Just off of King Street, there is a place, a living museum, where Canadian Heritage is the rule of the day. It is quite the place, and reminds me of the park in Salt Lake where some of the pioneer buildings and dwellings have been used to recreate a vision of the valley in the days of Brigham Young. I do not remember the name of the park, but I think it is Heritage Park also. This is the biggest day of the year for the volunteers at the park, and many of them dress in period costumes and share memories of the past.
I remember as a young man thinking, "I wish this would end so I can go see my friends." I wish I had paid more attention to some of the details from the lives of the people very dear to me that have since passed on, and so now I can only lament over lost opportunities to capture a portion of their wisdom and vision.
The boat in the background is an old steamer used to transport mostly goods (read pelts, raw maple syrup, and diamonds) or people (read trappers, miners, first nations people) up and down the Athabasca River between Fort McMurry and Edmonton. These boats only plied the cargo or passengers between sets of rapids of water falls, where everything had to be portaged by the passengers and few crew from one boat to another. Makes on glad that there is a paved highway now, even if it is only two lanes. Here, the honored guests arrive for the festival in the park.
How about a little lawn hockey. See the "rink"in the background? It is based on a sheet of plywood, and the hockey sticks have had the blades removed. You are required to get the puck through the small holes into the "goal," another small hole in the end board, more than your opponent. It is not easy, but it is fun. (and if the opponent is unruly, it helps to have a good stick in your hands)
Lockie watches as his Dad beats me in our game. We were gentlemen, and managed to not have any fights in our contest. The same cannot be said for the other contestants.
Dudley (as in Do Right) or Studley (as in the guy on the right)
One of the activities was to make your own maple candy. You start with a reduction of real maple syrup, pour it into the fresh snow to cool, roll it onto a stick to make it easier to handle, and eat it to impress on the children watching how to eat sans manners. I love the look on Lockie's face.
Isn't this a great way to carry things like backpacks, trinkets, children and babies?
Yes, if you look inside the blankets, there is an 8 week-old baby deep inside there. He did not seem to mind the weather, and his brother did not seem to mind him tagging along. You might think it looks cold outside, and you might be right, if -5 C is cold, but it beats the -20 C at this time last year.
Lockie, who likes to wrestle with his dad at the end of the day, has a new weapon in his arsenal now. When Shiloh gets home from work, Lockie calls-out his dad for a "throw down" by saying, "Show me what you got." Shiloh is now worried about how his shins will hold up to the new wooden Skinning knife.
In the cabin that houses the artifacts from the First Nations People in the park, we ran into this man. He was telling us about how he remembers his mother making moccasins, and "tinkle dresses" (traditional women's clothing with bells sewn on to warn the bears of the approach of humans) His father was a trapper, and made about $35,000 for a single musk ox hide in about 1929. We also saw tools fashioned from ox or moose bones, and snow shoes laced with raw hide.
This stove is a relatively new appliance for the native exhibit. Our guide brought it down from Fort Chipewyan, about 500 kilometers north from here. We plan to go for a visit this winter after the ice road is completed, and the first wave of trucks makes the journey north.
Barb, Shiloh, and Lockie in front of one an old Catholic Mission church here.
Some history about the old mission church.
Joseph found his new cool ride.
Sam covering up because it is cold, not because they are sitting at the south end of the north bound horses.
See the pretty lady from behind the camera? Joseph is the guest photographer for this shot.
I remember as a young man thinking, "I wish this would end so I can go see my friends." I wish I had paid more attention to some of the details from the lives of the people very dear to me that have since passed on, and so now I can only lament over lost opportunities to capture a portion of their wisdom and vision.
The boat in the background is an old steamer used to transport mostly goods (read pelts, raw maple syrup, and diamonds) or people (read trappers, miners, first nations people) up and down the Athabasca River between Fort McMurry and Edmonton. These boats only plied the cargo or passengers between sets of rapids of water falls, where everything had to be portaged by the passengers and few crew from one boat to another. Makes on glad that there is a paved highway now, even if it is only two lanes. Here, the honored guests arrive for the festival in the park.
How about a little lawn hockey. See the "rink"in the background? It is based on a sheet of plywood, and the hockey sticks have had the blades removed. You are required to get the puck through the small holes into the "goal," another small hole in the end board, more than your opponent. It is not easy, but it is fun. (and if the opponent is unruly, it helps to have a good stick in your hands)
Lockie watches as his Dad beats me in our game. We were gentlemen, and managed to not have any fights in our contest. The same cannot be said for the other contestants.
Dudley (as in Do Right) or Studley (as in the guy on the right)
One of the activities was to make your own maple candy. You start with a reduction of real maple syrup, pour it into the fresh snow to cool, roll it onto a stick to make it easier to handle, and eat it to impress on the children watching how to eat sans manners. I love the look on Lockie's face.
Isn't this a great way to carry things like backpacks, trinkets, children and babies?
Yes, if you look inside the blankets, there is an 8 week-old baby deep inside there. He did not seem to mind the weather, and his brother did not seem to mind him tagging along. You might think it looks cold outside, and you might be right, if -5 C is cold, but it beats the -20 C at this time last year.
Lockie, who likes to wrestle with his dad at the end of the day, has a new weapon in his arsenal now. When Shiloh gets home from work, Lockie calls-out his dad for a "throw down" by saying, "Show me what you got." Shiloh is now worried about how his shins will hold up to the new wooden Skinning knife.
In the cabin that houses the artifacts from the First Nations People in the park, we ran into this man. He was telling us about how he remembers his mother making moccasins, and "tinkle dresses" (traditional women's clothing with bells sewn on to warn the bears of the approach of humans) His father was a trapper, and made about $35,000 for a single musk ox hide in about 1929. We also saw tools fashioned from ox or moose bones, and snow shoes laced with raw hide.
This stove is a relatively new appliance for the native exhibit. Our guide brought it down from Fort Chipewyan, about 500 kilometers north from here. We plan to go for a visit this winter after the ice road is completed, and the first wave of trucks makes the journey north.
Barb, Shiloh, and Lockie in front of one an old Catholic Mission church here.
Some history about the old mission church.
Joseph found his new cool ride.
Sam covering up because it is cold, not because they are sitting at the south end of the north bound horses.
See the pretty lady from behind the camera? Joseph is the guest photographer for this shot.
2 comments:
I enjoy reading about all your Canadian adventures. And yes, she is a very pretty lady and it is fun to see her smiling at us at the old-fashioned Christmas Tree lot. Hope Sam is looking better after his tangle with the rose bush! Ouch!
Love seeing pictures of you mom! You guys look like you're having a great time! I especially like the idea of sledding an 8wk. baby around- must free up the arms for some good shopping!
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