There are a host of activities and events for all ages taking place in St. Albert this weekend.
1. Museum speaker series
St. Albert's Musée Heritage Museum has organized a speaker series over the next few weeks, with the first event featuring Dan Cardinal, the vice chairperson for the Métis Nation of Alberta taking place on Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
“He will share the importance of the Cree language's past, present and future,” the Museum's event website says.
Cardinal's event is taking place just as the Museum unveils two new exhibits that focus on Indigenous languages. One such exhibit is Cree: The People's Language.
Cree is the most commonly spoken Indigenous language, and the Museum's exhibit provides information about Cree's syllabic writing system, the chance to listen audio of the Cree language, and more.
The other exhibit is called Beyond Words: Dictionaries and Indigenous Languages.
The Gazette's arts and entertainment reporter Anna Borowiecki wrote recently that the Beyond Words exhibit “highlights the relationship between Indigenous languages and dictionaries' evolution over several centuries.
“The exhibitions are surrounded by interactive stations with opportunities to listen to and try to translate Indigenous languages,” the Museum's website says.
The Museum is open Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
2. Kids Night Out at Dynamyx Gymnastics Club
St. Albert's Dynamyx Gymnastics Club is hosting it's first Kids Night Out event of the year on Saturday.
The event, which takes place one a month, runs from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. with kids getting structured and unstructured time to play in the gym with the Club's coaches, as well as a pizza dinner before a movie is shown.
Registration is required and the cost is $40.
“This is a great opportunity for the kids to socialize and make new friends while the parents can enjoy four hours of child free time!” the Club's website explains.
To register, visit the Club's website here.
3. John Reid Memorial Tournament
The annual uber-competitive U15 AAA John Reid Memorial hockey tournament got underway on Thursday. The 16 team tournament is celebrating its 45 year in 2024.
Teams from as far away as Phoenix, Arizona made the trek to St. Albert earlier this week, with the tournament final scheduled to take place at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday at Performance Arena in Servus Place.
Those looking to just take in the action can buy a weekend pass for $50, or $25 for students and seniors; while daily admission is $20 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. Those under 15 do not need to pay for admission.
Over 150 youngsters that have taken part in the tournament over the years have gone on to play in the National Hockey League, such as current stars Mat Barzal, Morgan Rielly, and Dylan Cozens, as wells as legends of the game such as Scott Niedermayer, Jarome Iginla, Rod Brind'Amour, and Vincent Lecavalier.
Many St. Albertans that have played in the tournament have also gone on to play in the NHL, such as 2019 Stanley Cup Champion Colton Parayko.
The U15 AAA St. Albert Sabres' last round robin game is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. today at Performance Arena.
4. Friends of the Library's wine and cheese fundraiser
The Friends of the St. Albert Public Library have organized a wine and cheese event taking place tonight to raise money for library.
The event is scheduled to take place from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., and tickets are $50.
“A professional sommelier will guide us through an enticing array of wines and their perfect cheese pairings - whether you’re a wine connoisseur, a cheese enthusiast, a library lover, or all of the above, this event promises something for everyone,” the Friends of the Library say online.
5. Merchants games
The St. Albert Merchants Junior B hockey team will look to keep their three game winning streak alive with two contests this weekend.
Tonight at 7:30 p.m. the Merchants will head to Stony Plain to take on the Flyers at Glenn Hall Arena.
Merchants forward Nico Gallo, who leads the team with 30 goals this season so far, needs just one more tally to become the team's all time regular season goal scoring leader.
On Sunday the first place Merchants will host the Beverly Warriers at Jarome Iginla Arena, with puck drop scheduled for 8:00 p.m.
Following the games this weekend, the Merchants will only have five more regular season games before playoffs begin.
