On August 18 2018 we went on a field trip to Fort Edmonton Park organized by Link CC. Being a history lover, I was overjoyed. The park was built near the original fort, which had been flooded. It is Canada’s largest living history park.
In the far west side of the park, was the reconstructed Fort Edmonton from the year 1846. It was used by the Hudson’s Bay Company to trade furs with the First Nations in the area. Beside the Fort was a cluster of Cree Teepees. Drums were beating, men were singing, a group of Fist Nations were doing the powwow dance. Sometimes they stood up, sometimes they bent down, they shook there heads and waved eagle feather fans. Their footsteps followed the rhythm of the drums. A commentator told us that the powwow dance was performed before hunting and other special events and that the dancers tres to imitate animals.
At the Buffalo Pound, we saw how the First Nations and Metis hunted buffalo. A few hunters wearing wolf pelts hid away in the tall grass and slowly crawled towards the buffalo herd. When they were close enough, they would jump out, the scared buffalo herd would run in all directions, the hunters would chase down a buffalo that had left the group. As the hunters tried to get the buffalo into the semi circle trap, however the buffalo ran the other way. The hunters cupped their hands and howled into the sky. The buffalo froze, thinking there was a wolf in front of him and ran towards the trap. From the bushes appeared a few hunters armed with guns and arrows, they shot the buffalo in the head, killing it instantly. The hunters danced and cheered”we have a weeks worth of food and fuel!”
After walking for a short while on a uneven path, we reached the year 1885. Standing beside a large covered wagon, a middle aged woman wearing a Victorian age dress told us that she and her husband had just come to Edmonton from Winnipeg. During their trip, they were caught in a snowstorm and came one month late, missing the planting season. Luckily, they took a years worth of food just in case they got into this situation.
Thousands of immigrants came to Edmonton by train and wagon to start a new life, they turned this little village to a bustling town. The sides of the streets were lined with stores and at the very end of the street is a family of Metis. They used glass and stone to make arrowheads, buffalo bones to make daily necessities, and wood to make the Red River Cart. The Red River Cart once was the most accessible transportation tool on the Prairies. When the wheels turned, however, it would squeak horribly.zMaking a turn to the left, we were on 1905 street. 1905 was the year that Edmonton became the provincial capital of Alberta, turning itself from a town to a centre of politics, economics, and culture. There was a bank, mail service, and a police station on the street.We visited the house of a famous seamstress. When we entered the home, we saw flowers of every colour and shape; when they dried, the flowers would be used as dye. In one corner was an ancient spindle that was used to turn sheep wool into thread for knitting.The seamstress’s neighbour was a toy museum. There were wooden horses, stilts, dolls, and other common toys, along with uncommon toys such as bow and arrows. On the sofa, a doll caught my eyes, it had strips of cloth as hair, two buttons for eyes, and a cotton stuffed leather for a body. She was wearing a green calico dress with uneven needle holes. The doll looked plain, but it gave its little owner a enjoyable childhood, and became a family heirloom.
After walking east for a few minutes, we were in 1920. There was Canada’s first airport and in the distance, the Midway amusement park. During this time period, women got the right to vote, electricity and cars entered the life of people, and Edmonton became a modern city.I fall into a chasm of thought: after fifty years, what would Edmonton look like? Would Fort Edmonton Park have the same attractions? Although I can’t answer those questions, what I can answer is that Edmonton will become better and better.
We thank Link CC for organizing this event, there was fifty kids in this event and together went through a time machine to learn about Edmonton’s history and culture. Playing games, making crafts, and leaving wonderful memories behind. Before we left, the three kids I was looking after came and thanked me for being their leader. They told me how much they liked the trip and said they were definitely coming back next time!