Impressive Christmas paunch. Check. Coma-inducing credit card bill. Check. Spectacular case of the January blahs. Wait for it … double check.
As much as you worship that new electronic monolith in the living room and however much fun-tainment the kiddies squeeze from their new tickle-me-fad toy, the doldrums of winter eventually take hold. You need to step outside once in a while and take a look around.
"Come January, people start to get cabin fever," concedes Joan Barber with the city's business and tourism development department.
Fortunately here in St. Albert, there are plenty of activities to see, she says.
Kings and queens of speed
The first stop in any family's quest for wintertime fun inevitably lands on the snow-covered peaks of Seven Hills.
Overlooking the city's historic downtown, Seven Hills is a toboggan run like no other.
"It's always a speedy thrill," laughs Barber.
Steep, lengthy slopes and charming scenery have made this hill a St. Albert winter tradition.
When the sledding is done, warm up with a hot cup of steaming hot chocolate courtesy of downtown venues like La Crema Caffe, Ric's Grill or Stella Blu Café.
Nordic traditions
If you're looking for a little more heart-pumping rigour outdoors, strap on the cross-country skis. St. Albert is perfect for cross-country skiing, with idyllic wintery scenery near the Sturgeon River and Riverlot 56 Natural Area and an active group like the St. Albert Nordic Ski Club (STANSKI).
"People are surprised that we do have cross-country in the city," says Greg MacIntyre, STANSKI's communications director. With typically around 300 members, STANSKI grooms trails in and around Kingswood Park and, after a one-year absence due to access issues, Riverlot 56 — just in time for this year's 55 Plus Alberta Winter Games.
"It's a relief," says Wayne McCutcheon, club director of strategic planning. "Now we can provide groomed trails for everyone in St. Albert. It makes it a lot better for our teams to practice on."
While work on a regional sewer line expansion has bisected some trails this year, STANSKI has its eyes set on new trails in St. Albert in the coming years, and recently got the green light to expand into Sturgeon County.
New Year's skate
In Canada, skating outdoors on a pond is perhaps the most nostalgia inducing of wintertime activities and St. Albert has a first-class venue in Lacombe Lake Park. The man-made lake opened for public skating and pickup hockey in late December and, thanks to overhead lights is a prime skating destination throughout the day and evening.
If you don't want to stray that far, check out one of St. Albert's 17 neighbourhood rinks or public skates at the Kinex Arena or Servus Credit Union Place.
"We're actually really, really lucky in St. Albert because every neighbourhood has a local rink," Barber says.
Just don't forget to sharpen the skates or grab a cup of Timmys, a must-have when visiting a rink.
Room to run
Anytime you can mix exercise with beautiful scenery in the sunshine along the Sturgeon River valley and Big Lake, you've a recipe for breaking free of the blahs. While other communities can't keep up with snow clearing on streets, the city regularly clears Red Willow Trail for the hordes of runners who stride along in all seasons.
"Even if you want to go for a run in the wintertime you don't have to worry about it being slippery," Barber says.
While Red Willow is the most popular, St. Albert has a maze of trails — 70 kilometres winding through neighbourhoods.
Indoor pursuits
While Fountain Park Recreation Centre is down two pools until the latter half of January, there's still fun to be had inside the facility's competition pool, whirpool, sauna and steam room.
If that doesn't satisfy your thirst for aquatic adventure there's always the water park at Servus Credit Union Place, with two waterslides and more than 25 spray features. There's far more to explore at the mammoth 320,000-sq.-ft. leisure centre with a leisure ice pad, indoor playground, three NHL-sized rinks and plenty of drop-in opportunities at the gymnasium and indoor soccer pitches.
One of St. Albert's most storied indoor facilities underwent a major facelift this year with a 14,000-sq.-ft. expansion to the St. Albert Curling Club. Work is in the final stages in the front end where a new banquet facility is being built, but it's business as usual on the curling ice where generations of locals rock out. Hurry hard!
Region to explore
There's a world to explore just outside St. Albert, from skiing or snowshoeing across Cardiff Park in Sturgeon County to ice fishing at lakes near Morinville. Riverlot 56 and Big Lake are great places to observe local wildlife, just don't forget your binoculars.
If none of that tickles your fancy, don't worry. It will be spring break soon!
