It has a Big Green Turtle.
It also has an original CN (Canadian National Railway) station, a caboose and teepee on display. The CN buildings all across the west looked basically all the same. They had an architecture that when you saw the building you knew it was the CN station. They were functional, as were most buildings of that era. There was a large platform for passengers to embark and disembark. There was large sliding doors on both the front and back for large freight to be stored and picked up. There was a winch on the front of the building, which i am not sure of the use. And of course there was the station agent / ticket office and small (really small) waiting area inside the building. They were always a two story structure and i believe the station master lived upstairs. There are fewer and fewer of these buildings left standing, and to see one always gives me a nostalgic thrill.
The caboose is another thing gone by the wayside. Until the 1980's, the caboose used to always be the last car on the train. The unique red car had a compartment sticking out of the top sheltered the conductor, whose job was to see over the train to look out for load shifting, damage to equipment or cargo or overheating axles. They provided shelter for the switching crew as well. They were fairly well equipped with small kitchen, toilet and sleeping area. There was even a small dining table. The very back of the caboose had a small platform. A perfect place to stand and enjoy the passing scenery. Modern electronic monitoring and a flashing device on the last car of the new trains saw the end of the caboose.
Teepees were once dotted all over the landscape. Although they were all gone by the time i entered this world, it is still a marvel to see how they are constructed. Made of long wooden poles standing to form a circle and covered with animal skins, they were used by the great plains tribes as houses and meeting lodges. They were durable and provided warmth and comfort in the winter and was cool in summer. There was a flap on the top to let smoke from cooking fires escape. They could be constructed very quickly and dismantled for transport even faster. Another piece of our heritage that many disregard.
