A Long Weekend in Edmonton

Although I call North America my home, before this past week I had never actually traveled to Canada. Isn't that strange, seeing as it is so close?! I think it is very common for a lot of Americans to never go visit our northern neighbors, but I wasn't satisfied with leaving Canada a mystery.

Before this trip, I pictured Canada as being very similar to the United States, but I wasn't sure if I was right. Would the stores be the same? The landscape? What is their currency even like? As I became very close friends with two of my coworkers in Istanbul, who are both Canadian, I became more and more curious about their homeland. I also really enjoy getting to know my friends better by visiting where they have grown up and learning more about their home culture. So, my sister and I decided to make a "sister trip" of it and spend a week with friends in the great land of maple syrup!

Our first stop on our trip to Canada was a long weekend spent in Edmonton, Alberta. 

As we arrived in Edmonton, I thought about how similar and different it is from Atlanta, my home city. Homes and buildings were close enough together in the community for there to be a good public transportation system and a light rail, yet it had the quiet feel and greenery of a small city. Between the city center and the airport lay huge fields of canola, which are small yellow flowers whose plants are later used for making cooking oil. It was beautiful.

All of Canada was originally populated by Native Americans, who are referred to as First Nations in Canada. The first Europeans to move into Edmonton built a fort and started to trade with the natives in order to obtain beaver pelts. These beaver pelts were used to make hats in Europe that were quite popular with some of the aristocrats and royals. How do I know all of this? Because of Fort Edmonton Park. 

On our first day in Edmonton, we visited Fort Edmonton Park, where my friend had volunteered and worked during school and university. Fort Edmonton is a great heritage site, with replicas of buildings and streets of Edmonton's history. We took the (real) train through the park to the back area, where the replica of the original fort is built. In the fort area, which represents Edmonton in the 1840s, we walked through living quarters, trading rooms, and the main household of the fort. While there, we talked with interpreters (volunteers and workers who can share about the era they represent) about the history and stories of Edmonton in the 1840s. The interpreters were able to answer many of our questions, and they were very enthusiastic about the history of Edmonton and Canada. 

As we walked towards the front of the park, we traveled through time, getting to walk down streets that represented ages of settlement and industrialization of Edmonton. As well as replicas, the park houses many original buildings that have been restored to their original beauty. In addition, artifacts and antiques (such as some really cool fire trucks and cars) are housed on site. We even got to ride a real street car!

I learned so much about Edmonton's history through visiting Fort Edmonton Park, and it was a very valuable part of our experience in Edmonton because it helped us appreciate all that has gone into building this wonderful city.

Our second stop in Edmonton was the Edmonton Heritage Days. This long weekend of events occurs once a year and houses tents representing the various cultures and nationalities of Edmonton's citizens. What a treat to walk the world in a weekend! We enjoyed taking pictures with various global landmarks (Eiffel Tower and Tower of Pisa miniatures were our favorite), and getting to try delicious food from so many different places. There were 100 countries represented, and the costumes and decorations from all of them were a sight to behold. I was amazed at how international the community in Edmonton is and how well people preserve their heritage while also being Canadians. 

We visited Edmonton in late summer, but we were able to drive past some areas where skiing opens up during the many months of snowy winter in Alberta. We heard from our friends that it is a wonderful area to visit in winter to ski, and we believe it! 

I really enjoyed our long weekend in Edmonton, mostly because I was able to visit with my friend and her family, but also because we were able to spend time learning about Edmonton's history and culture through visiting Fort Edmonton Park and the Edmonton Heritage Days Festival. Edmonton is a vibrant city and a wonderful place to visit in Alberta. 

Thanks to Nicola and her family for sharing their home and heritage with us! We love you guys!

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