the
Qu'appelle
River


For the Trans Canada traveller, grown accustomed to the vast flatness of the Canadian prairie, the Qu'appelle River Valley comes as a startling surprise. The river, gouged deeply into the landscape by ancient glacial meltwaters, drops into view like a prairie oasis - a rugged, verdant interruption to the grasslands and grain fields of the western plains. Creating a 430 kilometre sheltered corridor from its headwaters at the South Saskatchewan River, eastward to the Assiniboine River of neighbouring Manitoba, the Qu'appelle has provided refuge to buffalo hunters, fur traders and homesteading pioneers. Its marshes and meadows have given respite to migrating flocks and sanctuary to prairie wildlife, and the fertile lands that surround it have been transformed into one of the foremost agricultural zones of the world. Punctuated by lakes and lined with grassy hills and wooded coulees, the Qu'appelle lures anglers, campers and outdoor-lovers to its banks and shores. "Qu'appelle? Who calls?" Is it the legendary voice of the ancient princess, calling to her beloved young warrior with her dying breath? Or is it the sudden, unexpected wonder of the "calling river's" valley view?