As someone who gets a lot of visitors from overseas, it's good to have a few places up your sleeve…read morefor touristy days! This is number one of my list. Aside from checking out the beautiful Legislature grounds this is indoors - so great for winter guests to the city. Inside they have a living wall and a water feature which make you feel super chilled as it's so tranquil as soon as you step in the door. There is a gallery space called the Borealis Gallery, it's exhibitions change often but currently it's a very though provoking collection on Canadian identity and cultural diversity. The Agora Interpretive Centre is an interactive and fun way (especially for kids) to learn the sorties of Edmonton's past and Albertan history too. The Pehonan Theatre is the main reason I go to the Leg visitor centre. There they show a short 4D movie on a 360-degree screen called 'Our People, Our Province'. I really love it and it's quite spectacular to watch something in 4D and feel so immersed in it. I don't want to ruin any surprises from this so just trust me and go watch it. It's free and I think it's on every 20 mins. While you wait for the next showing pop into the gift shop selling Alberta made gifts, art and more.

After 6 months of being told the 4D movie was amazing, I finally went to check out the Visitor's…read moreCentre with my sister-in-law and baby nephew on St. Patrick's Day. And yes, I was blown away! First, the good to know info: - They are open 362 days of the year and admission is ALWAYS FREE! - Clean public washrooms are available - Their living wall creates a toasty environment, even in the dead of winter (kind of like walking into the Citadel Theatre) - Candy is available in the gift shop :P The exhibit in rotation was a hooked rug exhibit...which sounds super homestead-ey. Actually, the departure from hooking rugs being a commonplace household activity to an art form (as industrialization took place and factory-produced rugs are now commonplace) is fascinating. From what is depicted on the rugs (ie. transitioning from welcome mats to decorative pieces), to the colours of wool used, to the interpretation of the rugs...hooked rugs rightfully earn their place in the art world. Who woulda thunk it?? The video (immersive and experiential) is fascinating and very thoughtfully composed to introduce tourists (or children) to Alberta's history. From Alberta's namesake to our Indigenous roots, the entire show is attention-grabbing and informative. As a free add-on to any visit to the Legislature, it is absolutely worth it! The one thing that would have brought my visit to the next level was the fact that there is no concession/cafe in the Centre. You're not allowed to bring food or drinks into the exhibits/theatre, of course. But it would have been wonderful to sit by the living wall with a book and a coffee in hand, especially with all of the invitingly huge windows.

This isn't the most historical building you'll ever see and chances are unless you live in Leduc or…read moreare coming out this way it probably isn't worth coming out here just to see this. That said Leduc doesn't have much for historical icons or buildings, so to see this is pretty cool. The Stone Barn itself is just the outside stone and wood beams (I think a fire destroyed most of the original barn) so it's all open, but still quite pretty. There is an old farmhouse and milking barn along with walkways (it's right on the multiway), picnic tables and gardens. Stagework's is located here as well. This a nice little area and very popular for weddings (I think the wait time for reserving The Stone Barn is at a year). If you are here in the summer on weekend then expect to see a Wedding, if not it's usually pretty quiet unless Stagework's has something going. There is a parking lot here, but if the weather is nice or you are prepared then you can bike or walk along the multiway. For being a cool and historical landmark in Leduc I give this place 5 stars.

I was actually the first to review this outhouse on the weekend it opened, but my review was taken…read moredown. However, Paul's review is very thorough and I would only add one thing. The doors on the ladies stalls don't come down far enough to properly cover you when you are seated on the throne. I realize due to security, the patrons need to be visible at all times. I can pretty much see your undies when I'm walking or driving by. If you are going to use the toilet, wear pretty underwear at least.

I wonder if this is the first Yelp review of a public toilet building? Perhaps I am making Yelp…read morehistory here! The Whyte Avenue Public Washrooms were built in 2012 at a public cost of $536,000 to address concerns of inebriated bar patrons using public and private property to relieve themselves after leaving the bars. They initially were open 24 hrs/day but the hours have been scaled back a bit so they are now closed a few hours after the bars let out. They have been designed intentionally to have glass walls so that you can see into them which provides users with a sense of safety and also discourages any negative activity from going on inside. They also are only heated to +5C in winter and have no summer air conditioning to discourage people from loitering inside. Besides serving the after bar crowd the majority of users are the daytime shoppers and passer-bys. The public perception of the washrooms varies. Some people love them and some hate them. I'm sure the residents that live in and around the area like them especially if they are seeing less public urination around their homes and properties. Here is one article on the washrooms: http://www2.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/story.html?id=19372ecf-ec64-4e1b-b047-8591a41d261d Also, a local documentary film maker did a short film called iCup (get it..."I See You Pee) regarding the washrooms for an Air Canada En Route magazine film contest. Not sure how he did in the contest or if it is available online to view any longer. Personally I think having these public washrooms available is a good thing. I'm not a late-night bar patron on Whyte Ave much these days so my chance of using these in the nighttime is probably slim to none. I have stopped in during the day to use them once and felt fine using it. Facilities like these are more popular in Europe but I think we may see more of these cropping up in Canada. I think that Edmonton has probably been used as a testing ground on how to design one of these to operate in -30 to -40C temperatures. It will be interesting to see these become more popular in Canadian urban centres.

I was really impressed with the facility…read more Last week was my first visit, for a Town Hall meeting, since the huge renovations this past year. Beautiful and bright, lots of natural light, and numerous meeting rooms available here. Located next to Lions Park.

The Multicultural Heritage Centre seems to be the hub of culture and activity in Stony Plain. It…read morehouses a museum concerning settlers in the area, an art gallery, and the Homesteader's Kitchen in the basement (which I understand has some mighty fine pies). The museum and gallery are on the same leve. The museum has a recreation of a settler's home, as well as a feature exhibit that rotates. While small, the gallery had two feature exhibits which were both large installations. Outside, the beautiful grounds has statues and flowers, perfect for a stroll. The General Store has old-fashioned candy, souvenirs, and lots of toys, crafts, books, and other items pertaining to country life. It is quite impressive that a town has such a facility. It's worth a visit.

LOVED loved LOVED - Did I mention LOVED?!? this park!…read more We ventured out to this community league park containing two playgrounds, fields, outdoor ice rink, and spray park for the day last week for a Mommy kiddo group play date. Little community league spray parks like this are a real gem! With playground equipment designed for toddlers and bigger kids AND a section of swings, this community league has got it all. There is a green shack here in the summer but I think the hours were 230-6PM Monday through Friday so we just missed them opening. Back behind the grassy knoll were great hills that just begged for bike riding fun or sledding in the winter! The park is fenced off with a couple entrances/exits but I REALLY appreciate limtied entries and exits when watching multiple kiddos 5 & under at a park! The water portion was small in comparison to the spray and splash parks listed on the city of Edmonton website but this is still a total gem! There was more than enough water features to keep the approximately 30 kids in the water entertained and the sandy toddler area also had toddler height sand/water tables for more fun play! There were washrooms available for our use and the Ottewell Community League playschool was also on site today. Man... If I lilved here, I would most DEFINITELY be having my kiddo's next birthday party here! There is a fairly large covered area with multiple picnic tables and quite a few shady spots and benches around the park. This particular visit was rather humorous because I had to rescue some screaming kidlets from squishing and stepping on poo that some kid left on the ground - YUCK! Thankfully, the washrooms came in handy so I could grab some paper towels and clean it up best I could for the kidlets! If you have toddler or little kids, then this park is worth the drive from anywhere around Edmonton! Or if you are shopping for a place to move and raise kids and want to be near Capillano, this may be just the neighbourhood for you!

Ottewell Community League hall and park are amazing. We live only a few blocks away so it's easy to…read morecome here any time of day. People come from all other neighbourhoods to enjoy the park and spray park. There is a great Green Shack program for the older kids through out the summer. And through the winter the full size skating rink is amazing with a full size locker room for changing comfortably. It's always clean and there are great things for the kids to play with young and old. It's also a busy little Hall for events and bookings. With seating capacity up to 120, there is a electric fire place and a projector with a screen for all this slide shows. The best thing about the hall is the huge chef's kitchen. Tons of room with all the bells and whistles for catering your own events. It also has a nice bar with a huge fridge and serving area for that professional touch. Did I mention the commercial Ice Maker? Yeah one of those too! The rental rates are fantastic and even better if you a community league member!

Well, what can I say about Strathcona County hall? Most of my experience has been of the County…read moreCouncil meetings and they are interesting, to say the least. Lets start with the room and decor. The room is set up in a theatre half round with portable chairs sitting on tiered steps - kind of like a half round Roman coliseum. This seating arrangement provides a good sightline for all in attendance. The chairs are not the most comfortable, but I have certainly experienced worse. In airport waiting areas. Two big screens behind the Council members projects motions and presentations as they arise. The motions are sometimes so small as to be almost unreadable. I think whoever prepares them should consider using a minimum font size of 24. The council seats are flanked with an impressive array of flags to give it a properly ceremonial feel. The press area is located at the back of the room and has a ledge that enables media to sit with their laptops and plug them in. This would be something that might be considered for others in attendance. It is not just the press who bring their laptops or other technology to council meetings. Now, for the show. You definitely get your money's worth at these events. Admittance is free and the shows run every second Tuesday starting at 2 pm. They are quite long and will sometimes go until 8 or 9 at night. The players are 9 councillors, including the mayor. It is often easy to see the tension amongst the players as they jockey for position as the "top dog" or at least the "not bottom" dog on any given event. Witty barbs and not so clever snipes are often heard as the participants heat up on topics such as snow removal, art gallery guidelines and development plans. I think that maybe the crew could be provided a bit more direction as they seem to run amok at times. There are often guest appearances from various committee members and residents. These are often the pleasant parts of the show as all participants spend much time patting each other on the back. When administration guest stars, it is often a different thing. This is when the drama really heats up and the audience is often on the edge of their seats. Will the Mayor berate and argue with what is presented? Will Council find problems with the information they are given? Will administration show their true feelings or cover it behind tight smiles? The highest drama occurs when administration presents to Council and some members of council begin to disagree with the information while others don't. This is when you really want to get your popcorn out and settle in for a great show! When this happens, it is usually followed by a break that is called by the Mayor. This will give you just enough time for a washroom break or a quick run for a latte at the library coffee shop. Although I wouldn't recommend bringing small children or those easily offended, it is still good entertainment for your money.

Great place to check out a book or watch a live performance at the Arden Theatre. Or pay any city…read morefees at the administration desk.

St. Albert Place is pretty awesome and houses soooooo much more than you could ever imagine! From…read morethe library to the business licensing department and the Heritage Museum, if it's city council/government related, you can probably find it here. I LOVE Love LOVE, did I mention that I LOVE that fact that this is the centre hub for the outdoor summer farmer's market?!? Indoor washrooms, clean, cool, air conditioned AND the kiddos and you can even take a break in the library if you need to rest your feet for a bit and cool off before venturing back out to Western Canada's largest outdoor farmer's market! My kiddos love the piano they put outside in the summer to play and the creative bronze statues in the front. Of course, don't forget the Sturgeon River promenade on the North and West side of the building which connects to our trails. And let's not forget the Arden theatre which is also housed here! Parking can be challenging at times but that pretty much goes the same in any city and face it, we are lucky in St. Albert that we don't have to pay to park "downtown." My family is probably in this building at least once a week if not more in the summer and we've never had an issue with cleanliness, seating, or ample washroom availability! When can you say that? We'll be seeing you soon St. Albert Place :-)