More weird facts… about Outlook
I live, work, play and write in the small West-Central Saskatchewan community of Outlook. A small town, the population hovers around 2,000, but it is showing significant signs of growing. The massive real estate boom in Saskatchewan that began a couple of years ago is still having its effect, as the smaller communities surrounding Saskatoon and Regina are now feeling the effect. This goes hand in hand with the economic boom that is in this province. We’re holding tight, and should do well as the rest of the world climbs out of the recession.
Outlook is a picturesque community that rests on the edge of the South Saskatchewan River, between Lake Diefenbaker and The Whitecap Dakota First Nation. Like many areas of the province, Outlook and District can boast a rich history and a rich cultural diversity. The west side of the river was settled mostly by English and Scottish settlers, as well as Americans that came north in search of cheap land. The east side of the river was settled by a large Finnish and Norwegian influx. There is a connection between Outlook, Saskatchewan and several Minnesota communities that share Finnish backgrounds.
Near Outlook is the community of Macrorie. Macrorie holds the history of the Finn who went about the task of building a boat to return to his native Finland.
Tom Sukanen, a Finnish immigrant, built an ocean-going boat near Macrorie during the middle of the dust-bowl years. He was 15 miles from the South Sk. River. He intended to take a load of wheat back to Finland. He hand made every part, including boiler and steam engine. he died before completion. The assembled ship can now been seen on Highway 2 south of Moose Jaw.
Outlook and District has a great number of artists, ranging from authors like Larry Warwaruk to singer/song writers such as Leanne Hynd.
In Outlook itself, the town is home to Skytrail, Canada’s longest pedestrian bridge. At one time it was a train bridge. It was a used bridge moved to Outlook from Lachine Quebec in 1910. First Train was Oct 23, 1912. Last Train was March 16, 1987.
The Elms located in the Regional Park were not planted there. The Elms are some of the oldest naturally occurring elms in Saskatchewan.
The 4 way flashing light at corner of Saskatchewan Avenue and McKenzie Street was used as a movie prop in the Movie – “Paper Back Hero”.
The Outlook and District area is home to a vibrant tourism region. With communities such as Elbow, Macrorie, Conquest, Loreburn, Strongfield, Dinsmore, Glenside, Broderick and Milden all within driving distance of Lake Diefenbaker, there is a great opportunity for tourists to go swimming, fishing and even camping and hunting.
This is where I live. Some may call it boring, but to me it’s home. And I love it here.
Until next time…
…keep ‘em flyin’!
