Sometimes it’s easy to take for granted what you have in your own backyard.
After all, you’re so used to seeing it, you just always expect that it will be there. It also can become easy to miss.
And sometimes, you encounter the “best kept secrets” syndrome, those things that everybody should know about but don’t, when it should be a pretty big deal.
It’s not just an Estevan problem, or a Saskatchewan thing. People in all communities don’t give themselves credit for having all sorts of things that others would genuinely want to do. You’d be surprised how many people on the west coast of B.C. don’t realize how lucky they are to have an ocean and a beach at their doorstep.
But sometimes here in Estevan, we seem to forget how much we have going for us.
Memo to the rest of the country: there’s a lot more to do here than just work and stare at endlessly flat spaces. Those flat, wide open spaces yield some of the most spectacular sunrises and sunsets on the planet. And there are a lot of rolling hills and valleys for us to enjoy.
Take a look at our city and surrounding area. You’ll find all sorts of great things to do in all directions. Head south of Estevan. You’ll find Woodlawn Regional Park, one of the best regional parks in the province. It’s beautiful and well-maintained, with terrific campgrounds. The Souris River campground not only has the river as an advantage, but it has the TS&M Woodlawn Golf Course, one of the best golf courses in the province.
Go further south, you’ll find the Boundary Dam campground, with its boat launch, beach and the beautiful Boundary Dam itself. Boundary Dam is the only place in Saskatchewan where you’ll find large-mouth bass fishing.
West of the city gives you the Hidden Valley Golf and RV Resort, a fantastic part of our community with a well-maintained campground of its own, a golf course that is perfect for golfers of all skill levels and ages, miniature golf, one of the best driving ranges you’ll find anywhere and scenic views of the Souris River.
Northwest of Estevan you’ll find Rafferty Dam, which is another paradise for boating, fishing and other forms of water recreation.
East of town you’ll find the Estevan Motor Speedway, which rates among the best dirt race tracks in the country. Head out a little further, and you’ll find the pierced rock formations of Roche Percee, which have been a marvel in this part of the province for centuries.
Life is just as much fun when you come into the city. The Estevan Leisure Centre is a hub for the community, with all sorts of great amenities to appeal to people of all ages. It’s a great place to be throughout the year to meet fitness, cultural, literary and sporting needs, or to socialize with friends.
You can go for a meal at one of our great restaurants, many of which have patios to create an even better experience in the summer. If you’re from out of town, you might want to spend the evening in the city, spend the night at one of our hotels, and visit one of our shopping areas the following day.
Estevan is blessed with a number of cultural experiences as well that will allow you to further your artistic skills, or admire the abilities of others.
Yes, it’s been a tough summer on tourist attractions due to COVID-19. Events were cancelled. Many organizations and attractions had to delay the start to their season, or revamp their programs, or rethink how they’re going to deliver services. Like the rest of us, they aren’t going to have the year they envisioned at the start of 2020.
But there are still so many things for us to do that can happen regardless of whether we’re in the midst of a pandemic.
You don’t have to look far to find something to do in Estevan this summer.
