NORTH CENTRAL ROUTE 4 Story and photos by Phoenix Phillips With the City of Wetaskiwin as its starting point, North Central AB Route 4 of Rumble Alberta, is a fun route to travel with all sorts of things to see and do.
Harley-Davidson and Grande Prairie Regional College, Fairview Campus.
Mayor Tyler Gandam (helmet on) Myself, Phoenix Phillips Historic with a modern flair is how I would describe Wetaskiwin. This community of 13,000 stands strong amongst the pines. From the History Check App, which is a guide for the Rumble Alberta Scavenger Hunts, I learned that the name Wetaskiwin comes from the Cree word “witaskiwinihk”, meaning “the hills where peace was made”. My overnight stay was at the Best Western Wayfare where comfort and the convenience of two on-site restaurants, Barney’s Pub and Grill, and O’Brian’s Restaurant made my evening very pleasant.
This massive exhibit includes 40 rare gems in the college’s ‘toy box’ collection of motorcycles integral for training, including both concept and early productions bikes. Of note, this is the only Harley-Davidson Tech program in Canada and that fact is proudly recognized by residents of the North. After my tour of the Reynolds-Alberta Museum, the Mayor met me out front on his decked-out Harley-Davidson...a sweet ride! From here he graciously agreed to give me the grand tour of Wetaskiwin. The plan was to experience Wetaskiwin on 2-wheels, and we did. Guided by this first-term mayor, Tyler Gandam, I was soon to discover that Wetaskiwin is a vibrant city with lots to offer. Mayor Gandam skilfully marries the link between the old and new, the same way he navigates his Harley-Davidson Street Glide through the streets of this proud city. As a politician and a new father of a 3-month-old daughter, Gandam, like so many before him, is keenly aware that this is where he wants to raise his family. We motored from the stunning City of Wetaskiwin water-tower built in 1909 dubbed one of the oldest municipal water towers in Canada, then through the nearby refurbished streets of downtown. Equally impressive, our travels took us along the recently completed massive round-about where we were flanked by the stunning 1907 architecture of city hall.
I was offered up a private tour of the historic Reynolds-Alberta Museum by their head of marketing, Cynthia Blackmore. I got a rare sneak peak of their new exhibit “Motorbikus Mechanicus”. This is a love story of the partnership between famed motorcycle manufacturer,
12
Our Alberta Touring Mag©
With time on our side, I was treated to a tour at the Wetaskiwin Heritage Museum Centre by the executive director & chief curator Karen Aberle. After a wonderful conversation about the City he manages
