Road map Ponteix city surrounding area (Saskatchewan, Canada)
Road map of Ponteix city, Canada
Ponteix city highway and road map. Detailed map of the highway and local roads of Ponteix city (Saskatchewan, Canada).
Free large scale map of Ponteix city, Canada
Ponteix city highway and road map. Detailed map of the highway and local roads of Ponteix city (Saskatchewan, Canada).
Southwestern Saskatchewan
In this sector of Saskatchewan, the rolling and hilly upland, with its forests and meadows, gives way to seemingly boundless, bone-dry prairie. At the base of the high ground lie small, widely scattered villages such as Eastend, famed for its fossils discoveries. Ranches, dryland farms, and oil fields drive the local economy. Grasslands National Park, still being assembled, protects the region's rare and often endangered plant and animal life.
Eastend [c1] This village is situated in a fossil-rich region. In 1994, a near-complete 13 m Tyrannosaurus rex, one of the few in the world, was unearthed here. At Eastend Fossil Research Station, visitors with an interest in the primeval can tour excavation sites, or help staff dig for prehistoric remains. Eastend Museum and Cultural Centre has pioneer items as well as fossils. Bin the late 1800s, this vicinity was the eastern base for a North West Mounted Police detachment from Fort Walsh-hence, the town's name. In 1914, a rail link was extended to the community that grew up nearby. Within six years, Eastend was incorporated as a village.
Grasslands National Park [E6-E8] This parkin-progress consists of two spacious blocks of mixed grass prairie. At present, the park is 450 km2, but it will be twice that size on completion. In the west block, the high ground is divided by Frenchman River valley. The broad valley is bordered by gently rolling hills, grassy coulees, and steep ravines. In the east block, sandstone and shale pinnacles, buttes, and moraines provide evidence of ages of glacial action and erosion. True to its name, the park preserves blue grama, spear, and dozens of other indigenous grasses. It is home to pronghorn antelopes, mule deer, and rattlesnakes, as well as many rare or endangered creatures. "Prairie dog towns"-under-ground networks created by colonies of busy, burrowing black-tailed prairie dogs-are park wonders.
Drivers in the park are advised to stay on the public roads because much of the land is still privately owned. Access to the west block is via Val Marie (see below).
Ponteix [B6] Notukeu Heritage Museum has one of western Canada's largest archaeological collections, which preserves native weapons and tools, some dating back 10,000 years. The museum is in Ponteix's Centre Cultural Royal, a social and cultural hub for this community. The 40-m-high spire of Our Lady of Auvergne Roman Catholic Church is Ponteix's prominent landmark. A full-scale model of a 70-million-year-old plesiosaur fossil, discovered locally, stands guard south of the town.
Shaunavon [B3] Local folk still talk about the day Shaunavon supplied its thirst-quenching cold spring water to King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (now Queen Mother) when the royals' train halted during their 1939 cross-Canada tour. The 1927 Court House, with a copper-sheathed door and an elegant interior, is Shaunavon's finest landmark. Grand Coteau Heritage and Cultural Centre serves as a repository of pioneer and natural history exhibits.
Val Marie [D5] A visitors center for the west block of Grasslands National Park is located here. It is the starting point for guided walks to the park's major sites. Before setting out on one of the walks, visitors can inspect Perrault's Museum, where the collection includes fossils, antiques, native artifacts, and paintings.
ATTRACTIONS
EASTEND
Eastend Fossil Research Station
Eastend Museum and Cultural Centre
Chimney Coulee
Wilkinson Memorial Observatory
PONTEIX
Notukeu Heritage Museum
Our Lady of Auvergne Roman Catholic Church
SHAUNAVON
Grand Coteau Heritage and Cultural Centre
VAL MARIE
Grasslands National Park (Visitors Centre)
Perrault's Museum