Recently a poll came out, supposedly taken of Canadians, giving their opinion of which is the most beautiful area of the country (among other things), and they said Saskatchewan ranked as the lowest as a place of beauty, while British Columbia ranked the highest.
If one just accepts this at face value and doesn't question it at all, one might just assume, "Oh yeah, that sounds about right - Saskatchewan's just a flat table-top with hardly any trees, and in B.C. you have the magnificent Rocky Mountains, and lakes and streams and orchards and the West Coast and so on and so forth.
I however beg to differ with this survey and its results, and I would start by pointing out a comment I read from a photographer who came to this province from the so-called "Centre of the Universe", a.k.a., Toronto, and this person pointed out that Saskatchewan has a lot of beauty but it's subtle and you have to look for it - but it is there. As for B.C., the opinion was it's very "in-your-face" with the Rockies and lakes and so on.
Really, if one considers this realistically, each area has its own beauty. I can think of many, many beautiful places here in Saskatchewan, in Alberta and B.C., and in Northern Ontario - and then there's the Maritimes with the East Coast and Newfoundland and so on (one of the few places in Canada I haven't seen yet, but hope to one day).
Each part of this country has significantly beautiful areas that mark it as a unique place in Canada, and Saskatchewan is no different. Yes, there is a subtle beauty here on the prairies, and there are also areas where the beauty is more pronounced, such as in Northern Saskatchewan and in the Cypress Hills as a couple examples.
Furthermore, may I point everyone to the new motto that's been put on our licence plates: "Land of the Living Skies".
This is part of our subtle beauty, as you will not see sunrises and sunsets anywhere like you see them here, not to mention weather phenomena that coming sweeping across our skies and over the plains. Over the years, I've taken photos beyond counting of some of this beauty, and you could find the same from any artist or photographer who has an artistic eye.
Or, better yet, take a walk on a beautiful summer evening in the Tatagwa Parkway or along a country road, and listen to the delicate sounds, see the quality of light and the beauty of the vistas in front of you.
You can take in the overt beauty of the mountains, and see the sun disappear early in the evening, or you can watch a summer sunset on a lake or river here and see our magificent beauty.
