Sights and Sounds of Scotland: Alberta's Highland Games

I’ve heard it said that there are two types of people in the world – those who are Scottish and those who wish they were. Alberta’s many Highland Games offer a chance for Scottish expats and those who wish they had Scottish blood to experience the sights and sounds of Scotland right here in Alberta. A visit to the Red Deer Highland Games this past weekend allowed me to be Scottish for a day.

Pipe and Drum Competitions
The sound of bag pipes stirs the Scottish part of my soul. So imagine my delight at being able to listen to pipe music for an entire day! Most Highland Games host pipe band and individual pipe and drum competitions. Even without understanding the intricacies of the judging, it’s a pleasure to listen to the musicians. One of my favourite things to do is to wander around the grounds and eavesdrop on the musicians warming up for the competition.

Highland Dance
A popular event for many spectators is the Highland Dance competitions where dancers perform the fling, sword dance, reel and other dances. You have to admire the skill and discipline it takes to make such hard work look effortless.

Heavy Events
The heavy events are real crowd pleasers. Events like the caber toss, hammer throw, putting the stone and throwing the weight showcase the competitors’ strength and accuracy.

Spectators watch in amazement as each competitor lifts a caber weighing over 100 pounds and throws it so that it flips end over end. The sheer power required to lift the caber is impressive, but the rules of the caber toss make the feat of strength even more impressive—the athletes are judged according to the accuracy of their throw (the ideal throw is one where the caber lands in a 12 o’clock position to the thrower).

I’m fascinated by the event called throwing the weight for height. Its mild-mannered name belies the danger. Athletes must throw 28, 42 or 56 pound weights (depending on the category) over a bar with one hand. The catch is that the bar is directly above their head and is usually over 10 feet high! Watch the video below.


One-of-a-Kind Events
In addition to traditional events such as dancing and piping, some Highland Games offer events you might not expect.

The Grand Prairie Highland Games opens with a ceremonial Haggis Hurl. Female competitors stand on an upturned metal barrel and throw a haggis to their male partners. An annual tradition at the Calgary Highland Games is a soccer match between “Scotland” and “England. The Red Deer Highland Games is the only Alberta event to have a shortbread competition. After judging, the shortbread is sold to eagerly waiting fans (including me).

Massed Bands
There is no debate about what most people say is the highlight of the Highland Games—the massed bands performance. The sight of all the pipe bands marching down the field in unison combined with the extraordinary sound of that many pipes and drums takes your breath away.

Whether you’re Scottish or just wish you were, enjoy the sights and sounds of Scotland at these Alberta Highland Games:

• Fort McMurray Celtic Day in the Park
• Grand Prairie Highland Games
• Red Deer Highland Games
• Fort Edmonton Park Highland Gathering
• Foothills Highland Games
• Calgary Highland Games
• Canmore Highland Games

Mundare's Other Attraction: The Basilian Fathers Museum

There’s more to Mundare than Stawnichy’s sausage. There’s also the surprisingly interesting Basilian Fathers Museum. The museum, established by Ukrainian Catholic priests of the Basilian order, showcases religious artifacts dating back hundreds of years as well as objects that are representative of the every day life of Ukrainian immigrants to Alberta.

Some of the every day items on display include blacksmith equipment, traditional clothing made of colourful embroidery and hand-woven material, and carpentry tools used to craft the beautiful interiors of many of the Ukrainian Catholic churches in the area. Even though these objects would have been commonplace to early settlers, they are interesting today because most people have no experience with them.

There is nothing commonplace about the museum’s religious collections. Crosses, icons, communion vessels and candlesticks used in services and rituals dazzle with their ornate decoration and intricate details. Maps, bibles and liturgical books that are hundreds of years old show the historical depth of the museum’s collections.

Basilian priests established printing presses in the areas they served and the museum also displays early printing related items such as photo negatives etched onto metal printing plates and hundreds of individually-cast metal letters that would have been typeset to make the words of the printed material.

Some of the quirkiest items were the ones from Father Jean’s private collection – beer steins, a sword and handcuffs allegedly worn by Louis Riel.

Even though there is no sausage tastier than Stawnichy’s, if you want to fill your mind rather than your belly, give the Basilian Fathers Museum a try.

These Routes Were Made for Walkin'

The rain has finally stopped and that’s put me in the mood for walking. If you’re like me, you get bored of following the same old route. Here are some suggestions to spice your walks.

Discover History
Learn about the history of four of Edmonton’s oldest neighborhoods - Strathcona, Downtown, Highlands and Oliver. Historical walking tour brochures provide background on residential and commercial buildings, highlight interesting architectural details and share stories about the people who lived and worked in the area.

Appreciate Art
If you’ve ever wondered about the background of the outdoor art you see around the city, The Places walking tour provides some answers. The walking tour highlights 30 works of public art located primarily in the downtown and university areas.

Explore New Neighborhoods
Six Edmonton neighborhoods have developed walking maps that layout a variety of paths through their communities. The routes lead by parks, restaurants, shops, recreation facilities, schools, community gardens and tourist attractions.

There’s nothing like enjoying Edmonton’s scenery, history and art while getting some exercise at the same time. Enjoy your walks.

Not So Secret Garden

I recently discovered the Olds College Botanic Garden. What a pleasant surprise!

Wide paved paths curve by specialty gardens such as the alpine, herb, water, rose and shade gardens. Flower beds are filled with annuals and perennials suited to Alberta’s climate and some beds are devoted to single flower varieties like lilies, irises, and delphiniums.

Small gravel and stone paths tempt visitors to explore hidden corners of the garden and allow for a closer look at some of the flowers. Most of the plants have labels so you can identify what you’re looking at which is useful if you’re looking for gardening ideas.

You can stroll throughout the garden or sit on one of the many benches and just admire the beauty.

Olds College welcomes the public to visit the Botanic Garden and they’ve created a printable map that shows the various specialty gardens and landmarks.

Nearby Gardens

• The Trochu Arboretum, about a half hour east Olds, is also a garden-lovers oasis.
• The heritage gardens at the Innisfail Historical Village contain cultivars/varieties of plants that Alberta pioneers would have planted, but that are no longer typically available.