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Edmonton
"City of Champions"
.. a feeling that's contagious
by
Jerry W. Bird
 At
the Edmonton Journal Daily Newspaper, my old
stomping grounds on the Banks of the North
Saskatchewan River (at the time) we rubbed
shoulders with many of the unique characters that
made up the fabric of the city. It will also be my
pleasure to tell you about some of Edmonton's
superstars, from aviation icons Grant McConachie,
Wop May and Max Ward to football and hockey legends
by the score in coming editions of Air Highways
Magazine. How can one help but love the city that
jump-started his career, was home for seven years
and a second home for much longer. No place I know
has such energy, or capacity to seize the moment.
Edmontonians have always
been a cocky lot, from their sports dynasties and
oil czars, to politics. Even the location is cocky
... perched regally on the North Saskatchewan
cliffs; its Upper Level bridge reaching from
Alberta's Legislature to the University area. And
who else has the audacity to build a shopping Mecca
that rates seven mentions in the Guinness Book of
World Records?
Speaking of highs and lows,
Edmonton's river valley, from Old Fort Edmonton to
the Conservatory and beyond, is a tourist
destination all by itself; golf courses and picnic
spots. Get out and stretch your legs; this is the
largest greenbelt of any major Canadian
city.
Edmonton as a boomtown? -
its archives tell of fur traders, riverboats, a
Klondike boom, a railway boom, a land rush, and
black gold that blew things sky high in '47.
Legendary bush pilots, who
opened up the North live again at Canada's Aviation
Hall of Fame. By the way, if you love to shop, or
hanker for genuine Alberta Prime Rib; there's no
provincial tax. And if I recall the jingle, "Your
credit is fine with Irving Kline." Beyond the
outskirts is Lake Wabamun (try saying that with
your mouth full), a popular camping spot. Edson and
Hinton are major stops en route to Jasper National
Park. East of Edmonton are some great places to
visit.
How do you get to Edmonton
by air? Check below:
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Air
Canada: 1-800-222-6596
Local Res: (780) 423-1222
Info.: (780) 423-1101
Web Site: www.aircanada.ca
(includes partners AirBC, NWT Air
and Central Mountain Air)
Alberta
Citylink: 1-800-222-6596
Local Res: (780) 423-1222
Air
Transat: (780) 890-7099
Contact a travel agent for
reservations.
Athabaska
Airways: 1-800-667-9356
Contact a travel agent for
reservations.
Canada 3000: (780) 890-4590
Web Site: www.canada3000.com
Canadian
Airlines: 1-800-665-1177
Info.: (780) 890-4290
Web Site: www.CdnAir.CA
(includes partners Canadian Regional and
Canadian North)
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Horizon
Air: 1-800-547-9308
Web Site: www.horizonair.com
(includes partner Alaska Airlines)
Lot
Polish Airlines: 1-800-668-5928
Web Site: www.lot.com
contact a travel agent for
reservations.
Martinair
Web Site: www.martinairusa.com
Northwest
Airlines: 1-800-225-2525
Web Site: www.nwa.com
Royal
Airlines: 1-800-361-6674
Contact a travel agent for more
information.
Sky
Service
Contact a travel agent for more
information.
SunWest
International
Contact a travel agent for more
information.
WestJet
Airlines: 1-800-538-5696
Info: (780) 890-8040
Web Site: www.westjet.com
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From
Edmonton along the Yellowhead Highway
Onions, Easter Eggs and Wild Roses
Yes Virginia, there
is a Lloydminster, Alberta and a
..Lloydminster,
Saskatchewan. That causes a kaffuffle when
..daylight
saving time rolls around. The town's Antique
..Museum
honors England's Barr Colonists, and when later on,
..you
see an onion-shaped dome or giant Easter egg on the
..horizon,
you know you're in Little Ukraine.
Vegreville
is .home
of the Ukrainian Pysanka Festival, with its fly-in
breakfast and 3 solid days of food and
fun.
Elk
Island National Park
A thatched-roof dacha houses the Ukrainian Folk
Museum. There's a fenced preserve, where over 400
buffalo roam, sharing the rolling hills and meadows
with moose, mule deer and elk. Poplar, spruce,
aspen and birch line a network of hiking trails,
and the lakes and sloughs teem with waterfowl.
Sandy Beach recreation area has a 9-hole golf
course. Alberta's emblem came from the wild roses,
which grew in this area along the old Victoria
Trail.
West of Edmonton is another
great vacationland, which includes Rocky Mountain
House and the famous Jasper National
Park.
Jasper
National Park and a Sunwapta Safari
The drive from
Edmonton to Jasper takes some time, but is well
worth it. And if you're prepared to spend a few
days, you can continue on through the park to
Banff. The Ice fields Parkway ranks among the
world's great highroads, with glaciers standing
like 100 icy sentinels. Jasper National Park begins
at The Columbia Ice fields, a marvel of nature with
the largest mass of ice in the Rockies. A fleet of
Snow coaches traverse the Athabaska glacier,
looking from a distance like ants on a giant
vanilla marshmallow sundae. This seventh wonder is
part of a formation that blanketed Canada for a
million years. The highway follows the Sunwapta
River, joining its cousin the Athabaska at Sunwapta
Falls. The hottest water on the entire drive
(54°C) is at Miette Hot Springs, near Jasper
Lake, and Punchbowl Falls. Don't worry, it's cooled
to a comfortable 39° in the swimming
pool.
.....Alberta's
other major internation
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