Edmonton Curiosities Bus Tour

Did you know that Edmonton is the site of Canada’s first licensed airfield? Or that one of downtown Edmonton’s oldest restaurants has a close connection with the city’s Jewish community?

This is only the tip of the iceberg for what stories we’ll be presented on the second Curiosities Bus Tour. We’ll visit the Edmonton City Centre Air and hear about its 85-years as the centrepiece of Edmonton’s aviation history, coincidentally on the day it ceases operations. Also, in an effort to discuss Edmonton’s contemporary heritage, we’ll travel to the much-discussed Talus Dome for an up close and personal visit guided by members of the Edmonton Arts Council’s Public Arts team.

Tour Itinerary

PART 1 – Military Heritage at the Armouries

• The Prince of Wales Armouries opens its doors to offer a chance to explore the various galleries housing the weapons, armour, and curios of the region’s military through the generations. Search for the story of Lestock, an adorable young coyote who became a World War I mascot, since overshadowed by a loveable black bear cub named Winnie.

PART 2 – Closing the Doors at Blatchford

• After 85 years as an aviation hub for the Edmonton area, the Blatchford/City Centre Airport is brimming with stories about Edmonton’s place in wartime and arctic aviation. On its closing day, aviation historian and author Danielle Metcalfe-Chenail will tell us the story of adventurous arctic pilots and the airport’s connection with the Charles Camsell Hospital.

PART 3 – A Cruise Through Groat Homestead

• As the bus drives south through Westmount, historian Tim Marriott will recount the history of the Malcolm Groat, a Hudson’s Bay Company fur trader and city pioneer whose large plot of land now holds Edmonton’s windy river valley freeway.

PART 4 – Talus Dome

• Members of the Edmonton Arts Council’s Public Arts team will lead a talk about one of Edmonton’s newest high profile additions to the public art collection, discussing both its final location and its nearby proposed home, and what goes on behind the scenes in adding to Edmonton’s artistic heritage.

PART 5 – An Afternoon Snack at Teddy’s

• Historian Debby Shoctor tells the story of Teddy’s, whose history stretches back in various forms to 1935, before forming a strong bond as a food destination for Edmonton’s Jewish community in the years after World War II.

PART 6 – Back to the Armouries

• Tour returns to the Prince of Wales Armouries Heritage Centre at 4:00pm.

For more information about this Curiosities Bus Tour or other City as Museum Project initiatives, please contact Claudia Bustos, City Museum Strategy Coordinator, at 780-429-0166 or info@edmontonheritage.ca