Every town seems to have a specific and distinctive personality and history. On the way up on Saturday we stopped for lunch at a little town, Minnedosa, a charming town on the Little Saskatchewan River. Snyders Restaurant was busy and we discovered that they served Ukrainian food along with the usual hamburgers and sandwiches. Who knew that in the late nineteenth century these hardy souls moved to Manitoba and have thrived, or at least survived?
During lunch I overheard a conversation between two young women friends. They were discussing the weather. "Today is a beautiful day, but I wish I could go to bed tonight and wake up in June", said one young lady. Winters must be fierce in Minnedosa.
Driving north from the resort you soon meet a view that seems to go on forever. The highway down from the mountain is steep and when you get to the bottom the land is flat in all directions except behind. Wheat fields everywhere, all harvested and ready for winter. Dauphin which is pronounced the English way though it is named after a Frenchman, is the first town we visit. It has the largest population of Ukrainians in Manitoba and has retained it's distinctive charm, although we could not find their food in any restaurant. Beautiful churches, lovely railway station, neat and tidy houses and friendly people make for a pleasant town. Again, I would not like to be there in the winter. Much snow, low temperatures, high winds most of the time.
I am happy to driving south on Friday although these small communities are charming. The good residents seem to embrace the winter weather rather than merely survive. Perhaps this is why they drink so much coffee.
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