Through prairie lands with Ukrainian and Metis history.

Metis Crossing (2 stars)

It feels so nice to be on the road again.

Metis Crossing has so much history not only about the place but also of Metis in general. And yes, the voyageurs typically crossed the North Saskatchewan River here on their way to or back from Fort Edmonton.

Lez found a book in the Gathering Place at Metis Crossing called the Diamond Willow Walking Stick by Leah Marie Dorion. I pulled out my Diamond Willow walking stick that I still have with me, carved when I was in Boy Scouts in Regina. The stick originates from Boggy Creek and was carved around 1965.

We are on northern prairie land with the Schooner docked along the North Saskatchewan River at Metis Crossing, a mere 1.5hr drive (110 km) NE of Edmonton. It is on the the Carlton Trail, which is on the historic route taken by the Metis people from the Forks in Manitoba to Fort Edmonton for most of the 19th Century. BIG grin as I type. There is a rooster crowing at the barn here, and it is 6 p.m.

There is a lot to take in as we wander the historic site. We read names of the Metis we have noted in several other locations across the prairies. The museum has many artifacts and even an info board on the process of tanning hides. No wonder they are expensive - a totally manual labour involving many processes and many days. The Metis are honoured on several information boards, with historic battles and Metis lives lost from The Battle of Seven Oaks in 1816 to more recent Cdn Armed Forces Metis serving our country.

On a less solemn note the barnyard is filled with bunnies, chickens, roosters and goats and a great playground for the youngsters while the old folks take in the history.