Friday, September 19, 2014

A Stroll Along The North Saskatchewan River

It is a day off work and since fall colours are at their peak I decided to take a drive to capture a few impressions of the fall season.
Taking the Yellowhead Highway (TC16) west I turn south onto Hwy 60 which runs down to the town of Devon. Years ago I took a stroll a long the North Saskatchewan River and I want to do that again. Hwy 60 takes a long dip as it descends into the river ravine.
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20140919_101416A steel bridge resting on mighty concrete supports leads across the wide river.
The town of Devon is just south across the river and I turn into town to find my way along the steep small river road which leads down to the boat launch and the newly created Voyageur Park.
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And to make it very clear for dog-owners: There is no poop fairy along the river.

After parking the van I find a path through the dense bush but leave it soon for finding better views along the river. During the fall the water level is low and I walk right along the hard shore line.
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The sun makes the opposite side glow in the most beautiful fall colours. 
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A single angler is sitting on a rock reading the newspaper, while waiting for the fish to bite. We have a brief talk before I turn back. A couple is doing their stroll with 2 beautiful retrievers in tow. Out here people seem so relaxed wishing each other a Good Morning. Just 1 kilometer in town they wouldn’t do that. Nature is bringing out the better of us – no doubt. Just a pity that so much nature has been destroyed.
20140919_102813-001Ironically, the town of Devon owes its existence to one of the largest oil discoveries in the world. On 1947 February 13, the Imperial Leduc #1 well struck oil, and the new town of Devon was constructed shortly thereafter by Imperial Oil to accommodate its workers. The company was determined that the town would be well-planned, and Devon holds the distinction of being the first Canadian community to be approved by a regional planning commission.
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Thanks for the stroll!

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