Day Seventeen and Eighteen Dauphin to Thompson Manitoba

Days seventeen and eighteen see Tyler and Catherine travel through Saskatchewan on their way Dauphin Manitoba then on to Thompson. Thompson is a short pit-stop on their way to see the polar bears in Churchill Manitoba.

Dauphin is a great prairie town and it consists of a very large Ukrainian population. The town holds an annual Ukrainian festival and about a quarter of the town’s inhabitants claim to speak the language. The town is only about 8,000 people and holds many memories for Tyler as he spent some of his early informative years growing up there. Sporting beautiful summers and bitterly cold winters it is a town of distinct weather contrasts.

We stayed at the Prairie Mountain Inn and were more than pleased with the friendly small town greeting we were presented with. The room was nothing special, but it was quiet and allowed us to get good rest for the next day where we spent our time exploring the town and the sights it had to offer us.

We visited some places familiar to Tyler and other such as the Ukrainian Catholic Church of the Resurrection. This particular church is a national historic site and monument. It is a beautiful church and a great example of Ukrainian architecture that can be found around Dauphin. Unfortunately for us as we have run into before the time of year was not right as the church not open for tours. We also took in the Watson Arts Centre and the Dauphin Canadian Northern Railway Station.

We looked for an authentic Ukrainian restaurant but we unable to find one. There might be some in town, but we didn’t see them.

From Dauphin we headed further north in Manitoba with Thompson as our destination for the day. We were able to get there just as the sun had set shortly after 8pm. The drive was both exciting and boring. We took a drive along a beautiful stretch of country via a gravel road. The terrain was varied and was covered in small ponds and marshes. We saw many deer and other wildlife on the way. If you want to travel the same route it was 328 North and it connects with #6 North. Just be prepared for no gas stations and muddy and bumpy conditions. After 328 North, the views can be a bit repetitive until you near Thompson.

Tyler says of days 17 and 18 – I looked forward to transiting through Dauphin as I grew up there. The town has changed little from what I remember and it was fun to see my old school and the town. The farm fields where I spent so much time playing were still there to my amazement. Knowing the Ukrainian influence on the town I had a hankering for Ukrainian food but in the time we had we didn’t find any restaurants offering authentic Ukrainian food. If taking route 328 to Thompson make sure to fully fuel your vehicle in Dauphin before heading out. Our fuel-wise vehicle was down to less than 90 km left when we came across a gas station. Thompson also offers visitors many attractions just outside of town so if you have the time you may want to check these out – and these include Mystery Lake and Pisew Falls.

Catherine says of days 17 and 18 – In Dauphin there were many Ukrainian style churches but I was surprised the other buildings didn’t reflect this culture very well. The people in Dauphin were very friendly and the town was very quiet and welcoming. It would make a nice place to live and to raise a family if it were not for the cold weather which I don’t like very much.