	The Two RV Gypsies: Full-Time RVers in Boissevain, Manitoba, Canada with Tommy the Turtle and lots of art June 10, 2012

Located on the plains of south western Manitoba, Boissevain lies in an area richly blessed by Mother Nature's gifts. The blue hills of the Turtle Mountains shimmer in the distance, with its many lakes and adventure opportunities, the patchwork fields of flax, canola and wheat wave in the near distance, enveloping Boissevain in a lush and verdant grasp. A winner of the Communities in Bloom competition, Boissevain is considered the gateway to the International Peace Garden. Art is big in Boissevain with over twenty outdoor murals commissioned by the local arts council and several private commissions. Boissevain, a place to find beauty, history and goodwill in a small community with great things to offer.

Canada Border Inspection sign

Welcome to Manitoba sign

Explore Manitoba sign

Wlcome to Boissevain sign

National winner sign

Wildlife Museum and bear

Wildlife Museum and tommy the Turtle sign

Below: Tommy the Turtle, Boissevain is 28 foot tall, 10,000 pound statue stands proud watching over Boissevain. The turtle was erected in 1974, a symbolic icon for the community and the historic summer Canadian Turtle Derby.

Below: The two RV Gypsies with Tommy the Turtle in 2012

Karen Duquette and Tommy the Turtle

Lee Duquette and Tommy the Turtle

Below: Karen Duquette and Tommy the Turtle in 2015. Tommy has a different coat of paint than what he had in 2012.

Karen Duquette and Tommy the Turtle in 2015

back side of Tommy the Turtle in 2015

Karen Duquette and Tommy the Turtle in 2015

In 1987 Boissevain held its first annual Turtle Derby, and spectators enjoyed the excitement generated by the festivities surrounding the turtle racing competitions. The growing enthusiasm of turtle racing became a major tourism attraction for Boissevain. However, in 2001 the community ended the Turtle Derby, but Tommy the Turtle” still warmly greets visitors to the community.

Lee Duquette on the worlds only electric turtle starting gate in Boissevain, Manatoba

Lee Duquette on the worlds only electric turtle starting gate in Boissevain, Manatoba

sign: Turtle Mountain Provincial Park

mural of a railroad crossing

The pride in Boissevain is not only for the present and future, but also of the past. This is amply demonstrated by the town's outdoor art gallery, a Manitoba Star Attraction. There are supposed to be 19 murals, but the two RV Gypsies only found a few of them because this was only a day trip into Boissevain, and it began to rain quite heavily, so the two RV Gypsies had to leave Boissevain early than they wanted to.

Below: Reflections of Whitewater Lake (60' w x 12'h)

Reflections of Whitewater Lake mural in Boisevain

Below; The Red Coats (31-1/2'w x 13-1/2' h)

By Hubert Theroux, 1996
Located on Highway #10
This picture shows the juxtaposition of the old and new in a small section of this mural dedicated to the history of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, plus a lad seated at his grandfather's knee hearing stories of the first troop of North West Mounted Police as they made their way across Canada in 1874.

sign about The Red Coats mural in Boissevain

The Red Coats mural in Boissevain

Below: A Salute to Boissevain's Medical Profession (27'w x 10'h)

A Salute to Boissevain's Medical Profession mural in Boissevain

sign about the mural: A Salute to Boissevain's Medical Profession

Pioneer Kitchen (32' w x 7' h)
by Carol Ramsey, 1994
Located at 376 South Railway
A section of this mural shows a woman and her children in the typical "heart of the home", the pioneer kitchen, plus many of the homemaker's handmade products as the family gathers by lamplight for their various evening activities.

Pioneer Kitchen mural in Boissevain

Main Street Saturday Night mural in Boissevain

Main Street Saturday Night
(10' w x 10' h) by Jim Jordan, 1993
Located at 323 South Railway
This mural shows what main street in Boissevain might have looked like on a Saturday night in the fifties when the whole family packed in the car and went to town to socialize. Young people flocked to the theatre while mom and dad caught up on the latest news.

General Store (32'w x 11' h) by Brian Romagnoli 1998 - The mural depicts the George King General Store circa 1922, that was located in the current library building. It is a tribute to all general stores which were the centre of each rural and urban community.

General Store mural in Boissevain

Royal Canadian Legion mural in Boissevain

Royal Canadian Legion Boissevain Branch #10 by Ken McEwan 1997 (31' w x 15'h) - This mural is a tribute to those who gave their lives in both World Wars and Korea as well as the veterans who returned.

Below: Boundary Commission/NWMP Trail (64' w x 12' h)
A small section from this mural shows four men as part of the survey team who etched this historic trail onto the prairie. Running parallel to the Canada - United States boundary the trail was initially made by buffalo, became more distinctive with the travel of first nations, explorers and settlers. It was the routes used by survey crews and the Northwest Mounted Police in 1874.

Boundry Commission mural in Boissevain

Below: Romance On The Railroad (69' w x 14' h)- by Stephen Jackson 1992 This locomotive arrived in Cherry Creek around 1886 as a result of Adolphe Boissevain selling shares in Europe to raise funds. Later the town was renamed in his honor. A teenager, Chris Musgrove saw it arrive and also witnessed the departure of the last passenger train in 1958.

Romance on the Railroad mural in Boissevain

Romance on the Railroad mural in Boissevain

Bushing in the Turtle Mountains by Hubert Theroux 1995 (49' w x 13' h) In the days when wood was the only fuel to keep homes warm in the winter, keeping up a constant supply was an ongoing task for all family members.

Bushing in the Turtle Mountains mural in Boissevain

mural in Boissevain

Mainitoba Pool Elevator mural in Boissevain

Manitoba Pool Elevator by Stephen Jackson and Gus Froese

This picture shows a small part of a large mural dedicated to the process of grain handling. The left-hand side of the mural is a cutaway in silhouette of Mother Earth revealing the interior working of a grain elevator. At the bottom, life sized wagons are going up the ramp to the cleaning bin.

Below: The two RV Gypsies spotted this tree with a informative sign in front of it.

sign about the Willow Heritage Tree

The Willow Heritage Tree

Below: When touring the town's many attractions, a stop at the Arts Park is an absolute must. Located in the core of the community you will discover an oasis of color and beauty which will lure you in to where flower lined brick paths and perennial gardens surround a gazebo, offering a quiet peaceful moment amongst blossoms and greenery.

entrance to Arts Park

Arts Park

sign about Manitoba's first explorers

The two RV Gypsies entered Manitoba again- this time from Minnesota USA on their way to Saskatchewan in 2012.

continue on to the Riverbank Discovery Center in Manitoba