20,000 hour streetcar restoration breathes life into treasured antiques
Mark Burton photo
Fort Edmonton Park, which is nestled along the river valley, is dedicated to preserving the history of Alberta’s capital through numerous displays and historical streets. Very recently, the park added two fully restored train cars from Regina and Saskatoon.
In the early years of Regina, residents would get around using an old electric streetcar system. A network of streetcar railway tracks were built around the city for residents to hop on and get to stores, theatres, and events downtown.
The #42 streetcar that ran down Broad Street to 13th Ave has recently found a new lease on life thanks to the Edmonton Railway Society. “Regina 42” was a streetcar built in 1928 and ran for several years throughout the Queen City.
It ran until it nearly perished in a fire in 1947 after the carbarn went up in flames. Workers have fully restored the street car with new red paint and the help of original manufacturer blueprints and photos.
The Park was also able to restore a snow sweeper and 1907 line car streetcar from Saskatoon, affectionately nicknamed the “Saskatoon 200.” This car ran until 1951 before being decommissioned.
It’s estimated to have taken over 20,000 hours to restore both these streetcars by volunteers. Thanks to these two fully restored train cars from Regina and Saskatoon, Fort Edmonton Park now has a total of 10 antique units. https://edmonton.taproot.news/pulse/2025/06/12
Roses, secrecy, silence and love have always been inseparable
Walter Siegmund photo
You probably already know that the Alberta Wild Rose is native to the Edmonton river valley. That being said, have you ever been curious as to the mythological origin and symbolisms of roses?
Indeed, the rose that grows in many different forms in gardens all over the world today is an evolution of rose-like plants that lived in the northern hemisphere between 33 million and 23 million years ago.
According to Greek mythology, the goddess of flowers, Chloris, created a new flower by breathing life into a woodland nymph who had died. Dionysus, the god of wine and plant life, gave it a beautiful perfume. And Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty and pleasure, gave the rose its name by rearranging the letters of Eros, her son and the god of love and desire.
Eros later gave a rose to Harpocrates, the god of silence, as a bribe to ensure he kept the indiscretions of the gods to himself. Hence, the rose became symbolic of secrecy, silence, and love.
The association with secrecy led to the rose becoming a visual symbol of the need for discretion. Roses were carved into the ceilings and walls of public rooms in grand houses, courtrooms, and Catholic confessionals as a reminder that all conversations should be kept confidential.
From the Middle Ages, a rose was often suspended from the ceiling of a government council chamber to ensure the secrecy of proceedings. Therefore, sub rosa ("under the rose") became a quasi-legal term still in use to denote something that is best kept under wraps. https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2264/a-brief-history-of-the-rose/
EALT hosting a Bioblitz near the NSR on Sunday June 22
A newly secured land is in need of some assistance! This parcel of land lies along the bank of the North Saskatchewan River, upstream from Big Island Provincial Park in an Environmentally Significant Area.
You can join the EALT for a Bioblitz with professionals to discover all of the native species that call this land home. This event will take place on Sunday, June 22nd, from 9:30 am - 2:30 pm. It involves manual weeding, which includes bending, kneeling, and using hand tools to trim plants. It will also involve up to 2 km of walking, over flat terrain with uneven footing.
Over the next few years, the EALT aims to restore the environmental health of the area, which includes invasive plant management and a variety of other restoration efforts. Those who sign up will be sent the exact location days in advance of the event. It is close to Bunchberry Meadows, and takes roughly 40 minutes to get there from west Edmonton.
Learn more and register here https://mailchi.mp/ealt/february-volunteer-opportunities-bkk9jb42s0-17459672?e=b41643f9be
From Skunk Hollow by Leanne Schnierer https://leannesfineart.com/cityscapes/
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