At first, I thought this was the setting of that 1998 TV drama series, Dawson’s Creek, but I later learned that the show had nothing to do with this city in British Columbia.
Dawson Creek is an industrial city in the northeastern part of the province, very near the border of Alberta. The city was named after a creek that runs through the entire community. The creek, in turn, was named after George Dawson, a geologist, and surveyor who performed many explorations in western North America.
With a population of only close to 15,000, the city offers stunning nature vistas and has many opportunities in earning an academic degree or achieving success in an industry. Through the years, the city’s job vacancies have continued to increase and real estate has remained accessible to middle-income earners. I guess this is why my eldest son and his family decided to relocate here.
For someone like me who is located on the opposite side of the Pacific, after landing in Vancouver, I still have to take a propeller aircraft to Fort St. John, and then drive for an hour to reach Dawson Creek. However, I didn’t find the length of travel to be a problem because my only granddaughter, my little princess, ‘holds court’ in this little city, and I wanted to celebrate my birthday with her.
Naturally, the insatiable tourist that I am prompted my son to take me around the city the day after I arrived. Everywhere I looked, I saw wide open spaces with roads that stretch straight for miles, as far as my eyes could see.
The city’s most popular tourist spot is MILE 0 of the Alaska Highway. This 2237-kilometer highway was constructed during World War II to connect the continental USA to its 49th state, Alaska, via Canada, and such freeway starts right in the center of Dawson Creek.
Our next destination was Bear Mountain, 15 kilometers southwest of the city because it offers a breathtaking view of the flatlands in the surrounding areas and has a Wind Park with 36 gigantic windmills, the same as what we have in Bangui, Ilocos Norte.
The worldwide shift to renewable energy has led to the development of this Peace Energy Cooperative. I learned that these windmills supply energy to the nearby provinces of Canada and even as far as Chicago.
What I found impressive was how orderly and clean the city is. The drivers are very disciplined and everybody is very friendly. Vehicular traffic even in the downtown area, is sparse, you can probably even drive with your eyes closed.
Another thing that impressed me is how the city government looks after the physical well-being of its residents. While driving around, my son showed me the outdoor fitness park that anybody may avail of for free. They have all kinds of exercise machines and even weightlifting paraphernalia for those who choose to sculpt a muscular physique. Of course, I was also surprised to see that cannabis is now sold openly in the mall, however, I heard that there are so many restrictions for its purchase.
But the highlight of my first day in Dawson Creek took place in the evening. I never expected to see something that has been on my bucket list for the longest time. After dinner, my son excitedly told me to go with him outside the house, bring my phone camera and take a picture of what was in the skies – Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights. While looking at it, I almost froze, not only because it was cold, but the thought of finally coming face to face with what I have been longing for gave me goosebumps all over.
It took me quite some time to recover my senses and start clicking away with my camera. The nice thing about it was that every section of the evening skies had its own set of these “heavenly” lights. The most common was the greenish “cloud.” There was also one that was bluish. I was waiting for the reddish “cloud” to appear but the evening spectacle ended without it showing itself to us.
Nevertheless, it was a great experience. I always thought I had to travel to Iceland, a Scandinavian country, or Alaska to see it. But this little city of Dawson Creek gave me a great birthday gift…certainly an experience for the books!
So, the next time somebody asks me, “Where on earth is Dawson Creek?” I can easily reply, “It’s where my favorite two lovely ladies await me – my “little princess” (my only granddaughter) and Aurora…Borealis, the Northern Lights.
YOUR MONDAY CHUCKLE:
Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will sit on a boat and drink beer all day.
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