Trudy and Dale Buxton
Biggar Independent
Well, we have made to Blaine Lake for the next card in the poker run for the Frosty Balls Motorcycle Run 2026, the wind has been gaining strength ever since we had left Warman for the annual run. So far, though, the wind is manageable.
In Warman I had purchased two poker hands and at each stop you draw for a card with hopes that at the end of the run you have the best hand. In Warman I drew a King on one hand and a Queen on the other hand, so now I’m here in Blaine Lake to further my glory in the best hand, I draw a four of spades and a six of diamonds. Well … so much for that dream of the best hand!
Did you know that Blaine Lake was settled by the Doukhobors way back in 1899? The area features an authentic Doukhobor Dugout House, which is a national historic site and features an underground dwelling.
Blaine Lake is also the home of Saskatchewan’s Largest Tree, a giant Cottonwood/Balsam tree boasting a girth of just over 16-feet. That’s pretty big!
The original name is said to have belonged to a Mr. Blaine who had perished in a nearby lake, that’s what the local folklore says.
Well, off we go to the next poker stop. We travel north on Highway 40, our next poker stop is going to be Prince Albert.
On our way, we pass by the community of Shellbrook which is the home of our current Premier of Saskatchewan, Scott Moe. It’s not surprising that the highways are really in good shape.
Did you know that Shellbrook is the birthplace of one of Canada’s renowned authors? That’s right … his name was James Sinclair Ross and most famously known for a Prairie-based novel, ‘As for Me and My House’. Shellbrook is also noted as the Town of Lakes because it is so close to many lakes in the area.
One interesting fact about Shellbrook is that between 1937 and 1946 a local resident named Olga Proctor helped bring 400 babies into the world at the maternity wing of the local nursing home.
Next up on our travels is Prince Albert and hopefully my card draws are better.
Did you know that Prince Albert claimed three Prime Ministers for the federal government? Sir Wilfred Laurier, William Mackenzie King and John Diefenbaker! No other Canadian city can claim that.
Prince Albert was named after Queen Victoria’s husband and is the third largest city in Saskatchewan. It has been known as the great meeting place for many of our First Nations people’s.
Well, the card picks ended up being a two of spades and a nine of clubs, ending all hope of any respectable hand.
As we continue down Highway 11, we hang a right at Rosthern and head over to Laird for our final piece of the journey.
The barbecue is put on by the Laird Volunteer Fire Department, and as always, the hamburgers and fixings are welcome after a day travelling in the gruelling wind conditions.
Lots of stories are told, and before we call it a day and head home, we do reflect on what the day was all about and that is raising important monies to a worthwhile cause and fighting prostate cancer.
Next week we continue our British Columbia trip.
