Thoughts From a "Lost Canadian" On the Unique Things About Alberta

Since the middle of April when I learned I am a "Lost Canadian", it matters to me to know all I can about Canada. While I have learned many things,  there clearly are a great many things I still do not know and have yet to learn. Today I'm sharing some of the unique things I've learned online about the Canadian Province of  Alberta . . .

Alberta features a striking mix of massive mountain ranges, badlands with dinosaur bones, and unique cultural quirks. It is the only Canadian province alongside neighboring Saskatchewan to be completely landlocked, yet it holds some of the world's most dramatic natural and historical landmarks. 

Natural Wonders and Geography

Dinosaur Graveyard: Drumheller and Dinosaur Provincial Park hold one of the richest concentrations of Cretaceous dinosaur fossils in the world. 
The Hydrological Apex: The Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park feeds water flowing into three different oceans: the Arctic, the Pacific, and the Atlantic. 
Frozen Methane Bubbles: Abraham Lake turns a brilliant turquoise in winter and traps gorgeous, glowing columns of frozen methane bubbles beneath its icy surface.
Rat's Nest Cave: A wild, undeveloped limestone cave near Canmore which features ancient animal bones and underground streams. 
Unique Grass Alberta has the largest area of rough fescue (Festuca scabrella) grassland in the world.
First National Park: Canada's First National Park: Banff National Park opened in 1885. It protects thousands of square miles of mountains, forests, and glaciers.
So Big You Can See it From Space!: Wood Buffalo National Park features the largest beaver dam in the world. It is so large it’s visible from space!

Quirky Towns and Culture

Star Trek Town: The small town of Vulcan fully leaned into its sci-fi name and built a 31-foot replica of the Starship Enterprise, plus tourism signs written in English, Vulcan, and Klingon. 
Culinary Inventions: Both the savory tomato-and-clam cocktail known as the Caesar drink and the globally popular North American Chinese dish Ginger Beef were invented in Calgary. 
First Canadian Mosque: Edmonton is home to the Al-Rashid Mosque, built in 1938 as the very first mosque in Canada. 
Scrap-Metal Mace: The ceremonial mace used in the Alberta Legislative Assembly was originally made from humble spare parts, including an old plumbing pipe, a toilet tank float, and pieces of a bed frame.

History 

• First Nations: The oldest identified archaeological sites in Alberta date back approximately 11,000 years. When Europeans reached what is now Alberta in the mid-18th century, the area was home to many different First Nations.
• Ancient Stone: Named Alberta’s official stone in 1977, petrified wood is commonly found in gravel pits throughout the province. Petrified wood is the result of the deposit of microcrystalline quartz in the pores and cells of the fallen trees of the Cretaceous and Paleocene times, 60 to 90 million years ago.
• "Tansi": “Tansi” is how you say “hello” in Cree, one of several Indigenous languages spoken across Alberta. There are 46 First Nations in the province, with commonly spoken languages including Cree, Kainai (Blackfoot), Chipewyan, Dene, Sarcee, and Stoney (Nakoda Sioux).

There is SO much more to know, discover, and most certainly love about Alberta, Canada, and you will find much of it at this link and this link. (Images from Canada.ca)