When Prince William and his new bride visit Canada this summer as part of their first official visit as a royal couple, will they come to Edmonton or go to Calgary? Governor General David Johnston announced Wednesday that the prince and Kate Middleton, who will be married April 29 at Westminster Abbey, will tour the country from June 30 to July 8, and their visit will include stops in Alberta, the Northwest Territories, Prince Edward Island and the Ottawa area.
The only confirmation so far on the itinerary is that the couple will be in Ottawa on Canada Day, said Caroline Marchildon, a spokeswoman for the Department of Canadian Heritage, which is involved in managing royal tours. Edmontonians are eagerly awaiting the announcement of whether the couple will visit the capital region or Calgary. Ken Fiske, vicepresident of Economic and Tourism Development in Edmonton, said it makes sense for the couple to visit here.
"We are the provincial capital, therefore it makes sense for them to stop in Edmonton," Fiske said. "We would be very excited to host the royal couple in Alberta's capital city and to share that experience with our citizens," Mayor Stephen Mandel wrote in an e-mail. "When we hosted the Queen in 2005, we had an overwhelming response from Edmontonians and interest in a visit from Kate and William could be even greater.
Given Edmonton's reputation as a festival city, cultural capital, and the best garrison town in Canada, I think this city is the kind of vibrant centre that attracts visits of this calibre." Josh Traptow, Calgarian and vice-chairman for the Monarchist League of Canada in Alberta, said Calgary might also appeal to the royal couple.
"It will be around Stampede time if they come to Calgary and I see that as a big catch for them," Traptow said. "The parade will occur on the last day of their visit -July 8." Regardless of where in Alberta the royal couple visits, it is sure to bring people from across Western Canada to the province.
"It will likely be a much younger crowd than typical royal visits, but lots of baby boomers will still go due to their relationship with the Crown," Traptow said. This will be William's third trip to Canada. His father, Prince Charles, brought William and his younger brother Harry to Whistler, B.C., for a ski vacation in 1998.
At the time, a young William was met by crowds of screaming girls when he arrived at Vancouver's Waterfront Centre Hotel. He also accompanied his parents, Prince Charles and Lady Diana, on a royal tour of Ontario in 1991.
Read more: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Royal+newlyweds+will+visit+Alberta/4300206/story.html#ixzz1EDQdP78n
