out of hibernation in Saskatchewan

[panterra_rider]

Things are looking up weather-wise. Woke up the 150s and they both fired up on second kick after three months (bonus! :) ). There's nothing like tooling around on a bike in spring weather with melting snow drifts still around (I even threw the bike into a couple of those drifts...not bad in snow 8O ).

I'll be visiting here again more often...ChinaRiders, my have you grown!

Cheers,
R.

[culcune]

That's good to know. Can you get the message to your fellow Canadians to start rolling outta Yuma? PLEASE!!

[panterra_rider]

with global warming you may never see them again! (can't believe I just made a global warming comment...gawd!)

Cheers,
R.

[molypod]

That's good to know. Can you get the message to your fellow Canadians to start rolling outta Yuma? PLEASE!!

The In-Laws just got back from Apache Junction and soon all the other snowbirds will have left. The in-law are staying here till the weather gets better in Sask. before they go home as the forcast is still calling for snow out there.

[culcune]

Oh no! They will be staying for good! Actually, I didn't notice the Canadians as much as the last two years. Many Montana, Washington, Oregon, California (??!!), Colorado, Texas (??!!), and many of the states and provinces represented, but it just didn't seem like as many of your Canadian retirees this year. Usually, we get reminded of how grateful we should be to have them (all the snowbirds) come, but this year, it didn't seem to be as many. Next year, I should be rolling in the money in Vegas, (actually, LOL) and as the temps can get quite cold, doesn't attract the numbers of winter invaders as Arizona does.

[panterra_rider]

Rain's coming...don't know about snow. It's actually pretty decent - not even windy (as it usually is around this time of year). For those of you not familiar with the province, Reuters actually did an article on us:

http://tinyurl.com/2o76hc (yup, we NEED people!)

I went to Arizona for Christmas break about 12 years ago and there was a LOT of Canadians. I liked it - especially the flea markets and the countryside (I think we were north of Scotsdale). Being an old school Japanese car fanatic I spent most of the time drooling over the rust-free Datsuns (mmmm....rust-free Z-cars....) and old Toyotas. We don't have the road salt that other provinces have in Canada but enough to eat the crap metal the Japanese used away for sure. Arizona's actually on my hitlist of possible places to buy a used BMW Z3 in a year.

Cheers,
R.

[John22j]

Datsuns (mmmm....rust-free Z-cars....)

Oh yeah baby -- you hit my button on that one... my '78 Black Pearl edition 280Z would love to live out west.... all it does now is set in the garage. I've owned a 260Z, 280Z, 280ZX, and 300ZX over the years --- Love the Z cars. (a 240 may grace my barn at some point, but the black pearl is hard to beat, even in a run down delapidated state - unfortunately I haven't run it for years. :cry: )

I used to be known as Johnny -Z- to my friends --- oh the memories.

[Jim]

http://tinyurl.com/2o76hc (yup, we NEED people!)

Actually Ive been thinking of moving to Sask, housing costs in bc are rediculous. :roll:

[liverchip]

Oh don't get me started on California's housing costs. Median house costing well over 500,000 USD. Grrrr.

[Jim]

A new house here is going to be very min of 450K (lower mainland), old small run down houses min of 225K. I've seen houses in Saskatchewan for 8K, granted their not new or gigantic, but so easy to buy...

[frostbite]

old small run down houses min of 225K

Wow, you mean my house would sell for 225K in BC? Sweet!! :D

[panterra_rider]

A new house here is going to be very min of 450K (lower mainland), old small run down houses min of 225K. I've seen houses in Saskatchewan for 8K, granted their not new or gigantic, but so easy to buy...

You're quite right; however, I would get in soon cuz prices are shooting up nicely in Regina and especially Saskatoon now. For my part, I would ideally set down roots in some of our "medium" communities like Prince Albert or Yorkton...the countryside's much nicer (trees, hills, streams, etc.) and the house prices are not ascending quite as quickly (altho you can still find $300,000 homes there...but they're like mansions really!).

StatsCanada actually just published a report that shows many Albertans are cashing in and coming into Sask. They bought for $300,000 in Calgary or whereever 7 or 8 years ago and are now selling for $450,000...then buying a house in Sask. and having no mortgage.

Combine affordable house prices with cheap vehicle insurance, power, and energy and increasing job opportunities and decent labour laws and, yeah, I think a lot of people are thinking of trying us out.

My favourite Saskatchewan site:
http://www.se.gov.sk.ca/saskparks/

I've been to most of these! My favourite park is:
http://www.se.gov.sk.ca/saskparks/ParkInfo/parks/park.asp?park=Cypress%20Hills


Cheers,
R.

[frostbite]

(trees, hills, streams, etc.)

For the uninitiated, the Saskatchewan definition of 'Hill' may be slightly less of an incline than you would expect elsewhere. :lol:

[panterra_rider]

that's true :lol: however, here's a link that surprises many people... 8O

http://www.virtualsk.com/guides/winter/downhill_skiing.html

I've been to a couple. Great for the kids and boarders. For majestic mountain scenery? not so much... :wink:

Cheers,
R.

[NewEnglandTrails]

I was uninitiated till I read this post yesterday and did a google on Saskatchewan. Now if the pet food companies in the U.S. only bought wheat from Saskatchewan instead of China.. We wouldnt have so many recalls.. on my cats food..

While they described it as quite flat and plain like with wind swept prairies... My uninitiated brain told me there had to be some mountains with a name like Saskatchewan..... It was quite pleasing to see all those ski areas listed today... lol.

Sounds like a place I would like to visit some day...

My Uncle used to have a Cabin in Red Banks New Brunswick... Caught a salmon in his back yard... I was impressed.. Think we drove to Moncton aftewards, I was young....

P.E.I. was fun to camp on before the bridge... Dug alot of clams.... good seafood.

The highway near the coast in Nova Scotia was one of the most memorable drives I've ever made..

But there is nothing like a cold canadian beer.. in Canada.. and not exported.. I particularly liked the Labatts blue... I got.. in Halifax.

P. S. do they still tell Newfy jokes? lol

NET

[Jim]

I like the look of the flat parts ;) Like Roleau (sp?) which is dog river on corner gas... Looks awesome. And I got some tourism books from there, the big muddy badlands look cool, and I want to see the tunnels of moosejaw.

Actually, if you want to get into motorcycle business... coasttocoastmotorsports, the lifan importer of canada, is apparently looking for dealers in saskatchewan, according to thier page.

I don't know that I'll actually move, I have a good job here, and I dont want to loose my class 1/6 lisence. But I keep thinking about it. Ive read that it is the sunniest part of canada aswell. (though the winters colder and longer, but dryer too). I think I would definetly look in the souther parts of the province, I had found a house I liked in mossbank, though thats a pretty small town, and it would be about an hour to a bigger city.

[panterra_rider]

Sounds like you'd easily get hooked on the "big open skies" part of Saskatchewan. I've heard of that happening with people from BC before - kind of like a reverse mountain/tree-lust we flatlanders get when we head west.

I think powersports/motorcycle dealers do okay here in Sask. We just don't have a very large population and that's always a consideration before starting any kind of business. I'd love to get in on the ground floor with something like coasttocoast tho...

Cheers,
R.

[allfunmotorsport]

I deal with coast to coast, and have only good things to say about them :D

[Jim]

Hey PanterraRider, I bought a house in Saskatchewan :D. I won't be moving for probably a year and a half though, but am taking a week or two bike ride down through the states and back up through saskatchewan, will be passing through my new house, not sure where else we should see on the trip.