A Meaningful Homecoming: Looking Back at Dr. Savannah’s Visit to Métis Crossing

February 10, 2026

If you caught the re-run of Dr. Savannah: Wild Rose Vet this past weekend, you might have seen something special. In the episode “Feels Like Home,” Dr. Savannah Howse-Smith visited Métis Crossing to check on our bison herd, and what unfolded was a journey of cultural connection and self-understanding.

Dr. Savannah’s Journey to Métis Crossing

When the cameras arrived back in 2022, Dr. Savannah came to examine our white bison, wood bison, and plains bison at the Visions, Hopes, and Dreams Wildlife Park. A Métis veterinarian based at Rocky Rapids Veterinary Service in Drayton Valley, Alberta, Dr. Savannah had only recently learned about her Indigenous heritage while attending veterinary school at the University of Saskatchewan. For someone who grew up in Beiseker, Alberta, without knowing her Métis roots, the visit to Métis Crossing represented something deeply personal.

The documentary series follows her daily work caring for animals across central Alberta, but it also captures her parallel journey of exploring what it means to be a Métis woman. The episode at Métis Crossing became a pivotal moment in that exploration.

A Visit That Went Beyond Veterinary Care

What made the visit particularly meaningful was how it became part of a larger cultural immersion for her. Between her time at Métis Crossing and sharing traditional foods like bannock with colleagues back at the clinic, she reflected on camera that she was “probably the most immersed in Métis culture than I’ve ever been in my life.” Watching her walk through the Wildlife Park, spending time with these majestic heritage species, you could see that immersion taking hold.

The wellness check brought her face to face with animals that have sustained Métis communities for generations. Our white bison, with their rare and sacred presence, hold special significance in Indigenous cultures. The wood bison and plains bison represent the historical relationship between Métis people and the land, a connection built on respect, sustainability, and understanding.

These bison are living links to Métis history and culture, symbols of resilience and survival that mirror the Métis story itself. For Dr. Savannah, examining their health became intertwined with examining her own identity and place within Métis culture.

The Visions, Hopes, and Dreams Wildlife Park

The Wildlife Park where Dr. Savannah conducted her work remains one of the most powerful experiences at Métis Crossing. Home to Métis heritage species including our majestic white bison, regal wood bison, and iconic plains bison, the park also features elk that roam freely and Percheron horses that gallop through time, connecting visitors with centuries of Métis life on this land.

Each species tells a story. The bison herds remind us of the historical importance of these animals to Métis survival and culture. The Percheron horses reflect the Métis role in the fur trade and transportation across the prairies. Together, they create a living museum where animals aren’t behind glass or separated from the stories they represent.

When you walk through the Wildlife Park, you’re walking through history. You’re seeing the same animals that Métis ancestors depended on, respected, and lived alongside. That’s what made Dr. Savannah’s visit so powerful to watch, and it’s what makes every visitor’s experience meaningful.

Experience What Dr. Savannah Felt

When visitors arrive at Métis Crossing, they step into a living story, one that connects past and present, tradition and today. Dr. Savannah felt that during her visit, and we see it in the faces of guests who come here to learn, reflect, and connect with Métis heritage.

Located near Smoky Lake, Alberta, Métis Crossing operates as Alberta’s first major Métis cultural interpretive destination. Beyond the Wildlife Park, visitors can stay at The Lodge, experience our Sky Watching Domes for aurora viewing, participate in traditional art workshops guided by passionate Métis artists, and visit our recently opened Sage and Spruce Indigenous Spa. Our offerings change with the seasons, reflecting the seasonal rhythms of Métis life on this sacred land.

The episode originally aired on APTN in May 2022 and has continued to resonate with audiences. The series earned recognition at the 11th Canadian Screen Awards and won a Rosie Award at the 2022 Alberta Film and Television Awards. More importantly, it brought Métis Crossing into living rooms across Canada and beyond, introducing thousands of viewers to what we do here. If you missed this weekend’s re-run on Nat Geo Wild, you can still catch it on APTN lumi or Apple TV.

If Dr. Savannah’s journey inspired you, we’d love to welcome you to Métis Crossing to experience that same connection for yourself. Our Wildlife Park is open year-round, offering different perspectives with each season. Winter brings quiet majesty as bison move through snow-covered landscapes. Spring and summer burst with life as new calves are born. Fall offers rich colors as the land prepares for winter.

Come visit. Walk the same paths. Meet the bison. And maybe, like Dr. Savannah, you’ll find something unexpected along the way.