The Bison - Alyesbury (Saskatchewan) Canada
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member oiseau_ca
N 50° 54.060 W 105° 38.052
13U E 455403 N 5639007
a sculpture of bison located on TransCanada Highway 11 between towns of Chamberlain and Aylesbury (Saskatchewan) Canada
Waymark Code: WMMCJD
Location: Saskatchewan, Canada
Date Posted: 08/31/2014
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member lumbricus
Views: 4

This metal frame bison sculpture is located along TransCanada Highway 11 (also known under name of the Louis Riel Trail) on a small north bound turn-out between the communities of Chamberlain and Aylesbury (Saskatchewan) Canada. It stand very near two historical markers: the Arm River Valley and a Buffalo Rubbing Stone.

If you drive Saskatchewan's Highway 11 between Regina and Prince Albert, "you'll see much more than open fields and hay bales. Tall metal sculptures commemorating the region's rich history stand along the highway, each one the work of Don Wilkins, a grain farmer with unbridled creativity and a fascination with the past. Armed with only a hammer, cutting torch, stick welder and pry bar, Wilkins has spent the last several winters building a sculptural history of the southern part of the province, particularly focusing on the critical role the Métis people played in the region's settlement. Four kilometers north of Chamberlain, you can see Don's two dimensional open framed buffalo sculpture".

"The large boulder near this point is a natural monument to the great herds of bison that once ranged over the entire prairie and aspen parkland and was used as a "rubbing stone". As the weather warmed in the spring, the bison used these boulders to remove their heavy winter coat. In summer, hordes of mosquitoes and biting flies tormented the bison. The bison sought relief from these insects by rubbing on these boulders to soothe their tortured hides. Over centuries of use, these boulders became polished from the consistent rubbing of the bison. The boulder itself was deposited by the last continental glacier. It originated in the Canadian Shield at least 300 miles to the North".

Source: Internet: (visit link)
Name or use 'Unknown' if not known: The Bison

Figure Type: Animal

Artist Name or use 'Unknown' if not known: Don Wilkins

Date created or placed or use 'Unknown' if not known: unknown

Materials used: metal

Location: a small north bound turn-out on TransCanada Highway 11 between towns of Chamberlain and Aylesbury (Saskatchewan) Canada

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Team2002 visited The Bison - Alyesbury (Saskatchewan) Canada 07/21/2014 Team2002 visited it