Canada Travelogue 4 - Edmonton

Seems like film shooting in Alberta was quite common; I read that Leonardo DiCaprio was recently in Alberta for his next movie. I don't think Indian film-makers have explored this area yet - possibly because it is more expensive; need to travel longer distances and need to pick the months to avoid getting caught in heavy snow.

A temple in Canada

The temple in Edmonton

On Sunday morning we drove to Edmonton - the capital city of Alberta province (Canada has 10 provinces and 3 territories). On the way we stopped at Tim Horton for coffee and donuts; this is a very popular restaurant chain like Dunkin Donuts in the US. Our first stop in Edmonton was the West Edmonton Mall; it is among the top 10 largest malls in the world in terms of area. On arriving there I realized that it is due to the fact that it has an indoor theme park (2nd largest one) and an indoor water park (again 2nd largest). We gave the two parks a skip; after going to a few theme parks you tend to keep them low on your list of things to see. I didn't feel the mall was that huge - Dubai Mall felt more massive; you get tired simply walking by all the stores over there! Most of the shops here were for women's clothes; very very few sport outlets compared to other malls I've seen in other countries.

We got a wheelchair for my mom from the guest services counter - this is something very good in Canada; all shopping malls, tourist attractions and even large supermarkets provide wheelchairs for customers - most of the time it is free with a refundable deposit or with a minimal fee. The battery powered wheelchairs do cost money. The country is wheelchair friendly; ramps and elevators everywhere. It is common to see some elderly people whizz by in electric wheelchairs. Even on our way to Edmonton, we saw a physically affected person (a paraplegic like Stephen Hawking) on a motorised wheelchair along with a caretaker lady crossing the main road.

We had lunch in the food court from an Indian outlet; most Canadian malls tend to have at least one Indian outlet - so vegetarians will find something suitable. We enquired about rates for the hotel within the mall but that was 3 times the normal price; being a weekend they were charging more.

We headed next to the Ganapathy temple in Edmonton. After struggling with Apple Maps that led us to dead ends we switched to Google Maps that proved to be an effective guide. This is an indoor temple - similar to others in the US. There was a staircase leading to the basement where we removed our shoes and left our jackets. Nice white marble flooring; clean and quiet with some deities around the rectangular hall. There was ample space to sit inside the temple and there were a couple of priests inside. Though very much different from what we have in India, the place still evokes a spiritual feeling.

Legislature building

Alberta's legislature building

We got a room reservation in a hotel run by Sheraton (major hotel chains like Sheraton and Hilton operate less luxurious hotels in different brand names all over the world). A room for a family of 4 cost about $120 which is very reasonable; but even if you are a single traveller you'd end up having to shell about $80 since all rooms are for a minimum of 2 people. Breakfast wasn't included but they did have a gym, jacuzzi and small swimming pool.

In the morning we were off to the legislature/assembly building. We were happy to step indoors since it was very windy outside.  The strong wind makes it feel colder than it really is. The assembly building is where elected members meet to discuss, debate and vote on issues. Canada follows the British electoral system so it is very similar to what we have in India. The Canadian lady inside the main hall said there is a guided tour in 15 minutes and we opted for it. When given a choice for tours, always opt for them.

Our guide was a very friendly person who would very often bring both his eyebrows closer as if he were in distress. The first time he did it I thought he was in pain but then realised that it was a habit. The guide told us about how the name Alberta came to be used and the history behind the construction of the building - it had a dome like structure with huge pillars. There was a fountain in the centre and a grand staircase that led us to the first floor. There were many flags on our way up the stairs - each of them belonged to one of Canada's regiments. In this legislative structure within the house there existed a speaker for the house, a sergeant-at-arms (who was responsible for the safety and order of everything happening here), the ruling party elected members and the opposing party. The sergeant-at-arms also carried a mace as part of a ceremonial process everyday. We were told about how the very first mace was created out of household items - like shaving equipment, toilet items etc. Sounds funny to think that you had an object made from toilet items being brought in to the assembly every day in a grand ceremony! On the walls in the upper floors there were paintings of the various Governors of Alberta and also of the Premiers of Alberta (kind of like our Chief Ministers in India). One of them painted a part of the portrait himself. We got to see the main hall where the members meet. There is a balcony where the public can sit and watch proceedings that happen, a section for the press and a section for VIPs like visitors to the state.

The house; main chair is that of the speaker

The tour lasted for about 45 minutes; quite informative and it was free as well. I wonder if we have such informational tours to our assembly halls in India - maybe we do but I hadn't heard of it. On our return to Calgary we stopped at Boston Pizza for lunch; strange that I see so many Boston Pizza outlets in Canada but don't remember seeing even one in Boston! By signing up on their website we got a extra starter for free - but that starter was very typical junk food - large slices of potato deep fried so much that it was crispy.

Just like in the US, there is respect and priority for pedestrians - even a speeding car will slow down the minute they see that you are going to cross the road. Also the road conditions were really good; despite the harsh weather that all of Canada is subject to (heavy snow and rains), it is still smooth without many pits and bumps. Standard of living was as good as that in the US.