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Alberta / Central Canada / North America / Western Canada / Yukon
“Pic of the Week”, April 12, 2019: Flying to the Land of the Midnight Sun
I left for a 2 week vacation to the Yukon and Alaska last June 29th, just 8 days after the summer solstice. My flight departed Calgary at 9:45 pm just in time to enjoy a pretty sunset, which you can see below (photos are in sequentially arranged). There had been heavy rain that day and the clouds were starting to break apart as the sun dipped below the Rockies.
As we flew further north, the daylight seemed to be increasing, something I expected but still surprised me by how relatively bright it was. Soon the sun was above the horizon again, illuminating our plane’s engine. It only grew brighter the further north we flew.
We were scheduled to arrive in Whitehorse at …
Tagged Calgary, Land of the Midnight Sun, Whitehorse
“Pic of the Week”, January 25, 2019: Bow Valley Provincial Park
Alberta has a fine network of provincial parks (analogous to American state parks). One of these is situated just east of the Alberta Rocky mountains on the banks of the Bow River as it makes its way from Banff to Calgary and ultimately to Hudson’s Bay.
The park has several campgrounds which are very popular during the summer months. It provides excellent access to Banff and Canmore, and is also not that far from Calgary. The park also offers some easy hiking trails that provide a nice way to explore the terrain of the Rocky mountain foothills.
We parked at Middle Lake and explored many of the trails in the area — Middle Lake, Moraine and …
Jan 24, 2019
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“Pic of the Week”, April 6, 2018: The world’s largest TeePee, Medicine Hat
When you drive through the city of Medicine Hat in east-central Alberta, you’ll encounter an enormous steel structure on the western outskirts of the city. This is the Saamis Teepee, the city’s most prominent landmark. At 65.5 meters high, the Saamis Teepee is the tallest teepee in the world (about as tall as a 20 story building).
Originally built for the 1988 Winter Olympics, it was erected in McMahon Stadium in Calgary where it housed the Olympic Flame during the games. After the Olympics, the teepee was subsequently moved to Medicine Hat and erected here in 1991 due to the generosity and ingenuity of Amerigo (Rick) Filanti.
The Saamis teepee now stands on the edge of an old Blackfoot buffalo jump (place …
Apr 5, 2018
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.All Trips / Alberta / Car Culture / Central Canada / North America
Great Cars Along the Highway: 1959 Meteor Montcalm
A lovely 2 door hardtop beauty that is approaching 60 years of age! The Meteor was a Ford model that was built and sold only in Canada.
In the mid-1950s, Ford thought that to compete with General Motors (eg. with its Buick and Oldsmobile brands), it had to develop similar unique products. The plan affected Mercury by calling for the marque’s completely new platform and body design to differentiate it from Fords, beginning with the 1957 model year.
Eventually a 1960s trade agreement brought the US and Canadian auto manufacturing industry into alignment for cross-border production and trade. These unique Canadian models were axed.
(Click on thumbnails to enlarge, right arrow to advance)
Tagged 1959 Meteor Montcalm, Calgary, cars
“Pic of the Week”, July 1, 2017: Ballooning over Calgary
Stepped out of my home on my way to work early one morning and was surprised to see this hot-air balloon floating over the roof-tops. Not a common site and as good as a jolt of caffeine in waking me up.
Jun 30, 2017
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.All Trips / Alberta / Central Canada / North America
Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance! A Day at Calgary’s Ukrainian Festival
One of the many things I enjoy about summers in Canada are the large number and variety of ethnic festivals held around the country. Like the United States, Canada has derived much of its character from its many immigrant groups. People are encouraged to celebrate their heritage, culture and traditions, while become part of the national melting pot.
If you’re interested in learning more about the culture of a country, visiting one of these festivals is an excellent way to take a “mini-trip” to that destination. This year I wanted to explore somewhere I’d never been to before, so decided to stop by the Calgary Ukrainian Festival. Over a weekend, the large Ukrainian community of the city presented a great celebration …
Tagged Calgary, Ukrainian Featival
“Pic of the Week”, January 13. 2017: A Frosty Morning in Calgary
The Canadian prairies are rather dry, especially during the winter months. There’s not much precipitation and humidity is often very low, cracking skin and boosting the sale of epidermal moisturizers. It’s so dry that at times snow actually evaporates — not melts, evaporates. There are rare occasions when it’s a little more humid and even rarer occasions when everything works together to give you the amazing spectacle of Hoar frost.
Hoar frost (aka hoarfrost or radiation frost) refers to white ice crystals, deposited on objects such as branches, leaves and wires. These crystals form by condensation of water vapor to ice on cold, clear nights. Sometimes the hoar frost is so heavy it resembles snow, except that when you look at carefully, these …
Jan 11, 2017
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.All Trips / Alberta / Food / North America / Western Canada
Calgary Farmer’s Market
Farmer’s markets in regions that have four seasons are, as you’d expect, different in character than those you find in tropical climates. Harvest is seasonal, so the best times to visit them is during the summer and early fall. Many Farmers’ markets in North America are only open during the summer months, shuttering for the winter. But not so for the larger markets in big cities.
Those markets that are open all year round need to adapt to the changes in the season. Most will be in an enclosed building which can be heated when needed (and which keeps you dry and cool in the summer, too). The local produce in the winter season is much more limited and includes produce …
Tagged Calgary, farmer's market, food, Market
