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The raw natural attractions here are complemented by the vistas and scenes provided by a wide variety of agricultural activities. You’ll experience an ever-changing palette of colours and textures. Blue flax and yellow canola are interwoven with fields of wheat, oats and barley transforming the landscape from green to gold through the seasons.
With a population averaging only two persons per square kilometre you’re guaranteed the valleylands are truly a place to get away from it all! Here’s a place to clear your mind, open your heart and just cruise.
To really appreciate the valleys and the scenic vistas they create, take the time to get off the beaten path to explore. Step out of your vehicle on a rural road and the only sounds you will likely hear are the wind in the prairie grass, the thrilling melody of a meadowlark and the cry of a lone Swainson’s hawk riding a thermal high into the fabulous prairie sky.
As you roll along a curvy, peaceful secondary highway in your car or on your bike, or as you hike along a valley floor filled with the rich fragrant smell of wild roses, goldenrod and trembling aspen, you’ll feel energized and refreshed.
It may not be crowded here but it is never lonely. Almost 22,500 people live in the 29 towns, villages, rural municipalities and three First Nations of the valleylands and the area reverberates with their life and reflects their history. The land’s abundance has been the leading influence in the area’s human habitation and settlement since prehistoric time when the Sioux and Ojibwa were masters and lords of the open grasslands forests and plains.
Early explorers were soon followed by
the French, Scottish and English fur traders of the Hudson Bay Company and Northwest Company who established trading posts like Fort Esperance, Fort Ellice and Fort John to trade much-valued European goods for the furs from the aboriginal peoples.
Next came the Métis and buffalo hunters just before the ring of the hammer and spike signaled the arrival of the railroad and the opening of the area to European immigration of the late 1800’s.
Cheap, fertile land attracted settlers from the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Hungary and Romania. Seeking a better life, these people plowed the first furrows in tough, virgin prairie land and suffered through their first Canadian winters in houses made of sod. Each wave of human habitation has added layers of culture and tradition that have coloured and shaped the people, voices and life in the vallylands today.
You will meet people who are still influenced by the life started by their ancestors and pioneers of the region.
Over time, they have built a strong, vibrant rural and agricultural life and established vibrant communities with visual and performing arts, traditions and celebrations you can experience at events and fairs throughout the region.
You’ll hear their stories, share in the fun and come away with an understanding of a unique life and world in the valleylands.
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Discover Our Diverse Natural Attractions, History And Culture