Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Happy Birthday Amanda
Friday, November 21, 2008
Convocation
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Naming of St. Albert
Last week our local paper brought up the question: which saint was the City of St. Albert named after?
I said earlier in the blog, that our city was named after Father Lacombe’s patron saint. But then, I didn’t realize that there are 11 St. Albert’s in the brotherhood of saints. So which one was it?
Just off our main street, hidden in a walkway, is a statue of St. Albert the Great. He’s the patron saint of scientists and as we have a statue of him, one would assume he’s the man. However, it seems that he could not possibly have been Father Lacombe’s patron saint as St. Albert the Great didn’t become a saint until 1931, 70 years after the founding of St. Albert.
Well, we have a few scientists in our house so it’s a good association for us.
But who is the right saint? According to Father Lacombe’s biography, the naming of St. Albert happened like this:
“On Jan. 14, 1861, Lacombe and Bishop Taché stood in the snow on top of what is now Mission Hill. Taché turned to Lacombe and said, in French, "My Father, this site is charming. I choose it for the founding of a mission which you will name Saint Albert, in honour of your patron saint."
I took this photo from the top of Mission Hill looking down at what is now the centre of St. Albert.
So Father Lacombe's biography doesn't name the saint. But it seems most of the evidence points to Albert of Louvain, cardinal-bishop of Liège. Born in France in 1166, he became a bishop when he was just 25. He was caught in a power struggle in the church and murdered in 1192.
Back to the statue….some councilors have suggested that even if our city wasn’t named after St. Albert the Great we can still have him as the city’s patron saint. I think that’s a very sensible solution and a good reason to keep this lovely little statue, maybe we could even move it to a more prominent spot.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Chickakoo Lake
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Remembrance Day
We've been going to the Remembrance Day ceremony in St. Albert for many years now.
And what I've done and seen.
But what can I reply
Who know it wasn't I,
But someone just like me,
Who went across the sea
And with my head and hands
Killed men in foreign lands...
Though I must bear the blame,
Because he bore my name.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Can't see Amanda for the trees
Friday, November 7, 2008
Indulge me!
I like to write, I like to draw and paint and I like to take photos and sometimes I like to take photos that are a bit abstract. Eventually I plan to use these photos as springboards to a series of abstract paintings.
Grain Elevators and amazing clouds
Sunday, November 2, 2008
More Halloween fun
Nick and Amanda have been diligently saving chicken bones for the last three weeks.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Riverlot 56
St Albert was founded in 1861, which makes it the oldest community in Alberta. Father Lacombe, a Oblate priest brought his Metis parishioners here, to settle, on the advice of the 7th Earl of Southesk. These people were descendants of marriages of Cree, Ojibway, Algonquin, Saulteaux and Menominee aboriginals to Europeans, and are one of three recognized Aboriginal peoples in Canada, along with the First Nations (Indians) and Inuit (Eskimo).
Thanksgiving
Canadian Thanksgiving is celebrated the second Monday in October (American Thanksgiving is in November). This year we had two Thanksgiving dinners, at home on Sunday and then at Pat and Terry's on Monday. Nick cooked the whole dinner and I made pumpkin pie. The whole dinner is very traditional and is more or less identical to Christmas dinner.