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He’s happy to be in Estevan

Raymond Poirier has always been on the lookout for a new adventure. His appetite for new experiences led him to visit such destinations as New York, San Francisco, London and Paris, and he has crisscrossed the U.S. while riding a bicycle.
Raymond Poirier
Raymond Poirier holds his service dog, Teddy. Poirier has been in Estevan for a few months, and is happy to call the Energy City home.

Raymond Poirier has always been on the lookout for a new adventure.

His appetite for new experiences led him to visit such destinations as New York, San Francisco, London and Paris, and he has crisscrossed the U.S. while riding a bicycle.

But for the past four months, he has been residing at the Upton Motel in Estevan, and he is happy to be here.

Poirier says he chose to live here because of its close proximity to North Dakota, a state where he has spent a lot of time cycling. North Dakota’s badlands rate among his favourite destinations.

“I had discovered it about 10 years ago, and I thought it was the most beautiful place on earth,” said Poirier. “I love the openness, the sedimentary planes and the landscape.”

Poirier has stayed at the Upton Motel during previous visits to the Energy City. When he came back to the city last October, he looked at other options for a residence, but he only needed something small, and the location allows him to interact with people who are coming and going at the bus depot, which is located downstairs.

“We get into conversations about any number of things,” said Poirier. “Some people are surprised, and they ask why would you come here? I tell them ‘I see you haven’t left.’”

He grew up on farms in rural Ontario, and spent a lot of time outdoors. He graduated from the University of Waterloo in Kitchener, Ontario, and played percussion for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. He has also worked with a publishing company.

“I still need to occupy myself, feed myself and enjoy the outlet that I do with my music,” said Poirier. “So I traverse different parts of the land, in North America or Mexico, and then buzz off to some other opportunity.”  

Poirier also has company. He can be seen with a canine friend, Teddy, everywhere he goes. Teddy is a six-year-old Yorkshire terrier poodle cross, and is certified with Service Dog Canada.

“You’ve got an incredible combination in that he’s smart, sociable, easy-going, overtly friendly and completely calm,” said Poirier. “There are no instincts for him for biting or barking. He’s quiet. He likes to explore and meet and greet, but he’ll certainly just sit.”

Teddy wears a vest that distinguishes him as a service dog, but the vest also notes that Teddy is friendly and approachable.

Poirier needs Teddy, too, because Poirier was involved in a near-fatal car accident when he was a child. There’s still a scar on his head. It didn’t prevent him from going on to post-secondary education, or having an assortment of great adventures, but there have been headaches and migraines that now affect him.

“When I get these kinds of headaches, it doesn’t matter … I’ll sit at home, or I’ll take a long walk and it goes away,” said Poirier. “I suggested that if I’m on a bus or a plane, these headaches strike and they strike strongly, there’s a certain amount of confusion or disorientation.”

Those migraines can cause panic, and at that point, Teddy is there to calm Poirier down, and help eliminate any confusion. 

Not only does Teddy help Poirier, but Teddy has proven to be very popular.

“We are encountered, not accosted, but encountered on the streets, and told what a beautiful little dog he is,” said Poirier. “People pull over in a car, and come and say ‘Hey, can we take a look at your little dog?”

Children are gleeful when they see Teddy, too, he said.

 “Everybody is lively, cordial, polite, effervescent and open-hearted,” said Poirier.

He has also used Teddy as a means to talk to people, and he has helped people deal with the loss of their own little dogs.

“People who see what he’s doing for me love him even more,” said Poirier. “They care for him in that way. And I, of course, care for him, because his being part of my life has opened so many doors, and made it so much more fulfilling. I don’t think I could have lived in an apartment or hotel room by myself.”

Teddy isn’t the first little dog that Poirier has had. His previous dog, Jasper, was also a Yorkshire terrier-poodle cross that Poirier rescued in North Dakota and had for years, and accompanied Poirier during his travels through the U.S.

Part of the reason Poirier wanted to live in Estevan is its proximity to the state where he first met Jasper.

He has also experienced a first since coming to Estevan: he purchased a car. Most communities he has lived in have public transit or taxis, or he has been able to bicycle anywhere he needs to go.

But he also sees the advantage of owning a vehicle.

“Wouldn’t it be neat to wake up at 6 a.m. here, and be in the badlands (of North Dakota) at noon?” said Poirier.

He doesn’t know much about cars, although he recognizes he’ll have to spend money on payments, insurance, upkeep and fuel. And he still doesn’t have a driver’s licence, so it will be a while before he starts driving.

Poirier has a bicycle in Williston, but not one in Estevan, and has been walking everywhere he goes, despite the cold temperatures and the snow Estevan received this winter. 

He doesn’t know if he will have any more adventures. But when given a choice between living in big cities, which he has done, and living in a rural setting, the rural area won.

“If I was wealthy, I would not buy things, and I would seek experience,” said Poirier. “I’m going to stay here.”