St. Albert Takes a Bite out of Local History at the Father Lacombe Chapel!

Daisy churns some home-made ice-cream!

                 Sunday July 21, the Father Lacombe Chapel interpreters and volunteers welcomed over three hundred visitors to Mission Hill, in St. Albert, and dared them to taste food cooked by the interpreters at their annual ‘Taste of the Past’ event. 

        The interpretive team prepared historic recipes, some of which have fallen by the wayside, like Bishop’s Pudding, while others showed visitors a glimpse of how things were done in the past by making home-made ice cream. 

      Two interpreters, Leila and Brett, even made raspberry butter by hand in the days leading up to the event.  Other tasty treats included lemonade, cornmeal muffins, fried blueberries, baked bannock and, the newest addition to our line-up, borscht. All the food bowls were empty by 5 pm so the interpreters must have done something right!

Jane gives a tour of the chapel to guests

    

 The site was also pleased to welcome two volunteers from the Edmonton Weaver’s Guild. These two demonstrated how to use a spinning wheel and offered eager visitors the chance to try their hand at making yarn. Although the spinners made it look easy, anyone that tried spinning found out it is much harder than it looks! This year was the third year we have had the spinners at the event and, at this point, it’s hard for us to imagine the event without them. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank our other volunteers from the AHF, Shari, Sharon and Ann, who helped the event run smoothly.

Leila is interviewed by CTV news!

Daisy, Sharon and Leila demonstrate the delicious ice cream making process

As in previous years, the Father Lacombe Chapel accepted donations for the Food Bank. This year, visitors truly outdid themselves and dropped off a staggering 140 pounds of non-perishable food and over $80 at the collection point at the entrance. The generosity of our visitors continues to astound us, thank you all so much!

Sonia waits in the chapel for incoming visitors

Great turnout for Canada Day!

It was a hot and humid Canada Day for 2013, that was well attended at all the Heritage Sites of St. Albert.

There were over 600 attendees at the St. Albert Grain Elevator (SAGE) Park, where visitors took tours of the grain elevators, participated in craft activities, and took a ride on our newest addition, Little Obie the CN Safety Train.

Little Obie, the very popular CN safety train that took people on tours

Also popular were our cakes in the shape of the Union Jack and Canadian flags

Our tours at SAGE, Father Lacombe Chapel and the Little White School were well received by the public.

At the Little White School, over 230 visitors enjoyed our Maple Leaf cookies and participated in the "Great Canadian Flag Debate Contest." The contest helped visitors explore the real Canadian Flag debate that occurred in 1964, when Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson created a committee of 15 members to debate and decide on a new national flag for Canada. There were some 3,500 flag designs submitted by Canadians, with George Stanley's iconic design being chosen by the committee to become the Canadian Flag that we all know today. The new Canadian Flag was officially proclaimed by Queen Elizabeth II in January 1965.
Our "Great Canadian Flag Debate Contest" asked visitors to submit their own designs for a Canadian Flag, with consideration to what Canada meant to them. We received many intriguing designs, including flags with such symbols as mountains, wild rose flowers, and hockey! We eventually narrowed it down to the following winners in four categories: ages 6 and under, ages 7-9, ages 10-12, and ages 13 and up, respectively.

Thank you to all who spent Canada Day with us and to all of our staff and volunteers who helped make the festivities possible.

Transforming Tradition

Musée Héritage Museum is proud to present "Transforming Tradition: Contemporary Aboriginal Artists Re-envision Traditional Crafts". The artists participating in this exhibit all share a deep connection to the traditional craftwork of their cultures, such as Cree, Blackfoot, Sioux, Dene and Métis.

Patricia Piché – Ladies Jingle Dress, 1978

Rhonda Paul – Ladies’ Traditional Dance Cape

Working with such materials as hide, beads, feathers, fish scales, textiles and other media, the artists take those traditions and layer them with their own contemporary visions. Contemporary twists can be seen in all the pieces through choices in colour, materials and patterns. The exhibit artists include Melissa-Jo Belcourt Moses, Alaynee Goodwill, Carmen Miller, Rhonda Paul, Patricia Piché, Carolyn Wagner, Charlotte York, and Holly Yuzicapi.

Patricia Piché – Cloth Coat, 2013

Children's clothing and toys

Please join us for our opening reception on July 4 at 7pm. This exhibit will be open to the public until August 25.

Rhonda Paul – Coat, 2010, Patricia Piché – Ladies Fancy Dance Cape, 1976, Patricia Piché – Women’s Blanket Coat, 2010

SAGE: Victoria Day Weekend and Opening for a New Season!

  
    May Long weekend 2013 brought sunny skies, 

blooming earth and tourists to us at the St. Albert Grain Elevator site.  We've had a slow start to each morning, but sure enough happy and relaxed tourists always arrive with the afternoon sun! 
  On Saturday we had a wedding party take pictures with the majestic grain elevators.  We also had a visit from the Conlin family, and enjoyed the company of Marcella's puppy Mischief.  What a lovely long weekend!   

        

Mischief!

  With breaks from tours, we successfully planted the   vegetable garden on Sunday and patiently waited for    rain.  We were all delighted by the sprinkle on Monday afternoon, but still are crossing our fingers for more!

   Marcella also baked a cake on Monday so we could properly (in the best old fashioned way) celebrate Victoria Day weekend.  Her sponge cake was  delectable!  Our guests seemed to  enjoy it. 

      

    On Monday we also enjoyed a quick visit from a horticultural writer from Ontario touring St. Albert.  Hopefully our gardens are up to her standards!

Sydney and Me! (Danielle)

With a successful opening weekend behind us, we're really looking forward to more sunshine and visitors all season long!

If you are in St. Albert on July 1, 2013 join us at the St. Albert Grain Elevator Park for our annual "Dominion Day" celebration from 11am til 4pm. 

For more information about what is happening at our heritage sites on Canada Day visit www.museeheritage.ca

- Danielle 

140th anniversary of the North-West Mounted Police

The North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) were established by a act passed by the Dominion of Canada on May 23, 1873 to serve the Northwest Territories. Their formation was prompted by the need to stop liquor trafficking from the United States and the need for the government to establish their presence in the Northwest Territories. The Force came into existence on August 30, 1873, when the the act was brought into effect.

The old St. Albert NWMP barracks in the early 1900s.

St. Albert acquired a detachment of the NWMP in 1888, including the construction of the St. Albert NWMP barracks on St. Anne Street.

The NWMP earned an honourable reputation in the St. Albert area. In 1892, the detachment added to their barracks with the purchase of an adjacent lot from David Chevigny. The recommendation made by the Minister of Public Works to purchase the site from David Chevigny can be seen at: http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/orders/001022-119.01-e.php?&sisn_id_nbr=49482&page_sequence_nbr=1&interval=20

The skating rink located on St. Anne Street, ca. 1920-1940.  The former NWMP barracks in the background was used as a place to change skates and to warm up.

The police detachment was closed around 1908 and the barracks became the town office, most likely due to St. Albert's proximity to the new headquarters in Edmonton, and due to St. Albert becoming a town in 1904 and hiring its own municipal constable.

Alfred Arcand, who came west with the North West Mounted Police and settled in the St. Albert area in 1880. Seen here in a new RCMP uniform for the Father Lacombe statue unveiling, September 1929.