‘So Beautiful:’ Sask. cities enjoy hot streak of warm weather

People across Saskatchewan were out enjoying another summer day in spring.

According to Environment Canada, Saskatoon and Regina both reached a high of 29 C on Wednesday.

At the 8th Street Dairy Queen in Saskatoon, Natasha Layton was busy handing out cool treats.

“I work the day shift so I have quite a few regulars who come and I already know their order,” said Layton, who has worked at the location the last five summers.

The 8th Street DQ only opens for the season and is a popular stop with its nostalgic walk-up order windows.

“Usually it’s lined up at least to the street or kind of curved over,” Layton said. “Then we have people sitting all along our benches, all the nice cars that drive up and down 8th Street that come in here and park.”

The business student grew up in Saskatoon and has fond memories of her now-workplace.

“When I was little we’d come here and it would always be so exciting to come and get a blizzard.”

It’s also the go-to spot for 23-year-old Adam MacNeil, who sat in his car Wednesday with the windows rolled down, eating a cotton candy blizzard.

“I’m just really enjoying this hot weather, it seemed like winter is never going to end,” he said, adding his goal is to try every new flavour of blizzard before the end of summer.

While some take the cool-down approach, others ramp up when the warm weather arrives.

Eli Wachniak, along with three of his coworkers, took their break outside the office to play a few rounds of Spike Ball Wednesday afternoon.

“This is the first time this season, because the weather was so beautiful,” he said. “We’ve been inside for weeks and months now, so it was great to be outside and enjoy the outdoors.”

While they eventually returned indoors, some crews were out in the heat all day.

Over at the Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan site, workers started early to erect the large main stage tent for the upcoming season.

Crews set up the main stage tent for Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan on May 23, 2018. (Daniella Ponticelli/650 CKOM)

“It’s also a place for us to get out of the sun on a day like today — when it’s beautiful, but definitely warm and definitely a day for sunscreen,” said site manager Jennifer Rathie-Wright.

She explained it takes two weeks to put together just the seating area, however, the tent provides a reprieve from all sorts of Saskatchewan weather.

Just in time, too, as rain is in the forecast for Saskatoon and Regina Thursday. Environment Canada is calling for sunshine and near 30-degree temperatures Friday.