EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was first published on Sept. 16, and updated on Nov. 5 with new details.
Edmonton will host the 28th Commonwealth Agriculture Conference from Nov. 5 to 8 at the Edmonton Expo Centre.
One of the highlights of the event will be the Taste of Canada Dinner Gala, which the Queen’s daughter, Princess Anne, is scheduled to attend on Wednesday.
The Princess Royal is set to be in Edmonton from Monday through Thursday.
The dinner will feature an all-Canadian menu and ingredients prepared by celebrity chef Michael Smith. More than 300 delegates from around the world are expected to attend.
The Commonwealth Agriculture Conference has been held biennially in Commonwealth nations across the world and is designed to give delegates a taste of the agriculture industry in a that region of the host country.
The Edmonton conference will focus on the success of Alberta and Canada’s agriculture industries while providing a forum for discussing mutual successes and challenges in agriculture around the world.
The conference was developed by the Royal Agriculture Society of the Commonwealth (RASC). This year will mark the conference’s fourth trip to Canada.
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On Tuesday evening, Princess Anne, along with Alberta Lt.-Gov. Lois Mitchell and Mayor Don Iveson, will unveil a walkway in the river valley that will be a tribute to Queen Elizabeth.
A news release said Edmonton’s Commonwealth Walkway will be funded by private donors and gifts in-kind. It will be the second for Canada, as the first was unveiled in Banff in 2017.
The projects are an initiative of the Outdoor Trust, a UK-based charity whose goal is to create walkways across all the Commonwealth countries.
The idea for the walkway was championed by Mitchell, who wanted to celebrate the Queen’s reign and Canada’s long-standing role as a member of the Commonwealth.
Banff’s Commonwealth Walkway features bilingual bronze plaques along existing trails and at points of significant local interest. The plaques will bear the Queen’s personal royal cipher and include details about royal connections to the mountain parks and Canada’s Commonwealth history in general.
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The details of the Edmonton walkway will be revealed Tuesday evening at Government House.
On Wednesday, The Princess Royal will also present The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Gold Award to 25 young people, aged 14 to 24, from across Alberta.
The awards, founded by Princess Anne’s father Prince Philip, aim to encourage personal development and community involvement for young people.
The 25 recipients include cadets, university students, and avid volunteers and leaders.
It recognizes youths who have made a difference in their own lives and the lives of others by exploring their potential, taking on new challenges, giving back to their communities and achieving success.
Since the award’s establishment in Canada in 1963, more than 500,000 young Canadians have taken the challenge which has bronze, silver and gold levels.
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