Tour
Pre-Congress
-Tour-
Oct 16-22, 2013
October 17th, 2013 – Calgary Alberta
• Tour participants assemble in the hotel for Breakfast • Tour of several City of Calgary urban parks. October 18th, 2013 – Near Urban Parks Focus
• Kananaskis Provincial Park presentation • William Watson Lodge in Kananaskis Country Provincial Park • Travel to Head-Smashed-in-Buffalo Jump • Travel to Dinosaur Provincial Park October 19th, 2013 - Dinosaur Provincial Park
• Presentation on the paleontology of Dinosaur Provincial Park • Travel to the Royal Tyrrell Museum • Travel to the City of Red Deer October 20th, 2013 – Red Deer, Alberta
• Tour of Waskasoo Urban Park • Travel to Edmonton (Capital City Region) October 21st, 2013 – City of Edmonton
• Tour “Ribbon of Green” urban park along the North Saskatchewan River and Muttart Conservatory • Travel to Jasper National Park October 22nd, 2013 Jasper National Park
1 City of Calgary 2 William Watson Lodge
• Tour of Jasper National Park • Travel the Ice Fields Parkway • Travel to Lake Louise in Banff National Park
3 Head-Smashed-in-Buffalo Jump
7 Edmonton
4 Dinosaur Provincial Park 5 Royal Tyrrell Museum 6 City of Red Deer 7 City of Edmonton
8 Jasper 9
6 Red Deer
8 Jasper National Park 9 Icefields Parkway 10 Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
5 10
1 2
Calgary
Summary of Pre-Congress Tour Experiences
• Urban Park Tours in Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer • Near Urban Park Tour • Provincial Park Tours, Aboriginal culture, paleontology and research, disability needs • Provincial Urban Park tour • National Park Tours, in Jasper and Banff • 4 UNESCO World Heritage Sites
3
4
1
Wednesday, October 16, 2013 • Arrival in Calgary, Alberta
• Check in at the Sandman Inn before 8:00 pm - rooms are pre-paid (www.sandmanhotels.ca/hotels/calgary-city-centre) • Airport shuttle information can be found at (www.airportshuttlecalgary.ca). • If you arrive in Calgary prior to October 16, identify yourself at the Sandman Inn as part of the “Ifpra Tour” upon check-in for special room rates. • A meet and greet session is scheduled for the evening of October 16. A location and time will be posted in the hotel lobby. Everyone should attend. 1
Thursday, October 17, 2013 • Day in Calgary
• The morning of October 17 will start with tour leaders escorting you via the C-Train (tram) to a hosted breakfast at the indoor Devonian Gardens. (www. calgary.ca/CSPS/Parks/Pages/Locations/Downtown-parks/Devonian-Gardens.aspx?redirect=parks/ devonia) • Following breakfast, our Calgary hosts will divide you into groups to show off some of the 7,800 ha. of urban parks. Choose from the Cultural Landscape Tour, Wetlands Tour, Downtown and River Walk Tour, or the Major Recreation Facility Tour. Your registration package will ask for a non-binding choice. • Mid afternoon, we will re-assemble at the Sandman Inn, load our suitcases onto the bus and depart for the new Glenbow Provincial Park in west Calgary. At Glenbow, we will learn about the unique origin of the park and the management process used at this park. • A bus ride will then take us to the Nakoda Casino Resort in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies at the edge of Kananaskis Country (www.stoneynakodaresort.com/hotel). The hotel is run by members of the Stoney Nakoda First Nation, and will be our hotel for the night. Dinner will be on your own. 2
3
4
Friday, October 18, 2013 • Kananaskis, Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump, Dinosaur Provincial Park
• Breakfast on Friday will include an overview of our visit to Kananaskis Country. The bus will then take us into the park for a visit to William Watson Lodge, a facility specially designed for persons with disabilities. There will be other educational stops as we travel through the park. • We will then travel east and south to the scenic southern Alberta foothills and Head-Smashed-in Buffalo-Jump, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (www.history.alberta.ca/headsmashedin). Once at the museum, guides will explain the native lifestyle of the western plains and how this area was used in harvesting buffalo for 6000 years. The evening meal will be served in Lethbridge as we pass through the city. • We will arrive in Dinosaur Provincial Park, another UNESCO World Heritage Site, in darkness. If we have a clear sky, the remoteness of this area and complete lack of man-made light pollution will allow unprecedented viewing of the night sky. Accommodation at the park will be in the park’s scientist housing complex. 4
5
6
Saturday, October 19, 2013 • Dinosaur Provincial Park, Royal Tyrrell Museum, Red Deer
• The hot breakfast at the Sandstone Lodge in Dinosaur Park will include an overview of park operations and the special requirements of park management to accommodate researchers in one of the richest dinosaur bone beds in the world (www.albertaparks.ca/dinosaur). The balance of our stay here will include a guided tour of some of the dinosaur bone beds and a stop at the Visitor Interpretive Centre. • With lunch on the bus, we will have a chance to witness the barren landscape that has earned the name “Badlands,” as we drive to the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller (www.tyrrellmuseum.com). Our tour of the museum will include a behind the scenes look at the operation of the museum, including current work on dinosaur bone recoveries. After the tour, there will be free time to view the exhibits. • Dinner will be served in Drumheller, followed by an evening drive to the City of Red Deer (pop. 92,000), where we will stay overnight at the Red Deer Lodge (www.reddeerlodge.ca).
6
7
Sunday, October 20, 2013 • Red Deer, Edmonton
• The morning of October 20 starts with a breakfast presentation of the Red Deer downtown revitalization plans, followed by a tour of parks and facilities, including Waskasoo Urban Park (www.reddeer.ca). This massive park runs along both sides of the Red Deer River and features over 100 km. of multi-use paved trails, man-made ponds for recreation, historic buildings, a golf course, and passive and active recreation sites. • We will enjoy lunch on the bus as we make our way to the City of Edmonton and our overnight accommodation at West Edmonton Mall (www.wem.ca). Upon arrival, there will be an opportunity to spend some time wandering the mall. A coupon book for stores, restaurants, and attractions will be provided for each guest. Most of the retail stores close at 5 PM on Sunday, so hurry! • Technical tour participants will be able to join mall staff for a look at the commercial recreation amenities contained within the mall. We will see a 3,000 person wave pool with water slides, a bungee jump and play areas; an indoor roller coaster and associated “fair grounds” type rides; an NHL regulation hockey rink; a mock brigantine sailing ship on an indoor lake along with many more attractions. • Supper is not part of the tour. There is an optional Dinner Theatre performance that must be paid for in advance for an additional $50CAD, otherwise you are welcome to select any of the dinner and nightlife establishments available at the mall. It is a night off...have fun! (www.jubilations.ca/jubilations/edm_whatis.html) 7
8
Monday, October 21, 2013 • Day in Edmonton, Jasper
• Monday morning will find us bussed to our breakfast being served at the Shaw Conference Centre, overlooking the North Saskatchewan River Valley. We will hear from representatives of the River Valley Alliance (www.rivervalley.ab.ca), a group representing the efforts of seven municipalities trying to conserve the North Saskatchewan River Valley while, at the same time, carefully developing recreation amenities along its shores. • City of Edmonton staff will then offer highlights of the sustainable development of the municipal airport lands, Louise McKinney River Valley Park and information on Urban Forest Planning. The tour will include a visit to the Muttart Conservatory where we will enjoy lunch. (www.edmonton.ca/attractions_recreation/attractions/muttart-conservatory.aspx) • Later that afternoon we will leave Edmonton and head west into the Rocky Mountains again. We will have a supper stop in the Town of Edson. • We will arrive in Jasper, at the Pyramid Lake Resort (www.mpljasper.com/hotels/pyramid_lake) and once again have a chance to star gaze into the night sky. Jasper National Park is bigger in area than Switzerland and boasts it is the worlds largest Dark Sky Preserve. 8
9 10 Tuesday, October 22, 2013 • Jasper, Icefields Parkway, Banff National Park, Lake Louise
• Our final morning will feature a presentation on the Palisades Stewardship Education Centre (www.thepalisadescentre.ca) at breakfast and then a visit to the site before we head south along the Ice Fields Parkway. • We will pass by the Columbia Glacier, a mass of ice that contributes water to rivers that flow to three oceans, the Pacific, the Atlantic and the Arctic (www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ab/jasper/visit/visit32.aspx). There is ample evidence of the glaciers rapid retreat, due to climate change, along the highway roadside. • We will arrive at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise around suppertime (www.fairmont.com/lakelouise). • No arrangements have been made for supper or room bookings at the hotel. You must contact this hotel to book your room for the duration of the conference. (https://resweb.passkey.com/Resweb.do?mode=welcome_ei_new&eventID=10383969) • A return bus to Calgary hotels and airport will leave the Chateau the morning of Sunday, October 27 and may be booked in advance for $40CAD on your booking form for this tour.
!
Additional Information
What the tour includes • All meals from breakfast on October 17, 2013 to lunch on October 22, EXCEPT • Supper on October 17 at the Nakoda Casino and • Supper on October 20 at West Edmonton Mall (if dining at Jubilations Dinner Theatre, reservations must be booked in advance) • All bussing and transfers from the morning of October 17 until we arrive at the Chateau Lake Louise around 6 PM October 22 • All accommodation including the night of October 16 in Calgary to the night of October 21 in Jasper. Six nights total! • A tour guide with the group 24/7 • All local tour guides and information from Alberta What the tour does not include • Alcohol is not included in any of the meals, mini bars or food service en route • Supper on October 17 at the Nakoda Casino and October 20 is not included in the basic price, but the Jubilations Dinner Theatre may be added and must be booked in advance for $50CAD per person • A return trip to Calgary is not part of the basic price but may be added and must be booked in advance for $40CAD per person • Tipping is at your discretion for the service you receive. Typical rates in Canada run from 10% to 15%. • Refer to the Congress website for information about Alberta weather, what to pack and other recommendations. Costs Single-room accommodations: $1,099CAD per person Two people sharing a room: $1,599CAD per 2 people ($799.50CAD per person) A $250 non-refundable deposit will be requested upon registration with the remainder due by August 31, 2013.
Registration Register now at www.regonline.ca/2013ifpraprecongresstour.
-Tour-
Oct 16-22, 2013
October 17th, 2013 – Calgary Alberta
• Tour participants assemble in the hotel for Breakfast • Tour of several City of Calgary urban parks. October 18th, 2013 – Near Urban Parks Focus
• Kananaskis Provincial Park presentation • William Watson Lodge in Kananaskis Country Provincial Park • Travel to Head-Smashed-in-Buffalo Jump • Travel to Dinosaur Provincial Park October 19th, 2013 - Dinosaur Provincial Park
• Presentation on the paleontology of Dinosaur Provincial Park • Travel to the Royal Tyrrell Museum • Travel to the City of Red Deer October 20th, 2013 – Red Deer, Alberta
• Tour of Waskasoo Urban Park • Travel to Edmonton (Capital City Region) October 21st, 2013 – City of Edmonton
• Tour “Ribbon of Green” urban park along the North Saskatchewan River and Muttart Conservatory • Travel to Jasper National Park October 22nd, 2013 Jasper National Park
1 City of Calgary 2 William Watson Lodge
• Tour of Jasper National Park • Travel the Ice Fields Parkway • Travel to Lake Louise in Banff National Park
3 Head-Smashed-in-Buffalo Jump
7 Edmonton
4 Dinosaur Provincial Park 5 Royal Tyrrell Museum 6 City of Red Deer 7 City of Edmonton
8 Jasper 9
6 Red Deer
8 Jasper National Park 9 Icefields Parkway 10 Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
5 10
1 2
Calgary
Summary of Pre-Congress Tour Experiences
• Urban Park Tours in Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer • Near Urban Park Tour • Provincial Park Tours, Aboriginal culture, paleontology and research, disability needs • Provincial Urban Park tour • National Park Tours, in Jasper and Banff • 4 UNESCO World Heritage Sites
3
4
1
Wednesday, October 16, 2013 • Arrival in Calgary, Alberta
• Check in at the Sandman Inn before 8:00 pm - rooms are pre-paid (www.sandmanhotels.ca/hotels/calgary-city-centre) • Airport shuttle information can be found at (www.airportshuttlecalgary.ca). • If you arrive in Calgary prior to October 16, identify yourself at the Sandman Inn as part of the “Ifpra Tour” upon check-in for special room rates. • A meet and greet session is scheduled for the evening of October 16. A location and time will be posted in the hotel lobby. Everyone should attend. 1
Thursday, October 17, 2013 • Day in Calgary
• The morning of October 17 will start with tour leaders escorting you via the C-Train (tram) to a hosted breakfast at the indoor Devonian Gardens. (www. calgary.ca/CSPS/Parks/Pages/Locations/Downtown-parks/Devonian-Gardens.aspx?redirect=parks/ devonia) • Following breakfast, our Calgary hosts will divide you into groups to show off some of the 7,800 ha. of urban parks. Choose from the Cultural Landscape Tour, Wetlands Tour, Downtown and River Walk Tour, or the Major Recreation Facility Tour. Your registration package will ask for a non-binding choice. • Mid afternoon, we will re-assemble at the Sandman Inn, load our suitcases onto the bus and depart for the new Glenbow Provincial Park in west Calgary. At Glenbow, we will learn about the unique origin of the park and the management process used at this park. • A bus ride will then take us to the Nakoda Casino Resort in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies at the edge of Kananaskis Country (www.stoneynakodaresort.com/hotel). The hotel is run by members of the Stoney Nakoda First Nation, and will be our hotel for the night. Dinner will be on your own. 2
3
4
Friday, October 18, 2013 • Kananaskis, Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump, Dinosaur Provincial Park
• Breakfast on Friday will include an overview of our visit to Kananaskis Country. The bus will then take us into the park for a visit to William Watson Lodge, a facility specially designed for persons with disabilities. There will be other educational stops as we travel through the park. • We will then travel east and south to the scenic southern Alberta foothills and Head-Smashed-in Buffalo-Jump, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (www.history.alberta.ca/headsmashedin). Once at the museum, guides will explain the native lifestyle of the western plains and how this area was used in harvesting buffalo for 6000 years. The evening meal will be served in Lethbridge as we pass through the city. • We will arrive in Dinosaur Provincial Park, another UNESCO World Heritage Site, in darkness. If we have a clear sky, the remoteness of this area and complete lack of man-made light pollution will allow unprecedented viewing of the night sky. Accommodation at the park will be in the park’s scientist housing complex. 4
5
6
Saturday, October 19, 2013 • Dinosaur Provincial Park, Royal Tyrrell Museum, Red Deer
• The hot breakfast at the Sandstone Lodge in Dinosaur Park will include an overview of park operations and the special requirements of park management to accommodate researchers in one of the richest dinosaur bone beds in the world (www.albertaparks.ca/dinosaur). The balance of our stay here will include a guided tour of some of the dinosaur bone beds and a stop at the Visitor Interpretive Centre. • With lunch on the bus, we will have a chance to witness the barren landscape that has earned the name “Badlands,” as we drive to the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller (www.tyrrellmuseum.com). Our tour of the museum will include a behind the scenes look at the operation of the museum, including current work on dinosaur bone recoveries. After the tour, there will be free time to view the exhibits. • Dinner will be served in Drumheller, followed by an evening drive to the City of Red Deer (pop. 92,000), where we will stay overnight at the Red Deer Lodge (www.reddeerlodge.ca).
6
7
Sunday, October 20, 2013 • Red Deer, Edmonton
• The morning of October 20 starts with a breakfast presentation of the Red Deer downtown revitalization plans, followed by a tour of parks and facilities, including Waskasoo Urban Park (www.reddeer.ca). This massive park runs along both sides of the Red Deer River and features over 100 km. of multi-use paved trails, man-made ponds for recreation, historic buildings, a golf course, and passive and active recreation sites. • We will enjoy lunch on the bus as we make our way to the City of Edmonton and our overnight accommodation at West Edmonton Mall (www.wem.ca). Upon arrival, there will be an opportunity to spend some time wandering the mall. A coupon book for stores, restaurants, and attractions will be provided for each guest. Most of the retail stores close at 5 PM on Sunday, so hurry! • Technical tour participants will be able to join mall staff for a look at the commercial recreation amenities contained within the mall. We will see a 3,000 person wave pool with water slides, a bungee jump and play areas; an indoor roller coaster and associated “fair grounds” type rides; an NHL regulation hockey rink; a mock brigantine sailing ship on an indoor lake along with many more attractions. • Supper is not part of the tour. There is an optional Dinner Theatre performance that must be paid for in advance for an additional $50CAD, otherwise you are welcome to select any of the dinner and nightlife establishments available at the mall. It is a night off...have fun! (www.jubilations.ca/jubilations/edm_whatis.html) 7
8
Monday, October 21, 2013 • Day in Edmonton, Jasper
• Monday morning will find us bussed to our breakfast being served at the Shaw Conference Centre, overlooking the North Saskatchewan River Valley. We will hear from representatives of the River Valley Alliance (www.rivervalley.ab.ca), a group representing the efforts of seven municipalities trying to conserve the North Saskatchewan River Valley while, at the same time, carefully developing recreation amenities along its shores. • City of Edmonton staff will then offer highlights of the sustainable development of the municipal airport lands, Louise McKinney River Valley Park and information on Urban Forest Planning. The tour will include a visit to the Muttart Conservatory where we will enjoy lunch. (www.edmonton.ca/attractions_recreation/attractions/muttart-conservatory.aspx) • Later that afternoon we will leave Edmonton and head west into the Rocky Mountains again. We will have a supper stop in the Town of Edson. • We will arrive in Jasper, at the Pyramid Lake Resort (www.mpljasper.com/hotels/pyramid_lake) and once again have a chance to star gaze into the night sky. Jasper National Park is bigger in area than Switzerland and boasts it is the worlds largest Dark Sky Preserve. 8
9 10 Tuesday, October 22, 2013 • Jasper, Icefields Parkway, Banff National Park, Lake Louise
• Our final morning will feature a presentation on the Palisades Stewardship Education Centre (www.thepalisadescentre.ca) at breakfast and then a visit to the site before we head south along the Ice Fields Parkway. • We will pass by the Columbia Glacier, a mass of ice that contributes water to rivers that flow to three oceans, the Pacific, the Atlantic and the Arctic (www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ab/jasper/visit/visit32.aspx). There is ample evidence of the glaciers rapid retreat, due to climate change, along the highway roadside. • We will arrive at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise around suppertime (www.fairmont.com/lakelouise). • No arrangements have been made for supper or room bookings at the hotel. You must contact this hotel to book your room for the duration of the conference. (https://resweb.passkey.com/Resweb.do?mode=welcome_ei_new&eventID=10383969) • A return bus to Calgary hotels and airport will leave the Chateau the morning of Sunday, October 27 and may be booked in advance for $40CAD on your booking form for this tour.
!
Additional Information
What the tour includes • All meals from breakfast on October 17, 2013 to lunch on October 22, EXCEPT • Supper on October 17 at the Nakoda Casino and • Supper on October 20 at West Edmonton Mall (if dining at Jubilations Dinner Theatre, reservations must be booked in advance) • All bussing and transfers from the morning of October 17 until we arrive at the Chateau Lake Louise around 6 PM October 22 • All accommodation including the night of October 16 in Calgary to the night of October 21 in Jasper. Six nights total! • A tour guide with the group 24/7 • All local tour guides and information from Alberta What the tour does not include • Alcohol is not included in any of the meals, mini bars or food service en route • Supper on October 17 at the Nakoda Casino and October 20 is not included in the basic price, but the Jubilations Dinner Theatre may be added and must be booked in advance for $50CAD per person • A return trip to Calgary is not part of the basic price but may be added and must be booked in advance for $40CAD per person • Tipping is at your discretion for the service you receive. Typical rates in Canada run from 10% to 15%. • Refer to the Congress website for information about Alberta weather, what to pack and other recommendations. Costs Single-room accommodations: $1,099CAD per person Two people sharing a room: $1,599CAD per 2 people ($799.50CAD per person) A $250 non-refundable deposit will be requested upon registration with the remainder due by August 31, 2013.
Registration Register now at www.regonline.ca/2013ifpraprecongresstour.
