Perspective is everything.

Generally speaking, we only see Edmonton from a few vantage points. Street level gets you anonymous office towers or suburbs; Chateau Lacombe’s La Ronde restaurant and the streetcar on the High Level Bridge allows for better views. We’ll throw in The End of the World in

Belgravia and the hill in Queen Elizabeth Park overlooking the Walterdale Bridge as an example of places in which we realize the city is prettier than we allow ourselves to think because we can see the layers.

If you have the opportunity to take a summer evening ride in one of those hot air balloons that the neighborhood dogs frantically bark at, you’ll see something even more stunning: a crystal blue river padded by green, and buildings dotted along the side with an expanse of smaller houses and apartments sprawling out. 

That’s the view that pterodactyls enjoy as they ceaselessly scan the ground for prey below. It’s the city we’ve grown up in or chosen, and while it might not rank as one of the world’s great beauties, it has its moments, especially when the hidden parts you never knew are revealed from above.

Looking down on the river you see canoes and kayaks, motor boats and very occasionally the Edmonton Queen when it isn’t in dry dock. Walking trails criss-cross green spaces around the city, and if you’re lucky you could glimpse big animals moving shyly along the corridor that is the river valley. As light fades in the sky, Commonwealth Stadium glows from a concert or Elks game. Trains move slowly alongside the Yellowhead. 

There are so many more to discover. It’s all perspective, and you can take that literally or figuratively.

WANNA TAKE A RIDE?

For an opportunity to get a first-hand look at what Edmonton looks like from the air, here are a couple of choices to consider.

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Edmonton Regional Helicopters

erhelicopters.com

780-890-7788

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Horizon Flight School

horizonflightschool.ca

780-606-0161

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Sundance Balloons

sundanceballoons.com

780-990-0799

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