The best of Sherwood Park
Check out these three key destinations in the world’s largest hamlet
Sherwood Park may be the seventh largest municipality in Alberta, but it is not technically a city. The destination is just one of several hamlets that make up Strathcona County, located just outside of Edmonton—a designation that actually makes Sherwood Park the largest hamlet in the world. This hamlet has a long history in the area, and the whole county of Strathcona has been building for over a century on agricultural roots.
Miles of heritage
“Heritage Mile on Broadmoor Boulevard talks about the homesteaders that built the area,” said Todd Banks, executive director at Sherwood Park and District Chamber of Commerce. “We also have our local museum that depicts a lot of the history of where we came from, from an agricultural base.”
The Heritage Mile consists of numerous displays of statues, works of art and memorials that pay tribute to the history of the area. Each of the trees along the mile serves as a testament to the memory of residents of Sherwood Park.
Other historical destinations in the area include a Ukrainian heritage village just minutes east of Sherwood Park on the Yellowhead branch of the Trans-Canada Highway, and the Elk Island National Park on the border of Strathcona County.
“Elk Island National Park has woodland buffalo and plains buffalo for visitors to see,” said Banks. “It’s the biggest herd in North America.”
Millenium Place
Though a lot of the beginnings of Strathcona County were on farmland, the city now has a strong sports tourism industry and new infrastructure.
“We have world-class recreational facilities here, one being Millenium Place,” said Banks. “We have sporting events like the Olympic trials for wrestling and other sports like that, but then we also have tournaments from around the province, so a lot of tourism here is through sport.”
Millenium Place is a fitness facility in Strathcona County that offers a wide variety of services, including fitness training and assessments, swimming, skating and more. It also plays host to a variety of kids’ camps throughout the summer.
Strathcona Wilderness Centre
For outdoor summer activities, residents and visitors alike head out to the Strathcona Wilderness Centre.
“A lot of people that come here go out to the Wilderness Centre that’s just a short drive from Sherwood Park in Strathcona County,” said Banks. “There are walking trails and hiking trails and there’s a picnic area as well. It’s really quite popular.”
Approximately 12 kilometres of trails provide great opportunity for outdoor adventure on foot or bike in the summer and on skis and snowshoes in the winter. If you don’t have your own equipment on hand, there are rentals available.
The wilderness centre has several campsites as well as lodging rentals, so you can prolong your stay and have even more opportunity to explore the disc golf course, learn to canoe or just enjoy the natural beauty of Strathcona.
