Take a break from the assembly and see Edmonton

Circle of Trade Show Guide Supplement

Page 17

Wondering what to do and see while you're in Edmonton? Of course, there's always the mall, but if you're looking for something else, here's a list of events and attractions that you might want to consider.

The Edmonton Queen

If you'd like to see the city from a different vantage point, you might want to make your way down to Rafter's Landing in the river valley, and book passage on the Edmonton Queen riverboat, owned by the Lesser Slave Lake Indian Regional Council.

The Edmonton Queen is a 170-foot paddlewheeler that can accommodate up to 375 passengers. It sails the North Saskatchewan River three times a day from Tuesday to Thursday with two leisure cruises and one dinner cruise. On Friday and Saturday a midnight cruise is added to the schedule. On Sunday there is a brunch cruise, a family time cruise and a dinner cruise offered.

For more information about the Edmonton Queen or to make a reservation, call 780-424-BOAT (2628). You can also find out more about pricing and schedules online at www.edmontonqueen.com.

Muttart Conservatory

Another attraction you'll find in the city's river valley is the Muttart Conservatory. The conservatory, with its four glass pyramids, is easy to spot among the valley's lush green grasses and rolling hills, and a trip to the facility will be a treat for anyone with an interest in plants.

Opened in 1976, the pyramids house more than 700 different species of plants from arid, temperate and tropical climates.

The Muttart Conservatory also has something to offer art fans as well. In the centre atrium you will find a mural painted by Alex Janvier. The Great Cycle of Life mural, painted by Janvier when the Muttart was first built, encircles the room, beginning on the atrium's south wall with the sun and with birth, and carrying on its depiction of growth, of change, of challenges, until it ends on the east wall with death and all energy returning to the sun to continue the cycle.

The conservatory is open to the public weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekends. Admission is $5.50 for adults, $3 for children 2 to 12, $4.50 for seniors and youth, and $17 for a family.

The Muttart Conservatory is located at 9626-96 A Street. For more information, call 496-8747, or visit the conservatory Web site at www.edmonton.ca /muttart.

Fort Edmonton Park

Stepping foot into Fort Edmonton Park is like stepping back in time. Canada's largest historical park, Fort Edmonton Park allows visitors to experience what life was like in Edmonton during four different periods-the 1846 era, the 1885 era, the 1905 era and the 1920 era-tracing the city's growth from a fur-trading post to a booming post-First World War community.

Interpreters in period dress are on hand to help visitors experience the past, as they visit buildings from the era and take part in activities specific to the time.

During the summer, the park, located at the corner of Fox Drive and Whitemud Drive, is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

For more information about Fort Edmonton Park, call 780-496-8777, or visit the park's Web site at www.edmonton.ca/fort.

Provincial Museum of Alberta

A trip to the Provincial Museum of Alberta is something else you might want to add to your to-do list while in Edmonton. In addition to the ever-popular bug room, the museum boasts the largest collection of mounted birds in Canada, and an impressive geology collection. You can also get a sneak peak at what will soon be the museum's newest gallery, Wild Alberta, which replaces the habitat gallery that has been on display at the museum for more than three decades.

Visitors to the museum can also visit the Syncrude Gallery of Aboriginal Culture, a permanent exhibition that uses Aboriginal interpreters and a combination of film, sound, light and more than 3,000 artifacts to trace the history of the province's Aboriginal people from the end of the Ice Age through to the present da.

The museum is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday to Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday. For more information, call 780-453-9100, or visit the museum's Web site at www.pma.edmonton.ab.ca.

Powwow Trail

If you're planning on arriving in Edmonton a few days early, or sticking around for a while after the Assembly of First Nations gathering and tradeshow, you might want to head out of town a little ways and take in the activities on some of Edmonton's neighboring First Nations.

The Ermineskin powwow will be held in Hobbema on July 4, 5 and 6, while Alexis First Nation and Enoch Cree Nation will both hold their annual powwows on July 11, 12 and 13. Cold Lake First Nation will also be holding its treaty days from July 11 to 13.

You can get more information about the Ermineskin powwow by calling 780-585-3741, the Alexis powwow at 780-967-4878, and the Enoch powwow by calling 780-470-470-4505. For information abut the Cold Lake treaty days, call 780-594-7183.

If you're interested in traveling to the southern part of the province, the Kainai Indian Days powwow and rodeo will take place in Stand Off from July 18 to 20, and Tsuu T'ina Nation will host its annual powwow and rodeo July 25 to 27. For more information about Kainai Indian Days, call 403-737-3753. For information about Tsuu T'ina powwow, call 403-281-4455.

And, of course, there's always the Calgary Stampede, billed as the greatest outdoor show on earth, which runs from July 4 to 13, and Edmonton's own Klondike Days, July 17 to 26.