Faithfully yours - Natural beauty to be treasured

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Published on Sunday, June 4, 2017

Neil Strohschein
The Neepawa Banner

We who live in The Banner’s coverage area have a national treasure virtually next door. It is the oldest of its kind in Manitoba. It covers an area of 3000 km, has over 400 km of hiking, bike, horse and wagon trails and, except for the lingering effects of the occasional forest fire, remains virtually as it was at the end of the ice age. This treasure is Riding Mountain National Park.

Now, as a transplanted Albertan, I have often questioned the use of the word “Mountain” in the park’s name. But I have lived in Neepawa for 20 years, 6.5 of which were spent driving Hwy 5 between Neepawa and Ste. Rose every Sunday; and while Riding Mountain may not be as tall as the mountains in Alberta, its influence on the weather conditions along Hwy 5 is equal to and in some cases greater than anything I experienced before moving here.

Riding Mountain National Park has something for everyone. Boating, water skiing, fishing, hiking, cross country skiing, golf, camping and picnicking just a few of the activities that one can enjoy. If you want to stay awhile, there are campgrounds and motels to serve you.

Serious nature lovers will note how different areas of the park are dominated by different species of trees. They can also witness the intricate balance of nature as seen in the interactions between elk, moose, deer and their predators and the critters that live in the marshes and small ponds that dot the park’s landscape. And, if they venture just outside the park’s borders, they will see the steps area farmers must take to protect their crops and livestock from being damaged by wildlife who stray too far from home.

These experiences and more are available to all of us—and this year, in honor of Canada’s 150th birthday, admission to the park is free. So, there’s no excuse for any of us to stay home and not visit this national treasure at least once.

Take a moment, while in the park, to appreciate the improvements that are under way. Over the next few years, roughly $3 million will be spent improving historic sites (including the East Gate), campgrounds, trails and other infrastructure. The resurfacing and rebuilding (where required) of Hwy 10 through the park is a separate project to be completed this year.

But there’s more to the park than what you see along Hwy 10. There’s much to see along Hwy 19, Rolling River Road and Lake Audy Road. And if you are able to do so, walk a trail or two, enjoy a picnic next to a quiet lake or just find a quiet spot, sit in your car with the radio turned off and wait to see which of the many permanent residents of RMNP might come by for a visit. It just might be an experience you will never forget.

The Scriptures tell us that God gives us all things richly to enjoy. Included in that list is the natural beauty of our parks, the grandeur of the skies above, the majesty of a rainbow and the glistening shimmer of the Northern Lights. We watch, sometimes in amazement as the snow melts each spring and grass begins to grow; trees put forth leaves, then buds and then fruit; farm land receives seed and provides nutrients for the grain and hay that are used to feed the world.

This is all around us. It is God’s gift to us. It is not to be taken for granted. It is to be treasured, enjoyed and used responsibly.