CANORA- “Mom, can we ride the train again/?
This was a commonly-heard question as young visitors enjoyed the miniature train rides provided by Mary and Lloyd Huebert on Aug. 13 during Canora in Bloom. And it wasn’t just youngsters; adults of all ages were also smiling as they also enjoyed riding the rails.
But it was uncertain whether the track would even be usable until just a few days earlier.
“Monday, Aug. 10 was the first day we were able to run the train around the track since the flood,” said Wally.
A large portion of the track, including the bridge and the staging area were under water after the flood.
“We had to cut the track in three places to help dry things out and get everything back in shape again,” he said.
The Huebert train is referred to as a park train, and is about one-third the size of a full-sized train. It’s modelled after the 4-4-0 trains, with four front-end wheels on two axles, four drive wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels.
The track has 16-inch rails, and goes around the 10-acre Huebert Homestead twice.
“We were thankful we didn’t have to change the route of the tracks any after the flood.”
The track runs through the middle of a Quonset that houses the Huebert family’s fiberglass dinosaur collection, which always seems to be a big hit with visitors.
Between train rides, youngsters had the opportunity to enjoy themselves on the Huebert playground.
Anyone who developed a strong thirst and/or appetite on the train and the playground could head over to the concession area for burgers, hot dogs and cold drinks, and then take a look around the Huebert mini craft market. Food items available included: cabbage rolls, beetniks, hot pepper pickled eggs, dill & garlic pickled eggs, rhubarb crumble, chocolate chip cookies, assorted tarts (Saskatoon, apple & rhubarb), jams & jellies and sauerkraut. There were also a variety of crafts, as well as wall hangings and crocheted dish cloths and hot mats.
Mary Huebert said the day went really well and they appreciated the generosity of everyone who attended.
“We raised about $2,500. That’s right around one-and-a-half times more than the average in previous years. The food court and the crafts definitely contributed to that.”
But the day was about more than raising money.
“People had fun, it was nice to see the playground was full. There was lots of laughter, just a nice, relaxing day.”
Funds raised during the day will go mainly towards feeding the birds and paying for medications and vet bills at Majestic Raptor Rehab, the Canora birds of prey sanctuary where the goal is to restore injured or sick animals to health and then release them back to the wild.
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