Saskatchewan’s tourism ambassador made his first visit of the year to Estevan on Oct. 18.
Andrew Hiltz, who has been travelling across the province to different tourist attractions and community events as the Saskatchewanderer, came to Estevan for an event at CAA Saskatchewan. The company is a sponsor of the Saskatchewanderer program, and is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
Hiltz and CAA Saskatchewan employees served pizza to the public. He has been to several other centennial events hosted by the business in the province this year.
Other highlights for Hiltz in the Estevan area during his visit included a stop at the Estevan Soldiers’ Tree Monument and a tour of the pierced rock formations around the Roche Percee area.
He was particularly impressed with the Soldiers’ Tree, which was installed next to the Estevan Courthouse last year.
“That is a real gem of a monument to be able to have in the city, and with the backdrop of the courthouse and everything, it is a great way to honour veterans, and it was very well done,” Hiltz said of the monument, which was carved by Alberta chainsaw sculptor Darren Jones.
It was a quick trip to Estevan, he said, and he hopes to be able to return to the Energy City before the year is finished.
While the visit to Estevan last week was his first of the year, Hiltz isn’t a stranger to the area. He worked at the Boundary Dam and Shand Power Stations during overhauls last year.
This year has been an incredible one for Hiltz. He has met some great people and had some memorable experiences. He was able to fly in a jet at 15 Wing Royal Canadian Air Force Base in Moose Jaw.
“I got to learn about the training programs that they have out there,” said Hiltz.
He also had a trip to Jan Lake, in which he and some friends took some canoes and camped on a deserted island.
“I was in the middle of the lake, and found some cliffjumping and did some fishing,” he recalled.
A fishing trip to Besnard Lake north of La Ronge also proved to be an incredible experience. Prior to this year, he wasn’t much of an angler, but wants to spend more time fishing on Saskatchewan’s lakes and rivers.
There was also a paddleboard excursion down the South Saskatchewan River.
“All of the festivals have been a blast, and the food in this province has been one of my highlights as well, just eating at all of these amazing little restaurants hidden throughout (the province),” said Hiltz.
So far this year, Hiltz has driven more than 38,000 kilometres.
“I would have liked to have more time,” he said. “It goes by so quick, and there’s so much going on. All of a sudden, I’m looking back at my calendar, and there are only two months left, and there are so many things I have yet to do.”
He has seen new landscapes, checked out new destinations and has found new parts of the province.
Hiltz said he was familiar with southern Saskatchewan before he became the Saskatchewanderer, thanks to his experiences playing age rep hockey when he was young. But outside of the arenas, he didn’t get to know the communities very well.
“It’s been really incredible getting to know northern Saskatchewan this summer,” said Hiltz.
As part of his job as the Saskatchewanderer, Hiltz posts photos, videos and articles about his experiences. He promotes tourism, agriculture, the economy, as well as parks, culture and sport through his travels, and posts a couple stories a month on each topic.
The final couple months of the year will keep him busy. There will be one final camping trip near Meadow Lake. And he will have events related to Halloween.
Agribition will keep him busy in November, and he hopes to have a hockey story in December, whether it be Western Hockey League or a senior hockey contest.
Hiltz said it’s been a great program, and he encourages other young people to apply to be the 2018 Saskatchewanderer.
“You have to love dealing with people,” said Hiltz. “You have to love spending time on the road. You do a tonne of travelling. You put on a lot miles, and you do spend a lot of time working on your own.”
The next Saskatchewanderer has to be willing to spend a lot of time on the computer as well, he said.
He encourages anyone who is interested to take a look at what he has done, and what the previous “Wanderers” have done, but also to think about what can be brought to the table that is different.
“It’s about bringing in a new person with a unique perspective on the province each year to showcase different areas,” he said.
