Where the Rivers Meet

21 août 2017 16:11 Published by Gillian Stauffer Laisser vos pensées

In my first blog I mentioned I wanted to talk about the Whitecourt area. My family moved here nine years ago, and I’ve I really grown fond of this place. Not only do we boast one of last years “Canada’s best restroom” for those travelling through (haha), but there’s some really great perks to living in this forestry driven town.

First off, for families, there is Rotary Park in downtown Whitecourt. The park has two river slides, leading into the pond, that you can take a inner tube down. The pond has walking paths around it, showing off a 360 view of the tall fountain coming out of the pond. There’s also soccer fields, a huge playground, and a spray park. Every year the town throws an event called “Party in the Park” where there’s games, concerts, and tons of other stuff to do. It’s a great asset to the community and everyone seems to really enjoy themselves.

Rotary Park Pond

River slides going into the pond

Next there’s Hardluck canyon. This place is gorgeous! Waterfalls, walking paths, and information bulletins on the flora and fauna in the area make it a great place for a picnic or just taking in some natural beauty. It’s always a nice place to go for some exercise.

Hard Luck Canyon Waterfall

What might surprise some people is that Whitecourt is actually home to a meteor crater site. It was found in 2007 and although it’s protected for research, some people have found remnants on crown land outside the protected buffer.

I live in the “hilltop” part of Whitecourt and right by my house is a green area called “Centenial Park”. The park is a huge space left mostly natural that has various walking trails throughout. It’s the best place to go for a jog or bike ride, in my opinion!

You definitely would love living here if you’re a snowmobiler. As Alberta’s snowmobile capital, the town in surrounded by multiple trails. The Whitecourt Trailblazers snowmobile club actually broke a world record in 2015 for hosting the largest snowmobile parade. 1,044 riders got together and tool part in the parade! Also, there is actually a bylaw here that during the winter months, you can drive your snowmobile down the roads, alley ways, or anywhere within town limits.

If your just stopping by, consider taking a look at the Forest Interpretive Centre. It’s an open visitor centre with some gallerys featuring the highlights of forestry in the area. More information can also be found at www.whitecourtwoodlandstourism.com that details events happening in the area and some more information on the spots I talked about here.

I’m definitely a small town girl, and I love being in towns where you know your neighbours and there’s a real sense of community. With three large operating forestry companies in the area, there is tons of opportunities to live in Whitecourt.

“Where the rivers meet”

Fishing by the boat launch

Thanks for reading blog #6! Next blog I’ll be discussing my time doing some scaling!

Cheers!

Gillian