Is Northern Ontario ever going to end? - Day 3

As much as I am deeply, genuinely in love with the Canadian Shield — the raw beauty of it, the strength of it, the way it stretches endlessly across the north like some ancient, rocky bodyguard — after two straight days of driving through Northern Ontario, I did start to wonder…

Does it… end?

And then — almost suspiciously — it did end. The rocks started to soften, the land opened up, and suddenly the horizon stretched out in a way that felt almost shocking after being held in by forest for so long.

Before I knew it, I was in Manitoba.

It was a beautiful, sunny day, and I found myself at Assiniboine Park and wandered into the Leo Mol Sculpture Garden.

What an absolute gem.

Even though the indoor gallery was closed when I got there (timing continues to be my brand), the outdoor sculpture garden was stunning. Peaceful, open, quietly inspiring. I wandered through, taking it all in, thinking how unreal this must be in spring and summer when everything is alive and blooming instead of… artistically frozen.

Back on the road, I dined like a true highway connoisseur: apples, beef sticks, kiwis, and a heroic mix of nuts and seeds. Honestly, what more could a traveller want? Open road, good music, snacks that require zero refrigeration, and absolutely no one judging your food combinations.

And Manitoba in late March?

Let’s just say… it has a minimalist aesthetic.

Flat. Open. Honest. No distractions. Just you, your thoughts, and a horizon that refuses to get any closer.

Manitoba shall spill her secrets to me on the way back home, as I must forge westwards to make up some lost time...

A few more pit stops later, I pushed on toward Moose Jaw — fairly certain I was personally responsible for dragging winter along with me. Sorry about that.

But those Saskatchewan skies… there’s something about them. Vast, dramatic, a little mysterious. Like they’re holding onto stories they’re not quite ready to tell.

And there I was, driving straight into them.