Rotary Park and Tourist Information
Location: 4815-44th Avenue, Stony Plain. Enter the town along Hwy 779 (Range Road 10), which becomes 48th Street, and watch for the park’s double pond on the west side of the road. Turn west on 44th Avenue to access the park’s entrance.
Info: Open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; extended weekday hours in July and August, 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and weekends and holidays, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. 780963-4545; info@stonyplainchamber.ca.
Also called Dog Rump Creek, Rotary Park is a good choice for your first Stony Plain stop. The chamber of commerce offers year-round visitor information inside a replica of the Stony Plain Canadian Northern Railway Station built in 1905. You can see an assortment of train equipment, including a restored railway car. Children will also appreciate the playground and a jaunt across the wooden bridge. Near the fountain in the pond, the gazebo provides welcome shade on hot summer days and is a pleasant place to enjoy a snack. In winter, the double pond is cleared and flooded for ice-skating. A skate change room is available.
Multicultural Heritage Centre Location: 5411-51st Street, Stony Plain.
Info: Museum and store are open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Homesteader’s Kitchen is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for meals, and until 4:00 p.m. for pie and beverages. Breakfast is served Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. Donations are accepted. 780-963-2777; www.multicentre.org.
The Multicultural Heritage Centre is housed in a 1925 building that once held the first regional high school west of Edmonton. White lettering above the entrance reminds visitors of its origin as the Old Brick School. Now a provincial historic resource, about 85,000 people visit the renovated centre every year. The grounds outside are as charming as the building’s interior.
One room in the centre portrays the lives of European pioneers who came to the area in the 1890s. This living museum, known as the Settler’s Cabin, contains more than 3,600 artifacts. The smell of the wood-burning stove and taste of hand-cranked ice cream make the experience even more authentic, as do the fresh pies and bread, made on-site every morning in the Homesteader’s Kitchen restaurant.
In addition to historical displays and exhibits, the Multicultural Heritage Centre contains the Wild Rose Historical Library and Archives and the Multicultural Centre Public Art Gallery. The museum hosts several activities throughout the year, and summertime visits are especially pleasant as you can dine outdoors near flowerbeds, fountains, and ponds.
Look for Oppertshauser House next to the Multicultural Heritage Centre. The Oppertshauser family opened a store in Stony Plain in 1901. In honour of its namesake, Oppertshauser House is home to a general store. The shop sells museum-quality reproductions of items available in the 1920s, ’30s, and ’40s, as well as giftware, souvenirs, and old-fashioned candy.
Take a stroll and enjoy a few saskatoons on the two-hectare natural area, immediately south of the Multicultural Heritage Centre and Oppertshauser House. You’ll see a windmill, fruit trees, and a pond if it’s a wet year. Nearby, the community garden contains at least 55 different types of
vegetables on a more than 720-square-metre plot.
Rotary Park and Tourist Information Photo Gallery
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