A bear rug, two-headed calves, a glass jar full of marbles and other oddities occupy half of the building that also houses a 1950s style diner in north-central Saskatchewan.
The Blacktop Diner and Riverbend Antiques share the building on Highway 12 near Waldheim. Its location just south of the Petrofka bridge over the North Saskatchewan River is the main reason for the odd business combination. The scenic river valley drew the owner, who has antiques stores in Saskatoon.
He moved to the country and five years ago added the antiques side to the existing restaurant.
The highway also gets a lot of traffic from people heading to camp in northern lakes and forests. They stop, take a stretch break, buy groceries at the convenience store, gaze at the old china and maybe buy a milkshake for the kids.
Store clerk Maria Kasper of Hepburn, Sask., said in the fall the clientele includes American hunters.
Old cook stoves are a popular item, she said, and people often look to add to their collections of jars and bottles.
