What’s In a Name?

William Shakespeare once asked “What’s in a name?” and I had to wonder this myself as I pulled off the Red Coat Trail in southern Saskatchewan to investigate the village of Aneroid. I love lonely, statuesque grain elevators that pierce the wide open sky on the Canadian prairies. You can typically see the name of the town or village emblazoned on the elevator for miles before you actually reach your destination. With such an interesting name, this elevator, pictured above, had to be explored!

As it turns out, the town of Aneroid, Saskatchewan, population 45, got its name from the first site surveyors who lost their aneroid barometer there! Do you know what an aneroid barometer is? Ya, I didn’t either and ironically I was bringing one such device back with me in the back of my truck from my parent’s house on this trip! It is a barometer that looks like a clock and measures air pressure. Other streets in Aneroid also carry the names of surveyor’s instruments. The word aneroid literally means “without fluid” which matched the dry, dusty landscape on which Aneroid sits, perfectly. And for those who love hockey, like I do, you will also be interested to know that San Jose Shark, Patrick Marleau hails from Aneroid.

On my “Great Farm Hutch Adventure” I passed through many fascinating towns and villages just like Aneroid and each one surely has a story to tell. So this is my plan. Over the coming weeks I will share a few more photos from my drive (you can find them all here), and share the stories that go with them. Come travel with me!  Until next week, your vagabond adventurer signs off.