One piece of mail our household eagerly awaits is Prairies North Magazine.
Published four times a year, once each season, this Saskatoon-based magazine has given us hours of enjoyment in discovering aspects of life in Saskatchewan over the years.
Tourism Saskatchewan describes this magazine as a geographic magazine, our version of National Geographic.
Articles focus on little-known features of the province, nature, communities, cultures and history.
The spring issue’s main feature tells about the successful kite festival in Swift Current.
An inspiring piece involved five young women from southeastern Saskatchewan who overcame obstacles and now perform trick riding on horseback 26 weekends a year.
A nature article outlines the endangered short-horned lizard while another tells about a potter near Wynyard.
Articles in Prairies North have been the source of numerous road trips and staycations for us, discovering the cool things in this province.
Last year an article on the Paradise museum telling the story of the north and the Riel Rebellion gave us reason to plan a trip.
An article about the old time threshing bee at Borden intrigued us.
The photography is awesome with a nature photo on the back inside page.
Mortlach wildlife art photographer David Krughoff used to contribute photos and articles.
The somewhat rural-centred magazine was started on a kitchen table in the small northern town of Norquay.
Lionel Hughes built the magazine Saskatchewan Naturally, changed the name to Prairies North in 2007 and in 2018 Amanda and Rob Soloudre took over the publication.
Last time I checked the circulation was 10,000 with about 8,000 in Saskatchewan
If you want to learn about hidden Saskatchewan this magazine is the place.
A friend of mine had occasion to spend most of a Saturday in the lobby of the Fred Wigmore Hospital while his wife waited for treatment in the overcrowded emergency area.
He has some interesting stories to tell.
A woman of senior age came in and went through the doors to the emergency room.
Minutes later she came back fuming and verbally accosted half a dozen hospital employees seated in the cafeteria.
“What kind of hospital are you running that you have to wait a day to be seen?
“You’re going to hear about this. I’m going to write letters.”
Soon after another woman walked in, went through the emergency door, returning angry at the long wait.
Of course these women had every right to be angry, even if one wonders at their need since they left.
These kinds of wait times shouldn’t be occurring.
Yelling and threatening the hospital staff is not the fair or correct way to protest. The staff doesn’t fund the health care system. Nor does it hire employees.
The provincial government funds health care and the Saskatchewan Health Authority runs the system.
Any protests should be directed to the premier, the minister of health, your local MLAs and the Saskatchewan Health Authority.
Ron Walter can be reached at [email protected]
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
