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ball in 1983 when it closed. A $28-mil-
lion restoration, however, brought the
Macdonald back in all its splendour.
of Alberta's government in 1912. At the
time, the Legislature stood next to the
original Fort Edmonton. Today, it is sur-
rounded by gardens and fountains.
Visitors can follow the tree-lined
Heritage Trail to get from
the Hotel Macdonald to the Alberta
Legislature Building. This historic fur-
traders' route from Old Town to the site
of Old Fort Edmonton is a 30min walk
that follows the river bank for most of
its length. A red-brick sidewalk, antique
light standards and street signs help
keep visitors on the right track. The
river views along Macdonald Drive are
remarkable, especially at sunset.
OLD STRATHCONA
AND SOUTH
OF THE RIVER
Once an autonomous city, Strathcona
was founded when the Calgary and
Edmonton Railway Company's rail line
ended here in 1891. Brick buildings
from that era still remain in this historic
district, which is the best-preserved in
Edmonton. While the area north of the
North Saskatchewan River is clean, crisp
and new with the unfi nished feel of a
boomtown, south of the river, in Old
Strathcona , a sense of character
is much more tangible. Here an artistic,
cosmopolitan and historic atmosphere
prevails.
The 16-storey vaulted dome of
the Edwardian Alberta Legislature
Building is a landmark in
Edmonton's skyline. Sandstone
from Calgary, marble from Québec,
Pennsylvania and Italy, and mahogany
from Belize were used to build the seat
6
The Alberta Legislature Building at dusk, with its gardens and fountains. © Travel Alberta
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