The Saskatchewan Traveller…
This has been a great day of travel as we get into the northern wilderness of Manitoba, our next stop is in the community of The Pas.
The Pas name comes from a Cree word “W’passkwayaw” meaning “wooded narrows”.
The community itself sits on the the confluence (junction) of the Saskatchewan, Pasquia and Carrot rivers.
The community is a natural centre of activity in the region with a town population of about 5500 people and a rural population of another 5700.
The Pas is only 35km’s from the Saskatchewan border and is considered “The Gateway to the North”.
The Pas is a multi-industry community with agriculture, forestry, commercial industry and tourism as the main parts of the economy.
The largest employer comes from a paper mill located in the town.
The roots of The Pas goes back into the early 1700’s when Fort Paskoya was built by the French and Canadian traders, but it is believed that the “Swampy Cree” peoples had occupied the area for as long back as 4000 thousand years according to archaeological evidence that has been uncovered.
The Pas First Nations Band was established with the signing of the Treaty 5 back in the late 1800’s.
Today the Opaskwayak Cree Nation is located on the north banks of the town The Pas.
One of the most notable people to come from The Pas is Duncan Mercredi who moved to The Pas when he was 16 became very well known for his writings of poetry.
Another notable was the explorer Henry Kelsey who was posted at the York Factory, along the shores of the Hudson Bay, and from there began his exploring with The Hudson Bay Company as he traveled by canoe to the spot in the late 1600’s to where The Pas is now located. Kelsey was the first European to come to this spot, he originally named it “Deering’s Point”.
The Pas is also known for the “Trappers Festival” in the winter and the dog sled races. The Trappers Festival is the longest running winter festival in Manitoba.
While cruising around the community you can notice the influence that the Hudson Bay Company had on the town as well as the nicely painted murals on a lot of the building in the business district.
The Pas has lots to offer in way of recreation in both summer and winter.
Here is a couple of fun facts about Manitoba. Did you know that Manitoba has more curling rinks than Ontario and Quebec combined?
Also did you know that Winnipeg was named after a black bear named “Winnie” and that black bear was the inspiration of “Winnie the Pooh”?
One more neat fact about Manitoba is that the illustrator for the character “Snow White” grew up in Gimli and that character was based on a waitress from who he met in Winnipeg.
Not far from The Pas is the Rocky and Clearwater lakes which is said to be the clearest lakes in Canada.
If you are into the history they have a great museum that includes many artifacts from around the area.
Stay tuned as we continue our way up into Northern Manitoba.