Red Deer & County
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RED DEER & COUNTY visitreddeer.comvisitreddeer.com Downtown - Ross Street Patio Table of Contents 02 WELCOME 06 TRAILS 08 PARKS 10 RECREATION 16 CITY ATTRACTIONS PUBLISHER 18 CLOSE BY ATTRACTIONS Tourism Red Deer 22 GETTING HERE Every effort has been made to ensure that information 23 SHOPPING contained herein is correct. 24 FOOD Tourism Red Deer assumes no responsibility for errors or 26 ENTERTAINMENT omissions. 28 EVENTS Editorial & Photography Contributions: 30 WINTER Debbie Olsen, Liz Taylor, Vicky 32 CITY OF RED DEER Loughlin, Kristina Cajipe, Cindy Coubrough, and Red Deer & 34 DOWNTOWN District Archives 36 CLOSE BY COMMUNITIES 42 ACCOMMODATIONS 52 CITY MAP visitreddeer.com 403.346.0180 BE OUR GUEST With one of the youngest populations in the nation, this region is dynamic and filled with exciting events and attractions. You can test your mettle in Canada’s largest mud obstacle race, ski at the largest non-mountain downhill ski resort in Alberta and enjoy a romantic carriage ride on a 207-acre ranch. A country drive leads to a discovery of agri-tourism attractions in the countryside to events and attractions in area communities. You can explore unique cultural sites, pick your own fruits and veggies, relax on the beach at Sylvan Lake, cowboy up at the Innisfail Pro Rodeo, wander through a corn maze or get up close to a real grizzly bear at Innisfail’s Discovery Wildlife Park. Along the way, we hope you get to meet some of the friendly people who call this part of Canada home. Halfway between Alberta’s two largest cities, people come to the Red Deer region for work, for recreation and for many other reasons. Whatever brings you, we want you to know we are glad you are here. 1 City Hall Park - Red Deer RED DEER Today Red Deer is the third largest city in Alberta, but no matter how big we grow we’ve still maintained our small town charm. Whatever your reason for coming to our region, you can rest assured that when you get here, you will be well taken care of. Young and Active Most Accommodating When you’re in the Red Deer Need a place to stay? Look no region it’s easy to connect with further. Whether you arrive in nature and stay active, because Red Deer tired and rumpled hiking, cycling, boating, jogging, from a long day of travelling or skiing and walking spaces are energized and ready for a new right in your backyard. You’ll adventure, you’re sure to find enjoy our trails and appreciate the ideal accommodations to suit our nature-loving ways. your needs. A Winning All About Family Combination There are a multitude of Great facilities, a central activities, events and attractions location, enthusiastic volunteers for young families to enjoy and abundant high quality and the best part is that many accommodations makes Red are completely free of charge. Deer an ideal host city for Whatever your family’s interests sporting events of all sizes. are, you’ll find plenty of great ways to make memories Red Deer has much to offer together here in Red Deer. organizers of small and large sporting events, and as we gear up for the Canada Winter Games in 2019, there’s one thing we know for sure: our winning combination is going to get even better. 2 Edgar Farms - Photo by Kim Chapman RED DEER COUNTY Red Deer County is an escape from the pace of city life. The best part is that our campgrounds, fishing, ski areas, and golf courses are only a short drive away from Alberta’s two largest cities. In addition to the multitude of outdoor adventures, our museums, galleries, craft shops and festivals make Red Deer County a favourite among travellers. Red Deer County’s rolling scenery provides beautiful views of our many rivers, lakes and valleys. Spend the day on a working farm or cruising down the slopes of Canyon Ski Resort. Take a Country Drive History Comes Alive Red Deer County has agriculture Did you know that the at its backbone. Visitors are “Shakespeare of Iceland” was welcomed at many area farms an Alberta homesteader? where you can get eggs, Unable to sleep at nights, honey, vegetables, fruits, meat, Stephan G. Stephansson wrote preserves, and cheese right from poetry in his native tongue the farm gate or at a farmers’ and became famous in his market. Great attractions like homeland. Today you can U-pick farms, corn mazes, visit his original homestead sunflower mazes, greenhouses, along the Scandinavian Trail antique shops and museums dot (scandinaviantrail.ca). Other the peaceful countryside. wonderful attractions include the Danish Canadian Museum, the Dickson Store Museum, Love a Lake Historic Markerville and the Whether you enjoy boating, Markerville Creamery. fishing, watersports or swimming, there’s a lake in Red Deer County that perfectly suits Get Your Game On your purpose. The three major Golfers love the many courses recreational lakes in Red Deer in Red Deer County that offer County are Pine Lake, Sylvan everything from beginner to Lake and Gleniffer Reservoir. championship level play. 3 Running at Bower Ponds 4 Biking the trails system CONNECT WITH NATURE The Red Deer region is well Exercising outside is easy and known for its remarkable trail enjoyable thanks to an extensive system and its commitment to paved trail system that is preserving nature and wildlife. beloved by joggers, walkers and It was here in Red Deer in 1924 cyclists, much of which is cleared that Alberta’s first federal of snow in the winter. Outdoor migratory bird sanctuary was gym facilities are located at established on almost 118 various places along the trail hectares of protected land system along with benches, within the city limits. Today playgrounds and picnic areas. there are more than 100 Those who want to cycle even kilometres of trails inside the further can hop on the Trans city and almost 3,000 kilometres Canada Trail that connects The more in the region connecting City of Red Deer with The Town communities and people with of Blackfalds and The City of nature. Lacombe. Lakes, wetlands, rivers, meadows, and forests can all be explored right inside the city of Red Deer and you’ll see many species of birds and mammals along the way. If you’re lucky, you might spot an eagle, an owl, beaver or even a moose in your wanderings. Pop into the Kerry Wood Nature Centre to learn more about area’s wildlife, take part in an educational program or go on a guided nature walk. The Centre rents snowshoes in the winter, making nature walks a year- round activity. 5 Imagination Grove - Kerry Wodd Nature Centre Imagination Grove - Kerry Wodd TRAILS Waskasoo Park Trail System Walks, Hikes & Bikes Red Deer’s beautiful parks and natural green spaces are well known throughout Alberta with over 100 km of easily accessible, paved, walking, hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian trails connecting park users to beautiful green areas and park attractions. Pack a picnic lunch and stop at one of the many picnic tables or shelters along the way, sip a coffee while the kids play on one of the playgrounds, or just breathe in the sweet clean air and listen to the birds on a peaceful walk. Bower Ponds Maskepetoon Park Grab a coffee and head out for Explore over 3 km of interpretive a quiet morning stroll along the trail in an area nested along ponds or head out with the kids the Red Deer River. The park later in the day and combine includes many unique natural your walk with a stop at the features including one of the playground. Take advantage most easterly located tamarack of the trails along the river to fen in the province. extend your walk to Heritage Ranch. Devonian Trail The Devonian Trails connect a Heritage Ranch series of smaller parks along Heritage Ranch is a great Piper and Waskasoo Creek, from starting point if you’re planning the southern edge of the city to to explore the trail system the Red Deer River. Follow the throughout the river valley and entire trail from Bower Woods a destination on its own with a to Gaetz Park or bring the family network of over 20 km of official to Rotary Picnic Park and explore and informal trails. Located along the trails leading to nearby the river, the area was once used Kin Kanyon where another as a quarry and has now been playground awaits. fully reclaimed into an amazing green space with a fishing pond. 6 Finding Your Way With so many trails to explore, figuring out where to start and end will be your most daunting task. To make the most of your trail experience we recommend that you head over to Pursuit Adventures’ website prst.ca/waskasoo to view and even print maps of suggested routes. Pursuit Adventures Explore Central Alberta on a small group or private tour. Head out with our professional guides on a day hike, sightseeing tour or snowshoe adventure. No experience necessary, tours are available for all experience levels. pursuitadventures.ca Gaetz Lakes Sanctuary The federal Red Deer Migratory Bird Sanctuary, established in 1924, is the oldest of only 4 in Alberta. Follow the Dr. George McKenzie path (wheelchair accessible) for a 1 km loop with a stop at the Trails Recreation Area bird blind on the west lake or Once the site of a gravel pit, head out for a 4 km hike along a landfill and a sawmill, this the edge of the sanctuary. Take riverside park is a reclamation your time to stop and look at the success story now showcasing flowers, birds and wildlife that paved paths along a lake where make their home in this wild Canada Geese nest and through refuge in the middle of the city.