After last year’s Saskatchewanderer neglected to visit Prince Albert, Mara Selanders was determined to see this year’s traveller stop by.
So, Selanders tracked down Saskatchewanderer Jeff Stock, 22, on Facebook and invited him out for a day on the town.
“This day has been jam-packed,” Selanders said mid-Wednesday, while touring Stock around the city.
“I just had to decide which facet of Prince Albert to feature, and I chose recreation because the Saskatchewanderer is about going out and doing things.”
Stock was hired as the second annual Saskatchewanderer — a position created and funded by the Ministry of Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport.
The Saskatchewanderer’s summer job is to travel throughout the province, highlighting its many positive features on an online blog, which can be seen at http://saskatchewanderer.ca.
“It’s basically to let people know what’s out there, to try new stuff and go to new places,” Stock explained.
Prince Albert was no exception. With assistance by many people in the city, Selanders scheduled a day of excitement for Stock, starting off with rock climbing at the Alfred Jenkins Field House.
It’s basically to let people know what’s out there, to try new stuff and go to new places. - Saskatchewanderer Jeff Stock
Then, the two checked out the Kinsmen Water Park, took a lunch break at the restaurant Amy’s on Second, and then tooled about the city’s skateboard park.
The afternoon filled out with visits to the city’s museums, capped off with bike riding at Little Red River Park, thanks to bicycle loans from Fresh Air Experience.
“It’s a nice size, and it’s got a lot of the things that you’d want to do,” Stock said of Prince Albert. “Plus, the location is great, with all the parks and the lake. It’s the gateway to the north — the ideal situation.”
Stock said that he plans on writing his Prince Albert story within the next week, complete with photos highlighting his experience.
Selanders is working this summer as a blogger hired by the Destination Marketing Fund — an organization funded through room taxes collected at five local hotels. The Destination Marketing Fund is mandated with promoting the city.
