Hometown Market

03/28/2025

***FUN FACT FRIDAY***

How about this snow, huh?!

Let's take the it could be worse approach 💁‍♀️

When looking at record spring snowfall in Alberta, there's been some notable storms.

In fact, just last March, a 101 year old record was broken when Airdrie received 16.1 cm of snow!

In March of 1974, a 3 day storm hit Edmonton delivering 30.3 cm's!

Some parts of Alberta received almost a year's worth of snow in less than two weeks in the spring of 2003.

Looking at the spring snowfall records in Alberta, I think the worst part is that we may not quite be out of the woods just yet, there's 4 other spring snowfall records all set in the month of April. 🫣

So I will begrudgingly go shovel and tell myself it could be worse... nevertheless, I am most ready for spring to stick around!

📸✍️ ,

03/26/2025

I was recently in Eckville and got up close and personal with their water tower and couldn't help notice it's resemblance to the Horton Water Spheroid in Red Deer!

I have a bit of an obsession for taking in those longtime landmarks that people remember communities for, and that communities maintain well past their intended use because they become part of a community.

Water towers, do you love 'em or hate 'em?!

Any particular water tower you love?!

It’s the great water tower debate!

😆

03/21/2025

***FUN FACT FRIDAY***

You know, I absolutely hated it when I was a kid, and family members would call me by the wrong name. Now I'm the one spouting off the wrong name with my own kids!

Good news - calling your child by a sibling’s name is not a memory issue!

It’s neither due to forgetfulness nor aging. It’s more a sign of stress than of cognitive decline, according to psychologists. If you think back on the last time you mixed up names, it was probably when you were feeling overwhelmed and exhausted.

I read that as it's the children's fault. 💁‍♀️

Your mind is actually more organized than you think.

The way the brain categorizes and retrieves information is similar to the folders on your laptop, and you have one for family names, another for friends and work colleagues. A study found that naming errors typically happen within a category, so the wrong name being used is in the same group like members of the family.

In the research pets were included in the family group.

So now the real question is have you ever called one of your children by the name of one of your pets?!

✍️

03/17/2025

👋 Edmonton and area, we're coming for ya!

Catch us Thursday thru Sunday.

Use promo code HOMETOWN25 for free tickets! Just head to showpass.com/2025-edmonton-boat-and-sportsmens-show/
*while supplies last

See you this weekend!

03/14/2025

***FUN FACT FRIDAY***

Did you know Alberta Parks is adding 330 campsites and two Group Camping Areas from 15 parks that will be reservable this camping season?!

Here's where you'll find new sites:

⛺️ Crescent Falls Campground
🥾 Crow Lake Campground
⛺️ Devonshire South Campground
🥾 Goldeye Lake Campground
⛺️ Oldman River Campground
🥾 Payne Lake Campground
⛺️ Queen Elizabeth Campground
🥾 Steveville Bridge Campground
⛺️ St. Mary Upper Campground and Wally’s Campground
🥾 Thompson Creek Campground
⛺️ Two O’clock Creek Campground
🥾 Waterton Reservoir Campground
⛺️Willow Rock Campground
🥾Williamson Campground

Group Use Area Additions

⛺️ Fawcett Lake Group Use Area in Fawcett Lake Provincial Recreation Area
🥾North Shore Group Use Area in Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park

The new additions will be available to book on April 8 at 9:00 a.m.

At least 40% of the campsites in each newly reservable campground will remain first-come, first-served.

✍️

03/13/2025

After multiple requests, we've added to our community sweatshirt blanket line-up!

And this periwinkle color for Pigeon Lake is dreamy! 😍

Cotton/Poly Fleece and oh so cozy!

03/11/2025

🚨 BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND 🚨

Patch Hoodies in NEW colors!

Unisex fit, preshrunk, cozy & perfect for ALL of your prairie adventures! Available in S-2XLonline!

Hurry and add to cart - these won't last long! 🛒

03/07/2025

***FUN FACT FRIDAY***

Did you know Black-capped Chickadees have a song that sounds like they are singing “cheese-bur-ger”!?

Also known as the "hey sweetie" song, it's a mating call that means "I'm a male looking for a mate."

Cheeseburgers - mate - same same 😆

Black-capped chickadees are among the most common and widespread bird species in Canada.

They have AMAZING Memories, often hiding their food to consume at a later date, remembering thousands of food hiding places for over 28 days!

And they communicate with about 15 different songs and calls - guaranteed you'll forever be listening for "cheese-bur-ger" now!

✍️

03/06/2025

Spring is IMMINENT! ☀️

Which means it’s time to put away the winter jackets (hopefully) and pull out the HOODIES!

We’ve thrown ALL of our hoodies on sale minimum 20% off until March 09!

02/28/2025

***FUN FACT FRIDAY***

Did you know McDonald's in Connor McDavid's hometown of Newmarket, Ontario has renamed their location McDavid's after his winning OT goal at the 4 Nations?!

McDonald's originally promised to rename the restaurant location in 2024 if McDavid could bring home the Stanley Cup, while they fell short the franchise says they are making good on that deal in light of the massive goal.

Of course, it takes a team to clinch an international title. Our boys showed up and played HARD! Let’s dig a little deeper into Team Canadas' achievements ⬇️

13 Olympic Gold Medals 🥇
20 World Juniors Gold Medals🥇
28 IIHF Gold Medals 🥇
6 World Cups 🏆
1 4 Nations Gold Medal 🥇

In total, 62 gold medals, 1237 wins, and Sidney Crosby having FIVE after entering the NHL in 2005 and already having 3 IIHF gold medals under his belt!

And now Connor McDavid holds a spot as one of the greatest sports moments of all times and now a Mickey D's named in his honour!

📸✍️ .com,

02/23/2025

HometownMarket celebrates hometowns in central Alberta. Striving to honour our prairie lifestyle and build community pride for the farms, hamlets, villages, towns, and cities we're living, working and raising families in.

So many hometowns were once railway towns, originated or greatly developed because of a railway station or junction at its site.

What's your hometown and what do you love about it?! 👇

.ca

02/21/2025

*** FUN FACT FRIDAY***

Did you know Alberta has been RAT FREE* for 75 years?!

The Norway rat is one of the most destructive creatures known to man and the most common species in the Canadian prairies. It must live with humans or in their structures and can not survive in natural areas or overwinter in cultivated fields. The roof rat is also a regulated pest in Alberta, sometimes arriving on transport vehicles from BC.

Rats entered Saskatchewan in the '20's, then started to head northwest, first reported on the eastern border of Alberta in 1950.

Since then, Alberta has maintained a Rat Control Zone (RCZ) along the eastern border with Saskatchewan. A 600km long and 29km wide swath of land that runs from Cold Lake to the Montana border in the south.

A private pest control firm first helped with control when 30 rat infestations were confirmed along Alberta's eastern border, while Alberta Agriculture worked to develop an effective program. Supported by the government through funding and supplies, the 7 municipalities in the Rat Control Zone bear the most responsibility for rat control.

Since 1960, rat control measures have not changed much!

It is illegal to import and sell rats in our province or keep them as pets. Laboratory rats are permitted at zoos, universities, colleges, and recognized research institutions.

The number of single rats that hitch rides on vehicles into our province per year total more than any infestations.

In 2023, there were only 23 confirmed rats within the province.

✍️

02/14/2025

***FUN FACT FRIDAY***

Have you heard of Bertie the Beaver?!

This fall, he'll be turning 67 years old!

Bertie is the Alberta Wildlife Prevention Mascot. Arriving in Alberta in 1958, the hand drawn Bertie was a gift from Walt Disney, a token of appreciation to the province after Disney filmed several nature documentaries in the Kananaskis region. The films included the Oscar-winning documentary White Wilderness and Nikki: Wild Dog of the North, which was released in 1961.

Bertie’s birthday coincides with National Forest Week, which happens every third week of September, across Canada.

Throughout Bertie’s years of service, he has marched in countless community parades, visited hundreds of schools, and has been hugged and high-fived by tens of thousands of children and adults.

In 2023, Bertie became a new graphic for the CL-215T Airplane; an airtanker that helps limit the spread of wildfires, buying firefighters critical time on the ground. Alberta has been using this plane for over 35 years and now has Bertie on the tail section.

Watch for Bertie across Alberta and do your part to prevent wildfires.

📸 ✍️ ,

02/11/2025

📣 Low Stock Alert - we only have a handful of these subtle Lacombe Retro Heart hoodies left!

LOVE the simplicity of this design, ultra cozy unisex hoodies, in 3️⃣ awesome color options.

'Rep Lacombe - ❤️ where you live!

02/10/2025

Happy to support this school fundraiser!

Check out the full auction here:
https://www.32auctions.com/organizations/126539/auctions/176932?r=1&t=all&fbclid=IwY2xjawIWNoRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHR-P8ekDM2c1Bi0WuNhnMYwEndqPmL2Wu1H5zPeS6sFxPDb2YHKj1851cA_aem_qXJ9d-bFev-MEv3_foXU2w

This cap and candle combo is so cute!!!
Thank you so much No Coast - It's Our Lifestyle!!!
Visit https://www.hometownmarket.ca to see all of their other amazing items!!

Your support means the world to us 🧡

02/07/2025

***FUN FACT FRIDAY***

Did you know Banff was established as Canada’s FIRST National Park in 1885?!

The Canadian National Parks system began in November of that year, when the federal government set aside about 26 square kilometers on the northern slope of Sulphur Mountain for public use. This area, the Cave and Basin Hot Springs, was the beginning of what is now known as Banff National Park.

First Nations had used the hot springs before the arrival of colonists in the area. They were sacred waters – a place to cure illness and maintain health. Canadian Pacific Railway workers building the first transcontinental railway through the Rocky Mountains discovered the Hot Springs in 1883, garnering national attention. Rather than grant private title of the lands to individuals or companies, the federal government decided the hot springs should be preserved for the benefit of all Canadians.

Enlarged in 1887 and named the "Rocky Mountains Park of Canada" (later to be renamed Banff National Park), it was Canada’s first national park and the world’s third. The Banff townsite was established, a hotel was quickly built, and the area was soon being promoted as an international resort and spa. The CPR’s Banff Springs Hotel, completed in 1888, quickly became a popular destination for wealthy tourists.

Interest in developing other areas ran high among members of Parliament and CPR officials. Between 1886-1895, three new mountain reserves were set aside, unavailable for “sale, settlement or squatting.” These later became Yoho, Glacier, and Waterton Lakes provincial parks.

✍️ .canada

01/31/2025

***FUN FACT FRIDAY***

Have you ever visited the arena in Irma, Alberta?!

Did you know it houses a couple of original seats from Maple Leaf Gardens?!

Seat 17 and 20.

Maple Leaf Gardens was Canada’s largest arena when it was built in 1931 on downtown Toronto. It was home to the Toronto Maple Leafs for 68 years!

Now designated a National Historic Site of Canada, it holds an iconic status as Canada’s "cathedral of hockey."

It was built by workers who were paid in company stock, providing a quick delivery, construction took only 8 months to complete.

The inaugural game was between the Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks, who played to a full house of 13,233 spectators. General Admission tickets were 95 cents, while the best seats in the house went for $2.75. The Leafs lost that game 2-1.

The cool thing about these iconic seats that live on in the Irma arena, they were never empty between 1946 and 1999, in fact there was never any unsold seats in Maple Leaf Gardens for those 53 years!

Next time you're at the Irma Arena, enjoy them for yourself!

✍️.canada

01/30/2025

Got someone you need to give a little bit of your love to?!

Love month is right around the corner, and do we have a deal for you!

We have 4️⃣ BE MINE pen sets that are just waiting to bring some love to someone, and the BEST part - just $5 each!

Scoop them up online of DM to claim!