While chatting with my son at his residence in Dawson Creek, British Columbia (BC), I asked him how far we were to the neighboring province of Alberta. He said, “Only about an hour’s drive away.” With that reply, the insatiable tourist in me emerged once again, so we planned to visit Alberta’s nearby cities, just to have a look at what tourist attractions they offer.
Named after the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria, the province of Alberta, which is in Western Canada, could easily become a nature lover’s favorite as it is filled with mountains, pine tree forests, and rich mineral deposits. It has a total of 600 lakes, all Instagramable from any angle. You will also find an abundance of wild roses all over the province which is why, sometimes, it is called “Wild Rose Country.”
It is home to six UNESCO World Heritage Sites: The Canadian Rockies, which is a mountain range that spans BC and Alberta; Dinosaur Provincial Park, which has fossils of about 35 species of dinosaurs dating back to around 75 million years; and, Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, which shows layers of American Bison bones, representing around 6000 years of their existence in the area.
There are also the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, which is exceptionally rich in plant and mammal species; Wood Buffalo National Park, which is the largest national park in the country at 44,741 square kilometers; and Writing-On-Stone Provincial Park, which has a diverse natural landscape and, contrary to its name, writing or leaving marks on the stone walls is considered vandalism and is illegal, therefore, punishable by law.
Unfortunately, all these six World Heritage Sites were too far to drive to. I was also thinking of visiting Edmonton, the capital of the province, but the six-hour drive going there and another 6 hours coming back would be too exhausting for the driver. So, we settled for what was within an hour’s drive from Dawson Creek.
Beaverlodge is a small town right after the border between BC and Alberta. People who drive through the main highway always make a stopover in this town because, right at its center, there is a giant statue of a beaver. Of course, we were no exception. As to the statue’s historical or cultural significance, nobody could tell us. All we know is that it makes a very good backdrop for photo ops.
But one thing that this town impressed me with was, in spite of its very small population (approximately 4000), it has its own Arts and Cultural Center. Unfortunately, since we were there on a Sunday, it was closed.
Next stop was the bigger city of Grande Prairie, which has a population of approximately 70,000 and is one of Canada’s fastest-growing cities. The city’s official symbol is the Trumpeter Swan, as shown in its welcome billboard because it is near the migration route and summer nesting grounds of this bird. They were also able to discover, in the areas north and west of the city, fossils of dinosaurs. The city’s dynamism is caused by its booming industries which include oil and gas, agriculture, and food services.
But the reason why people from the neighboring cities of BC and Alberta drive to Grande Prairie is its shopping malls. Prairie Mall, with about 80 establishments, is the largest indoor retail shopping center in the region. There is also South 40 Shopping Center, and the Prairie Ridge Centre, all contributing heavily to the city’s coffers. In fact, my son and his family drive to this city every month to buy their household and wardrobe needs.
On our way back to BC, we passed by Swan Lake which has nine campsites with picnic tables and fire pits. While driving towards the area, I was imagining a body of water with regal-looking white swans floating around, like what we see in the movies or on TV. I had my camera ready and was planning to take many photos from different angles. Alas and alack, there were none. Instead, a throng of children and their parents were happily enjoying the summer weather, splashing around. I could see adults around 100 meters from the shore but the water was only up to their breast, which makes the lake attractive to non-swimmers.
We arrived back home, still with the sun up (the sun sets at 9:00 p.m. during summer) and it was a day well spent. Next time, I will probably want to drive farther and see more of Wild Rose Alberta.
YOUR MONDAY CHUCKLE:
OVERHEARD: A blonde explained to her friend why she was late — “I was trapped on the escalator for hours because my office building’s power went out!”
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