1. Founding Father
It’s a misconception that St. Albert was named after St. Albert the Great – a saint known as one of the most universal thinkers during the Middle Ages. This tidbit of local folklore wasn’t corrected until the mid 1980s (well after a statue had been erected of said saint which still stands today!). The city was actually founded in 1861 by Father Albert Lacombe who started by building a small chapel and the moniker was likely a tribute to St. Albert of Louvain.
You can still visit the original chapel located on the north side of Mission Hill from June through to September – it’s the oldest building in Alberta and is now a Provincial Heritage Site.
2. Take a Hike
Part of St. Albert’s charm is definitely all the green space that intersects streets, homes and commercial spaces – but did you know there’s nearly 100 km of trails connecting the parks and neighbourhoods in the Red Willow Trail System?
While you likely won’t be exploring the entire trail system in one trip, you can use their handy trail map which provides start and stop locations, as well as distances for each leg so you can plan your hikes accordingly.
St. Albert is also one of Canada’s nine Tree Cities (along with Edmonton, Guelph, Halifax, Regina, Surrey, Thunder Bay, Toronto and Whitby), an international recognition by The Arbor Day Foundation and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations for having over 65,000 trees!
3. A Tour Through History
Museums and art galleries may be closed to the public (or with limited access), but you can still visit the over 250 pieces of art that make up the city’s impressive public art collection that started in the 1970s.
From pottery to paintings and sculpture to fibre arts, take a virtual tour of each piece located throughout the city. With descriptions and additional information on each piece and artist, you can take your time as you marvel and learn all from the comfort of your own home.