I haven't gone on a major trip since my journey to Riding Mountain National Park last autumn, so I booked off a week to travel out west. However, things didn't work out as I had planned, and my vacation turned more-or-less into a staycation.
Thankfully, it wasn't all for naught. I managed to get away one day, and I did a couple of little day trips throughout the week too. The day I got away I wanted to go as far north as possible, and I chose the Cochin Lighthouse.
The Cochin Lighthouse is just north of the Battlefords and it is the only lighthouse in the landlocked province of Saskatchewan. It sits on the top of Pirot Hill in the village of Cochin and shines a light out onto the nearby Jackfish Lake – or as locals call it, the "Cochin Ocean".
The lighthouse sits on land owned by Don Pirot – whose name looks like "pirate", but isn't pronounced that way – and is leased to the village for 99 years. It was on his request that the hill was named "Pirot Hill". The lighthouse was constructed in 1989 and in 2017 it received a facelift following decades of graffiti.
The lighthouse is fully equipped with a working spotlight, and functions, like any other lighthouse you'd find on the coast. The biggest difference between those lighthouses and this one is that you can't go inside. I think this would be an excellent place to have a museum or gallery but by itself, it is still very impressive.
The lighthouse may be visible from Highway 4, but don't let it fool you. To reach the lighthouse you need to climb 152 (some say 153) wooden stairs, and these stairs are absolutely gruelling. When I got to the top, I felt like Rocky after climbing the stairs of the Philadelphia Museum of Art – and to think, he only had to climb 72 of them!
Before I attempted the climb, a gentleman at the bottom told me to climb up beside the stairs, on a little beaten path. I wanted bragging rights to say I climbed them so I ignored his advice, but I think it would have saved me a lot of pain had I just listened.
If you plan to visit the Cochin Lighthouse, it is a four-and-a-half-hour drive from Regina, or about a two-hour drive from Saskatoon. If you need a bite to eat, there is a nearby restaurant called The Lighthouse Café. I didn't have time to visit it since it closes at 8pm, but next time I'm going through the area, I'll make that a priority.
Have you ever visited the Cochin Lighthouse and the nearby "Cochin Ocean"? What other attractions should one visit while in the area? Let me know in the comments below.
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And, as always, a big thank you to my sweetheart Jessica Nuttall for proof reading a countless number of my articles. I couldn't do any of this without you. I love you.
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I haven't gone on a major trip since my journey to Riding Mountain National Park last autumn, so I booked off a week to travel out west. However, things didn't work out as I had planned, and my vacation turned more-or-less into a staycation.
Thankfully, it wasn't all for naught. I managed to get away one day, and I did a couple of little day trips throughout the week too. The day I got away I wanted to go as far north as possible, and I chose the Cochin Lighthouse.
The Cochin Lighthouse is just north of the Battlefords and it is the only lighthouse in the landlocked province of Saskatchewan. It sits on the top of Pirot Hill in the village of Cochin and shines a light out onto the nearby Jackfish Lake – or as locals call it, the "Cochin Ocean".
Fox and Scully are back! After 13 long years, Special Agent Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) have returned in Season 10 of X-Files!
For those unfamiliar with the hit 1990s-2000s science fiction show, X-Files portrayed the paranormal cases Fox and Scully investigated in search of "The Truth" , which is about what happened to Fox's sister when he was twelve years old (possible spoiler: aliens might be involved).
With X-Files' Season 10 finally premiering, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to present five events in Canadian history that have some "paranormal" elements to them. It would be interesting to see if the current six-part series covers any of these locations, but if they don't, I'm sure the truth is still out there.
It's been about fifteen years since I last visited Grey Owl's Cabin. I went with my elementary school's Outdoor Ed program when I was about thirteen, and the only highlight I remember was missing school when I got back because of the blisters on my feet.
It was also around fifteen years ago that I last paddled a canoe.
So, it's fair to say I wasn't prepared for the 40-kilometre canoe trip to Grey Owl's Cabin. To make sure I didn't lose my way or end up being bear-food, I asked my good friend Kevin Dunn, the former 2018 Saskatchewanderer, to come along with me.
