I Heart Edmonton

It couldn't have been a more beautiful winter day to celebrate family life, but I took a photogenic detour of local events... BY EMIL TIEDEMANN Y ESTERDAY marked the 20th anniversary of Family Day in Alberta...either a special Monday for family-oriented fun or another day off. Depends on who you ask, I guess. For me it was a little bit of both, though I spent much of the +4 (temp.) afternoon snapping photos in the vicinity of downtown, where most of the city's Family Day events and activities were held. Churchill Square was packed with kids and their parents, using the day off to skate at City Hall or have their faces painted nearby, while the new Art Gallery of Alberta offered free admission for the Monday. There were also things to do at the Muttart Conservatory , Winspear Centre , the Stanley A. Milner Library , and other local venues. But instead of showing you what was going on at these various locations (with the exception of the photo above), I decided to share with ...

That's right, move over Valentine's Day, Family Day & Chinese New Year's, it's also 'Flag Day' this long weekend! I HEART Edmonton just wanted to take a moment to point out that today, also Alberta's 20th annual Family Day , marks the 45th anniversary of the iconic red 'n' white Canadian flag. You know the one...it has that giant maple leaf on it! Anyways, what has to be Canada's ultimate symbol ( sorry, beavers ) first waved from Parliament Hill in Ottawa on February 15, 1965, replacing the Union Flag we once used. Designed by John Matheson and U of A grad George F.G. Stanley , the flag is celebrated each February 15th (since 1996), known as National Flag of Canada Day . PHOTO BY EMIL TIEDEMANN e