Sites to See in St. Albert

 St.Albert is Alberta's oldest non-fortified community with roots going back to 1861. At this time, Father Lacombe convinced Bishop Tache' that a mission be established on the Sturgeon River to serve the Aboriginals and the Metis of the district. The first building to be erected was a modest log chapel. Two years later St.Albert became the site of the settlement's first school with three Grey Nuns as its teachers. In 1864 the " Youville Asylum" was opened and served as both convent and school. The Asylum later functioned as an orphanage and as the first hospital in Central Alberta.By 1870.St.Alberta had become the largest settlement west of St. Boniface,Manitoba. It boasted a population of 1,000 including both Metis and white settlers. Between 1870 and 1900, the area surrounding St.Albert attracted an increasing number of settlers, primarily French-Canadians. As a result , the community prospered and in 1904 was officially incorporated as a town. By mid-century , St.Albert had began to lose much of it rural appearance. Perron Street was home to a butcher shop, restaurants, hardware and general stores. In 1977, St. Albert became Alberta's eleventh city. Today St. Albert continues to grow and prosper ,offering its 60,000 residents a high quality of life with abundant recreational opportunities and award wining cultural and arts programs. 

The Perron District

Library 

Mission Hill   - Father Lacombe Chapel - St. Albert Catholic Parish

St. Albert Heritage Museum

The Little White School House  The Grain Elevator Park and Train Station

Sites to See in Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, and Parkland Area

City of Spruce Grove History

Many towns were named with reference to their surrounding landscape. Groves of spruce trees and poplars were prominent throughout the countryside of this region and our founders queried naming the new settlement after such, but were undecided as to which one to choose. ‘Poplar Grove’ was already established in the west so the decision was unanimous...‘Spruce Grove’ was bornSpruce Grove was settled by French and Scottish families in 1891 and originally comprised a general store, livery stables, blacksmith shop, hotel and the Roman Catholic Church. The town's centre was located on the crossroads of Century Road and Baseline (now Highway 16).In 1908 the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway came through Spruce Grove and a train station was build south of Baseline on the north side of the tracks, directly in line with what is now Main Street. This resulted in moving all of the established businesses three quarters of a mile west to the present location of the City of Spruce Grove. With the establishment of the railroad, the community became a busy grain-trading center.Spruce Grove was incorporated as a Village in 1955, a Town in 1971 and celebrated its 10th anniversary as a city in 1996. As Alberta’s 16th city, Spruce Grove is one of Western Canada’s fastest growing communities. With a population of  23,326 in 2009 and still growing.

The Grain Elevator

Town of Stony Plain History 

 The Town has a pride in its history which began in 1881 when the first homestead in the area was documented. In 1892 the area was known as Dog Rump Creek until a post office was named for the region and it became Stony Plain. In 1907, Stony Plain's first Sheriff, Israel Umbach, made national headlines when he chained a locomotive to the railway tracks for non-payment of taxes and changed the course of history. In 1908 Stony Plain was officially incorporated as a town. Stony Plain's history is kept alive through its murals program, numerous historic sites, and the Multicultural Heritage Centre.

Today Stony Plain, with a population of 12,363, services a surrounding population of over 60,000 people. What continues to make Stony Plain unique is the fact that the town and its people guarded and retain the historic ties to the railroad, the RCMP, and the agricultural community.

The Pioneer Museum

The Multicultural  Heritage Centre

The Murals

Brief History of Devon

The Discovery that changed Canada February 13, 1947 Leduc Number 1 Discovery Well Located South of present day Devon on the former Mike Turta Farm. Needing to find living quarters for workers who were employed in the oil fields. Imperial Oil chose a picturesque spot 25 miles southwest of Edmonton and bounded on 2 sides by the North Saskatchewan River to build a new and well-planned town. Devon was created. The name was chosen for the Devonian Reef formation in which the oil at Leduc #1 was discovered. Incorporation  Athabasca Avenue - Pagoda Dine and Dance, opened July 5, 1949. In January of 1950, Devon was incorporated as a Village and in March of the same year it became a Town. Devon was labeled as Canada's Model Town, since it was the first community in all of Canada to be approved by a Regional Planning Commission. An Urban County Athabasca Ave. Devon quickly grew over the years and in the early 1960's became the only Urban County in the Province of Alberta. This is a system of government that administers both the municipal and school operations. This system operated until the mid 1990's when the school division was separated from the Town and consolidated with the Black Gold Regional School District.

The Devonian Gardens

Sites to See in Legal and Westlock Area

History of Legal

Towards the end of the 18th century and at the beginning of the 19th century, settlers from the United States, the eastern provinces of Canada and even Europe, started to work their way westward to eventually take homesteads in the region now known as Legal. Among the earliest settlers were Theodore Gelot and Eugene Menard.In 1894, they started homesteading in the Legal area. Soon many others, the majority coming from the province of Quebec, were attracted by the rich fertile soil found in the area and a small community was formed.L'abbe Morin had been chosen as colonizer for the west and his task was to recruit settlers from Quebec. In 1889, the pioneers went ahead with plans to build their first chapel. By 1911-1912 with the completion of the C.N. Railway, plans were made to build a church. A small community was rapidly growing and from this small community the Village of Legal was soon to come about.On January 1st, 1998 Legal achieved "Town" status. Official bilingual status was proclaimed in April 1st, 2000
The Murals in Legal
History of Westlock

The Westlock townsite was originally surveyed in 1912, and the land for the town was purchased from William Westgate and William Lockhart. The first store was constructed in 1913 by George McTavish, who went on to become the Village’s first reeve upon incorporation. The first pharmacist set up practice in the community the same year. In 1916, Westlock was formally incorporated as a Village with a population of 65. The new Village was named after Mr. Westgate and Mr. Lockhart. Westlock was incorporated as a Town on January 7, 1947 with a population of 854. In the same year, the Memorial Hall was constructed on 106 Street. In 1992, the Memorial Hall burned to the ground and was subsequently replaced with a new building across the street from the original site. 

The Canadian Tractor Museum in Westlock

Sites to See in Edmonton

History of Edmonton

Edmonton is the capital city of Alberta and the sixth largest country in Canada. It has a scenic river valley and a enjoys many music and art festivals. Edmonton has North America's largest shopping mall, West Edmonton Mall. Edmonton has a beautiful and popular downtown as well as several well-known universities. Here are some of the most popular attractions in Edmonton

West Edmonton Mall

The Muttart Conservatory

The Telus World of Science

Strathcona County
Fort Edmonton Park

The Royal Alberta Museum

The Legislature

The Valley Zoo
The Rutherford House
The Heritage Festival
Edmonton's Other Festivals

The Ukrainian Village

Visit this multi award-winning provincial historic site showcasing Ukrainian settlement in East Central Alberta (1892 – 1930). Be a time traveler and interact with costumed role players portraying real-life Ukrainian pioneers. Explore more than 30 historic buildings including three churches of Eastern Byzantine Rite, a fully-functioning grain elevator, blacksmith shop and burdei (sod hut). Sample traditional food and visit our gift shop.


Here are some pictures of the Ukrainian Village 

       A sod house  

The Ukrainian  Orthodox Church 

The Valley Zoo

The Valley Zoo is right next to the North Saskatchewan River. It is a small and familiar zoo that provides real and interesting animal experiences.

Right now the Zoo is constructing a new exhibit called "Polar Extremes" which will hold Arctic fox, seals, sea lions and ground squirrels. The exhibit is designed to be environmentally friendly with a water recycling system, a green roof, and drought resistant planting. 

The Alberta Railway Museum

The Alberta Railway Museum is operated by the Alberta Pioneer Railway Association(APRA). The APRA is a non-profit organization of volunteers whose interest is the collection, preservation, restoration, and interpretation of artifacts that represent the technology and history of the Canadian National and Northern Alberta Railways as well as industrial and short line railways in Western Canada.The APRA was formed in 1968 by a small group of volunteers who operated the Association's equipment out of the Edmonton Transit System Cromdale Car Barns, at 116th Avenue and 80th Street. During the early 1970's the Association moved its equipment to its current location, and created the Alberta Railway Museum. The museum opened in 1976 in an historic spot - on the former Canadian Northern Railway Coronado Subdivision. The Museum is a great place to see the old locomotive history of Canada and Alberta. 

A  picture of one of  the trains that is at the Museum

The Alberta Legislature Buildings

Brief History of Alberta Politics 

The Legislature Building is open 362 days a year. Tours of the Legislature Building are open to all ages. Topics include the levels of government, the roles of the Lieutenant Governor, Premier, Speaker, and Members of the Legislative Assembly; the political history of Alberta; the daily Routine followed in the Chamber; traditions and ceremonies; and the art and architecture of the building. Tours last approximately 45 minutes although they may be changed to meet your needs.

The Royal Alberta Museum

The Royal Alberta Museum opened in 1967. On the Museum’s opening day, visitors were introduced to main floor galleries: Fur Trade, and Native Peoples of Alberta. Today the Museum has four major exhibits with over 10,009,533 artifacts. The Museum even has a Virtual Gallery

Strathcona County

 History of Strathcona County

Strathcona County is an area south of the river valley that used to be seprate from Edmonton. They joined Edmonton in 1912 and today the area is still full of old buildings and lots of history. 

The Little White School House

The Little White School

Take a seat close to the front of the class and discover the lessons of the Little White School.  Opened in 1948, this two-room school house will take some generations back to the days of their youth, while showing younger visitors how reading, writing and arithmetic was taught 60 years ago.

Here is a picture of The School

The Telus World of Science

History of the Telus World of Science 

In 1978 a group of Edmontonians began a new planetarium and science centre. The doors opened on a new universe of space science education and entertainment in 1984. This center is a place of learning and discovery for students, families, and any guests.

The Muttart Conservatory

The Muttart Conservatory is a beautiful garden to visit in Edmonton to see the natural areas from around the world in four pyramids, the Tropical Pyramid, Arid Pyramid, Temperate Pyramid and the Feature Pyramid.

The Arid Pyramid

The Temperate Pyramid

Christmas display in the Feature Pyramid

Fort Edmonton Park

Fort Edmonton Park is a historical site based on the Old Fort Edmonton trading post for the Hudson Bay Company. The Fort has old streetcars, a old railway, houses and shops that were part of the fort

The Streetcar Ride

West Edmonton Mall

West Edmonton Mall is the Largest Shopping Center in North America. It has 800 stores and 100 restaurants. The mall has an indoor amusement park called Galaxy Land, a large Water Park, a mini-golf course, and an ice rink.

Europa Boulevard in West Edmonton Mall

The World Water Park in West Edmonton Mall

Mini Golf Course in West Edmonton Mall

St.Albert Heritage Museum

The museum is located in the Douglas Cardinal designed St. Albert Place.  The museum's permanent exhibit tells the story of St. Albert from its beginnings as a missionary settlement to the City it has become today.  The permanent exhibit includes artifacts and archival material from the museums collections.


Here is a picture of one of the exhibits 

Mission Hill

Mission Hill was the first settlement in St.Albert by Father Lacombe, one of the earliest missionaries in the west, proclaimed Mission Hill home to the St. Albert mission settlement in 1861. Some sites to see on mission hill are the Father Lacombe Chapel and the St. Albert Catholic Parish. 

The Devonian Gardens

The University of Alberta Devonian Botanic Garden, established in 1959, is a stunning 190 acre property made up of manicured gardens, mixed woodland vegetation and an extensive nature trail system.Highlights of the Garden include the beautiful Kurimoto Japanese Garden, butterfly and cactus showhouses, ornamental flower gardens, alpine gardens, herb, sensory and healing gardens and more.

Here are some pictures of the garden.

Stony Plain Murals

The Murals Program was initiated in 1989 to preserve and celebrate our heritage. Since that time, the Town of Stony Plain has been recreating its history through an aggressive Murals Program. To date there are over 30 life-size murals, one six-foot statue of Sheriff Israel Umbach and 2 statues at Town Office, as a celebration of our Town's 100th Birthday in 2008. Magnificent outdoor paintings and sculptures, created by artists from across Canada, depict the rich history of our community. From early postal service to our first Town Sheriff to our aboriginal heritage Stony Plain’s legacy lives on through the art. An attraction that is ‘always open’ Stony Plain’s Murals are a unique way to take you back in time.

Here is a picture of one of the oldest murals.

The Perron District

The Perron District is an excellent intersection of cultural and trendy. Every Saturday in the summer until September, the St. Albert Farmers Market runs from 10AM to 3PM in this spot. Besides that, there are lots of small cafes (I recommend the gelato), some finer dining (Ric's Grill - an open air restaurant), and indie shops selling unique amenities. The farmers market is a thing of the past because it is not very common in most cities . Farmers market was when people in a town got together with there goods and sold them to one another this practice has been around since the late 1900's. The clock tower is an excellent example of the old architecture that can be found in the City of St.Albert. The different unique shops are an example of many towns in Alberta as they have a main street or special district where there are unique shops run by different independent owners not by big companies such as Walmart. 

Farmers Market 

The Clock tower

Shops in Perron District 

Introduction

The purpose of this blog is for Japanese students or other students to find sites and history around St. Albert    area. Also to provide some basic information about the History of Alberta.

Student Answers - Gr. 9

1. What was your experience as a student like from middle school to high school?

My experience as a student from middle school to high school was pretty average. Living in a small town, everyone kind of already knows each other. This makes things a lot easier.

2. What were some positives and negatives of school life?

A positive aspect of school life is that you don't just learn things from books. You also gain life experiences and learn things that can be used outside of work or school. You learn things like team work and patience. A negative is that sometimes some of the people there can influence you in a bad way. You never know if a peer/teacher is going to do something for the benefit of everybody, or for the benefit of only themselves.

3. Tell us some interesting stories about your school life.

The school I attend broadcasts its own television show. As somebody who is involved in computer graphics and audio/visual, I was involved of the production of the show. Basically, I was able to learn how to use all of the equipment, and learn how to run an actual television studio. It was lots of fun, and definitely a good experience.

4. How is high school and middle school different from schools in other countries?

I don't really know what aspects in Canadian Schools are unique from other schools, because I've never experienced life at another school outside of Canada, nor have I really travelled outside of the country.

5. What are some things that are important to Canadian students? What are some issues that exist in Canadian schools?

The values of Canadian students are going to vary based on the student you talk to. Personally, I believe that individual rights are important in schools. Freedom of speech, for example. Canada is a bilingual country, and I think that is a big issue in schools. Students being able to learn in their mother tongue is important. 

Answers to Alberta Student Questions Grade 11

1. I didn't have a very good school at all in grade seven so, for grade eight and nine, I went into a home schooling program where I was half time public school and half time home schooled. I was in a classroom where there were three grades and one teacher.
I go to a very good high school and, although grade 10 was a little tough for me to handle I have gotten better grades in grade 11 as I switched down to an easier stream in my classes.

2. I have always been good at school and have enjoyed it. But have not always been good at organization until my earlier middle school years.

3. I have a twin sister, so, in my grade 2 class we were in different classes and, we switched classes as an April fools joke. it lasted the whole first period before the ringing of the first bell. Then the teachers found out.

4.We in these school get July and August off as summer break and you can choose to go to a religious school or public school, online schooling and or home schooling.

5. some things Canadian students find important are fitting in by wearing fashionable clothes, our electronics which include cell phones, i-pods, etc.

The Multicultural Heritage Centre

The Multicultural Heritage Centre is a living Museum which reflects local history, Western Canadian pioneer life and much more!  Comprised of two historic buildings: the Old Brick School built in 1925 and the Oppertshauser House Built in 1910. There is a lot to see around the Multicultural Heritage Centre Museum.The Multicultural Heritage Centre's Archives, and Wild Rose Library contain collections reflecting local history and Western Canadian pioneer life. 

Here are some pictures of the Multicultural Heritage Centre 

The Pioneer Museum

The Pioneer Museum received its certificate of incorporation on April 10, 1992. On June 4, 1992 the donated Don Gray barn was moved onto the present property which was leased from the Stony Plain and District Exhibition Society. This building serves as the main display area, as well as providing the office/administration areas. Since that time a 3,000 square foot multi use facility has been added. Historical buildings moved to the site include the Brightbank United Church, the Baron barn, the Armbruster House, and the Seba Beach Cabin. In addition, considerable resources were put into improving the parking area to be used by both the Exhibition Society and the museum.Since inception, the museum has catalogued and displayed approximately 5000 artifacts. The artifacts range in size from large pieces of farm machinery to many smaller pieces which are 100 to 200 years old. Most of these items have been donated or loaned to the museum.


Here are some pictures of the museum.

The Library

The St. Albert Library  is a unique building as its architecture is quite different and abstract.

The first Library in St. Albert was a travelling collection operated by Susie Atkinson in the 1930s. Mrs. Atkinson would obtain books from the Department of Extension at the University and circulate them from her home or at various gatherings and meetings in the community.

From 1946 to 1967 the embryo library, under the initial sponsorship of the Women's Institute, had a number of homes, including the Farm Produce Office on Perron Street, Mr. Benoit's butcher shop, the Community Hall and the Town Hall. In 1961 the Town Council established a municipal library under the Provincial Libraries Act. In 1967 the St. Albert Public Library opened in its own building on Glenview Crescent. The rapid growth of the City soon rendered the building inadequate and a new library was included in the plans made in the late 1970s for a Civic and Cultural Centre. In March of 1982 the Library moved to an interim site at 31 Fairview Boulevard, and in December 1983, opened in St. Albert Place.

Inside the Library 

The Grain Elevator in Spruce Grove

The Grain Elevator was originally built by the Broxs brothers they had originally built five grain elevators however only one remains today as the others were destroyed by fires. The Grain Elevator has been turned into a small museum. As you can see how the old grain elevators operated. Also there is a farmers market held on the ground every saturday that sells special home made goods from food to clothing.

Here is a picture of the grain elevator

The Grain Elevator Park and Train Station

The St. Albert Grain Elevator Park features the 1906 Alberta Grain Company Elevator and the 1929 Alberta Wheat Pool Elevator, which were both designated as Provincial Historic Resources in January of 2007.The Grain Elevator Park is also home to the St. Albert Train Station and Visitor Centre.  Built in 2005, this station offers visitors a chance to stand on the platform of a replica 1920s train station.

Here is a picture of the grain elevators 

Here is a picture of the Train Station

St.Albert Catholic Parish

Fr. Albert Lacombe founded the St. Albert Mission in 1861, atop what is now St. Albert's Mission Hill on the current location of St. Albert Parish.
Read more...

Father Lacombe Chapel

In 1861, Father Albert Lacombe and his Metis helpers constructed a log building to serve the new St. Albert Roman Catholic Mission. This simple chapel, Alberta's oldest building, became the centre of the thriving French-speaking Metis settlement of St. Albert. Today the chapel has been restored to look much as it did in the early 1860s. Visit the crypt where Father Lacombe and Bishop Grandin are buried. Take a stroll through the cemetery, the resting place of some of St. Albert's first residents.

See pictures of the chapel below:

The Canadian Tractor Museum in Westlock

The Westlock & District Tractor Museum Foundation was formed in 1999 with the vision of developing a world-class museum in Westlock, Alberta dedicated to vintage tractors.There are more than two hundred fully-restored antique tractors owned by the museum and members of the Vintage Tractor Club.In 2006 the Foundation added a storage building for steam engines and extra tractors.

This facility enables our community to preserve a large part of the area’s rich farming history, and prevent the loss of local collections of historical significance to collectors in the United States and Europe.

This is a Picture of a really old tractor there are many others like this one there but different years and makes and models.

Legal Murals

There are over 30 murals proudly displayed around Legal, welcoming visitors to this bilingual town. Legal's strong cultural heritage has collaborated with the L'Association canadienne-française de l'Alberta régionale Centralta to bring this project to life. The town now flourishes with a wonderful display of murals. Tourists from around the world have come to Legal for a taste of Northern Alberta culture. 


Below is a picture of one of these murals (click to enlarge):

Introduction to Canadian Student Life - Interview Questions

1. What was your experience as a student like from middle school to high school?
2. What were some positives and negatives of school life?
3. Tell us some interesting stories about your school life.
4. How is high school and middle school different from schools in other countries?
5. What are some things that are important to Canadian students? What are some issues that exist in Canadian schools?