Great American Railroad Journeys S04E09 - Portage la Prairie to Saskatoon
S04E09 Portage la Prairie to Saskatoon
Episode Overview
Guided by his 1899 Appleton’s Guide, Michael Portillo ventures westward through Manitoba into Saskatchewan. At Riding Mountain, he learns about Grey Owl, a middle-class British boy from Hastings who became a prominent indigenous naturalist. As he explores the prairie, Michael uncovers an extensive railway network that once supported Saskatchewan's wheat farmers, discovering how communities formed around grain elevators used for transporting crops. The Wheatland Express welcomes a newcomer to the afternoon shift. At Manitou Beach, Michael visits Canada’s Dead Sea, a saline lake 14 miles long and three times saltier than the ocean. A Yellow Quill First Nations elder shares insights on the water's healing properties, prompting Michael to experience it firsthand.