9785 Kilometres from Toronto to Seattle and back in an electric car gave one father and daughter a chance to take in the sights and sounds that Portage la Prairie has to offer.

Rajan Varadarajan, a Tesla owner, who is a resident of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), makes this trip twice a year to see family and says it has given him and his family a chance to appreciate one of his favourite stops, Portage.

"(Portage) is one of our favourite stops. We don't miss it. We make sure that we stop at the charging station. But unfortunately, the majority of the time when we pass Portage, it is usually very late. So, I have not had the opportunity to enjoy the city during the day." Varadarajan has been through Portage four times. He says that even based on the handful of experiences, he loves what he has seen.

"Hopefully, I will plan my drive in such a way that I cross your city during the daytime," he continues. "I especially love the small water canal that runs through the city." 

The GTA resident explains that his fondness of Portage started when he had to stop in town for the first time to charge his car.

"One very late night, at around 3:00 a.m. I went for a drive right through the road, which goes parallel to the canal. I drove through Crescent Road, and it was it is beautiful. It's so peaceful."

He explains that he has had to stop at multiple locations during his trip to charge up, and a lot of the time, these charging stations need to be shoveled out in the winter. However, that is not the case in Portage, something Varadarajan is very thankful for.

"It was cleared, and I could so easily access it without walking through the snow to connect the charger, so I really appreciated that."

Varadarajan has fallen for our small town so much that he even plans to stay in Portage the next time he makes this trip instead of his usual stay in Winnipeg.

"I am a member of quite a few Tesla clubs myself, where we regularly meet up. We speak about the different superchargers, the facilities, and the towns in which it is located. The growth of the Tesla community is amazing. When we started the club around a couple of years ago, we hardly had around 15 or 20 cars. Today, the membership is something like 150."

The 42-year-old dentist notes that the batteries take 25-30 minutes to charge. During that time, he and his daughter relax and chat about what they have seen along the way, which he notes most definitely includes the City of Possibilities.