Lethbridge Tourist Attractions
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Lethbridge, on the Oldman River, mainly owes its prosperity to agriculture, food production, education ( the city has both a college and a university ), and manufacturing.Lethbridge was founded in the 1870s when it was called Coalbank, a reference to the coal found nearby. It soon became a center for farming and, at the turn of the century, was the site of Canada's first large-scale irrigation system.Nearby townships like Coaldale and Coalhurst are reminders of the fact that up until 1965 coal was still being mined in the region's deep valleys where previously there had been only outposts set up in 1869 for the benefit of the unscrupulous liquor runners.Highway 4 runs south-east from Lethbridge to the border crossing into the United States.
Indian Battle Park and Fort Whoop-Up Interpretive Centre
Indian Battle Park on the Oldman River commemorates the great Indian battle in 1870 between the Blackfoot Confederation and the Cree Indians, when an attack by the Cree with their allies the Assiniboine on the camp of the Blackfoot, already weakened by an outbreak of smallpox, was repulsed but at the cost of almost 400 lives.Indian Battle Park at Lethbridge, offers a variety of outdoor space for sports and activities. Located within Indian Battle Park is the Fort Whoop-Up Interpretive Centre. This is a reconstruction of Southern Alberta's first and most notorious buffalo hide trading post. With the arrival of the Northwest Mounted Police in the 1870s the problems of lawlessness came to an end.Coalbanks Interpretive Site provides information on the history of coal mining in the Lethbridge area. Also of interest is the 5 km (3 mi.) Coal Banks Trail.
Nikka Yuko Japanese Gardens
The Nikka Yuko Japanese Gardens are the pride of Lethbridge. The beautiful, carefully tended gardens are a symbol of Canadian-Japanese friendship.Returning visitors will find that the Nikka Yuko Japanese Gardens are constantly changing throughout the summer. A path winds its way through the garden past ponds, plants, structures, and the main pavillion. There are places to sit and relax. Special Events are else held and the Japanese Gardens throughout the summer.
Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park
Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park is reached by first going to Milk River 85 km (53 mi.) south of Lethbridge, then traveling east on Highway 501 for 32 km (20 mi.) and turning south down a tarmac road for another 10 km (6 mi.).The Park gets its name from the many Indian drawings on the sandstone rocks, eroded into bizarre shapes, that form the steep gulch of the Milk River.These lands were of great spiritual significance for the Plains Indians who believed the spirits of the departed would "write" messages on the rock walls. Warrior braves came here to try and discover what might happen if they went on the warpath, but they never stayed long since it was too dangerous to linger near the spirits of the dead.In 1908 the graves of five men, a woman and a child were found here, together with items from the U.S. Cavalry. It is thought they could have been survivors of the Nez-Percé who were almost wiped out in 1877 by the U.S. Cavalry near the Canadian border, or they could have been from the tribe of Sitting Bull who fled into southern Canada after their victory over General Custer in 1876 at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.The bare rocks and hoodoos on the valley edge and the semi-arid prairie contrast starkly with the lush vegetation in the valley itself, where the Milk River lends itself well to canoeing. The Indian petroglyphs can only be seen on guided tours.
Alberta Birds of Prey Centre, Coaldale, Canada
The Alberta Birds of Prey Centre in Coaldale is Canada's largest birds of prey facility located on a 70-acre wetland area. Hawks, falcons, eagles and owls of Alberta are highlighted through tours of the breeding and rehabilitation facilities and hands-on activities. Flying demonstrations and an interpretive center are also available.
