How to Visit Métis Crossing in Alberta, Canada

"I traveled from Vancouver to spend a couple of days at Métis Crossing, a 688-acre Indigenous-owned cultural centre in Smoky Lake, Alberta, on the North Saskatchewan River. The property includes a 40-room lodge designed by Métis architect Tiffany Shaw-Collinge, a 320-acre wildlife park (Visions, Hopes and Dreams) a five-minute drive from the lodge, and new glamping-style Sky Watching Domes that debuted this summer — six domes with king beds and two family suites, all with high ceiling viewing windows for stargazing and a chance to see the aurora borealis. I watched li bufloo (bison) graze while Len Hrehorets put on country music to calm them, and learned from CEO Juanita Marois how the bison act as a keystone species that spreads seeds and supports other wildlife. Cultural programming is strong: Métis knowledge-holder Lilyrose Meyers taught me tufting and shared historical photos and laughter, there are craft workshops and large communal spaces (a Cultural Gathering Centre and a dining hall that seats hundreds), and the site hosts Métis Fest each summer for roughly 2,000 people. Meals and hospitality felt homespun and local — breakfasts in a small café where staffer Beth Braucht brought cappuccinos and dishes included saskatoon-berry coulis, bison sausage, and bannock — and sustainability projects like a solar farm and a permaculture garden are in progress. Whether canoeing in summer, skiing or snowshoeing in winter, or simply lying under the big Alberta sky in an igloo-like dome, the place is designed to connect visitors to Métis heritage, the land, and the night sky." - Carleigh Baker