|
| |
| |
|
LLOYDMINSTER |
| |
Some 140km northwest of the Battlefords you hit the Alberta-Saskatchewan
border, and the drab city of LLOYDMINSTER , which was founded in 1903 by
a group of two thousand British pioneers known as the Barr colonists. A
major attraction is the Barr Colony Heritage Cultural Centre , located
in Weaver Park beside the Yellowhead at 44th Street and 45th Avenue (mid-May
to early Sept daily 10am-8pm; early Sept to mid-May Wed-Fri noon-5pm,
Sat & Sun 1-5pm; $3.50), and even this is scarcely pulse-racing - a
small display on the founders, together with a couple of art galleries
and a wildlife exhibition. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the
city is its geographical location : the 4th Meridian runs right down
50th Avenue, the main street. Thirty-metre-high metal border markers,
shaped like the survey stakes used by the original surveyors when they
laid out the border between the two provinces, line Hwy 16 on the north
and south sides, and smaller markers line the main street.
Yet Lloydminster is a popular town for a break in the journey, and has
lots of hotels and motels along its two main streets, 44th Street (the
Yellowhead) and 50th Avenue (Hwy 17). The pick of these are the Imperial
400 Motel , 4320 44th St (tel 825-4400 or 1-800/781-2268; $60-80) with
an indoor pool and cable TV; and the Wayside Inn , a sprawling complex
just west of the city on Hwy 16 on the Alberta side (tel 780/875-4404 or
1-800/658-4404; $60-80). For camping , Weaver Park Campground (tel
825-3726 or 825-6184; mid-April to Oct), next door to the heritage
centre, has sites from $12 and a full range of facilities, including
showers and a playground. There are limited options if you're eating
out, but the less mundane establishments are David's Steak House , 5501
44th St; Grainfield's , in the West Harvest Inn , 5620 44th St; or any
of the pizza chains around town.
The Lloydminster Tourism and Convention Authority has a tourist office
at 5001 50th Ave (Mon-Fri 8am-5pm; tel 825-6180 or 1-800/825-6180). Both
Tourism Saskatchewan and Alberta Tourism run seasonal visitor reception
centres on either side of the border. The bus station is on the Alberta
side at 50th Street and is served by four buses daily from Saskatoon.
|
|
