Nestled in Edmonton's beautiful river valley, Fort Edmonton
Park's Hotel Selkirk provides the perfect opportunity to enjoy a
picnic while experiencing living history.
The culinary staff at Hotel Selkirk has created a delicious
picnic menu, which they will pack in a picnic basket complete with
dinner ware and utensils. Picnic blankets are also available should
you wish to relax under a tree rather than using one of the many
picnic tables available.
Menu
Hummus Dip with Pita Chips; Tomato, Cucumber, and Feta Cheese
Salad; Selkirk Club Sandwich; Fresh Fruit Salad; Homemade
Fudge Brownies; Bottled Water
Picnic for Two $30; Family Picnic (4 people)
$50
Ordering your basket 24-hours in advance is required.
Call 780-496-7227. Deposit required for basket and
blanket, GST not included.
We caught up with some of the residents of 1905 street last
week. They shared a fun story of an interesting marriage proposal
and how it went terribly wrong.
Mr. Dixon's Marriage Proposal was about a Scottish Remittance
Man by the name of Robert Dixon. His handlebar mustache
reminded people of the comic strip character Rattlesnake Pete, and
so Robert Dixon became known as Rattlesnake Pete.
Before moving to Edmonton, he had lived on a ranch in Southern
Alberta and killed rattlesnakes, lots of them, as he would tell the
tale. He bragged that he defanged the rattlers while still
alive and lived to tell the tale.
He was distinguished in dress, sometimes walking the streets of
Edmonton in a buckskin jacket, chaps and Moccasins. Sometimes
wearing his Old Country, upper crust clothing - derby hat, check
suit and spats. Always followed by the same two hunting
dogs.
1905, Edmonton had a real estate boom. Rattlesnake Pete
determined this would be a good line of work for a gentleman.
He opened an office on Jasper Ave. Ever the quiet,
courteous gentleman, he moved gracefully through the social whirl
of that time.
Rattlesnake Pete decidedly to give up the lone wolf adventurer
statues and take a wife. He took the girl of his choice for a canoe
ride on Cooking Lake. He outlined his plans for their
future together. She was in the midst of telling Rattlesnake
Pete how honoured she was by his proposal BUT. It was right then
that Rattlesnake Pete stood up in the canoe and leaped into the
water. He swam ashore leaving the young lady to paddle her own
canoe. He did marry but not to this lady.
In 1914, Rattlesnake Pete marched off to war. The Remittance men
were loyal to their roots. Rattlesnake Pete survived the ordeal of
war and returned to Alberta. He rode the range for the next twenty
years outside Calgary and lived to be over ninety.
- As told by Marjorie Russell with permission from Tony Cashman, writer of Edmonton Stories.
After 17 years, Streetcar #33 is restored and unveiled at Fort
Edmonton Park. Here's Hans Ryffel, President of the Edmonton Radial
Railway Society, talking about the newest addition to the
fleet.
Check out the Edmonton Radial Railway Society's website for
more information on their organization.