes of daylight!

Sunrise / Sunset times in Indian Head on June 20th 

Originally, we planned to spend the night at Prairie Bee Meadery, a Harvest Hosts location near Caron. As always, we carefully mapped out our route: distances, charging options, starting and projected State of Charge (SOC), weather, wind forecast, and more. It became clear that we’d need to charge to 100% at Prairie Bee to make it to Swift Current the next day. Unfortunately, a call to the host confirmed charging wasn’t possible on site. So, we pivoted and booked a night at Besant Campground, just west of Moose Jaw.

That’s RV life—flexibility is essential.

With a wet and windy forecast, we made a couple of strategic stops in Regina en route to Besant: a visit to Sunshine Nail Salon, and a quick restock at Costco. By the time we arrived at the campground, the skies were gray, the wind was gusting, and the drizzle had begun. We plugged in the car to charge to 100% and fired up the propane furnace to warm up the trailer.

That night, temperatures dropped to 8°C, while back home in the Greater Toronto Area, a heatwave was in full swing—34°C with a humidex of 45. Something in the middle would be nice for both ends of the country!

The next morning brought more rain and even colder temperatures—down to 6°C as we drove west toward Swift Current. A friend messaged us: “Don’t rush into Alberta—it’s snowing here.” Comforting words!

Fortunately, we made the 139 km trip without issue, arriving at the charger with 10% SOC. The best part? We haven’t had to unhitch the trailer to charge in over two weeks. As we approached the row of six chargers in Swift Current, a driver jumped out of their car and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll move over so you can pull in without unhitching.” How great is that?

An example of the perfect Supercharger - can get at it from both sides making it easy for us

Wide open Saskatchewan sky

It looks like snow!! But it is sodium sulphate, a naturally abundant product around saline lakes. It is a by product of the evaporation of mineral rich waters and it is used in various industrial applications 

This afternoon, we’ll stay warm and dry and catch up on something on Netflix.

Tomorrow, we head into Alberta. Will we need snow tires?