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.
We spend a lot of time looking through Gazetteers & Almanacs that were published in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Many of the Gazetteers include the distance from a village such as B-Say-Tah to various places of note, such as Parliament Hill.
With a nod to our favorite Gazetteers, the straight-line distance<2> beginning in B-Say-Tah and extending to:
Regina, which is the Provincial Capital of Saskatchewan, lies 41 miles [66 km]<2> to the southwest (SW). If you could walk a straight line from B-Say-Tah to Regina, with an average speed<3> of 2.2 miles [3.5 km] per hour, it would take about three full days to make the trip. A horse and buggy averaging 3.2 miles [5.1 km] per hour would take just about two full days.
The National Capital at Parliament Hill (Ottawa, ON) is 1,340 miles [2,156.5 km] to the east (E). Driving, with an average speed of 63 miles [101.4 km] per hour, would take about three full days, a buggy would take 53 days and walking would take 77 days.
The shortest distance<4> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock) is 6,206 miles [9,987.6 km] and it lies to the north northeast (NNE).<5>
The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 6,974 miles [11,223.6 km] and it lies to the north northeast (NNE).<6>
The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 4,971 miles [8,000 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<7>'
Footnotes ...
<1>
While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<2>
Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- B-Say-Tah) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.
<3>
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.
<4>
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 B-Say-Tah to the Middle East to be East and South, the Great Circle Route actually lies to the North and East.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in B-Say-Tah. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 50.8000, Longitude: -103.8500
<5>
The calculated bearing (or angle) to Jerusalem is 326.168 degrees.
<6>
The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 325.822 degrees.
<7>
The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 315.446 degrees.