Vegreville
Vegreville [dead link] is a town of 5,700 people (2016) on the Yellowhead Highway in East Central Alberta, approximately 100 km east of Edmonton. It is home to the world's largest pysanka (Ukrainian Easter egg).
Understand
Incorporated in 1906, Vegreville is primarily an agricultural community and has strong historical ties to the Ukrainian immigrant community.
Grand Trunk Pacific's rail line (now Canadian National Railway's Vegreville Subdivision) from Lloydminster reached west through Vegreville to Edmonton by 1909. The GTPR was completed to Prince Rupert in 1914 and financially ruined by 1919. CN79458, a red caboose retired in 1993, is on display in Elks Park off 48th Street.
Get in
By car
Yellowhead Highway 16 (Prince Rupert BC to Portage la Prairie MB), part of the Trans-Canada Highway system; exit onto Highway 16A into town.
By bus
- Rider Express, 6801 Alberta Highway 16A (Tim Hortons), ☏ +1 306-209-3636, toll-free: +1-833-583-3636, contact@riderexpress.ca. Service from Saskatoon, Regina, Davidson and North Battleford (Saskatchewan); and Lloydminster and Edmonton (Alberta).
By plane
- Vegreville Industrial Airport (CEV3). Has a 4000-foot runway but no scheduled flights.
By train
Via Rail's trains pass through Vegreville, Vermilion and Lloydminster on their way to Edmonton but do not stop. The former station is now restaurant and event space.
Get around
- Central Taxi, 5005 47th St, ☏ +1 780-632-6822.
See
- Our Lady of the Highway, just east of town on Highway 16A. Ask the blessings of Our Lady to protect and direct travellers in their journeys. Seven-foot high shrine sculpted in Italy from Carrara Marble (Italian White Marble) and erected by the Vegreville Knights of Columbus.
- 1 Vegreville Pysanka, Elks / Kinsmen Park. Painstakingly constructed from thousands of individual aluminium pieces, this oversize Ukrainian Easter egg (batik pysanka) stands three and a half stories high and is 9 m (31 ft) long. (By comparison, the "Big Bird" muppet would be tiny at a mere 8ft 2in.)
- [dead link] Vegreville Regional Museum, 5029 45B Ave, ☏ +1 780-632-7650. Former Agriculture Canada research station (1956-1995), the museum and Vegreville & District Sports Hall of Fame highlight community development with local history exhibits, classic farm machinery, community history books. By donation..
Do
- [dead link] Elks / Kinsmen Park, off Highway 16A, ☏ +1 780-632-6800. A fully restored CN caboose is open every day of the year. Tourist info, souvenirs, snacks, 93-site RV park and camp site with shower and rest rooms, picnic facilities, playground, tobogganing hill and outdoor fitness area.
Events
- Country Fair. Three days, early August.
- Pysanka Festival. Three days, early July. Celebration of Ukrainian culture.
Buy
Eat
- Old School Diner, 5341 50 Ave, ☏ +1 780-632-3638. M-Th 11AM-9PM, F Sa 11AM-1AM. A family-owned diner modelled after 1950s styled diners.
- The Pure Cafe, 4930 50 Avenue, ☏ +1 587-280-4050. M-Sa 8AM-4PM. Wraps, soups, sandwiches, stromboli. Stromboli and wraps $10-12.
- Leonel's Place, 5245 50 Ave, ☏ +1 780-632-6551. M-Th 11AM-2PM & 4:30PM-8PM, F 11AM-2PM & 4:30PM-9PM, Sa 9AM-2PM & 4:30PM-9PM,. Ukrainian, Italian, Canadian.
Drink
- Vito's Lounge, 4925 50th Ave, ☏ +1 780-632-3337. Daily 11AM-10PM. Also serves steaks and pizza.
Sleep
- Pomeroy Inn & Suites, 6539 Hwy 16A West, ☏ +1 780-632-2094, toll-free: +1-855-836-3399, fax: +1 780-632-6312. 80 rooms and suites, on-site convenience store, meeting facilities, wi-fi.
- [dead link] Vegreville Garden Inn, 6401 50th Ave, ☏ +1 780-632-2895, fax: +1 780-632-2502. 44 rooms with fridge, microwave, TV. Homestead Lounge open 10am-2am.
- Wild Rose Inn, 6001 50th Ave, ☏ +1 780-632-6263, toll-free: +1-800-939-9925, fax: +1 780-632-2810.
Connect
Go next
- Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village, a pioneer village living museum at the eastern edge of Elk Island National Park on Yellowhead Highway 16.
| Routes through Vegreville |
| Edmonton ← Elk Island NP ← | W   E |
→ Vermilion → Lloydminster |