Desmarais (Alberta) - Tidbits, Odds-and-Ends

Curious and Interesting Names Near Desmarais ...

As we travel, we always see a community with a name that gives pause. While there are names which are interesting or familiar, some catch our attention or strike our fancy. We always wonder about such a name. If time permits and the community is not too far, we'll usually try to make a side-trip.

In the vicinity of Desmarais, Sandy Lake is located 19 miles [30.6 km]<1> to the Southeast

How Far From Desmarais to ...

We spend a lot of time looking through Gazetteers, Almanacs & Directories that were published in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Many of the Gazetteers include the distance from a community such as Desmarais to various places of note, such as Parliament Hill.

With a nod to our favorite Gazetteers, the straight-line distance beginning in Desmarais and extending to:

Edmonton, which is the Provincial Capital of Alberta, lies 168 miles [270.4 km]<1> to the south (S). If you could drive a straight line from Desmarais to Edmonton, with an average speed<2>of 63 miles [101.4 km] per hour, it would take about three hours to make the trip. A comfortable walk of 2.2 miles [3.5 km] per hour would take 10 days. A horse and buggy averaging 3.2 miles [5.1 km] per hour would take 7 days.
The National Capital at Parliament Hill (Ottawa, ON) is 1,791 miles [2,882.3 km] to the east (E). Driving would take most of three days, a buggy would take 70 days and walking would take 102 days.
The shortest distance<3> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock) is 6,101 miles [9,818.6 km] and it lies to the north northeast (NNE).<4>
The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 6,866 miles [11,049.8 km] and it lies to the north northeast (NNE).<5>
The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 4,979 miles [8,012.9 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<6>

Off-the-Road Links ...

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Desmarais. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for Province of Alberta: https://www.alberta.ca/

Footnotes ...

<1>	Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Desmarais) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Desmarais. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 55.9799, Longitude: -113.8478
<2>	While we have tried to pick reasonable speeds, the rate of travel is very theoretical - obstacles like fences, hills, lakes, river crossings and rest stops have been ignored. When we say 'Days' of travel, we're assuming 8 hours of travel per day.
<3>	The shortest line can be visualized by stretching a string on a Globe from Point A to Point B - this is known as a Great Circle Route. Where you might expect the shortest route from Desmarais to the Middle East to be East and South, the Great Circle Route actually lies to the North and East.
<4>	The calculated bearing (or angle) to Jerusalem is 334.091 degrees.
<5>	The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 335.259 degrees.
<6>	The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 320.93 degrees.