Saskatchewan!

Saskatoon

When we arrived in Saskatoon we first went to the eco-village. However, we didn’t find anything in the area, and thought maybe it was about to be constructed rather than already constructed (we later found out we were about three blocks away from the actual site). We did, however, find Saskatoon amazing with tons of trees, art, statues, musicians, interesting architecture, and youth. We contacted a couchsurfer in town and arrived at her stylish house. The couchsurfing family included Anna, a student who had just finished Katimavik, and her mom and dad. We were blown away by their friendliness and hospitality. We were lucky to have found her, as in Regina Viera got mixed up by the 11/09 and thought it was the 9^th day of the 11^th month rather than the 11^th day of the 9^th month, and thus was asking people for a couch to surf on for the 10^th which was confusing. Immediately after meeting her we headed to an international at the TCU Conference Center on Agricultural Biotechnology. We were lucky to be able to attend their opening lecture as the cost for the 3 day conference is over a thousand dollars and even the cheap student rate is $800! One of the lectures was given by: . We also visited a demonstration diesel truck nearby that converted its own canola oil into diesel right in the back. We walked through town and visited the B Hotel for its beautiful architecture, just missing the Saskatoon Symphony concert that was going on on the second floor (Anna knew some of the people as she is a double bassist herself. She is even related a bassist in the Edmonton Symphony that Viera knows). After that we headed to a free art gallery that had Canadian Landscapes and totem poles on exhibition. In the kids make-your-own-art section we all made drawings of swing dancers for a birthday party we were going to later that night, and had a lot of fun. We headed back to the house for a very fancy dinner, and made a birthday present for someone we didn’t know. We were able to use our creativity by decorating a box to look like it held date squares. But when it was opened there were square magnetized reminder notes to put on one’s fridge with details of when a date was and with who, etc. (get it? Date squares!). There was also a aspirin bottle with nerdy engineering pick up lines (e.g. I’d like to integrate our parts), a creepy eyeball (to remember that your mother is watching if you are feeling frisky), and tic tacs for fresh kissable breath.  They were a hit at the party, with a few people bending over backwards over the pick-up lines. They also made the most delicious sticky mango rice we’ve ever had (even better than the authentic stuff Viera had tried in Thailand!), home-made biscotti, and lots of other delicious desserts. The birthday boy was a swing dancer, and almost all of his friends were also swing dancers, so we got to observe some high class swing dancing all night long, as well as have interesting conversations with all the people there.

The next morning we got up early to say hi to Viera’s friend Hurly. She had met him in Toronto to give hitchhiking tips. He was doing a project where he was hitchhiking across Canada to raise awareness of racism and homophobia. He has an excellent blog: thumbsupcanada.com. (He’s trying to have people give a thumbs up against homophobia and racism). As well as giving workshops to people in all the major cities, he also raises the issues with his drivers, which in Viera’s experience were, while very nice, also some of the most homophobic and racist people she has met. We were amazed at his courage in doing this project, at possible danger to himself, and to smile through the constant prejudice and rejection. He is one cool dude!! You should check out his website!

After the late night we slept in. When we woke up we talked with the family and Hurley. We set up some media interviews with the radio the next day. Justin also found out through email that the feast his parents had organized to helped fundraise for the tour had raised $1000!! We are so amazed at this huge amount and the support that our family and friends are giving!!! THANK YOU!!

Through couchsurfing we got in touch with Neil, who Justin thought was a second Garrett based on his interests. (Interestingly, everyone at HELP International kept remarking how Garrett was just like another guy, also from Guelph University, called Paul, who had been volunteering there and setting up some perma-culture. Garrett, obliviously, did not know he had twins all over the place :P). He invited us to join him at a city council meeting where they were discussing allowing chickens in the city (which they had, as well as quails, at the Onean house where the PEDAL tour started). They were also discussing bicycling licensing, biking on sidewalks, and other issues related to bicycles. It was interesting although a lot longer than expected!

Craik

Before arriving in Saskatoon we visited the village of Craik, which has won national awards for its ecological commitments. It had also been highly recommended to us way at the beginning of our tour, in Whole Village. Specifically, we visited their eco-village and eco-center. Immediately upon arrival we were amazed at the composting toilets, which because of the use of a fan was the first composting toilet Viera had used which did not have an overwhelming smell. They had informational poster boards throughout that explained their many practices. Heading into it we Craik we also saw an experimental lot of poplars that had been planted by HELP. Part of their function was to pick up excess fertilizers from the nearby golf field, which was also in large part fertilized by the composting toilets.

Regina

When we arrived in Regina we met with Brad, a person Viera had met previously on one of her cross-country hitchhiked who had donated $1000 to the project. He is such a wonderfully kind and funny man. The first night we ordered pizza and he was making squirrel noises to the delivery guy and then saying “oh, sorry, squirrel” and many other hilarious antics which make him the funniest person Viera knows who is over 30 years old J. We concluded the night by a soak in the hot tub in the building that relaxed bicycle-exhausted bodies. The next morning we headed to the science center. They had the coolest informative playground ever, we visited the Our Body exhibit (a cheaper version of Body World?) which especially fascinated Justin as he could see and better understand the muscles and bones that he uses in bicycling. There was also other fascinating stuff including wooden games that even Justin and Viera couldn’t solve and a swirly piece that you spin and stare at and it looks like you’re going into a tunnel but after a minute you look away and whatever you look at, including the other persons face, spins J. That evening we were invited to an Optimists meeting, an international volunteering organization. The people involved were very committed to making their community a better place, had interesting stories, and even had some contacts for the eco-village in Craik that we were planning to visit . Viera also got to meet up with her friend from 5 years ago in Katimavik there J, and some deer were seen in the back yard. The next morning we got up at 6 in the morning to get an early start.