Bear Sightings and Big Miles: A Saskatoon to Fort McMurray Long-Distance Moving Story

Long-distance moves have a way of turning into road stories, the kind movers talk about years later. For Calvin Toews, one particular trip from Saskatoon to Fort McMurray stands out not because of a difficult load or a tight staircase, but because of what showed up on the side of the road.

“I’d been working in field construction and blind services before I got into moving,” Calvin says. “I’ve been with Two Small Men for almost six years now, so I’ve seen a lot of different jobs. But that one definitely sticks with me.”

Saskatoon is where Calvin is from and where the trip began. Known for its wide prairie skies, river crossings, and steady pace, Saskatoon feels familiar and grounded. Long-distance moves out of the city often mean hours of open highway, with towns spaced far apart and the scenery gradually shifting as you head north.

“This was one long trip,” Calvin explains. “It ended up being about five days all together.”

The move itself was residential, but it was part of a larger, coordinated route. The client’s belongings were picked up as part of a longer journey that included multiple jobs and drop-offs along the way.

“It was a residential move,” Calvin says. “We were picking up from Fort McMurray and then moving the customer’s stuff to Prince Albert. So it wasn’t just one straight shot. We were combining a few jobs along the route.”

That kind of planning is common with long-distance moving. Dispatch teams look at geography, timing, and which branch makes the most sense to send.

“They usually send the closest branch they can,” Calvin says. “It just depends on where the job is and what makes the most sense distance-wise.”

Once the truck left Saskatoon, the road itself became the main challenge. Northern routes are long, remote, and unpredictable, especially when you are driving close to the daily limit.

“We’re limited on how many hours we can drive in a day,” Calvin explains. “About thirteen hours. So that’s part of why the trip stretched out over several days, along with doing other jobs along the way.”

It was on one of those long driving days that the trip took an unexpected turn.

“We got turned around at one point,” Calvin says. “And that’s when we saw the bear.”

Not just any bear.

“It was a grizzly,” he says. “A big one.”

The bear was alive, alert, and very close to the road.

“It was on the side of the highway, coming through an S-curve,” Calvin recalls. “You could see the scars on its nose and everything.”

For a moment, the moving truck wasn’t just hauling furniture. It was sharing space with northern wilderness.

“We didn’t get out or anything,” Calvin adds with a laugh. “Definitely no pictures. You just slow down and keep moving.”

Wildlife sightings aren’t an everyday occurrence, even on long hauls, which is why this one stuck.

“You don’t see that kind of thing very often,” he says. “That was a first for me.”

Eventually, the road led into Fort McMurray, a place that feels dramatically different from Saskatoon. Built around industry and shaped by its environment, Fort McMurray has a reputation all its own.

“It’s got a lot of hills,” Calvin says. “And it feels like it’s either on fire or flooding. That’s kind of how people talk about it.”

Situated far north, Fort McMurray is surrounded by boreal forest, long winters, and an unmistakable sense of remoteness. For movers arriving after days on the road, just getting there is an accomplishment.

“It’s about six hours north of Saskatoon,” Calvin says. “Once you’re there, you really feel how far you’ve come.”

Despite the long drive and the wildlife encounter, the actual move in Fort McMurray was refreshingly straightforward.

“The job itself was pretty simple,” Calvin says. “Nothing too crazy once we got there. It was really the trip that made it memorable.”

That balance is something long-distance movers experience often. The physical work might be manageable, but the logistics, hours, and distance add another layer entirely.

“When you’re doing long-distance moves, it’s not just about lifting and loading,” Calvin explains. “It’s planning, timing, and making sure everything stays on track over several days.”

By the time the truck turned south again toward Prince Albert and eventually back toward Saskatoon, the trip had become more than just another job.

“It’s one of those stories you don’t forget,” Calvin says. “Not every move comes with a grizzly bear sighting.”

For movers like Calvin, long-distance work means adapting to whatever the road brings, whether that’s tight schedules, remote highways, or a reminder that some parts of Canada are still very wild.

“You never really know what you’re going to see out there,” he says. “But you deal with it and keep going.”

And sometimes, years later, it’s the bear on the side of the road that ends up being the thing you remember most.

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