Page 8 - XperienceAlberta-EDA-2025

EDMONTON
ALBERTA’S CAPITAL CITY, Edmonton is
home to over a million people. The city has
a vibrant arts and culture scene, earning the
nickname Festival City for its many music, art,
theatre and cultural festivals throughout the
year, making it an ideal setting for showcasing
Indigenous culture, too. The city is best known
for the West Edmonton Mall, North America’s
second largest shopping centre. But Edmonton
is more than just a big mall — it’s home to all
kinds of Indigenous art, food and culture.
The city’s diverse art scene includes
Indigenous-focused venues, like Bear
Claw Gallery, which fosters visibility for
Indigenous, Métis and Inuit art. One of
the first galleries of its kind in Canada,
the Bear Claw Gallery has a nearly 50-year
history in the city. Edmonton is also home
to the Indigenous art park înîw, located
in Queen Elizabeth Park in the city’s river
valley, featuring sculptures by a number of
Indigenous artists.
The provincial capital has also quickly es-
tablished itself as a destination for Indigenous
cuisine, offering visitors an opportunity to
learn about Indigenous culture through food.
Chef Scott Iserhoff recently opened a new
restaurant, Bernadette’s, which was nominat-
ed for Air Canada’s EnRoute Magazine’s list of
Canada’s Best New Restaurants. The restau-
rant features Iserhoff’s passion for Indigenous
cuisine, with a menu including elk, bison and
Saskatoon berry barbecue sauce.
Founded by the Honourable Senator
Dr. Thelma J. Chalifoux, Michif Cultural
Connections offers programs and workshops
on Métis culture and art. Located in the histor-
ic Juneau House in St. Albert, just outside of
Edmonton, is a Métis museum. Visitors can
learn traditional finger weaving, drum making
or jigging, or take a class on traditional med-
icine teachings — educational opportunities
that build a foundation for reconciliation and
cultural appreciation.
Photo by Travel Alberta / Noella Steinhauer
EDMONTON AT A GLANCE
Population
1,128,811
Median
Family Income
$101,320
Unemployment Rate
7.4%
Residential
Vacancy Rate
2.3%
Life Stress
19.6%
Sense of Belonging
62.2%
Photo by Andrew Penner
LETHBRIDGE
THE CITY OF Lethbridge is Alberta’s fourth larg-
est, and an important hub for industry in southern
Alberta. Just two hours south of Calgary, it is
mostly known for agriculture, but Lethbridge’s
post-secondary institutions, museums and
theatres have made it an important arts and aca-
demic city for the province. Situated between the
LETHBRIDGE AT A GLANCE
Population
107,225
Median Family Income
$98,620
8
XPERIENCE ALBERTA 2 0 2 5 Badlands and the Rocky Mountains, Lethbridge
is a great location for those seeking majestic
views and interesting landscapes to explore.
Lethbridge is home to the Galt Museum
and Archives, which is actively collecting
and maintaining a collection of Blackfoot
artifacts, along with history and stories from
Lethbridge’s Indigenous history. By
telling these stories, the museum
offers visitors education on the
journey towards reconciliation.
The region is home to two
UNESCO World Heritage Sites,
both of which are sacred to the
Blackfoot people. Head-Smashed-In
Buffalo Jump/Estipah-skikikini-kots
offers visitors beautiful landscapes
alongside a museum and interpretive
centre filled with displays highlight-
ing the over 6,000 years of hunting
culture in the area. Since opening in
1987, over 2.75 million visitors have
come to the interpretive centre.
Writing-on-Stone/Áísínai’pi is one
of the oldest standing Indigenous
cultural sites in Canada. Visitors can
explore the unique rock formations,
known as hoodoos, and rock draw-
ings, glimpsing the long history of
this one-of-a-kind place. Writing-on-
Stone also offers guided tours in the
Archeological Preserve to discover
the history, stories and language of
the Blackfoot people.
Unemployment Rate
6.2%
(Lethbridge-Medicine Hat)
Residential Vacancy Rate
2.3%
Life Stress
20.2%
Sense of Belonging
71.9%
EDAAlberta.ca
Statistics sources: Government of Alberta, Statistics Canada