The royal family’s longest-serving monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has died at the age of 96.
As the world mourns the loss of one of the world’s most monumental figures, we can look back fondly on when Her Majesty visited Fort Saskatchewan in 1978.
On August 2, 1978, Queen Elizabeth II, then 52, visited the community alongside Prince Phillip as part of a tour leading up to the Commonwealth games in Edmonton.
The day was as perfect as could be, with a clear blue sky and sun shining down on Fort Saskatchewan.
As the royal couple arrived through the recently repainted CN station, they were greeted by then-mayor Hank Powell. From there they took a motorcade to Turner Park where they were greeted by thousands of residents eager to get a glimpse of the Queen.
While at the park she was gifted a copy of Reverend Peter T. Ream’s book, The Fort on the Saskatchewan, and a specialty minted coin to mark the occasion.
Before leaving the community, the Queen unveiled a commemorative plaque and got to hear from the Our Lady of Angels junior choir and the Fort Saskatchewan Junior High School band.
The visit might have only been a mere half an hour but the lasting impact Her Majesty’s grace and poise left on the community can still be felt to this day.
The Queen also visited Lamont and Bruderheim.
Below are newspaper clippings from The Record in 1978, provided by the Fort Heritage Precinct, as well as photos taken by Ed Duliba.