Secrets of the Southwest 2013 Page 41
Castle Butte juts 200 feet out of the landscape and offers an outstanding view to adventurers who climb to its rugged peak.
Experience rugged beauty of Coronach area Coronach is a community with a rich history and many
unique attractions. Located 10 km north of the U.S. border, directly south of Moose Jaw, there is much to expore and discover in the area.
The Big Muddy Badlands are a unique geographic for- mation and a very scenic part of this area of Saskatchewan. The exposed sedimentary layers reveal the history of the earth, from the cretaceous period to modern times. The natural beauty of weathered buttes, steep cliffs and eroded clay formations is all part of the Big Muddy. As you explore the hills and cliffs you will find caves that have been carved from years of erosion. These caves provided the perfect hiding place for outlaws to escape the long arm of the law during frontier days. In the 1890s, the population in the region was very sparse and the nearest North West Mounted Police post was 90 miles to the west. This made for an ideal situation for cattle rustlers to hide out.
Big Muddy Tours will take you on an exciting day trip. Explore the Sam Kelly Caves and see where horse thieves and bandits took refuge. Climb Castle Butte, a massive 200-foot high formation that guarantees a stunning vista from horizon to horizon. You won’t soon forget a journey to the Big Muddy. Apart from the harsh beauty of the landscape, adventure-seekers will remember the traces of a wild frontier and their encounters with dynamic people.
Visit the Poplar River Mine and the Sask Power
Thermal Generation Station. The mine uses two of the largest drag-lines in Canada to expose the coal seams. Providing about 300 jobs, it has had a huge impact on this small Saskatchewan town.
Continue to the village of Big Beaver where Aust General Store is a must see. While in Big Beaver, the tour stops at the nature centre and museum as well as a heritage schoolhouse. Free tours of the mine and power plant leave daily in the
summer, weather permitting. Over the course of 2.5 hours you’ll marvel at the size of the drag line, an enormous exca- vating machine designed to extract the abundant lignite coal deposits.
Be sure to check out Coronach’s museum, which tells the story of the settlement and development of Coronach. Many local artifacts are on display in the museum which was moved into the former hospital in 1995, and officially opened in 1997. A hospital room, school room, communi-
cation room, shop, parlour, library, town office, bedroom, store, kitchen, toy room, church, sewing room and old bathroom are all part of the museum. A Canada Day cele- bration is held each year at the museum. There is a swimming pool and golf course with grass greens for those wanting some recreation. In-town accommodations include a motel and 14-site campground.
For more information about Coronach, phone Trina at the town office 306-267-2150. Sign up for Big Muddy Tours at 306-267-3312. To visit the Poplar River Mine and the power station, dial 306-267-2078, please pre-book. Further information is available at
www.coronach.ca.
Coronach
“Where the Past Meets the Present” Visit our friendly community with a 9-hole grass-green golf course, museum, swimming pool, accommodations, service stations, shopping, and campgrounds, boat launch, fishing and water skiing at the Poplar River Park.
Big Muddy Tours
Guided tours May through September (weather permitting). Visit Station #1 of Butch Cassidy Outlaw Trail, Outlaw Caves, First Nation effigies, ceremonial circle and tepee rings, Castle Butte and more fascinating historical sites.
Tours must be prebooked. Call 306-267-3312.
Poplar River Mine & Power Plant Tours
Free guided tours of the Sask Power Thermal Power Generation Station and Sherritt Coalʼs Strip Mine
Prebook by calling 306-267-2078
www.townofcoronach.ca
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