Day 5 – 8/6 Regina, SK to Calgary, AB

Today began with more prairie.

And then more prairie.

The drive west from Regina continued through an enormous landscape of open fields, hay bales, and seemingly endless sky. Every so often, a dirt road would intersect the highway and disappear toward the horizon. I stopped to photograph a few of them because they seemed to capture Saskatchewan better than any landmark could—a straight dirt road, surrounded by prairie, apparently leading to nowhere and everywhere at the same time.

I hadn’t really intended to drive all the way to Calgary today. I certainly hadn’t intended to drive straight there.

But that’s exactly what happened.

As the miles accumulated, I just kept going west. Eventually the prairie began giving way to the outskirts of a major city, and suddenly I was in Calgary.

My first destination was 17th Avenue, which turned out to be exactly the kind of neighborhood I enjoy finding in a new city—restaurants, bars, people walking around, and plenty happening without feeling overwhelming.

I stopped at Trolley 5, ordered nachos and an IPA, (First Crush) and settled in for a while.

Afterward, I grabbed my camera and started walking.

I eventually made my way toward the Brotherhood of Mankind installation, but somewhere along the way something happened that seems to be a recurring theme.

Someone gave me free food.

I had walked into a restaurant/shop for no reason other than to use the bathroom. When I came back out, one of the employees called me over.

They were experimenting with some new menu items and wanted to know if I’d like to try them.

Yep.

They handed me a bag containing several wrapped items. I was still full from the nachos, but curiosity won and I tried one.

It was delicious.

So now I was wandering around downtown Calgary taking photographs while carrying a paper bag full of food I hadn’t ordered and couldn’t possibly finish.

Eventually I decided I’d give the rest to someone who needed it.

Near the Brotherhood of Mankind, I put the bag down for a moment so I could take some photographs.

When I finished…

the bag was gone.

Someone had stolen the food I was planning to give away.

No shit.

There was something wonderfully ironic about standing beside a sculpture called the Brotherhood of Mankind while realizing someone had just stolen the bag of food I’d intended to give to a homeless person.

But I couldn’t really be angry.

Whoever took it probably needed it.

And ultimately, the food ended up exactly where I wanted it to go—just without me getting to choose the recipient.

Calgary itself was one of the biggest surprises of the trip so far.

The city felt exceptionally clean and inviting. The skyline was beautiful, the streets were interesting to photograph, and there seemed to be something happening everywhere I walked. After days of prairie and small towns, suddenly being surrounded by architecture, restaurants, public art, and people felt like an entirely different journey.

I arrived without really planning to be here.

I left the evening thinking Calgary was somewhere I’d gladly come back to.

Jack’s Notes 🐾

Dear Journal,

Prairie.

More prairie.

Still prairie.

Dad apparently finds hay fascinating now. He also kept stopping to photograph roads that didn’t appear to go anywhere.

I don’t understand photography.

Then we arrived in Calgary, where things became much more interesting.

Dad ate nachos. I did not.

Then someone gave Dad an entire bag of food.

I immediately recognized this as the greatest thing that has happened on the trip.

Dad carried it around for a while instead of giving it to me, which seemed like a serious tactical error.

Then he put it down.

And somebody stole it.

Dad thought this was ironic.

I thought it was incompetence.

That food could have been mine.

I’m going to need some time to process this.

— Jack