TOWN OF WHITECOURT MAP EDMONTON
Snowmobile Capital of Alberta, Whitecourt
Whitecourt and District Forest Interpretive Centre and Heritage Park
Location: 3002-33rd Street (west side of Hwy 43) on Whitecourt’s east end.
Info: The Visitor Information Centre is located in the Forest Interpretive Centre. Open from mid-June to August 31, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and on weekends,
11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. From September 1 through June 30, open Monday to Friday,
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Amenities include public washrooms, picnic and play areas, and walking trails. 1-800-313-7383; 780-778-3433.
Built with open-beam construction and a tipi design, the Forest Interpretive Centre is a beautiful place to discover how sustainable forestry has affected the development of the Whitecourt area, which has two sawmills, a medium-density fibreboard (mdf) plant, a market pulp mill, and an integrated pulp and newsprint mill.
The $1.7-million facility provides hands-on exhibits, audio-visual presentations, artifact displays, and self-guided tours that examine the boreal forest’s future, along with the past, present, and future of
Alberta’s forestry industry. It looks at Aboriginal people’s relationship with the forest, the consequences of settlement and other development issues, and the economic impact of forestry. The 657-square-metre centre includes a multimedia museum gallery and 80-seat auditorium.
Heritage Park features three visitor-accessible buildingsBlue Ridge’s Old United Church, an original log home called Baxter Cabin, and a re-created trapper’s shack. You will also find a collection of antique vehicles and farm machinery, as well as a barn. Take a heritage building tour to discover some surprising facts about these buildings’ significance in Whitecourt history. The forest around the centre is used as a model to illustrate the importance of keeping homes safe from potential forest fires. An 800-metre trail includes interpretive signs about fire safety.
