[FINAL EDITING]
Back to North East Quadrant – YEG-Ville.
Today Cardiff is a sleepy bedroom community for Edmonton. A century ago, it supplied energy for the coal powered trains, heated homes and supported industry. Extracting coal is dirty and labour intensive. In 1922, the mine was the scene of a violent strike killing a provincial police officer and injuring others.
The Fast Facts
- EASY-PEASY.
- Worth Visiting
- Washrooms.
- Kid Friendly
- Low Beginner.
Today, a dozen now abandoned mines are covered by a golf course and the Cardiff park. A good use of the land in which the occasional cave in creates new hazards for duffers. [1, 2]
A Quiet Oasis for Beginners
The park itself is large enough for a good day of Beginning snowshoeing or a few hours of walking. Trails are cleared on the frozen grass making ice-cleats recommended only if there has been a freeze/thaw cycle. There are enough hills and terrain variety to keep a snowshoe trek interesting. Be sure to say hello and talk to the ice-fishers on the surprisingly large lake in the park.
- Name/Owner: Cardiff Park, Hamlet of Cardiff.
- Map Reference, Location and WGU:
- Central Alberta Backroads Map Book, p. [NAME] (##), Cell [Z9].
- 53′ 46″ -113′ 35″. Address: 25023 Township Road 554.
- WGU Driving Time & Distance: 32 Min(s) & 32 Kilometers
- Rating and Description:
- Difficulty Level & Safety: Low Beginner and no safety considerations.
- Comments
- Links: See Notes and References.
- The Other Shoe: As a county park, there are numerous recreational activities available year round. These include numerous playgrounds, picnic sites/shelters, stand-up bbq’s, fire pits, horseshoe pits, volleyball courts, softball/slowpitch diamonds, soccer pitches, fishing and golf.
- Frank’s Trip Notes: First done: 2021-01-01.
Notes and References:
- Ma, Kevin. “The Buried Past.” StAlbertToday.ca, March 27, 2018. https://www.stalberttoday.ca/local-news/the-buried-past-1298272.
- Alberta Energy Regulator, Coal Mine Viewer.
Organizational Biology 