WELCOME TO ALBERTA!!


Welcome all BATW visitors!!
Debbie does a wonderful job taking us
to fascinating places around the world! Thank you so much!

So, grab a hot chocolate, or that second cup and enjoy the visit.
Here are some facts about the Province of Alberta,
part of western Canada, where we've lived for 37 years!



Thanks to Doris for this lovely winter scene! Didn't have my own!
It's winter here now but we do get the four seasons and they are beautiful.

Love this photo - thanks Evi!
The days are getting longer and soon we will have spring again!
The trees should have green leaves by Mother's Day!


Alberta's license plates read, WILD ROSE COUNTRY. Click on the rose to read more about it!

Alberta had it's centennial celebrations in September '05! We're still quite young! If a 21 year old had ten bucks to his name in 1905 he could buy 64 hectares - over 150 acres. Of course it had stipulations, but wouldn't that be fantastic nowadays. I'd even pay $1000.00, oh ok $10,000!

The province was named after the 4th daughter of Queen Victoria, Princess Louisa Caroline Alberta who had married the Governor General of Canada John Campbell. Lake Louise in the Canadian Rockies also bears her name, as does a town called Caroline.


20 Pieces of Trivia
  1. Only Saudi Arabia has more oil than Canada and almost all of it is found in Alberta. Check out the Fort McMurray link here. Tar Sands. Controversy. Trivia here.
  2. Edmonton, Alberta was the first city in North America to have light rail transit- LRT. We're watching the construction of the end of the line (for now) right from our 9th floor apartment window.
  3. Calgary's C-train, their LRT, is completely wind-powered and emission free!
  4. There is a Mindbender roller coaster in West Edmonton Mall, the biggest mall in Canada, the 3rd largest globally. The top loop is almost as high as the Statue of Liberty!
  5. Alberta has an animal forensics laboratory, the only one in the world. It's called the Neil Crawford Centre. It is also a great place for wedding photography!
  6. Alberta has the best overall weather in Canada - and yet many people complain about the heat in the summer, the cold in the winter, the shortness of spring and wetness of fall. Sure, some days are harder to take than others, but I love it here! For the winter months we can always migrate to someplace warm - if the budget allows!
  7. Cold-FX, the #1 cold and flu medicine in Canada was invented by CV Technologies in Edmonton.Haven't needed it yet this season! Thank you Lord!
  8. Untouched by glaciers during the last ice age are the Cypress Hills in southern Alberta.
  9. There is a UFO landing pad in St. Paul, Alberta. Star Trek fans may want to visit Vulcan, AB.
  10. The largest annual event in Canada is the Calgary Stampede. I'm just not into huge crowds and though I live in AB, have never attended the Stampede! My shame I know!
  11. Calgary hosted the 1988 Olympics - they were the first to make a profit I'm told. The world's largest Olympic Hall of Fame is in Calgary.
  12. A Calgarian was the father of Java programming language.
  13. Apparently at one time in Wetaskiwin on their Main St. it was illegal to tie a mare and a stallion together. Check out Wetaskiwin! They claim that cars cost less in their town, but we got a better deal in Steinbach, MB this summer!! Shameless plug for Toyota in that town!
  14. The first National Park in Canada is the Banff National Park. There are also Elk Island, Jasper, Waterton Lakes and Wood Buffalo National Parks in the province. Breathtaking scenery everywhere - any time of year!
  15. Lloydminster is the only city in the country that spans two provinces - Alberta and neighboring Saskatchewan. Sometimes gas is cheaper in one province not the other - must be fun! It's a good place for our first coffee-break at Tim Horton's on our way to visit family in Winnipeg!
  16. Snowmobiling's capital is Whitecourt. I always drove through there to visit our children in High Level. The Northern Lights are most spectacular up there! Maybe not like in Alaska or Finnland - but absolutely breathtaking!
  17. Alberta's legislative building in the capital city of Edmonton is situated prominently on the North Saskatchewan River, but during the construction there were problems with quicksand. Oops!!
  18. Check out our Travel Alberta site for fantastic vacation ideas and further information. No, I'm not getting paid for this advertising, lol! Gorgeous pictures! It's a huge resource site that I turn to often. We've lived here so long and still haven't seen every neck of the woods.
  19. The absolute best part about Alberta is that most of our immediate family lives here - two daughters and their families - with six of our 9 grandangels - and even some of the extended family. Our son and his family are living in Pennsylvania during their studies.
  20. For the past 23 years I've worked with seniors at Shepherd's Care Foundation and think of them as 'family' too. Age-in-place facilities for our seniors are a huge industry in Alberta and this organization has an excellent reputation.
I hope you have enjoyed my quick tour through our province!
Hope you have followed the links of your choice
and enjoyed them.
Here to finish it off is a tribute poem to Alberta
which I wrote many years ago.


ALBERTA

This land of opportunity
With rolling hills and mountains of sheer majesty
With prairie vistas as far as the eye can see,
Spectacular and splendid, Alberta is our home.

Where crystal springs rush cool and clean
With deep, dark forests, lakes of dazzling emerald green,
Where on the glorious plains the buffalo is seen,
Breathtaking and beautiful, Alberta is our home.

The pioneers of this great land
Have labored hard and long with strong and sturdy hand,
To build the prairie towns and all the cities grand.
Adventures ‘extraordinaire’ in our Alberta home.

This Wild Rose country vast and free,
Where oil provides abundance and prosperity,
We celebrate with great responsibility,
Alberta, this land of plenty, is our home.

Though different heritage be seen in every face
We live and love in brotherhood and harmony,
First Nations and a true mosaic of each race,
We cherish our diversity in our Alberta home.

No matter where we ever roam,
Alberta is the perfect place to call our home.
God bless our dear provincial family.
She has a bright and shining destiny.

Karin Ristau

55 comments:

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Interesting post, Karin. Thanks!!! Makes me want to take a trip NOW!!!! (Oh My--I have so many places on my list!!! ha)
Hugs,
Betsy

Sheryl said...

wow, you did a fantastic job! thanks so much.

Jackie said...

Wow, what a lot of work! The only place I've been in Canada is of course Niagara Falls. Alberta may be next after your completely thorough description. God bless you!

Vicki said...

Hey Karin! I had no idea Canada had that much oil! And I want to come ride that roller coaster, in your really short springtime :) So glad to see you here as I usually see you on BPOTW.

Unknown said...

Hey there mom!
I had no idea you were on the tour list for today!

Gombojav Tribe said...

One more fact about Alberta: My bestest friend moved there two years ago. She just had her first baby. And I miss her every single day.

I think I'm due for a visit to Alberta.

Julie said...

hi from BATW... that was so fun to read, thanks for the tour!

Trish said...

Alberta is on my list of places I want to visit!!!

Great post. So much fun and interesting facts.

Enjoy your BATW day!

Jodi said...

Thank you for the tour! I checked out the Travel Alberta link and there are great pics there.

illahee said...

what a great BATW tour! thanks!

Casey (@ Chaos and Cardboard) said...

Congrats on your BATW day! Thanks for the tour!

Louise | Italy said...

Well done, Karin, for stepping up at such short notice for Debbie. Alberta must be a great place to live. I've always said that Canada was on one of my top five places to live (after spending a winter in Nova Scotia one year). Your blog is great too - so full of joy. Bless you! Louise

Debbie said...

YOU DID A FABULOUS JOB!!! And you were worried....ha....THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! I learned so much...Alberta has always been one of those places "up there" to me ;) I love that it seems a little more familiar to me now!

Anonymous said...

I'm new to BATW and I loved reading this! I never knew Alberta had THAT much oil?

Anonymous said...

I had NO idea y'all had so much oil! Wowzers! We want to take our children to Quebec one day - we're studying French and it seems easier to go there instead of over to France. :D I've actually been to Canada once - back in high school. It was beautiful! I don't think I saw any trash anywhere!

Thanks for the tour! And for doing this so last minute.

Susie said...

Greetings from Wisconsin in the States. Congratulation on your BATW feature! I hope you enjoy your day in the sun:-)

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful and interesting post. Thanks. I enjoyed reading it.

Betty said...

I´m so glad you´re being featured today! You deserve lots and lots of comment love! :) Great post, I need to go to Alberta the next time I visit Canada!!

Elena said...

Such great facts! I need to visit Alberta someday and see more than just that mall I hear a lot about. :) Thanks for the tour today.

Joy said...

Karin, Hey what a surprise when I went to BATW and saw you as the feature Blooger! Congratulations. You know I'm already a fan and a follower, I enjoyed all the facts about your beautiful country. Your poem should be printed for all of Canada to read.
The pictures are beautiful.
♥Joy

Tamie said...

oooohhhh pretty!
i've actually been to calgary. i thought it was fabulously fun. and very canadien. :)
though, i must admit that i am a US of A-er through and through. some things that I thought should be the same down here in the states, and weren't i was sorely disappointed :) but that was close to ten years ago that i graced your country with my presence.
thanks for the triva and the lovely visit---now i think that i'll go and sip on my hot chocolate!

Frizzy said...

What a beautiful tour and visit. Thanks so much! Not a trekky but boy it would be fun to see that landing pad! Learned some very cool things! Would love to hear more about your work as I'm a Social Worker and most of my time has been spent working in Long Term Care and Alzheimers centers.

Melissa B. said...

What a great tour...I've never been up your way, and I'm thinking I'd better make the trip! Isn't BATW wonderful?

Ashley said...

Wow! Thanks for all the Canadian trivia! Congrats on your BATW feature!

Star Forbis said...

Beautiful! Thanks for the introduction to your little corner of the world.
Enjoy your day.

I Love Purple More Than You said...

As a native Floridian, my first experience with snow was in 3rd grade when we vacationed at the Banff Hotel in Alberta. Of course I got stuck in it up to my chest and had to be rescued by my dad.

Thanks for the awesome tour of Alberta! (visiting from Los Angeles)

Sally-Ann said...

Thank you for the tour! We went to Nova Scotia last October, but have never been to Alberta. Maybe next time!

McMahon Manifesto said...

Wow, even us lifetime Albertans have learned something from this post! So informative and interesting.

Katie said...

Wow Karin, you could write for Alberta's travel guide! It was so much fun to learn about your home.

Laural Out Loud said...

I've driven (or been driven) through Canada a few times, and it's just gorgeous! I'd love to live there. Thank you for such a great post! My mom recently told me about the oil thing- it's astonishing.

Lynda said...

Greetings from BATW and Texas! What a wonderful tour - I learned a LOT about Alberta - thank you for doing such a great job.

Sandy said...

Wow, that was a great post! Thanks for sharing:)

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the wonderful tour.

Anonymous said...

Fantastic post, lots of detail. I learned a lot. Thanks for that. People say that New Zealanders are very much like Canadians so you all must be nice people!

CaraBee said...

Great tour! Alberta sounds like an amazing place!

Michelle said...

Ahhh, Alberta -- and you didn't even mention the beef ;)

I can't believe you haven't ever been to the Stampede. It's so much fun! Have you ever made it "next door" to Spruce Meadows? That's a show!

Shannon said...

Thanks for the great tour and interesting trivia!

Enjoy your BATW day :)

Kimberly Pitman said...

Hi Karin! What a nice surprise to find you as our tour guide today. I just wish I was there to take the tour live and in person. I've never been to that part of Canada but know I would love it. Thanks for sharing with us.

(And thanks for stopping by today and encouraging us with your prayer.)

angie {the arthur clan} said...

What a lovely post you created on such short notice. You live in a beautiful place!

The poem you wrote about your country was amazing. You are very talented.

Wendy said...

Another BATWer visiting! Wonderful post -- I actually spent about 3-4 months in Edmonton a while back, and loved my experience there. You live in a beautiful place!

Thanks for sharing your corner of the world with us. ♥ Best wishes.

Lady Dorothy said...

Great post, my friend! You've definitely made me want to visit your part of the world. I would absolutely LOVE to see the Northern Lights, too!

Vickie said...

Hi, traveling from BATW.

I am surprised about the oil in Alberta. You pictures are lovely. I really like the winter photos.
The poem is lovely and I like your blog layout.

Anonymous said...

Coming in a day late from BATW.

Thanks for the marvellous tour! I loved your poem and the snowy photos... snow is magical!

Unknown said...

Lovely tour Karin! Thanks for sharing with us. What a lovely homeland you have. I wish I could visit that cool mall! :)
Lynnette

C. JoyBell C. said...

Your love for your dear province is evident, and very touching!

Thank you people over there for producing flu and cold medicine!

LOL!

Becky W said...

I have never been there but would love to! thank you for blessing us with this wonderful tour. Hope you had a great BATW day!

Anonymous said...

Beautiful, Karin!!

Thank you for sharing, and for your kind comments on my blog.

Blessings,

Rachel

Deb Burton said...

Thanks for the tour, but mostly thank you so much for your testimony and witness. Your love for God just shines through your words. God bless!

Denyse said...

What a beautiful blog...written by a beautiful person obviously. I've thoroughly enjoyed my tour!

The Muse said...

Lovely...but I am wanting spring...!

Great camera shots...you have a great eye!

Sarah said...

stopping over a little bit. I got stuck in a nasty Alberta clipper that has capture my home state of MN. We sure don't like when you send your blasts of arctic weather towards us. Anyway I enjoyed reading about the interesting facts. Canada is truly a beautiful country especially in the mountains. The pictures below of the snow are simply breathtaking.

Jenners said...

WOW! What a great tour of Alberta! Lots of interesting facts and love the photos! We owe a lot to the people of Alberta, I see, including the Java language or we might not be talking to each other so easily I think!

Lovely post! Seems like you put a lot of work and thought into it!

Great job!

Joyfulsister said...

Aloha from Hawaii!!
I really enjoyed your tour, I'm a lttle late but determined to get on the next ride over here lol. Besides coming from the Islands to Canada can be quite challenging. Thank you for sharing your home town with all of us.


Lorie

janetfaye said...

Thank you for the interesting BATW Tour!

Anonymous said...

I learned a lot from your list and I even lived in Alberta for a few years!