Walking Tours in St. Albert

The Bells

An interpreter led walk through St. Albert on a warm summer evening is the perfect way to discover the community, get some exercise and meet new people.  This past Thursday (August 11, 2011) our interpreter, Roy Toomey, led a group of 23 on a walk-ing tour of Mission Hill.  A great group of people and perfect summer weather made the evening a big success!        

                                                                                                                                                                                     

                                

 Interest in the history of St. Albert has been is growing and this season we are seeing a lot of new visitors, partly because it is the 150^th Anniversary of the founding of the St. Albert Mission.  

Father Lacombe Statue

On this particular evening we did not have time to go into downtown St. Albert, but the group visited the historical sites atop Mission Hill which include the Father Lacombe Chapel and Statue; the church bells of St. Albert (named Vitaline, Caroline, and Alexandrine); the crypt behind the Catholic Church where Fathers Lacombe and Leduc are buried on either side of the Blessed Bishop Grandin; the grotto, dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes; and finally the St. Albert Roman Catholic Cemetery, in which many important historical figures are buried. 

Tour participants, most of whom were local residents who had never been to the site, really enjoyed themselves.  Several people commented saying that they enjoyed the tour information and stories as well as the peaceful setting on Mission Hill (except for the mosquitos).  We hope our next tour will see another great turn out!  Come and join us, we look forward to showing you around!

Upcoming walking tour dates and times:

Saturday August 20, 2011 at 3pm - meet at the Musée Héritage Museum in St. Albert      

Thursday August 25, 2011 at 7:30pm - meet at the Father Lacombe Chapel on Mission Hill

                                 

A view of St. Albert from Mission Hill

July 24, 2011 in St. Albert

Sunday July 24, 2011 was a busy day in St. Albert as Founder's Walk officially 

opened and the Father Lacombe Chapel hosted "A Taste of the Past".  

The weather was perfect and many people walked up and down Seven Hills along the newly paved paths, stopping to read the historic panels along the way.


FATHER LACOMBE CHAPEL EVENT - "A Taste of the Past"

"A Taste of the Past" gives visitors the opportunity to taste things people would make and eat long ago.  This year the menu included bishop's pudding, apple scones, bannock, fried blueberries, pemmican, homemade cinnamon ice cream, raspberry butter, lemonade and spruce needle tea.

Tasting bishop's pudding while waiting for the ice cream to be ready.

Thanks to the Edmonton Weavers' Guild we had spinning and weaving demonstrations.

Everyone had the opportunity to watch or try using a spinning wheel at the event. 

The event included tours of Mission Hill.  Above one of our costumed interpreters talks about the chapel before taking visitors to the crypt, grotto and cemetery.

CELEBRATING ST. ALBERT HISTORY

  On July 23, 2011 we had the privilege of hosting local family members, as well as visiting family from outside the province, at the historic sites in St. Albert.  Many of the family members had travelled to be part of the family reunion weekend event.  There was a visit to Mission Hill and the Father Lacombe Chapel and a special presentation by the Heritage Sites Manager who spoke about the family home the Arts and Heritage Foundation is planning to restore.

 Fortunately the weather co-operated and everyone had the opportunity to see the building, inside and out!