Recently St. Albert was touted as the best place in Canada to raise a family according to Today’s Parent magazine. While the mayor’s public accolades and sound bite are lovely, we St. Albertans know this already, right?
I already know St. Albert is a great place to raise a family. Why? I choose to live and raise my family here. The criteria used by Today’s Parent are only a few of the reasons why I live in St. Albert and will continue to do so. While a low crime rate, weather, low unemployment, quality of public transportation, access to doctors, population growth, household income and housing costs are certainly important, there many additional criteria that contribute to “the best place to raise a family” title. The additional criteria that might not be measureable that catapult my St. Albert to first place consistently are people, places and services.
There is a quote from an unknown author that states, “The world is run by those that show up.” In St. Albert we show up! This was apparent last week during the Northern Alberta International Children’s Festival when a whopping 900 volunteers showed up to make this event world class. My measurement stick for world class? The smiles on nearly each and every child and adult in attendance, the number of dancing feet, clapping hands and painted faces.
This spirit of giving back to your community is seen each day in the dedicated sporting volunteers, the ever-present volunteer-driven cultural groups that ensure our children receive a healthy dose of history, culture and art programs and those that volunteer time to our children each day at school. To each of these individuals, thanks for showing up. You make St. Albert my community of choice and the best place to raise a family.
The Today’s Parent article made reference to the places enjoyed by the Aisenstats but it wasn’t a formal criterion. St. Albert proves to me repeatedly that the infrastructure provided contributes to my lifestyle. Trekking to the water park with young children is the best way to spend a beautiful day and opting for the skateboard park with older children is equally enjoyable. Sometimes the best place isn’t even a specific place at all but a route to all of the places and the Red Willow Trail is where we walk our dogs, ride our bikes, stroll, run and generally enjoy our community and the connectivity that has been afforded to us.
Lastly, the final criteria I would add to the list are access to services. These are the butcher, baker and candlestick maker. St. Albert is a complete community. Everything that is required for a well-rounded, enjoyable and quality lifestyle is easily available. My favourite way to spend a Saturday morning during the summer months is to pack up the bikes, don the backpacks and head to the farmers’ market for the week’s provisions. If I miss the market, I can go to the supermarket or great local purveyors like Darcy’s Meats, Grandin Bakery or Seasons Gifts. Access to these services and more ensure I have time to spend raising my family.
Does St. Albert deserve “the best place to raise a family” title? Absolutely. If you don’t agree, ask me. I’ll see you at the farmers’ market, hockey arena, theatre or baseball diamonds where we all raise our families and enjoy the reasons why St. Albert earned the title.
Tanya Doran is an enthusiastic St. Albert resident.
