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Voykit pocket guide · Canada
Eastend
Give Eastend one night: the T.rex Discovery Centre is the reason to come, and the town runs out of things to do by mid-afternoon.
Eastend is a town of about 500 people on the Frenchman River in southwest Saskatchewan, 385 km from Regina via the Trans-Canada Highway, Highway 37 and Highway 13. It exists on the traveller map because of one building: the T.rex Discovery Centre, home to Scotty, a Tyrannosaurus rex described as the largest and oldest yet found. Everything else — a small historical museum, a 9-hole golf course, a campground by the river — fits around that. One night is enough; two if you want to slow down and use it as a base for the Frenchman River valley and Grasslands country.
- Country
- Canada
- Best months
- Jun–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Mar (cold, snow, some sights closed)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CAD
- Money
- Currency is the Canadian dollar (CAD, $). Cards and tap-to-pay are accepted almost everywhere.
- Daily spend
- Budget C$90–140 excl. bed · Mid C$150–230 excl. bed · High C$250+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Rogers, Bell and Telus plus cheaper brands (Fido, Koodo, Public Mobile); prepaid SIMs in malls and stores. Canadian data is expensive — an eSIM is often cheaper.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · RCMP non-emergency 310-RCMP
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Same as the US.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 15–20% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: CAD 1–2 per drink.; Taxi: 10–15%.; Housekeeping: CAD 3–5 a night.; Guide: 10–20% of the tour price.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable; treat water from lakes and streams (giardia).
- Toilets
- Free in malls, Tim Hortons, stations and park visitor centres.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee and a bakery item | C$5–9 |
| Pub meal (burger or fish and chips) | C$18–28 |
| Campground, full-service site | C$35 per night |
| Golf, 9 holes | C$20 |
| Fuel, per litre | C$1.50–1.80 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | C$20–40 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- YQR · Regina International
- About 4 h 30 min by car via the Trans-Canada Highway and Highway 37 (check)
- YXE · Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International
- About 6 h by car (check); Regina is the closer gateway
Typical fares
- Campground, full-service site
- C$35 per night
- Streambank Golf Course, 9 holes
- C$20; 18 holes C$30
- Fuel, Gull Lake to Eastend and back
- about C$25–35 (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
You need a car. Eastend has no public transit and the T.rex Discovery Centre sits about 1.5 km (0.9 mi) from the main street. Everything in town is within a 15-minute walk of Redcoat Drive; the surrounding valley, Jones Peak and the golf course are a short drive.You need a car. Eastend has no public transit and the T.rex Discovery Centre sits about 0.9 mi (1.5 km) from the main street. Everything in town is within a 15-minute walk of Redcoat Drive; the surrounding valley, Jones Peak and the golf course are a short drive.
See and do
Known for
- T.rex Discovery Centre and Scotty the T. rex
- Frenchman River valley
- Eastend Historical Museum
- Streambank Golf Course
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Shaunavon | Highway 37 north | About 45 min (check) |
| Maple Creek | Highway 13 west | About 1 h 10 min (check) |
| Val Marie and Grasslands National Park | Highway 13 east then Highway 4 south | About 2 h 15 min (check) |
| Swift Current | Highway 13 east to Highway 4 north | About 2 h (check) |
Sleep
- Redcoat Drive (main street)
- The Cypress Hotel and Jack's Cafe are here; walkable to the museum and the T.rex centre is a short drive.
- Eastend Campground, Riverside Blvd
- West side of town on the Frenchman River; 17 full-service sites, 24 partial, 1 unserviced. Next to the pool, playground and golf course.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Where is the T.rex Discovery Centre? | Where is the T.rex Discovery Centre? |
| Is there fuel nearby? | Is there fuel nearby? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; 'Bonjour' first in Québec; avoid: Assuming everyone speaks English
- Queues: Line up and wait your turn; avoid: Pushing in
- Apologising: 'Sorry' is politeness, not admission of fault; avoid: Loud confrontation
- Canada vs US: Treat Canada as its own country; avoid: Calling Canadians American
- Indigenous culture: Buy from Indigenous-owned businesses and ask before photos at ceremonies; avoid: Wearing headdresses as costume
Scams and watch-outs
- Distances are long and fuel stops are sparse: fill up in Gull Lake, Shaunavon or Maple Creek before heading out.
- Cell coverage is patchy in the valley and on the back roads; download offline maps.
- The T.rex Discovery Centre and the historical museum keep seasonal hours — check before you drive out.
- Winter driving on Highway 13 and 37 can close in blowing snow; check road conditions.
Eastend is a small, quiet town and personal safety is not the issue. The real risks are driving: long empty highways, wildlife on the road at dusk, winter storms and patchy cell coverage.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Eastend yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- T.rex Discovery Centre and Scotty the T. rex
- Frenchman River valley
- Eastend Historical Museum
- Streambank Golf Course
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Town of Eastend: townofeastend.com/
- T.rex Discovery Centre, Royal Saskatchewan Museum: www.royalsaskmuseum.ca/trex
- Tourism Saskatchewan: www.tourismsaskatchewan.com/
- Wikivoyage: Eastend, revision 4500058 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4500058
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Eastend
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No consulates in Eastend. The nearest are in Calgary or Regina; embassies are in Ottawa.
Saskatchewan does not change its clocks, so summer daylight lasts later than in Alberta.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/eastend). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.