-
1ALBERTA CONNECTIONS – SUMMER 2002
CONNECTIONSFREE
Connecting Albertans to their community and promoting quality of life
Summer 2002 Volume 8, Number 2
Family-friendly adventures in AlbertaSee the full colour centre section of this magazine.
PlusEnjoying AlbertaBuilding Strong CommunitiesHelping Albertans
Preserving Alberta
Fire season begins earlyLack of snow has fire officials preparing for a busy fire season – see pages 5
Probing the mystery of dinosaur extinctionOK, so what really happened? – see pages 15-16
This summer, plan toexplore Alberta’s historicsites, museums andprovincial parks
(See the centre sectionfor more details)
Sunset at Cold Lake Provincial Park
-
2 ALBERTA CONNECTIONS – SUMMER 2002
H E L P I N G A L B E R TA N S
Feature Story5 Fire season begins early
Building StrongCommunities
6 Golden Jubilee awardsand scholarships
6 Remington Carriage Museumwins top honour
Enjoying Alberta7 Motor to an Auto Adventure
this summer
8 Tea for how many?9 Father Lacombe Chapel gives
“new sense of history”
10 A fortifying experience11 No microwaves in this kitchen12 Experience the Energy!13 Here come the bugs!14 Renowned artist gardens
15-16 Probing the mystery ofdinosaur extinction
Preserving Alberta17 Icelandic farmer-poet influences
Alberta artists
Helping Albertans18 Alberta Lottery Fund –
Continuing to benefit Albertans
19 New network addresses needsof brain injury victims
Back Stunning new art acquired byGovernment House
Alberta Connections is published two times a year byAlberta Community Development.
Opinions expressed are those of individual contributorsand do not necessarily represent the views of AlbertaCommunity Development.
Permission to reproduce any part of this publication forcommercial purposes should be obtained by writing tothe address below. Reproduction for other purposesshould credit this publication.
Publications Mail Agreement #1495542
Managing EditorBill Strickland
EditorsMarylu Walters and Gail Helgason
Contributing WritersDebra Cummings and John Dodd
Design & Pre-Press ProductionJack Born, Design Quarry
CONTENTS
CONNECTIONSSummer 2002 Volume 8, Number 2
Letters to the editor are welcomeand should be sent to:Alberta ConnectionsAlberta Community Development740 Standard Life Centre10405 Jasper AvenueEdmonton, AB T5J 4R7Fax: (780) 427-1496
13
15
8
7
Alberta Community Development
website: www.cd.gov.ab.ca
17
-
3ALBERTA CONNECTIONS – SUMMER 2002
MINISTER’S CORNER Committed to the Community
GENE ZWOZDESKY, MINISTER
ALBERTA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
There’s nothing like an Albertasummer to lift the spirits. Vast blue skies,long hours of daylight, gardens andfields in bloom – all conspire to reviveour get-up-and-go following a longwinter and reluctant spring. Where togo? This issue of Alberta Connections ischock full of exciting places to see andthings to do to make the most of sum-mer in our beautiful province.
From the award-winning “Experi-ence the Energy” tour of Alberta’s oil sands plants, starting atthe Oil Sands Discovery Centre in Fort McMurray, to a sleep-over in a tipi at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump InterpretiveCentre, Alberta’s world-class historic sites, museums andinterpretive centres offer something for all ages and interests.
Check out the exotic new insects in the Bug Room at theProvincial Museum of Alberta or the automotive treasures inthe Auto Adventure and the Mysteries of the Warehouseexhibition at the Reynolds-Alberta Museum. Take in theUkrainian Friends Music Festival at the Ukrainian CulturalHeritage Village or learn all about one of Alberta’s worst
Plenty to celebrate in an Alberta summernatural disasters at the Frank Slide Visitor Centre in theCrowsnest Pass. Join a guided hike and prospect for fossils fromthe Royal Tyrrell Museum in Alberta’s badlands or poke aroundNorth America’s largest collection of horse-drawn vehicles atthe Remington Carriage Museum. You’re bound to find outsomething new and have a great time while you’re at it.
Alberta’s provincial parks and recreation areas offer some ofthe most spectacular landscapes in North America andwonderful opportunities for outdoor family activities andwilderness adventures – from swimming at Aspen BeachProvincial Park or fishing for rainbow trout at Chain LakesProvincial Park to canoeing in William A. Switzer ProvincialPark. You don’t have to travel far in Alberta to get close to nature.
Be sure to keep our special insert Family-FriendlyAdventures in Alberta handy all season long. It will help youplan a whole package of things to see and do wherever you gowith family or friends in the province this summer.
Alberta is ours to enjoy. Let’s celebrate and make the mostof this bountiful season.
New interpretive centre spans over8,000 years in Fish Creek
Some 3,500 years before the great pyramids of Giza were builtin Egypt, the first people arrived in Fish Creek Valley, whichprovided water and shelter from the winds that swept theplains above. It would be another 7,900 years before the City ofCalgary was established not far away.
“Fish Creek is Calgary’s very own cradle of civilization,”says archaeologist Dr. Dale Walde of the University of Calgary,who directs the public archaeological program at Fish CreekProvincial Park.
That cradle, where the first humans settled and generationsof Aboriginal communities thrived for thousands of years, isrecognized and celebrated in the new Fish Creek ProvincialPark Archaeological Interpretive Centre. The centre, unveiledApril 12 by Community Development Minister GeneZwozdesky, includes a range of interactive archaeologicaldisplays and a working laboratory. Visitors can learn about thevalley’s earliest Aboriginal communities and European settlersand view ancient and historical artifacts excavated from sitesthroughout the park.
3ALBERTA CONNECTIONS – SUMMER 2002
(From left to right) Honourable Gene Zwozdesky, Minister of CommunityDevelopment; Cindy Ady, MLA for Calgary Shaw; Dr. Dale Walde,University of Calgary Field School Director; and University of CalgaryPresident, Dr. Harvey Weingarten, cut the ribbon to officially open theFish Creek Provincial Park Archaeological Interpretive Centre.
The new interpretive facility, built with financial supportfrom the University of Calgary, Alberta Gaming, AlbertaHistorical Resources Foundation and an anonymous donor, islocated in the Bow Valley Ranch Visitor Centre.
continued on next page...
By John Dodd
-
4 ALBERTA CONNECTIONS – SUMMER 2002
H E L P I N G A L B E R TA N SIt’s the starting point for learning about the longand colourful history of the valley. A 25-metre-longmural shows the retreat of the glaciers, the arrival ofthe first humans, the coming of the buffalo and thewhole culture built around the buffalo.
The mural, painted by Calgary artist Luc Ho, alsodepicts the arrival of the first European settlers. Itends with a bird’s eye view of the park today withCalgary growing around it.
Visitors can look through glass viewing windowsinto the laboratory of the archaeological field stationand see staff at work on artifacts recovered aroundthe park. Archaeologists and archaeological fieldschool students will also be available to answerquestions.
“The displays and the field station go hand inhand with our extensive educational programs,” saysIan Waugh, coordinator of environmental educationat the park.
About 23,000 people participated in the educa-tional programs last year. Students learned about theimportance of protected areas and the variety ofecosystems found in the park, including naturalgrasslands, balsam poplar and white spruce forests,and wetlands.
The archaeological program, conducted by theUniversity of Calgary, invites visitors 16 and over tocome and “get your hands dirty” at a summer excava-tion. Participants work side by side with professionalarchaeologists and archaeological field school stu-dents. The program includes instruction, supervisionand all necessary tools for excavation including atrowel, bucket, tape measure, artifact bags, pens andclipboards.
This year’s program is operating at two differentsites in Fish Creek Provincial Park. One is a bison killsite dating to approximately 8,000 years ago; the otheris the site of the first European settlement in Calgary,circa 1873.
These are among the more than 70 archaeologicalsites identified throughout the park. The sites haverevealed evidence of early buffalo hunts along withAboriginal weaponry, cooking utensils and otherancient artifacts, as well as items used by the earlyEuropean settlers during the late 19th and early 20thcenturies. The oldest identifiable artifact found todate has been a broken spearhead, dated at around2,000 B.C.
“The Interpretive Centre is a significant additionto Fish Creek Provincial Park which will enhancevisitors’ experiences on site and give them an oppor-tunity to experience first-hand our natural environ-ment and the park’s 8,000-year human history,”says Zwozdesky.
To receive your complimentarycopy of Alberta Connections...Alberta Connections is distributed free of charge and is availablefor pickup at a variety of locations throughout the province,including local Alberta public libraries, provincial parks visitorcentres, provincially operated historic sites, museums andinterpretive centres, as well as Community Development regionaloffices. Regional offices are located in Stony Plain, Cochrane,Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Red Deer, St. Paul, Peace River, GrandePrairie and High Prairie.
Alberta Connections is also available electronically. Visit theCommunity Development website at www.cd.gov.ab.ca.
We are reviewing our mailing list and would appreciate hearingfrom you. Do we have your correct address? Do you want toremain on our mailing list? Please let us know.
For more information, please contact the Communications Branchof Alberta Community Development at (780) 427-6530 (outside ofEdmonton, call 310-0000 for toll-free access) or send us an email [email protected]
...continued FROM previous page
For information: Fish Creek Provincial Park, 403 297-5293;for toll-free access dial 310-0000; www.cd.gov.ab.ca
4 ALBERTA CONNECTIONS – SUMMER 2002
“Real Alberta Pass” now on saleMake an open date with history this summer! The Real AlbertaPass is now on sale at all of Alberta's provincial historic sites andmuseums, offering unlimited access to all 19 historic sitesand museums.
This easy to use pass provides unlimited access forone year from the date of purchaseand opens doors to the fascinatingworld of Alberta's rich history andculture. The pass sells for: $75 forfamilies; $30 for adults; $25 for seniorsand $15 for youth (7-17). Children under7 are admitted free.
Besides offering a variety of educationaland learning activities for Albertans of allages, many sites have a wide range of specialevents and inter-active programs throughoutthe entire year. They're exciting places to stopon a vacation, where families, children andindividuals come to learn and have fun.
For information and details on all of Alberta's historic sitesand museums, hours of operation, and program availability, calltoll-free at 310-0000 and ask to be connected to the site of yourchoice or visit the website at www.cd.gov.ab.ca and click onEnjoying Alberta for more details on all of Alberta's historic sitesand museums.
-
5ALBERTA CONNECTIONS – SUMMER 2002
FEATURE STORY Forest Fires
potentially busy fire season. Visitors in provincialparks and other forested areas need to be especiallycareful with their campfires this summer.
Cyndy Jones, supervisor of the Public InformationUnit for Parks and Protected Areas in CommunityDevelopment, says this is the third consecutive yearthat the fire season was launched earlier than normalbecause of dry conditions.
“Over the last decade, fire seasons in NorthAmerica have generally increased in both length andseverity,” she says.
Last year was particularly severe in Alberta. Thefire season lasted nine months, the longest in theprovince’s history. Over 900 fires burned an estimated153,000 hectares of forested land in the province.
Over the 2001 camping season, fire bans, travelrestrictions and campground closures affected morethan 80 provincial parks and recreation areas, anunprecedented number.
In addition, Sustainable Resource Developmentissued fire bans across the Forest Protection Area andimplemented a forest area closure in southern Albertacovering more than 750,000 hectares. Municipaldistricts, cities and towns also implemented fire bansthroughout their regions.
“One of the biggest challenges during the 2001fire season was communication between agenciesinvolved and with the public,” says Lesia Boyko,information officer for Parks and Protected Areas.
She says staff in Sustainable Resource Develop-ment, Parks and Protected Areas and various munici-pal districts, towns and cities worked hard during theseason to improve communication between variouslevels of government.
In addition, a number of measures were taken toimprove communication with Albertans, especiallythose who live and work in wildland areas.
A new website, alberta.firebans.com, waslaunched last summer, providing the public andmedia with up-to-date information about fire bansaround the province.
Approximately four out of every 10 wildfires inAlberta are caused by humans.
L ast year saw a continuation of the drying trendin Alberta. A lack of snow in parts of theprovince has fire officials preparing for anotherFire season begins early
To report a wildfire, call (780) 427-FIRE (3473) or#FIRE on the Telus Mobility Network.
During the fire season, any person lighting anopen fire for burning debris or any other purpose,with the exception of campfires, must have a valid firepermit.
Campers should never build a campfire underoverhanging trees. Keep your campfires small forcooking and warmth only. Never leave campfiresunattended and keep a supply of water at hand. Whenputting out fires, always soak the fire and then soak itagain, making sure to stir the ashes.
Albertans interested in learning more aboutprotecting their forest area home and communityfrom wildfire can obtain the new FireSmart HomeOwners Manual from Alberta Sustainable ResourceDevelopment offices throughout the province.
-
6 ALBERTA CONNECTIONS – SUMMER 2002
H E L P I N G A L B E R TA N SBUILDING STRONG COMMUNITIES Awards & Scholarships
Golden Jubilee awards and scholarships
benefit Alberta’s youthto commemorate the Golden Jubilee of QueenElizabeth II.
A Queen’s Golden Jubilee Scholarship worth$5,000 will be awarded each year to a student in thevisual arts who shows extraordinary talent andpotential and who demonstrates clear educationalgoals and objectives. Another Queen’s Golden JubileeScholarship in the same amount will be awardedannually under the same terms to a student in theperforming arts.
A Premier’s Citizenship Award in recognition ofthe Queen’s Golden Jubilee will be presented annuallyto one student in each Alberta high school who hasmade a significant contribution to his or her commu-nity through good citizenship, leadership, communityservice activities and volunteering. The five mostoutstanding recipients of the Premier’s CitizenshipAward will be selected to receive the Queen’s JubileeCitizenship Medal and a $5,000 award to be usedtoward their future education or development.
“The Golden Jubilee provides a special opportu-nity for Alberta to acknowledge the contributions ofour youth as citizens of this province while alsorecognizing other exemplary qualities of youngAlbertans,” says Premier Ralph Klein.
Commenting on the scholarships, CommunityDevelopment Minister Gene Zwozdesky said, “These
Y oung Albertans who excel in citizenship andthe arts will benefit from several new awardsthat were created by the Alberta Government scholarships will encourage and showcase our youngartists, while leaving a lasting impact in the areas ofculture and education.”The scholarships represent a significant award for
students of the arts, says Dr. Jeffrey Anderson, chair-man of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts. “We havea great number of extremely talented visual andperforming artists in this province, and these awardsare going to be a great opportunity for artists in eachof these disciplines to further their training.”
The new awards and scholar-ships are part of Bill 1, theQueen Elizabeth II Golden JubileeRecognition Act, introduced byPremier Klein on the first day ofSpring Session to commemoratethe Queen’s accession to thethrone. Funds for the awardsand scholarships will be drawnfrom the Alberta HeritageScholarship Fund.
For information: (Queen’s Golden Jubilee Scholarships)Alberta Foundation for the Arts, (780) 427-6315 or calltoll-free 310-0000; (Premier’s Citizenship Award andQueen’s Golden Jubilee Citizenship Medal) AlbertaScholarship Programs Office, (780) 427-8640 or toll-free310-0000; or visit the Alberta Community Developmentwebsite at www.cd.gov.ab.ca
Alberta’s Remington Carriage Museum was
recognized as one of Canada’s best cultural and
educational sites in the 2002 Attractions Canada
Awards program, winning honours in the “small
indoor facilities” category.
Attractions Canada is a program sponsored by
the federal government, the media and private
sector firms to encourage interest in attractions
that have educational or cultural value. Some
320 attractions from across Canada submitted
applications in a variety of categories.
The Remington Carriage Museum , in
Cardston, houses one of the largest collections
of horse-drawn vehicles in North America in
addition to a working restoration shop,
cafeteria, gift shop and an active horse
program in summer.
Three other cultural and historic sites and a
provincial park operated by Alberta
Community Development won provincial
awards in the competition: the Ukrainian
Cultural Heritage Village, in the “developed
outdoor sites” category; the Royal Tyrrell
Museum, in the “large indoor sites”
category; and Dinosaur Provincial Park, in
the “natural outdoor site” category.
For information: Doug Chow, (514) 842-3014, ext. 371; www.attractionscanada.com or visit www.cd.gov.ab.ca and click on Enjoying Alberta.
6 ALBERTA CONNECTIONS – SUMMER 2002
Remington Carriage Museum wins top honour
-
7ALBERTA CONNECTIONS – SUMMER 2002
Motor to an Auto Adventure
Reynolds-Alberta Museum exhibit features tall “auto tales”
hood of a yellow LaSalle convertible?The surprising stories behind these and many
other vehicles “with a past” are the focus of AutoAdventure and the Mysteries of the Collection, a featureexhibit at the Reynolds-Alberta Museum inWetaskiwin this spring and summer.
Have you heard about the Cyclops-like car madeof papier maché?Or about the mystery that dwells under the and German engineers designed the vehicle out ofchopped-up paper mixed with an adhesive. Itfeatured a single headlight, giving it a Cyclops-likeappearance.
If you think some of today’s engines are powerful,you won’t want to miss having a peek under the hoodof the collection’s restored 1927 LaSalle convertible.Cadillac originally built the engine to power a tank, aspart of the Second World War effort.
To add to the fun, the exhibitdraws on the style and traditions ofthe pulp magazine. Other displaystell why champagne and truffleswere as important as the surveyor’sgear during a certain wildernesstrip, and probe the identity of anameless “orphan truck” thatturned out to be equipped withextraordinary technology. “Ifyou’re intrigued by some of thesemysteries, or just appreciate a talltale, make sure to drop by and takein Auto Adventure and the Mysteriesof the Collection,” says Blackmore.The exhibit will be open untilLabour Day.
For information: The Reynolds-Alberta Museum is located1 km west of Wetaskiwin on Hwy 13; (780) 361-1351; toll-free outside Edmonton dial 310-0000.
The museum’s collection not only traces thesignificance of cars and trucks in the history ofWestern Canada, but also reveals that many of thevehicles were players in some fascinating yarns. “Thecars and trucks with some of the most delightfulstories have been selected for exhibition this summerin the East Hall,” says Cynthia Blackmore, marketingmanager.
The Maxwell-Briscoe Motor Company, forexample, manufactured the Cyclops-like car in 1912as an experiment in body-making materials. French
this summerBy Gail Helgason
Museum staff work on a vehicle “with a past.”
Pondering the mystery that dwells under the hood.
ENJOYING ALBERTA Auto Adventure
-
8 ALBERTA CONNECTIONS – SUMMER 2002
H E L P I N G A L B E R TA N SENJOYING ALBERTA Rutherford House
Tea for how many?Rutherford House revivesan elegant tradition
Rutherford, and his wife did in 1912. And all 20members of the university’s first graduating classshowed up.
The Rutherfords lived in an elegant Edwardianmansion near campus and had a close relationshipwith the university. After that first Founder’s Day, asthey called the occasion, they made an annual eventof it until 1938. Three hundred grads took tea withthe Rutherfords that final year.
And they were “royally entertained,” saysAlison Moir, program coordi-nator of RutherfordHouse, which isnow a Provin-cial HistoricSite. The housewas decoratedin green andgold, theuniversitycolours. And,while there is norecord of what was on themenu for the Founder’s Dayteas, she says, “Mrs. Rutherford generallyserved tiny tea sandwiches, sweet cakes, tarts andcookies” when she hosted tea parties.
The tea capped a traditional Founder’s Day “riteof passage” in which the grads made a pilgrimagearound the university, stopping at key locations oncampus. At each point someone would speak to thegrads and at the end they would plant a tree inrecognition of their passage, according to anEdmonton Bulletin article on May 10, 1912, reportingthe first Founder’s Day event.
Imagine inviting the entire graduating class of theUniversity of Alberta in for tea.That’s what Alberta’s first premier, Alexander Although Founder’s Day celebrations fell by thewayside after 1938, Founder’s Day Tea at RutherfordHouse was revived this year – with a twist. Instead ofinviting the U of A graduating class, which nownumbers in the thousands, Rutherford House invitedthe public to a re-enactment of Founder’s Day cel-ebrations on May 26. Staff served tea, cake decoratedin green and gold, and cookies baked on the woodstove in the Rutherford House kitchen. Visitorsreceived evergreen seedlings to take home and plantin honour of the day.
The first Founder’s Day tree was planted by theclass of 1912 beside Ring House, the home of Henry
Marshall Tory, the university’s firstpresident. “There are trees all over
campus planted by graduatingclasses,” says Moir.
Rutherford, whoserved as chan-
cellor of theuniversitybetween 1927and the day hedied in 1941,often wel-
comed studentsinto his house to
use his library. Atover 4,000 books, it
was bigger than theuniversity’s collection in the early years, Moir says.Rutherford was known to leave dollar bills as book-marks, a habit that, perhaps, made his library evenmore popular with the students.
For information: Alison Moir, Rutherford House,(780) 427-3995 or toll-free 310-0000. Visit the websiteat www.cd.gov.ab.ca
By Marylu Walters Rutherford House.
Main livingroom inside
Rutherford House.
-
9ALBERTA CONNECTIONS – SUMMER 2002
ENJOYING ALBERTA Father Lacombe Chapel
Father Lacombe Chapel gives
“new sense of history”
“Our parish priest had said there would be amajor renovation. So I offered to help make the signsthat would go in front of the artifacts for the newdisplays. I was up to my neck in it from that time on.”
Last fall Borgstede decided to retire after 32 yearsas an energetic volunteer at the oldest standingbuilding in Alberta. During that time the FatherLacombe Chapel has undergone a host of changes,including major restoration, designation as an Al-berta Historic Site in 1980 and a move to its presentlocation alongside the Bishop’s Residence (also
known as the Vital GrandinCentre) on Mission Hill.“The chapel stands on top ofthe hill and for all of itssimplicity, looks quitemajestic,” Borgstede says.“I’ve really enjoyed myvolunteer time there. It’sgiven me a real sense ofhistory.”
Father Lacombe, therevered Oblate priest andmissionary who lived from1827 to 1916, constructed the simple log buildingwith Métis helpers in 1861. The chapel served as theSt. Albert Roman Catholic Mission. It also became thecentre of the Métis settlement of St. Albert and thediocese of St. Albert, which extended through muchof present-day Alberta, Saskatchewan and northernManitoba.
Today the chapel has been restored to look muchas it did in the early 1860s and relocated closer to itsoriginal site on St. Albert’s Mission Hill. It’s opendaily May 15 to Labour Day, with guided toursavailable in both English and French, and attractsabout 3,500 visitors annually.
“Many local people bring visiting friends andrelatives,” says Borgstede. “But the site also attracts
rlene Borgstede remembers the day in 1969when she first volunteered to help at the FatherLacombe Chapel in St. Albert.
Europeans, especially visitors from France andPoland.” Some of the European visitors, she explains,come because two Oblate priests who lived at themission, Bishop Vital-Justin Grandin and BrotherAnthony Kowalczyk, are being considered for beatifi-cation by the Roman Catholic church.
Three special events on summer long weekendsfeature interpreters wearing fashions circa 1861, aswell as demonstrations of pioneer crafts such as ice-cream making, weaving and spinning. “We try to lookat what life might have been like in that early decade,when people of St. Albert were mostly Métis,” saysBorgstede.
Over the years, her volunteer duties have rangedfrom cataloguing artifacts togetting funding for museumstaffing and looking afterschool tours. For several yearsshe also served as HeritageOfficer with the St. AlbertHistorical Society, a paidposition. Since the 1980s shehas represented the St. AlbertHeritage Society, AlbertaCommunity Development’scommunity partner, indecisions affecting the FatherLacombe Chapel. “She’s just awonderful fountain of infor-mation about St. Albert andthe chapel,” says MarianneMack, facility supervisor,Father Lacombe Chapel,
Alberta Historic Sites and Cultural Facilities Branch.Borgstede admits that, in high school, the study of
history “didn’t turn me on at all. But in St. Albert, Ilearned that there were a lot of ordinary people whomade the community what it is today. So I’ve foundthat quite interesting – that it’s the ordinary peoplewho should be celebrated.”
For information: The Father Lacombe Chapel is locatedon St. Vital Avenue just off the St. Albert Trail inSt. Albert. Open May 15 to Labour Day, 10 am - 6 pm;(780) 459-7663 summer, after Labour Day,(780) 431-2300 or toll-free 310-0000; www.cd.gov.ab.ca
Borgstede retires after32 years as a volunteer
ABy Gail Helgason
The Father Lacombe Chapel, located in St. Albert.
-
10 ALBERTA CONNECTIONS – SUMMER 2002
H E L P I N G A L B E R TA N SENJOYING ALBERTA Fort George-Buckingham House
A fortifying experienceFort George-Buckingham House marks siteof old rivalry
often setting up shop within a stone’s throw of eachother. That’s what happened in 1792 near what is nowElk Point, Alberta. The rapidly expanding NorthwestCompany built Fort George in the summer of thatyear. The Hudson’s Bay Company, scrambling to keepup, arrived in October and erected BuckinghamHouse nearby.
T wo centuries ago, the Northwest Company andthe Hudson’s Bay Company competed fiercelyto dominate the fur trade in Western Canada – But archaeological digs, traders’ journals, andcompany records provide clues as to what went oninside the missing walls. “Although no buildingsremain, you can see where they were,” Mack says.Boards set in the ground with single posts at eachcorner mark the location of the walls of the variousstructures.
Over the next two years, the Friends of the FortsSociety plans a project to mark the corners, gates andbastions of the forts with “ribbons” of eight or 16posts to give visitors a better idea of what the wallslooked like, Mack says. Funding will be providedthrough an Alberta Community Facility Enhance-ment Program grant.
In the meantime, there is plenty to experienceduring a visit to the site, located 13 km southeast ofElk Point on Hwy. 646. A modern interpretive centretells the story of the two trading posts. Visitors hearWilliam Tomison, the chief factor of BuckinghamHouse, reflecting as he writes in his journal, and get aglimpse of the life of Louis, a voyageur. They alsomeet a “country wife,” an Aboriginal woman marriedto a trader, and learn about the pivotal role she playedin the fur trade as a link between the two cultures.
“The woman provided the fur trader with con-tacts in the tribes he traded with,” Mack says. “He alsodepended on her to produce the clothing he neededin winter, particularly snow shoes. Her childrenbecame the people known as Métis.”
A 1.5-km walk through the bush along aninterpretive path leads to the archaeological site of theforts on the North Saskatchewan River.
“It’s in a natural setting with an incredibly gor-geous view of the river valley,” Mack says.
For information: Marianne Mack, facilities supervisor,Fort George and Buckingham House Historic Site,(780) 431-2360 or toll-free 310-0000. Visit the websiteat www.cd.gov.ab.ca
After doing a lively business for about eight years,the companies moved on, leaving hardly a trace. Butvisitors to Fort George-Buckingham House ProvincialHistoric Site can get a fascinating glimpse of what lifewas like at the forts for the European fur traders andthe Aboriginal people with whom they did businessand often married.
“Most fur trading posts didn’t exist for very long,”says Marianne Mack, facilities supervisor for the site.“When an area was trapped out, the traders movedon.” Fort George and Buckingham House wereabandoned around 1800 or 1801. The wood wastaken to be reused and what remained was burned.
Volunteersportraying what
life was like atFort George-Buckingham
House ProvincialHistoric Site.
-
Family-Friendly Adventures in Alberta
Exploring Alberta’s historic sites, museums and provincial parks
www.cd.gov.ab.ca
-
A L B E R TA ’ S T O P FA M I LY F I N D S – Supplement to the Summer 2002 Issue of the Alberta Connections Magazine2
They may have been cruising in an open
cockpit biplane, scraping the earth for
fossils, pummelling their brother in a
potato sack race, spying on bison or
roasting cinnamon-dipped bannock
that could very well be the crispiest, sweetest bread on this planet. Not to
mention sleeping in a tipi while listening to the yipping howl of a coyote.
And all these family-friendly adventures are just day trips from either Calgary
or Edmonton. Which means you don’t need to update passports or booster
shots or change currency. Between Alberta’s historic sites, our 324 provincial
parks and our five UNESCO World Heritage sites we have enough four-star
thrills to fill the most exotic of photo albums.
Read on for the inside track on our Alberta treasures.
There should be a sign on Alberta’s
19 historic sites that says, “Warning: Kids
may mutiny at closing time.” And who
could blame them?
-
A L B E R TA ’ S T O P FA M I LY F I N D S – Supplement to the Summer 2002 Issue of the Alberta Connections Magazine3
Missionary Trail
Berries & Blacksmith Trail
Black Gold Trail
Village Trail
Autos & Airplanes Trail
Poet Trail
Urban Trail
Badlands Trail
Wild West Trail
Cowboys to Oilmen Trail
Buffalo Trail
Coal Mining Trail
Horse & Buggy Trail
Farmland Trail
page 4
page 5
page 4
page 6page 7
page 7
page 8
page 8
page 10
page 9
page 9
page 10
page 11
page 11
Fort Trailpage 5
To help make the most of your summer weekends we’ve
highlighted on the following pages 15 family-friendly
adventures showcasing Alberta’s historic sites and nearby
provincial parks (where in many cases you can camp), as well
as special seasonal events.
These tailored trips to every pocket of the province are neatly
laid out with distances and driving times. They require no
expertise or special equipment other than a tank of gas, a road
map, a picnic lunch, camping gear and a trunk full of curiosity.
-
A L B E R TA ’ S T O P FA M I LY F I N D S – Supplement to the Summer 2002 Issue of the Alberta Connections Magazine4
Feel its pulse at the Oil Sands Discovery Centre in Fort
McMurray where you’ll discover how Canadian technology turns
prehistoric sand into what pioneers once called black gold.
Although today the city of Fort McMurray is heavily dependent on
the oil sands, it was originally founded in 1790 as a North West
Company fur trading post.
The Athabasca Oil Sands has the largest deposit of oil in the
world – more than all the proven reserves of Saudi Arabia, the
United States, and Western Europe combined.
Just 34 km southeast of the city is Gregoire Lake Provincial
Park, one of the few auto-accessible lakes in the Fort McMurray
area. Many species of waterfowl nest here and mammals such
as moose and black bears are relatively common. Located 19 km
south of Fort McMurray on Hwy. 63 and 10 km east on Hwy. 881.
Must-See: Look up, waaaay up, at “Cyrus” – the bucketwheel excavator,
one of Canada’s largest land-based
artifacts, just outside the Discovery
Centre. Then take a “ride” in a
monstrous 150-ton truck. Want more?
Join a plant tour to either Syncrude or
Suncor by phoning (780) 791-4336.
Special Events: Summer Science Camps (July and Aug.); Historic Abasand
Hikes (Aug.). Watch the award-winning
film, Quest for Energy.
Black Gold Trail
Join knowledgeable guides in Historic Dunvegan on a tour
through one of Alberta’s earliest fur trade posts and missionary
centres. You’ll find meticulously furnished 19th century log
buildings, a rectory where you’ll glimpse the Spartan lifestyle of an
Oblate Missionary, as well as the Factor’s House, furnished with
artifacts to reflect how a Hudson’s Bay factor and his family lived.
Named after an ancestral castle on the Isle of Skye, the fort and its
two nearby missions closed in 1918. Historic Dunvegan is at the
location of Alberta’s longest clear-span bridge, the fourth longest
suspension bridge in Canada.
Historic Dunvegan Provincial Park, located 26 km south-
west of Fairview on Hwy. 2, at the bridge where highway crosses
the Peace River (canoeing, kayaking, fishing and interpretive
programs); Moonshine Lake Provincial Park, 27 km west of
Spirit River on Hwy. 49, then 7 km
north on Hwy. 725. The park is
best known for its windsurfing and
rainbow trout fishing and is a prime
wintering ground for moose.
Must-See: Pop by a market garden and scoop up produce on a
site that has been farmed for well
over 100 years.
Special Events: Historic Dunvegan – Parks Day Celebration, July 20, salutes parks with nature themed-
activities, hikes along the banks of the mighty Peace River,
plus games. Heritage Day, Aug. 11, is another family-
friendly festival.
Missionary Trail
Location of Historic Site: The Oil Sands Discovery Centre, 515 MacKenzie Blvd., Fort McMurray. 4.5 hrs. northeast of Edmonton.
Phone: (780) 743-7167
Season: Open daily, May 15 to Labour Day and Tuesday through Sunday the remainder of the year.
HISTORIC SITE
PROVINCIAL PARK
PROVINCIAL CAMPGROUND
Location of Historic Site: Historic Dunvegan is 26 km south of Fairview on Hwy. 2. Close to 6 hours northwest of Edmonton.
Phone: (780) 835-7150
Season: Open daily, May 15 to Labour Day
HISTORIC SITE
PROVINCIAL PARK
PROVINCIAL CAMPGROUND
63
63
69
881
Fort McMurray
Oil SandsDiscoveryCentre
Gregoire LakeWillow Lake
GordonLake
BirchLake
To Edmonton
2
49
49
2
681
725
680
726
682
732735
731733
To Grande Prairie
MoonshineLake Dunvegan
Historic Dunvegan
Fairview
WanhamRycroft
Spirit River
-
A L B E R TA ’ S T O P FA M I LY F I N D S – Supplement to the Summer 2002 Issue of the Alberta Connections Magazine5
For thousands of years natives have come to the area now known
as Saskatoon Island Provincial Park to collect, as the name
suggests, Saskatoons (serviceberries). The berries still cover nearly
a third of the 102-hectare park. The park is also home to North
America’s largest waterfowl species, the trumpeter swan. Located
21 km west of Grande Prairie on Hwy. 43, then 4 km north on
access road.
Must-See: Take a trek into the life of a pioneer smithy at Sexsmith Blacksmith
Shop, built in 1916 by Dave Bozarth. Horse
and oxen shoeing, wagon repairs and
ploughshare sharpening were the prime
tasks back then.
Berries & Blacksmith Trail
Rivalry and camaraderie characterized the competing
Fort George and Buckingham House, both of which were
fur trading posts in the 1700s. The men working at the Hudson’s
Bay Company’s Buckingham House were mostly from the Orkney
Islands, while those at the North West Company’s Fort George were
mostly French Canadians. Both companies traded the same goods
– guns, blankets, beads, tobacco, liquor and knives for a variety of
furs, hides, meat, fat and horses. Today, at the Interpretive Centre,
meet the “Country Wife,” the link between both cultures and stroll
down the interpretive path to the archaeological sites of the forts.
Continue your travels to Victoria Settlement. Founded as a
Methodist mission in 1862, it originally consisted of a small house,
church and school. In 1864 the Hudson’s Bay Company established
a fur trading post at the site which eventually closed in 1897 only
to be reincarnated by Ukrainian settlers a few years later. The
restored Clerk’s 1864 log quarters may be the oldest building in
Alberta still in its original location.
Whitney, Ross, Laurier and Borden lakes are the attractions at the
1,490-hectare Whitney Lakes Provincial Park on Hwy. 646.
The fishing is excellent in all but Borden. Fishing is best for north-
ern pike, perch and pickerel, because this park is in a transition
zone, plant, mammal and bird species are abundant. Long Lake
Provincial Park is a spectacular
remnant of the last ice age that
scoured and scraped this landscape
some 10,000 years ago. Hikers love
the lakeside trail as well as the fact
that it’s a prime spot to see moose and
to fish for northern pike.
Must-See: The vast reserves of salt, located at Lindbergh and harvested
by the Canadian Salt Co. Tours of the
factory are available on weekdays. Also
see two of Alberta’s wild and wacky icons: the world’s largest mallard
duck, in the town of Andrew, and the planet’s largest mushroom,
in Vilna.
Special Events: Fort George and Buckingham House – Forts des Prairie Jamboree, Aug. 25, musical performances, site tours,
food, games and activities for kids. Victoria Settlement – Jamboree
and Quilt Fest, July 14, dips behind the scenes to salute the domestic
culture of the fur trade and pioneer Alberta; Fort Day, Aug. 18,
celebrates the fur trade and Mission period with re-enactment.
Fort Trail
Location of Historic Site: The Sexsmith Blacksmith Shop is on Hwy. 2, just north of Grande Prairie. 5 hrs. northwest of Edmonton.
Phone: (780) 568-3681
Season: Open daily, May 15 to Labour Day
HISTORIC SITE
PROVINCIAL PARK
PROVINCIAL CAMPGROUND
Location of Historic Site: Fort George and Buckingham House 13 km southeast of Elk Point on secondary road #646. Some 2.5 hours northeast of Edmonton. Victoria Settlement Off Hwy. 855, near Smoky Lake. 80 mins. northeast of Edmonton.
Phone: Fort George and Buckingham House (780) 724-2611 Victoria Settlement (780) 656-2333
Season: The Fort George and Buckingham House and the Victoria Settlement are open daily, May 15-Labour Day.
HISTORIC SITE
PROVINCIAL PARK
PROVINCIAL CAMPGROUND
43
2
43
59
40
736
724
723672
674
733
666
BearLake
To Edmonton
Sexsmith
Saskatoon Island
WembleyGrande Prairie
28
41
28A
646
881
657
640
897
MurielLake
WhitneyLakes
Fort George &Buckingham House
Elk Point
St. Vincent
St. Paul
Lindbergh
Smoky Lake
LongLake
63 831855
VictoriaSettlement
656
28
-
A L B E R TA ’ S T O P FA M I LY F I N D S – Supplement to the Summer 2002 Issue of the Alberta Connections Magazine6
Location of Historic Sites: Provincial Museum of Alberta 12845-102 Ave. in Edmonton; Rutherford House 11153 Saskatchewan Dr. in Edmonton; Father Lacombe Chapel St. Vital Ave. in St. Albert.
Phone: Provincial Museum of Alberta (780) 453-9100; Rutherford House (780) 427-3995; Father Lacombe Chapel (780) 459-7663.
Season: The Provincial Museum of Alberta and the Rutherford House are open year-round. The Father Lacombe Chapel is open daily, May 15 to Labour Day.
HISTORIC SITE
PROVINCIAL PARK
NATURAL AREA
PROVINCIAL CAMPGROUND
On Edmonton’s very doorstep are three top-notch historic wonders:
the Provincial Museum of Alberta, one of Canada’s most
popular museums, where the entire family can pack a billion
years into one day; the Father Lacombe Chapel, the oldest
building still standing in Alberta, built in 1861; and the handsome
Rutherford House, a post–Edwardian home where the family of
Alberta’s first premier once resided and entertained.
In the Father Lacombe Chapel, look up at the beams. They’ve been
moved upwards. The story goes that, in 1868, when the tall and
strapping Bishop Grandin used the chapel as his cathedral, his
mitre kept hitting the ceiling, so they raised the roof, so to speak.
There are several provincial parks and natural areas close to
Edmonton. Wagner Natural Area, located just 5 km west of
Edmonton off Hwy. 16, contains a diversity of habitats, includ-
ing peatland, willow-sedge wetland and black spruce forest. It
is world-renowned for its many species of orchids, including the
rare bog-adder’s mouth orchid. The area’s boardwalk trails allow
visitors to explore the site. Wabamun Lake Provincial Park
is just 60 km west of Edmonton. The original Wabamun town site
is located within the park. The original town site was moved when
coal mining operations began. Today exposed coal seams can
still be seen. There is an 18-hole golf course adjacent to the park.
Located outside the city of St. Albert on the banks of the Sturgeon
River, River Lot 56 Natural Area is an island of public land sur-
rounded by privately-owned farmland and housing developments.
The area contains upland aspen forests, stream bed aquatic plant
communities and large open meadows. There are many species of
birds in the area, as well as mammals such as muskrat, beaver and
deer. There is a system of recreational trails that is used extensively
for hiking, cross-country skiing and nature observation. Situated on
the western edge of the Cooking Lake Moraine, just 4 km south of
the city of Sherwood Park, the Sherwood Park Natural Area
contains forests and wetlands that provide habitat for many plant
and animal species. White-tailed deer and red squirrel are common,
and bird species include black-capped chickadee, blue jay, ruffed
grouse, great horned owl, saw-whet owl and pileated woodpecker.
The area provides many trails for visitors to explore.
Must-See: The Provincial Museum of Alberta opens two new exhibitions this summer. Domestic Arts: Quilts from the
Museum’s Collection runs from May 4 to September 2, 2002.
The Money/L’Argent Exhibition, featuring rare coins and currency
from around the globe, opens June 29 and ends on September 2,
2002. Get up close and personal with residents of the museum’s
Bug Room, where a group of beetles have trained for a research
mission on the International Space Station. After that, have a spot
of tea on the sunny porch of the elegant Rutherford House.
Special Events: Rutherford House – “Edmonton in the Past,” July 28, captivating tours and fun family activities,
celebrating local history; “Old Time Penny Carnival,” August 18,
fishpond, penny throw, ring toss and other old-fashioned carnival
games. Father Lacombe Chapel – “Mission Hill Day,” August
11. Try your hand at some traditional crafts, sample jerky and
bannock, wash a little laundry the old fashioned way and before
you know it you’ll be back in the St. Albert of 1861. July 1, step
into the past and come celebrate Canada Day at a place older than
Canada. Provincial Museum of Alberta – This summer, check
out our new additions to the Bug Room, including a rare Goliath
beetle from Tanzania and five new species of scarab beetles.
Urban Trail16
2
14
21
21
28A
60
37
19
39
633 830
795
627
628
779
814
623
625833
834
CookingLake
St. Albert Father LacombeChapel
River Lot 56Natural Area
Wagner Natural Area
Rutherford House Edmonton
Leduc
Sherwood ParkSherwood ParkNatural Area
Cooking Lake
Fort Saskatchewan
StonyPlain
Wabamun LakeProvincial Park
To Lloydminster
To Calgary
16
43
Lac Ste. Anne
PMA
Devon
-
A L B E R TA ’ S T O P FA M I LY F I N D S – Supplement to the Summer 2002 Issue of the Alberta Connections Magazine7
Inhale... that’s fresh bread you smell and that’s the jangle of
harnesses you hear. At the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage
Village time stands still when you tool around its 30 restored
historic buildings on a 320-acre site. Its farmsteads, rural
community and town site are populated by costumed, role-playing
interpreters portraying the time from 1892 to 1930.
East-Central Alberta was home to the largest Ukrainian settlement in
Canada. Arriving from their homeland in Eastern Europe, Ukrainians
came to the Canadian prairies, where for many years they dressed
and worked in the ways of the Old World. Lamont County, where the
Ukrainian Village is located, is also known as the Church Capital of
North America. Within its borders are 47 country churches, three of
which are Byzantine churches on the grounds of the Village.
Close by is one of Western Canada’s shorebird reserves, Beaver-
hill Natural Area, a natural haven for over 250 species of birds
and home of the annual Snow Goose Festival. Just 32 km east of
Edmonton, lies a superb picnic area Cooking Lake-Blackfoot
Village Trail
Location of Historic Site: The Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village is 25 minutes east of Edmonton on Hwy. 16.
Phone: (780) 662-3640
Season: Open daily, May 18 to Labour Day and then weekends to Thanksgiving.
HISTORIC SITE
PROVINCIAL PARK
PROVINCIAL CAMPGROUND
Museums of this calibre are usually located in major cities, but
situated just outside of Wetaskiwin is a world-class facility known as
the Reynolds-Alberta Museum. Imagine a massive catalogue
of all types of machinery (1890s to 1970s), from vintage cars to
motorcycles to farm machinery – except the goods are on display
and help tell the fascinating story of how the daily lives of Albertans
were affected by machinery from the 1890s to the 1970s.
The museum’s bragging rights are lengthy – home of the world’s
oldest production Chevrolet, a 1913 Chevrolet Classic Six; home of
the world’s oldest dragline, a Bucyrus Class-24; home of Canada’s
Aviation Hall of Fame, with an outstanding display of vintage air-
craft housed in a large hangar. On most summer weekends visitors
can take a ride in a vintage open cockpit biplane ($75 for two).
Surrounded by hummocky, forested land and lakes, Miquelon
Lake Provincial Park is located 3 km south of New Sarepta on
Hwy. 21, then 20 km east on Hwy. 623. The park is a significant
waterfowl viewing area and is criss-crossed with lots of hiking and
biking trails. There is an 18-hole golf course adjacent to the park.
Pigeon Lake Provincial Park is 45 km west of Wetaskiwin on
Hwy. 13 and 10 km north on Hwy. 771, just
105 km southwest of Edmonton. It is one of
Alberta’s most popular boating, water skiing
and swimming lakes. The park’s excellent
trail system allows visitors to explore the
area on foot during spring, summer and fall,
and on cross-country skis during the winter.
Aspen Beach Provincial Park on Gull
Lake, 17 km west of Lacombe along Hwy. 12
is Alberta’s first provincial park. Wide sandy
beaches and warm shallow water make it
ideal for paddling, swimming and lazing in
the sun.
Must-See: A full-scale replica of the AVRO Arrow, the very one used in the TV mini-series The Arrow, starring Dan Ackroyd. If you own a plane, well, just fly to this museum
– it’s one of only two fly-in museums in the country.
Special Events: Reynolds-Alberta Museum – Harvest Festival, Aug. 31, Sept. 1-2, farmers’ market, farming demonstrations, bread baking and agricultural
machinery, where the machines get cranked up to be used in the Parade of Power.
Autos & Airplanes Trail
Location of Historic Site: Reynolds-Alberta Museum is 2 km west of Wetaskiwin on Hwy. 13. About 40 mins. south of Edmonton.
Phone: 1(800) 661-4726
Season: Open year round, daily from May 1 to Sept. 7
HISTORIC SITE
PROVINCIAL PARK
PROVINCIAL CAMPGROUND
Recreation Area. Don’t forget
to pack your binoculars – you just
might spot a great blue heron or a
tundra swan. The area is laced with
mountain bike paths, canoe routes
and horseback trails and is home to
the Canadian Birkebeiner Ski Festival
held each year in February.
Must-See: At the nearby town of Mundare you can pick up homemade style Ukrainian sausages from
Stawnichy’s Meat Processing Plant.
Special Events: Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village – Ukrainian Day, Aug. 11, terrific time to sample Ukrainian foods and “taste” this vibrant
culture; Friends Ukrainian Music Festival, Aug. 25, spectacular showcase for
some of Alberta’s finest Ukrainian musicians; Harvest and Heritage Food
Festival, Sept. 15, where you can sample wild game and join a threshing bee.
2
2A
2A
21
21
53
50
11
53
13
53
20
1313
56
39
775
625
623
616
822
822
605
601
835
821
815
595
597
814834
833
609
617
833
616616
778
792
611
622
771
Leduc
MiquelonLake
WetaskiwinCamrose
Reynolds-Alberta Museum
Pigeon Lake
Aspen Beach
Red Deer
To Edmonton
To Calgary
16
14
830
630
833
630
626
834
Beaverhill LakeCooking Lake Hastings Lake
To EdmontonTo Lloydminster
Elk IslandNational Park
ArdrossanAntler Lake
Cooking Lake-Blackfoot
North Cooking LakeCollingwood Cove
South Cooking Lake
Ukrainian Village
Half Moon Lake
-
A L B E R TA ’ S T O P FA M I LY F I N D S – Supplement to the Summer 2002 Issue of the Alberta Connections Magazine8
Visit the tranquil homestead of one of Iceland’s and Canada’s
greatest poets. The home of Stephan G. Stephansson,
Stephansson House, has been restored to its 1927
appearance with activities and special events that illustrate
Alberta’s Icelandic heritage. From poetry readings to house tours,
baking and spinning demonstrations – costumed interpreters
recreate the life of this pioneer-poet who moved to the
Markerville area in 1889.
Born in Iceland in 1853, Stephansson farmed by day and wrote
by night. So prolific was he, Stephansson gained the reputation of
being one of the greatest poets in the western world. His works are
studied in elementary schools in Iceland.
Close by on the banks of the Little Red Deer River, 15 km west of
Bowden on Hwy. 587 is Red Lodge Provincial Park, ideal
habitat for deer and moose with some prime swimming holes. Just
north is Dickson Dam Provincial Recreation Area, noted
for windsurfing, hiking, cycling, power
boating, canoeing and sailing. It is located
30 km west of Innisfail on Hwy. 54, then
south on access road (on Gleniffer Lake at
Dickson Dam).
Must-See: Pop by the nearby historic Markerville Creamery for a cuppa in its
Kaffistofa (coffee room in Icelandic) and
indulge in some Icelandic sweets. If you’ve
got time tour the historic creamery, which
won many awards for its fine quality
butters until it closed in 1972.
Special Events: Stephansson House – Join the special family events and activities on Sundays, including the Annual Cream
Day (Aug. 11) at the Markerville Creamery where there will be a cow
pie throw, petting zoo, goat milking contest and cream can ride. On
August 25 will be Harvesting the Past.
Poet Trail
Location of Historic Site: Stephansson House is 30 mins. southwest of Red Deer, off Hwy. 592 & 781. (90 mins. northwest of Calgary)
Phone: (403) 728-3929
Season: Open daily, May 15 to Labour Day
HISTORIC SITE
PROVINCIAL PARK
PROVINCIAL CAMPGROUND
Benalto
Sylvan Lake
Dickson
242
11
20
54
781761
760
766
791
590
595
598
596
587
592766
587
To Calgary
To Edmonton
GlenifferLake
Blackfalds
Red Deer
PenholdMarkerville
Stephansson House
Sylvan Lake
Spruce ViewDicksonDam
Red Lodge
Innisfail
Bowden
Where else can you experience the earth’s history while the
skeletons of real dinosaurs tower overhead? At the Royal Tyrrell
Museum of Palaeontology in Drumheller, studies of 75-
million-year-old dinosaur communities and bone beds are just the
beginning. You too can reach back in time and grab hold of history.
You’ll find 35 complete dinosaur skeletons on display, one of
the largest collections in the world. The museum offers far more
than bones, however. It’s packed with multi-media displays and
computer terminals where visitors can travel back in time or play
simulation games. Take a hike outside along the lunar-like trails
and feel the warm prairie wind nuzzle the back of your neck. They
call this the badlands – barren, rugged and harbouring the remains
of creatures that once ruled the Earth.
Continue your prehistoric journey and walk the trail of the
dinosaurs at the Dinosaur Provincial Park, a UNESCO World
Heritage Site and one of the richest fossil sites in the world, 50 km
northeast of Brooks on Hwy. 874 and Hwy. 544.
Flanking the west side of Drumheller
on Hwy. 838 is Midland Provincial
Park, the perfect picnic stop along the
60 km loop road known as the Dinosaur
Trail. A hike through the willows and
cottonwoods along the river provides
welcome shade on a hot summer’s day.
Just 50 km southeast of Drumheller on
Hwy. 573 is a lovely shady campground
in Little Fish Provincial Park. It’s a
key staging area for snowgeese, white
pelicans, loons, mergansers, pronghorn and mule deer.
Must-See: In the nearby town of Drumheller you can clamber up 106 stairs into the belly of an eight-storey-tall T-Rex and get your photo
snapped while grinning from the jaws of this beast.
Special Events: Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology – Day Digs, Dino-site! Summer Day Camps and a raft of other special
tours and talks run throughout the summer.
Badlands Trail
Location of Historic Site: The Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology is 90 minutes from Calgary, close to 3 hours from Edmonton.
Phone: (403) 823-7707
Season: Summer hours May 18-Sept. 2 (9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily).
HISTORIC SITE
PROVINCIAL PARK
PROVINCIAL CAMPGROUND
56
9
10
56
9573
851
851849
575
840
841
837
838
839 851
862
848
576
Little FishLake
HandhillsLake
DowlingLake
855
MorinCraigmyle
Michichi DeliaMunson
Royal Tyrrell Museum
Nacmine DrumhellerMidland Little Fish Lake
To Stettler
To Hanna
-
A L B E R TA ’ S T O P FA M I LY F I N D S – Supplement to the Summer 2002 Issue of the Alberta Connections Magazine9
Start to understand the Wild West and Canada’s cowboy heroes
with a trip to Cochrane Ranche, just west of Calgary. Rich in
heritage, this provincial historic site salutes the history of ranching
in Alberta. Interpretive displays and programs, and hands-on
activities, are available during the summer months.
It’s easy to imagine this site as ranch headquarters for Senator
Matthew H. Cochrane’s original 189,000-acre tract of land. Step
outside and marvel at the backdrop of the Rockies – precisely what
the Senator saw in 1881 from the saddle of his horse.
Just 13 km from the town of Cochrane on Hwy. 22 is Big Hill
Springs Provincial Park, a day-use area with picnicking and
hiking. Several archaeological digs have uncovered prehistoric
sites suggesting this was once a buffalo jump. Also nearby is
Bow Valley Provincial Park, nestled in the Rocky Mountain
front country near the entry to Kananaskis
Country. Here you’ll find hiking, camping
and numerous day use areas with easy
access to the urban facilities of the
mountain town of Canmore.
Must-See: Saunter down Cochrane’s Main Street and fling open those swinging
doors of the Stageline Saloon, just like a
Wild West gunslinger. For milder tastes
there’s an old-fashioned ice cream parlour
at MacKay’s.
Special Events: Cochrane Ranch – Heritage celebrations are often held on the holiday weekend in August.
Wild West Trail
Location of Historic Site: Cochrane Ranche is 15 mins. west of Calgary, at the junction of Hwys. 1A and 22.
Phone: (403) 932-0361
Season: Open daily, May 15 to Labour Day
HISTORIC SITE
PROVINCIAL PARK
PROVINCIAL CAMPGROUND
2
2
22
22
22X
1
8
1
1A
22
1A
567
567
772
566
791
791
564
762
552
773
To Edmonton
To Banff
To Lethbridge
To Medicine Hat
Big Hill Springs
Cochrane Ranche
Airdrie
Calgary
Redwood Meadows Fish
Creek
ShepardChestermere
De Winton
Cochrane
Cochrane Lakes
766
Visit Chain Lakes Provincial Park,
located 38 km southwest of Nanton on
Hwy. 533, for spectacular wildlife viewing:
moose, deer, elk, white pelican, osprey,
great blue heron and much more. It’s also
a great place to canoe and fish for rainbow
trout. At Brown-Lowery Provincial
Park discover a mixed forest laced with
hiking trails, fields of wildflowers, and
superb views of the Rockies, located 35 km
northwest of Turner Valley off Hwy. 762.
Must-See: Turner Valley’s Chuckwag-on restaurant – noted for its ranch-style
breakfast “scramblers” and beefy burgers
for lunch. After noshing there, take a stroll
along the 3-km Friendship Trail linking
Turner Valley with Black Diamond.
Cowboys to Oilmen Trail
Location of Historic Site: The Turner Valley Gas Plant is 45 minutes southwest of Calgary in the town of Turner Valley.
Phone: (403) 933-4944 or (403) 562-7388
Season: Open daily, May 15 to Labour Day
HISTORIC SITE
PROVINCIAL PARK
PROVINCIAL CAMPGROUND
55
22
2222x
7
2
2540
533
532
541540
543
783
552
799
547
546
549
773
22x
To LethbridgeTo Crowsnest Pass
To Red Deer
To Medicine Hat
23
Llyod L.
Frank Lake
CalgaryIndus
Dalemead
De Winton
Okotoks
TurnerValley
High River
BrownLowery
Turner ValleyGas Plant
Longview
Cayley
Nanton
Stavely
ChainLakes
BlackDiamond
Turner Valley Gas Plant, in the town of Turner Valley,
showcases the oil and gas industry in Alberta. Set against a
spectacular Rocky Mountain backdrop, visitors can tour the
original workings of this historic plant and relive the drama of
the petroleum industry decades ago.
The stunning wilderness, featured in Hollywood films such as
Unforgiven, lures people here as well as the locally produced
chewy slivers of Beef Jerky. What originally put Turner Valley on
the map dates back to 1914, when Canada’s first major petroleum
discovery was made right here. But it was gas, not oil, that first
sparked interest in the valley. In 1903 a rancher named Bill Herron
found gas seeping from fissures in his land. The legend goes that
Herron persuaded two oilmen to become involved by taking them
to the site of the gas, lighting it, and frying up breakfast right on
the flame. That event led to the development of this field, which,
between 1914 and 1947, accounted for 97% of Alberta’s oil and
gas production.
-
A L B E R TA ’ S T O P FA M I LY F I N D S – Supplement to the Summer 2002 Issue of the Alberta Connections Magazine1 0
In the heart of Alberta’s extensive irrigated farmland lies the Brooks
Aqueduct, spanning an entire valley like a giant centipede. Erected
nearly 90 years ago by the Canadian Pacific Railway’s irrigation
division, it carried water across a shallow valley to dry prairie on the
other side, opening up a massive chunk of otherwise unproductive
land to farming. This vital link in the development of agriculture in
southeastern Alberta operated until the 1970s.
When the Brooks Aqueduct was completed in 1914, the 3.2-km
structure was the longest concrete aqueduct of its type in the world
and boasted of revolutionary engineering principles.
Just 13 km south of Brooks off Hwy. 873 is Kinbrook Island
Provincial Park, an actual island in Lake Newell, the largest
man-made body of water in Alberta. Swimming, fishing and
boating are all popular water activities. The park attracts a large
number of gulls, pelicans and cormorants which nest on the island.
Between Brooks and Kinbrook on Hwy. 1 lies one of the province’s
best developed parks, Tillebrook Provincial Park, full of cool
shade and even colder
drinking water, an ideal
base for exploring Lake
Newell and the aqueduct.
With enclosed kitchen
shelters, laundry facilities
and serviced sites, this
park’s campground has
been hailed as the best-
designed campground in
North America.
Must-See: While you’re in this neck of the woods pop by the Crop Diversification
Centre or go for a tour of the Canadian Pheasant Company.
Farmland Trail
Location of Historic Site: The Brooks Aqueduct is 8 km southeast of Brooks, 3 km off Trans-Canada Hwy. 1. Two hours southeast of Calgary.
Phone: (403) 653-5139 or call the Summer Line at (403) 362-4451
Season: Open daily, May 15 to Labour Day
HISTORIC SITE
PROVINCIAL PARK
PROVINCIAL CAMPGROUND
36
1
873
875
535
873
539
542
876
To Medicine Hat
To Lethbridge
Cowoki Lake
TilleyReservoir
Newell Lake
To Calgary To Drumheller
BrooksAqueduct
Brooks
Tillebrook
KinbrookIsland Tilley
Rainier
Don’t let the name Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump trick you
into thinking this place is just a gag. One of Canada’s 13 UNESCO
World Heritage Sites, it spirits you back some 6,000 years to the
times when the early natives stampeded herds of buffalo to their
death at special jump sites. This cliff-side buffalo jump is one of the
oldest, largest, and best-preserved buffalo jumps in North America.
Further east is a lovely spot to camp – Willow Creek Provincial
Park, where the sites are cradled in a dip of willow trees. The area
is rich in Aboriginal history and is located 6 km west and 8 km
south of Stavely on Hwy. 527. And 22 km northeast of Lethbridge
is Park Lake Provincial Park, another area rich in grassland
residents such as cottontail, pronghorn, golden eagles, prairie falcon
and prickly pear cactus.
Must-See: The Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump’s gift shop features beaded necklaces, moccasins, pipe bags, gloves and
homemade jams, all crafted by local Blackfoot. In the cafeteria,
order a juicy buffalo burger and buffalo chips. In the olden days
buffalo chips were what we
call cow paddies today and
were used as fuel out on the
barren plains... now they’re
just French fries. If you’ve ever
wanted to bunk down in a
tipi you can do so at the site
July 26-28 and Aug. 16-18.
Just east of Head-Smashed-In
Buffalo Jump is the town of Fort Macleod. In 1874 the North West
Mounted Police established its first headquarters in this location. From
this tiny fort in the middle of an ocean of Prairie grew the “Red Coat”
police force that is synonymous with Canada.
Special Events: Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump – World Indigenous Peoples Day, Aug. 9, drumming, dancing and day-long
atlatl throwing competition; Stone and Bones, Sept. 7, great day to
identify artifacts, partake in flint knapping, etc.
Buffalo Trail
Location of Historic Site: Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump is 18 km north and west of Fort Macleod on Hwy. 785. Located 1.5 hrs. south of Calgary.
Phone: (403) 553-2731
Season: Open daily, year-round
HISTORIC SITE
PROVINCIAL PARK
PROVINCIAL CAMPGROUND
3
23
25
2 4
3
520520
843 845
522
526
529
527
519
811
785
810
520
To Calgary
To Taber
StavelyChampion
TurinBaronsClaresholmWillow
Creek
Head-Smashed-InBuffalo Jump
GranumPark Lake
Monarch
Coalhurst
Fort MacleodLethbridge
Picture Butte
Diamond City
-
A L B E R TA ’ S T O P FA M I LY F I N D S – Supplement to the Summer 2002 Issue of the Alberta Connections Magazine1 1
Long before you arrive at the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre
you’ll be awestruck by the condo-sized boulders that lie jumbled
on both sides of Hwy.3, which slices through Crowsnest Pass.
A mammoth rock slide peeled away 90 million tons of rock from
the flanks of Turtle Mountain, killing 70 people and burying part
of the coal mining town of Frank. Step into the centre and walk
back into the lives of the coal miners and families who endured the
catastrophe that buried their town at 4:10 a.m. on April 29, 1903.
Then take a hike along the Frank Slide Trail and a web of other
trails, with magnificent views of the slide and spectacular Rocky
Mountains. Continue your journey at Leitch Collieries. Walk
amidst the ruins of the powerhouse, the mine manager’s residence,
coke ovens, washery and tipple. This was one of the largest and
most amibitous mines in the early days of the Crowsnest Pass.
Head to Beauvais Lake Provincial Park where you’ll find
award-winning interpretive programs, 15 km of hiking trails,
excellent rainbow trout fishing, and a new 3-km trail that leads to
a small rustic backcountry campground. The park is located 11 km
west of Pincher Creek on Hwy. 507, then 8 km south on Hwy. 775.
Coal Mining Trail
Location of Historic Site: The Frank Slide Interpretive Centre is on Hwy. 3, Municipality of Crowsnest Pass, just 2.5 hrs. south of Calgary.
Phone: (403) 562-7388
Season: Open daily, year-round
HISTORIC SITE
PROVINCIAL PARK
PROVINCIAL CAMPGROUND
3
6
22
505
800
507
786
785
510
507
507
775
774
Oldman River Res.
Waterton Res.
To Calgary
To Fernie
To Waterton
Crowsnest Pass
Frank Slide
Leitch CollieriesCowley
Lundbreck
Beaver Mines
BeauvaisLake
Pincher Creek
Pincher StationBrocket
Glenwood
To Lethbridge
Poke around North America’s largest collection of horse-drawn
vehicles at the Remington Carriage Museum. Some 250
carriages, buggies, wagons and sleighs are displayed here, many in
beautiful interpretive settings, with loads of guided tours and special
events that bring these magnificent vehicles to life. The museum also
features a stable with 15 work horses, and a restoration shop.
Remember Jackie Chan rattling around in a stagecoach in Disney’s
Shanghai Noon and Tom Selleck doing much the same in Crossfire
Trail? The precise vehicles used in those movies are here along with
scores of other classic wagons and stagecoaches of the wild and
woolly West.
Located near the Alberta/Montana border, 10 km south and 23
km west of Cardston on Hwy. 2, is Police Outpost Provincial
Park where in 1891 the Northwest Mounted Police set up an out-
post to nab whiskey smugglers. Just northeast in a wooded valley
beside the St. Mary River is Woolford Provincial Park, located
The Horse & Buggy Trail
Location of Historic Site: Remington Carriage Museum, 623 Main Street, Cardston. Located 2.5hrs. south of Calgary.
Phone: (403) 653-5139
Season: Open daily, year-round
HISTORIC SITE
PROVINCIAL PARK
PROVINCIAL CAMPGROUND
11 km northeast of
Cardston on Hwy 5,
then 14 km south on
Hwy. 503. This park
is a favourite with
families. Activities at
both include canoeing
and fishing for rainbow
trout.
Must-See: A recent donation to the Remington Carriage Museum by Bill Irwin, a direct descendent of
R.J. McLaughin, chairman of the McLaughlin Carriage Company, including a wicker-body
pony Phaeton, a doctor’s buggy, a trap, a sleigh and a governess cart, all of which bear
the McLaughlin Carriage Company name.
Special Events: Remington Carriage Museum – Cardston and Area Farmers’ Market, Aug. 31, scoop up fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, preserves and country crafts.
2
6
501
505
800
801
503
RemingtonCarriage Museum
St. MaryResevoir
WatertonRes.
WatertonLakes
Ross Lake
To LethbridgeTo Pincher Creek
Hillspring
Spring Coulee
Cardston
AetnaBeazer
Mountain View
Waterton Park
Chief MountainPolice Outpost
Carway
Woolford
Must-See: The award-winning audio-visual
presentation, In The
Mountain’s Shadow, at
the Frank Slide Interpretive
Centre. Rich in coal seams,
mining ruins and pristine
blue ribbon rivers (world
famous for fly fishing), the
small historic towns and
recreational areas in the
Crowsnest Pass area are well worth exploring. For good eats in the Pass, try Pick’s
Roadhouse or Popiel’s, the Swiss Alpine in Pincher Creek. While you’re in Pincher
Creek, pop into the new cruciform log museum, the gateway to the Kootenay Brown
Outdoor Museum, which often has superb exhibits.
Special Events: Frank Slide Interpretive Centre – Frank Slide’s Inter-national Year of Mountains Festival, Aug. 2-5, a great chance to view some of the
award-winning films from the Banff Mountain Film Festival as well as scramble up a
climbing wall or join a guided mountain bike tour.
-
A L B E R TA ’ S T O P FA M I LY F I N D S – Supplement to the Summer 2002 Issue of the Alberta Connections Magazine1 2
Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump
Celebrate Alberta’s heritage: you’re always welcome.
You are.
Hiking in Alberta Mountain Parks
What’s missing in these pictures?
Whitney Lakes Provincial Park Remington Carriage Museum
Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Hiking in Alberta Mountain Parks
Whitney Lakes Provincial Park Remington Carriage Museum
Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump
-
11ALBERTA CONNECTIONS – SUMMER 2002
ENJOYING ALBERTA Victoria Settlement
No microwaves
a project planned by the Friends of Fort Victoria.The settlement is the spot where Reverend George
McDougall founded a Methodist mission to the Creein 1862 and where the Hudson’s Bay Companyestablished Fort Victoria in 1864 to trade with thelocal natives. Although the mission and fort becamethe centre of a bustling Métis community that ex-tended six miles along the North Saskatchewan River,all that remain today are the Hudson’s Bay Companyclerk’s quarters built in 1864 and the 1906 Methodistchurch.
The Friends are raising funds to re-create thesecond kitchen that was attached to the Red Riverframe clerk’s quarters between 1874 and 1888. “We’llbe building a kitchen in an exact replica of the erausing the origi-nal hand tools ofthe times fromthe local area,”says BillieFriesen, presi-dent of theFriends of FortVictoria. “Thatmeans when thewood dries itwill have thesame kinds of markings on it as the original building.
“Everything will be done exactly as it was in thosetimes. The only thing electrical will be the securitysystem.”
Nothing is known about the first kitchen attachedto the clerk’s quarters, Friesen says. However, theground markings for the second kitchen arestill there.
Friesen says the project “will keep our history aliveand also lend something of the women’s perspective.”
Like the rest of Victoria Settlement, the kitchenwill be interpreted to the 1890s, says Marianne Mack,facility supervisor for the site.
V isitors to Victoria Settlement Historic Site nearSmoky Lake will get a better idea of the furtrade from a woman’s perspective as a result of
The Friends group plans to start building thekitchen in the fall of 2004. Friesen says the societyhopes to attract major sponsors in the corporatesector to help raise half of the $55,000 to $60,000 costof the project.
in this kitchen
Costumed interpreters answer children’s questions atVictoria Settlement.
The clerk’s quarters at VictoriaSettlement. For information: Marianne Mack, facility supervisor,
Victoria Settlement, (780) 431-2360; Billie Friesen, Friendsof Fort Victoria Society, (780) 636-2844.
10 km south of Smoky Lake on Highway 855 and 6 km eastalong the Victoria Trail.
Call toll-free 310-0000 or visit the website atwww.cd.gov.ab.ca
-
12 ALBERTA CONNECTIONS – SUMMER 2002
H E L P I N G A L B E R TA N S
“Everything is just that big,” says Helen Daymond,executive director of the Fort McMurray Visitor’sBureau (renamed the the Fort McMurrayTourism Centre).
The half-day guided tour starts at the Oil SandsDiscovery Centre, where visitors view a historic filmon the development of the oil sands and see a livedemonstration of the innovative hot water extractionprocess that made it all possible, rub the gritty oil
W ow! That’s what most people say when theycome to the end of the Experience theEnergy oil sands tour in Fort McMurray.
Experience thesands through fingertips and smell the freshly ex-tracted bitumen. After lunch they then board a bus toeither the Suncor or Syncrude oil sands mining site,depending on the day of the week (Suncor – Sundaythrough Tuesday; Syncrude – Wednesday throughSaturday).
Contributing to the “wow” factor is a giant shovelthat can load a 380-tonne truck in 100-tonne scoops.“You can watch the earth move before your eyes,”Daymond says.
Daymond warns, however, that children under 12are not permitted on the mine site tours. “You’reentering an industrial mine site, so Workers Compen-sation Board regulations apply.”
New on the tour this year is Syncrude’s Giants ofMining Industrial Park, where outmoded behemothsof the oil sands are retired. One of the stars of theshow is a 7 1/2-storey bucket wheel reclaimer and dragline system, which has been replaced by a more cost-efficient truck-and-shovel operation. “It’s massive,”Daymond says. “The boom is the length of a regula-tion football field.”
The tour is the result of a partnership among theDiscovery Centre, Fort McMurray Tourism and localhotels. Visitors may take the half-day tour or book atwo-night package that includes the film and demon-stration at the Discovery Centre, a tour of the Suncoror Syncrude mining site and Heritage Park, plusaccommodation and an Experience the Energybreakfast.
The tour has been very popular, says Bert MacKay,facilities supervisor of the Discovery Centre. “Peoplecome up here by the busload for it. Last year we hadan increase of 30 per cent in the number of partici-pants.” Experience the Energy has been so successful,it won the Tourism Alberta ALTO award for success-ful partnerships in 2001. MacKay says, “the secret tothe success of this site is the partnerships developedwith industry and tourism; also one of our staff(Annette Milot, Interpretation Officer) has beenelected a director of Fort McMurray Tourism.”
For information: Bert MacKay, Oil SandsDiscovery Centre, (780) 743-7167 or toll-free 310-0000;Helen Daymond, Fort McMurray Visitor’s Bureau,1-800-565-3947.
ENJOYING ALBERTA Oil Sands Discovery Centre
Exhibit hall re-opens this fallHistory will repeat itself when the Oil Sands Discovery Centre in Fort
McMurray celebrates the opening of its newly redeveloped Karl Clark
Exhibit Hall this fall. Mary Clark-Sheppard, daughter of famous oil sands
scientist Dr. Karl Clark, will cut the ribbon on the new hall, re-enacting
the role she played at the opening of the original hall in 1985.
Alberta Community Development Minister Gene Zwozdesky and
Municipal Affairs Minister Guy Boutilier, MLA for Fort McMurray, will
share the honours with Clark-Sheppard at the official opening
ceremonies on September 27 followed by an open house and BBQ for
the public on September 28.
The redeveloped exhibit hall will be “much more dynamic and up-to-
date with the latest technology,” says facility supervisor Bert MacKay.
“Rather than walk through a museum and read text boards, visitors will
have a highly interactive experience.”
The Discovery Centre will be open during construction this summer with
half-price admission. While the exhibit hall will be off limits, the centre
has set up a mobile lab where visitors can see a live demonstration of
the oil sands separation process used in the Suncor and Syncrude oil
sands plants.
“It’s quite intriguing for visitors to see,” MacKay says. “It’s essentially the
same principle Dr. Clark originated.” Visitors can also view historic films
on the discovery and development of the oil sands in the Discovery
Centre theatre, and take in new “Discovery Giftshop” inventory of
science, Aboriginal art and history.
Energy!
-
13ALBERTA CONNECTIONS – SUMMER 2002
They include an unusual velvety beetle and apraying mantis that mimics a moth perched on a
blade of grass, all the better to snagits unsuspecting dinner. If all goesaccording to plan, the population inthe museum’s Bug Room gallerywill grow by five new species ofscarab beetles, five new species ofmantids, two new species of walk-ing sticks and more over the nextfew months.
Bug Room assistant Jay Staples,a.k.a. “Spiderman,” is besidehimself at the prospect.He describes one
of the most exotic of the newcom-ers, the Goliath beetle, as “theheaviest beetle on the planet.”
“This species, weighing up to100 grams (almost 1/4 pound) iswhite with black streaks and filigrispatterns and it has tiny scales on theback which give it a velvety feel,which is very cool.”
Then there is the tiny beetle (2.5 cm)from Africa without an English common name.“We’re going to end up calling it the spotted flowerbeetle,” Staples says. “They collect pollen from flowersand are also brightly coloured – metallic green andmetallic red with white spots all down the back – agorgeous, gorgeous beetle.”
Not to be outdone, the soon-to-arrive whalechafer beetle sports a bright yellow colour and awhale-shaped pattern on its back. “It’s a beautiful,beautiful beetle from Africa,” Staples says.
The Bug Room is also importing some of themost impressive of the 2,500 species of mantids in theworld, he adds. Among them is the “incrediblybizarre” Indian violin mantid.
“Its thorax is very skinny, almost like a blade ofgrass and its arms have big fins, or leaf-like projec-tions. When it’s sitting waiting for its prey, the way itsarms and head come together makes it look like aninnocent little moth on a blade of grass. So whensomething comes along to eat the moth, it ends upbeing dinner for the mantid.”
T he Provincial Museum of Alberta is gettingready to welcome some VIBs (very impressivebugs) from around the world this summer. Also coming is a “verystriking” orange Malaysianhuntsman spider, whichhas a 3.5 to 4-inch leg span,says Staples, who admits heonce was afraid of spiders.“I bought my first taran-tula to get over that fear.”Now he keeps several aspets and raises blackwidow spiders at home.
Other new bugs onorder include a PuertoRican white millipede with orange spots, a hornedAfrican ghost mantid that mimics dried up leaves,
and a Peruvian fern-eating walking stick that,unlike most insect predators, is active in
daylight.Bug Room supervisor Terry Thormin
warns that he can’t guarantee you’ll seeall of these bugs on your next visit.“When it comes to live animals you’repretty much at the mercy of yoursuppliers and the animals themselves.”
Some of the insects could be in theirlarvae stage when they arrive, he explains.
“In that case we may have to wait for themto reach a stage in their life cycle where we can
exhibit them.”Meanwhile, plans are underway for a new, im-
proved Bug Room in the summer of 2003. Detailsaren’t finalized, but visitors will see the ProvincialMuseum’s bugs in a more natural setting, Thorminsays. “It will be visually quite different. We’re going togive it almost a rainforest type of appearance.”
For information: Provincial Museum of Alberta, (780)453-9100 or toll-free 310-0000; www.pma.edmonton.ab.ca
Here come the bugs!ENJOYING ALBERTA Provincial Museum of Alberta
By Marylu Walters
The Provincial Museum of Alberta will welcome some newbugs this summer, including the Goliath beetle.
-
14 ALBERTA CONNECTIONS – SUMMER 2002
H E L P I N G A L B E R TA N S
Renowned artist gardens
successful touring art expositions called Flowers of theBible and Flowers of the Americasthat have toured Canada, theUnited States and abroad. Hervivid, rich style has created asubstantial following for herworks, which are now in privateand corporate collectionsthroughout North and SouthAmerica, Australia and Europe.Her dramatic compositions andbold use of colour evoke feelingsof passion and stretch the param-eters of traditional watercolourtechniques.
Passion in a carrot?“Painting things like carrots
and onions brought me down toearth and that’s good,” saysCheladyn, who showed her worksto Prince Phillip, the Duke ofEdinburgh, at a 1996 exhibitionin Geneva. “It was getting easierfor me to do floating, translucentflower petals. Now I’m dealingwith the solid things that were soimportant in the life of my owngrandmother.”
Her new collection of water-colours – which will be displayedat the Ukrainian Cultural Herit-age Village from the May longweekend until Thanksgiving – iscalled Baba’s Garden. Cheladynhopes to capture some of the magic that she, like somany others, experienced in her own Baba’s garden.Including carrots.
Each painting is inspired by her own personalexperiences in the garden as well as those of pioneers,whose life depended on their gardens.