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Raise your hands if you’ve: ‘driven through Saskatchewan,’ ‘passed through Saskatoon‘ or ‘sped through the prairies on a cross-Canada tour.’
Here’s a thought: Slow down. Famous musicians and artists do it all the time.
Saskatoon may surprise you
But be forewarned: Visit once and you’ll be running back to Saskatoon in a hurry. How do I know? Because The Guess Who wouldn’t lie. And they wrote the hit song Runnin’ back to Saskatoon, a catchy tune that, once it’s in your head, is hard to shake out and eventually hypnotizes you, and that’s why Saskatoon’s population is growing in record numbers.
Then again The Guess Who called Saskatoon a small town where nothing much ever happens. They might have lied there. Because I am going to prove how Saskatoon may be the centre of the musical and artistic universe, so read on!
Who were the Guess Who?
One of Canada’s first major rock bands, The Guess Who members included Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman, and the group shot to fame with hits such as American Woman, the first Canadian hit to go Number 1 in the States.
Where is Saskatoon?
Saskatoon is in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. A midwestern city of about 250,000, it’s so famous it has a berry named after it, the Saskatoon Berry, which looks like a blueberry, but is more closely related to the apple. See what you learn when you read this blog?
Why visit Saskatoon?
Here are a few reasons why Saskatoon is worth running back to, or, for that matter, going to in the first place – complete with Runnin’ Back to Saskatoon and other riveting Saskatoon related music trivia!
Running back to Saskatoon to eat
The buzz these days is on the new Saskatoon downtown restaurant Ayden Kitchen and Bar, and I’ll tell you right now that if you eat the Green and White Asparagus with Truffle Mayo, Poached Egg, Shaved Summer Truffles and Reggiano, your life will change for the better.
Related music trivia
Runnin’ Back to Saskatoon was written by Burton Cummings and Kurt Winter in 1972.
Why it’s related to restaurants in Saskatoon
Because probably both Burton Cummings and Kurt Winter would have enjoyed the Asparagus with Truffle Mayo at Ayden if Ayden had existed in the 70s.
Running back to Saskatoon for luxury hotels
Luxury travel in Saskatoon. Seriously? When did the prairies go upscale? With the appearance of The James Hotel, a sleek-lined boutique hotel overlooking the South Saskatchewan River, a spirited rivalry has sprung up between lovers of the old world chateau-style Delta Bessborough and The James.
Interestingly, the two hotels are across the street from each other, right downtown by the riverbank so they can glower at each other all day long. (Or wink, I’m not sure quite what it is hotels get up to when people aren’t looking.)
Related music trivia
The first draft of Runnin’ Back to Saskatoon was written in a New York airport during a wait for a flight to Paris in 1972.
Why it’s relevant to luxury hotels in Saskatoon
Because New York and Paris have very nice hotels, too. (In fact New York has a James Hotel and Paris has the St James Hotel, which makes it all tie up neatly, don’t you think?)
Running back to Saskatoon for the Meewasin Valley Trail
The Meewasin Valley Trail isn’t any old trail. I want to be very clear about this. It’s 60 km of glorious paths along both sides of the South Saskatchewan River, and when I’m in Saskatoon, where I grew up, I try to walk some stretch of it every day. Even in winter. Which takes fierce determination.
On the Meewasin, a word that means beautiful in Cree, you’ll find wild tangle-y trees, shady paths, grasslands, parkland, ducks, geese, gazebos and the heart of the city.
Related music trivia
The Guess Who album American Woman reached Number 9 on the USA’s Billboard Pop Albums chart in 1970 – the only one of Guess Who’s albums to reach the Top 10.
How it relates to the Meewasin Valley Trail
The Meewasin Valley Trail is also a top ten chart stopper. It was named one of the Top 10 Greatest Hikes in Canada by Reader’s Digest Magazine in 2012.
Running back to Saskatoon for the art
Right now the hub of Saskatoon’s art world is located at the Mendel Art Gallery, a beloved modernist building on the banks of the South Saskatchewan River. (But not for long, as a new art gallery is being built on a burgeoning development River Landing. No word yet on what will happen to the old Mendel building.)
Other downtown galleries include the artist-run AKA, Darrell Bell Gallery and The Gallery Art Placement where, if you run back to Saskatoon fast enough, you will see works by my sister, Catherine Perehudoff, a landscape artist who has a show at Art Placement until Sept 18, 2014.
Music related trivia
Joni Mitchell, a talented artist as well as uber famous singer songwriter, had a large scale exhibit of her art at the Mendel in 2000 and went to Aden Bowman High School in Saskatoon.
Why it’s related to art in Saskatoon
My sister went to Aden Bowman High School. I went to Aden Bowman High School. My other sister went to Aden Bowman High School. See how everything is connected?
Running back to Saskatoon for the nightlife
If you’ve heard of The Sheepdogs, the Saskatoon-based group that shot to fame after winning the “Do You Wanna Be A Rock Star?” contest to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine in 2011, you might be interested to note that The Sheepdogs’ guitarist Leot Hanson, has left the band.
Here’s the world breaking news part: Leot Hanson went running back to Saskatoon to open up the Capitol Music Club, Saskatoon’s newest concert venue and bar.
Related music trivia
Hanson was replaced by Rusty Matyas from Winnipeg. And guess where The Guess Who were from? Winnipeg! That’s right! Two points for you!
More prairie related music related trivia
After they had established themselves in Winnipeg, The Guess Who branched out and began to play a lot in Regina and Saskatoon. And apparently in Regina they crossed paths with Joni Mitchell. More stringy ties binding the universe together!
Running back to Saskatoon for events at the Credit Union Centre
The Credit Union Centre is a sports/music arena that hosts some of Saskatoon’s big ticket events such as the 2007 Juno Awards and concerts by Pearl Jam and Our Lady Peace.
Related music trivia
When Pearl Jam played at the Credit Union Centre, singer Eddie Vedder sang – you guessed it – Runnin’ Back to Saskatoon.
Why this is relevant to nightlife in Saskatoon
Because Eddie Vedder was in Saskatoon! Twice! So after the first time he went running back to Saskatoon. Right? Am I right?
Unrelated music trivia
I saw Pearl Jam in Bangkok.
More Saskatoon related music trivia
The bass player in Our Lady Peace, Duncan Coutts, has relatives in Saskatoon. My family. He’s my second cousin. Do I need to mention the sticky ties of the connected universe again?
Last piece of Saskatoon related music trivia. I promise.
According to an article on the Manitoba Music Museum website, Runnin’ Back to Saskatoon is “a clever poke at prairie life.”
Why it’s relevant to this blog post
Because according to no one, this travel blog post is “a clever poke at prairie life.” But I tried my best – just like Eddie Vedder did when he screwed up the lyrics to Runnin’ Back to Saskatoon!
Read more: For more info on Canadian destinations visit my Things to Do in Canada Travel Blog Post
Bonus: Rocking Runnin’ Back to Saskatoon video from Youtube
Now, for your entertainment pleasure, here is a brilliant Saskatoon related Runnin’ Back to Saskatoon video, which I really wish I could take credit for, but it’s by someone named tegan1022. The settings were set for shares, so I’m sharing away. Tegan1022, you make me want to run back to Saskatoon immediately.
http://youtu.be/-0uOtXu_spI
Channeling Marilyn Monroe on Mt Norquay
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I love when places you don’t think will interest you surprise and amaze you! Putting Saskatoon on my list! Thanks for this.
Great write-up of my hometown Saskatoon.
We were just there for the summer and it is an incredible place to visit……But when the winter comes it’s best to run very fast and go very far away. Haha can’t handle those prairie winters anymore. :)
Well. I have to admit I never was interested in visiting Saskatoon but you’ve made me think otherwise!
Fun post. I usually go to Saskatoon once a year to visit family, but I definitely need to explore more of the city.
What a fascinating post, Carol. Love the pics, the video and Canadian rock. As a kid in a back seat I was not able to hit the brakes in Saskatchewan on family road trips to the coast. I remember Saskatchewan as very beautiful and more interesting (less flat) than Manitoba:) The Mendel Gallery and The Meewasin Valley Trail are good reasons to stop in Saskatoon awhile if I ever make another road trip out west.
An oversight, to be sure. Who knew Saskatoon was such a song sensation?
Gee, Carol, you missed Johnny Cash and the Girl from Saskatoon. :)
I KNEW we had deep Saskatoon roots in common! My cousin is Gary Peterson – drummer for the Guess Who– We never made it past Danbury Sask. on our summer vacations but it sounds as though there’s lots of reasons to head to Saskatoon.
Yikes! I don’t think you missed anything. I’m sharing this with my ToonTown relatives. Thanks.
Seems to be a great location, would you recommend it for a whole week stay ? Or just a week-end ? What else can we do in the region ?
Carol, for those days when you absolutely can’t run back to Saskatoon, but need a dose of same, take a leisurely stroll along the S Sask River with Sketches of Saskatoon. http://sketchesofsaskatoon.com
Great piece on Toon Town
great! It was with regret that I missed Catherine’s opening. The paintings look enchanting and I can’t wait to see them! Love, love your travel blog!