I am very excited to be taking part in the Blogging A to Z Challenge 2013. This is actually my third challenge; the first year I featured a recipe for each letter and last year I drew on my nursing background and used “the human body” as my inspiration!
This year I have decided to change things up a bit. I live in Canada and believe it is one of the most beautiful countries on the planet; so I have decided to feature a different Canadian “place”, for each letter of the challenge.
I am very much looking forward to seeing how everyone interprets the Challenge and I would love to have you join me, as I crisscross this vast country on my Blogging from A to Z Challenge 2013 – Road Trip!
So, without further ado, X is for Xena, Saskatchewan
OK…in the interest of complete honesty, Xena is technically now an “unincorporated area”, but the only “X” I was able to locate…lol
History/Geography: Xena, Saskatchewan was formerly a village in Saskatchewan. According to Wikipedia the last building was demolished in the 1970s. It is presently an unincorporated area in the rural municipality of Morris No. 312, in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan.
Xena is located on Highway 2 in central Saskatchewan. Xena was part of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway later named the Canadian National Railway alphabet railway naming system appearing between Watrous and Young.
Population: The population of an unincorporated area is so small, that the census enumerates the residents as a part of the rural municipality.
Wheat Pile, near Xena, Saskatchewan {Photo attribution: Ava_Artista (CC)}
Climate:
Record high temperature: 39.5C (103.1F)
Record low temperature: −43C (−45F)
Sites of interest: Manitou District Regional Park is located within 10 km (6 miles)
I also found this short little narrated video featuring Xena, Saskatchewan:
It was a bit sad to walk around the gorgeous landscape of Xena today and know that it was once a little village that is a village no more. There are many very friendly and nice people living near Xena and I am heading over to a little bed and breakfast in the nearby town of Watrous, I’m going to relax a bit and then head to bed; I’ll see you in the morning to continue the “road trip”.
Past visits on the A to Z Challenge 2013 – Road Trip:
- A is for Alma, New Brunswick
- B is for Banff, Alberta
- C is for Cornwall, Ontario
- D is for Dawson City, Yukon
- E is for Edmonton, Alberta
- Blogging from A to Z Challenge 2013 – Virtual Road Trip & Actual Road Trip!
- L is for London, Ontario {Resumption of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge 2013 – Road Trip!}
- M is for Montreal, Quebec
- N is for Nanaimo, BC (with recipe)
- O is for Ottawa, Ontario
- P is for Peggys Cove, Nova Scotia
- Q is for Quispamsis, New Brunswick
- R is for Regina, Saskatchewan
- S is for St. John’s, Newfoundland
- T is for Toronto, Ontario
- U is for Unable to omit Prince Edward Island
- V is for Victoria, British Columbia
- W is for Winnipeg, Manitoba
Complete listing of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge 2013 participants.
CREDITS – Map source – Canada Saskatchewan location map.svg NordNordWest(CC) (altered to include place name) Information contained in this post was obtained from Wikipedia and Traveloxi.com
Related Posts
The Blogging from A to Z Challenge 2013 – Road Trip! {Letter “T”}- The Blogging from A to Z Challenge 2013 – Road Trip! {Letter “R”}
- The Blogging from A to Z Challenge 2013 – Road Trip! {Letter “N” / Recipe}
The Blogging from A to Z Challenge 2013 – Road Trip! {Letter “O”}
The Blogging from A to Z Challenge 2013 – Road Trip! {Letter “M”}- Resumption of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge 2013 – Road Trip! {Letter “L”}
Catherine White - Oak Lawn Lady says
Wow, that’s a good one! It is sad that those little villages and towns are no more. But the history behind how it came to be is very interesting. Great video. Congratulations on beating the ‘X’.
Kathy at Oak Lawn Images
Monica Parlee says
haha…thanks, as you know X was a tough one Kathy! It is sad that those little villages were not able to continue, are sure there are many such places scattered all over the country.
JoJo says
I’d love to hit that place with a metal detector.
Monica Parlee says
lol…I bet there would be some great finds JoJo, that is an awesome idea!
Sugar & Spice & All Things ? Nice says
Wow, you did a great job just to find a place that started with “X”. I have to admit that I have never heard of it, but nonetheless,it is sad that it has fallen by the wayside. I guess this is progress….or is it??
Only two more letters…. oops, I mean places to visit!!
Monica Parlee says
It is sad Pat isn’t it, a ghost town that has no remnants of the town :(
Francene Stanley says
What a great theme for your challenge. I enjoyed the photos of Xena.
Francene.
A – Z Challenge
http://francene-wordstitcher.blogspot.co.uk/
Monica Parlee says
Thanks so much Francene, it has been fun for me and I have been learning so much along the way. Hope you are having fun with the challenge, on two letters left!
Vikki says
Just stopping by from the A-Z Challenge list to say “Hi” :)
Great theme honey!
Good luck with the rest of the challenge, although, not far to go now ;)
xx (www.the-view-outside.com)
Monica Parlee says
Thank you, we are down to the finish line now Vikki!
Rob-bear says
I did my “X” post on Xena, too. It is about half an hour’s drive east from where I live. And, yes, I’ve been past it several times.
Blessings and Bear hugs!
Bears Noting
Life in the Urban Forest (my poetry blog)
Monica Parlee says
Wow, that’s amazing, well you certainly would have more info on Xena than I did, I’m going to check it out!