Study tour to Edmonton, Métis Crossing and Jasper
In February 2024, I took a study trip to Canada with some colleagues. The goal was to experience what it is like to travel in Canada in winter and inspect hotels and resorts along the way. The choice was a trip from Edmonton to the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Below I report on the very diverse activities. I hope you will enjoy reading my experiences and that my enthusiasm for this wonderful winter destination is contagious.
February 3
We fly KLM nonstop from Schiphol Airport to Edmonton, a relatively small airport. Flight time is about eight and a half hours, the time difference with the Netherlands is eight hours. We left at 2:35 p.m. and thus arrived only half an hour later according to the clock. We’ll see how we get through this first day with jet lag, let the journey begin!
Amiskwacîwâskahikan
We met Shannon, a representative of one of our partners in Canada. She is an “Indigenous Tourism Development Specialist” and is very knowledgeable about Canada’s Indigenous peoples and Indigenous tourism development. Shannon explains that Edmonton’s original name is actually this: Amiskwacîwâskahikan. It is part of the Treaty 6 Territory, home to several indigenous peoples including the Cree, Saulteaux, Blackfoot, Sioux and Métis. All these peoples have their own culture and way of life. She talks about this so beautifully that we all hang on her every word!
The evening we are taken to the Flying Canoe Festival, a big event in town. Especially in the winter months, Edmonton hosts a lot of events to get people out of their homes a bit and to be able to meet each other, and this often takes the form of Outdoor Festivals. It is a fun and atmospheric winter event with live music, dancing and storytelling. We ended up walking over three kilometers to see everything….How to get over a jet lag !
Edmonton Food Tour
February 4
Slept wonderfully, like a log. That gives energy! After a light breakfast (we have been warned!), we will head to the Old Strathcona neighborhood where we will take a Food Tour.
Old Strathcona is a super fun funky neighborhood with lots of street art and hip joints. The Food Tour goes by MEAT, a cool restaurant famous for its in-house smoked meats and BBQ. Here we indulge in all this deliciousness, of course while enjoying a locally brewed beer. Well…11 a.m., okay… Somewhere in the world it’s drink time, isn’t it!?
We continue our tour while our guide tells all sorts of funny anecdotes about “his neighborhood,” including the large murals you see a lot here.
The next stops on the Food Tour are for the “sweet moelekes” among us. We first stop by Sugared and Spiced, where over a delicious chocolate cookie we hear the whole story of the start-up of this company from the owner. Afterwards, we feast on an amazingly delicious ice cream at Made by Marcus Ice Cream.
Finally, a Chai Tea with Samosas at Remedy Cafe on Whyte. What a delightful tour this is and highly recommended for foodies and those interested in this cool neighborhood with many young entrepreneurs.
Indigenous People Experience
We move on and on to Fort Edmonton Park to visit the Indigenous Peoples Experience. This exhibit is part of a recent expansion of Fort Edmonton Park with a new, beautiful facility that takes guests on a journey through time. Here you will be introduced to the history and thought of the First Nations and Métis peoples.
I personally found it very fascinating to visit this exhibit and recommend that other travelers do the same, preferably prior to touring. You get a very good and beautiful picture of what exactly is the history of the Indigenous People in Canada and that is an enrichment that lasts throughout the trip.
After the impressive visit, we headed to another park in Edmonton. Here we take a hike, with a local guide telling all about this park. Very beautiful and interesting but we only half follow it, we are up! Is it because of jet lag or is the mean cold wind the culprit? Or should we have turned down that 11 a.m. beer after all? Despite our thick and warm clothes, we get deathly cold; we decide to shorten the tour slightly.
Métis Crossing
February 5
It is time to leave Edmonton and set course for Métis Crossing, about an hour and a half drive northeast of Edmonton. We then enter the territory of the Métis, a unique people born from marriages of European fur traders and indigenous women in the 18th century. Over the generations, the Métis have formed a distinct culture with its own identity. We stay overnight at The Lodge, a hotel and also the place for various activities and workshops to learn more about the land and culture of this region.
We got to spend the night in the Sky Domes, a kind of igloo with a bedroom and neat bathroom, but most importantly: with a huge skylight. In clear weather, you can then see the stars at night and, if you’re lucky, even the northern lights.
After lunch we will drive by 4WD through the protected nature reserve where the lodge is located. Here we see several species of deer and bison, which are called “tatanka” here. What an extraordinary sight in such a remote area to encounter such a herd. The huge bisons continue eating undisturbed, our presence not seeming to make any impression.
When we return from the safari, snow shoes are waiting for us. Thick fun to go running with of the tennis rackets under your shoes, a super fun activity!
After the delicious dinner, we continue to spend the evening by the fireplace, listening to our guide read stories and talk about history and the indigenous people.
Jasper and the Canadian Rocky Mountains
February 6
Leaving Métis Crossing early, we set sail for Jasper. Yes, the Canadian Rocky Mountains! We have a long drive of about five hours ahead of us, so music on and enjoy the view that is getting more and more beautiful. We stop along the way at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, where we have a delicious lunch. How beautiful is this hotel on Lac Beauvert, with phenomenal views of the mountains all around you, there is a thick layer of snow. Again, so fairytale-like! Here we go skating on the frozen lake, really beautiful like this among the mountains.
In the late afternoon we drive to Jasper and check into the Crimson Hotel. In the evening, we had a delicious dinner at the hotel’s Terra restaurant.
Skiing at Marmot Basin
February 7
Today and tomorrow we will be skiing. We will explore the ski area of Marmot Basin. Marmot Basin is a 30-minute drive from downtown Jasper. Marmot Basin has a long season because thanks to its northern location and relatively high elevation, the ski area is very snow-assured. The elevators usually open as early as November and do not close until May. The area boasts 91 slopes in the blue, red and black categories.
Skiing here is wonderfully quiet compared to the crowds at popular ski resorts in Europe. Perfect snow conditions, fantastic powder snow where we were lucky that it had snowed heavily the night before our arrival so fresher than fresh. For experienced skiers it is fun to go out with a guide where they also have many off piste options.
Very beautiful and exciting, of course, but that was too high for me, as I haven’t been on the slats in 20 years. Having regained a bit of “the feeling” we take the elevator to the top and we descend through a slope that suits our level, there is plenty of choice. It is pure enjoyment, so in the overwhelming nature of this part of the Rockies. A thick fresh pack of snow and the free feeling of skiing makes it complete.
In the evening we dine at the well-known and acclaimed restaurant Evil Dave’s Grill. And in our opinion this is definitely justified: delicious food, nice service and a very pleasant ambiance, we have a great evening.
February 8
Today we get to “loose” another day in the fantastic ski resort. Around four o’clock everyone is satisfied and actually pretty beat. We say goodbye to the ski resort and look back on two fantastic days.
Frozen waterfalls in Maligne Canyon
February 9
And then our last full day in Jasper arrived! It will be one with an even more beautiful golden lining… This morning we take a fantastic hike through Maligne Canyon. What an experience that is! We are handed boots with spikes and a helmet and off we go. The first part you descend into the Canyon, where a churning river flows in the summer months. Now, in winter, it has turned into a fairytale scene that keeps you taking pictures.
Exploring Maligne Canyon is accompanied by an informative and knowledgeable guide. This is absolutely the best and most responsible way to experience the deepest accessible gorge in Jasper National Park. We will explore frozen waterfalls, ice caves and ice formations while explaining Maligne Valley, karst topography and the mystery of “disappearing” Medicine Lake. It is a walk of about three hours, where it is important that you are fit and, of course, well on your feet. And…you definitely shouldn’t be afraid of heights because you’ll have a hard time!
Around 1 p.m. we will be back in Jasper. After our adventure in Maligne Canyon, we have a hearty appetite; we are eager for the next activity.
Downtown Foodie Tour in Jasper
The Downtown Foodie Tour Jasper is a walking tour of about a mile and a half through Jasper. Along the way, you’ll make several stops at super cool restaurants, each serving you a typical Canadian delicacy, a glass of Canadian whiskey or a locally brewed beer. Along the way, the guide tells entertaining anecdotes from then and now. Informal, very engaging and very tasty all together.
The Return Trip
February 10
And then it’s the day of our return trip, unfortunately unfortunately. It is with pain in our hearts that we leave Jasper. As we make the long drive back to Edmonton we see the Rocky Mountains behind us getting smaller and smaller, until we lose them altogether.
In the lounge at Edmonton Airport, it dawns on us: the trip really is over. It was short but extraordinarily intense, we feel rosy and fulfilled to the bone. We leave with suitcases full of great memories of this beautiful piece of winter Canada, it was enjoyment with a big G!
