Four Seasons in Lloydminster: Things to Do Year-Round

People thinking about moving to Lloydminster often ask me, "What do you actually do here?" Usually they're picturing a long winter and not much else. The truth is the calendar here is fuller than most people expect, and every season has something worth getting out for.

Here's my season-by-season guide to the Border City, plus a few thoughts on how the seasons shape buying and selling.

Spring: thaw, trails and getting ready for summer

Spring on the prairies arrives in fits and starts, but once the snow lets go, Lloydminster gets moving.

• The Spring Sport & Leisure Show. Each March, the Lloyd Ex grounds host what the exhibition association calls Lloydminster's largest trade show for home, garden, sport and leisure. Planning a renovation or landscaping? It's a great place to talk to local businesses in one weekend.
• Bud Miller All Seasons Park. This 200-acre park is the heart of outdoor life in the city, with roughly 15 km of trails, including paved paths and gravel routes. The All Seasons Nature Loop is an easy 2.6 km walk. Every spring, residents can also rent a garden plot in the park.
• City trails. The trail system wraps through the city, in and out of parks and residential areas, so many neighbourhoods have a route close by.
• Golf season. The Lloydminster Golf & Curling Centre has an 18-hole, par 72 championship course, plus a driving range. Once it opens for the year (weather permitting), the parking lot fills up fast.

Summer: lakes, festivals and long evenings

Summer is when Lloydminster shows off. The days are long, and there's something on almost every weekend.

• Downtown Streetfest. In early summer, downtown fills with vendors, food trucks, live entertainment, a kids zone and a pancake breakfast. It's free and has been running for well over a decade.
• Canada Day at Bud Miller. The City hosts a free, all-day Canada Day celebration at Bud Miller All Seasons Park with live music, kids' activities and fireworks to close the night.
• The Lloyd Ex Fair. The Lloydminster Agricultural Exhibition Association has been putting on its summer fair for more than 120 years. Expect a parade, midway rides, livestock shows, a petting zoo, fireworks and plenty of entertainment.
• Bud Miller on the water. In summer you can rent a kayak or pedal boat at the park lake, or bring your own canoe or kayak (no gas motors). There's also a spray park, mini golf, disc golf, tennis and pickleball courts, a bike pump track and fire pits.
• The outdoor farmers market. On Thursdays and Saturdays through the warmer months, the Lloydminster Outdoor Farmers Market sets up in the Rona parking lot just off the Yellowhead, with garden vegetables, bread, jams and handmade goods.
• Lakes close to home. Sandy Beach Regional Park is about 15 minutes north on Highway 17, with a small lake, a public beach, camping and a nine-hole golf course. Silver Lake Regional Park is another option east of the city. Farther afield, Brightsand Lake Regional Park near St. Walburg is known for its long sandy beach, and Riel Beach on Frog Lake, on the Alberta side, has camping and boating.

Fall: harvest, hockey and the indoor season

Fall is a busy season here. The combines are rolling, and the rinks come back to life.

• Bobcats hockey. The Lloydminster Bobcats of the Alberta Junior Hockey League start their season in the fall and play home games at the new Cenovus Energy Hub, which seats about 2,500 for hockey. A Friday night game is one of the best ways to feel like a local.
• Lakeland College Rustlers. Lakeland's Rustlers play college sports through the fall and winter, including women's hockey, volleyball and basketball, with home games in Lloydminster. The games are a fun, affordable night out.
• Stockade Roundup. In the fall, the Lloyd Ex hosts Stockade Roundup, a four-day cattle show that the exhibition association describes as one of Canada's premier livestock events on the prairies.
• Curling season begins. Curling at the Lloydminster Golf & Curling Centre runs from about mid-October to late March. It's an easy, social way to get through the cold months.
• Back indoors at the market. The Border City Farmers Market, a non-profit that has been running since 1975, is open Thursday afternoons year-round at the Servus Sports Centre, and adds Saturdays from October through April.
• Heavy Oil Show years. Every second September, the Lloydminster Heavy Oil Show brings exhibitors and visitors from around the world.

Winter: skating, skiing and lights

Yes, winter is long. But this city knows how to make the most of it.

• Free outdoor rinks. The City maintains ten free outdoor ice surfaces, including neighbourhood rinks at schools and parks, the lake at Bud Miller and the speed skating oval at the Servus Sports Centre. Several are lit in the evening.
• Outdoor rink at the Hub. The new Kings Energy Group Outdoor Rink at the Cenovus Energy Hub is lit for evening skating and shinny, weather permitting.
• Bud Miller in winter. The park turns into a winter playground, with groomed cross-country ski trails, snowshoeing, tobogganing hills and pond skating. The lake is stocked with trout, so ice fishing is an option too (you'll need an Alberta fishing licence). The Park Centre stays open so skaters can change and warm up.
• More ski trails. The Lloydminster Cross Country Ski Club maintains seasonal trails at the golf course and at Poplar Bluff, about 20 km east of the city.
• Indoor options. When it's too cold to be outside, the Servus Sports Centre has two full-size arenas, a leisure ice surface, field houses and an indoor fitness track. The Bioclean Aquatic Centre at Bud Miller has an indoor pool.
• Holiday lights. In recent years, the Kiwanis Festival of Lights has lit up Kiwanis Park with tens of thousands of lights, and the Lloyd Ex's Parade of Lights has rolled through downtown in December. Check local listings for this year's details.

How the seasons shape buying and selling here

In my experience, spring and early summer are the busiest times to list and buy. Yards look their best, families like to move before school starts, and it's easier to judge a roof and drainage once the snow is gone. Fall can be a good window, too, especially for buyers who want to be settled before the snow. Winter is usually quieter, but serious buyers are still out there, and a home that shows well in January (clear walks, a warm house, good lighting) can stand out.

If you farm, or you're buying from someone who does, plan around seeding and harvest.

What to look for in a home for prairie winters

When you're touring homes, think about February, not just July:

• The garage. A garage, especially an attached or insulated one, makes a real difference when it's cold. Check its size, whether it's heated and the condition of the door.
• The heating system. Ask about the furnace's age and service history and what the utility bills have looked like, and have it inspected.
• Windows, insulation and attic. Drafty windows and thin insulation show up fast on your heating bill. Watch for signs of ice damming.
• Plug-ins and parking. Is there a convenient spot to plug in a block heater? Is the driveway easy to clear?
• The yard and drainage. Spring melt is when drainage problems show up. Look at how the lot slopes and where water goes. And think about what you want from the yard in summer: a garden, room for kids or low maintenance.

Every season has its fruit

Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor whose journal became Meditations, wrote, "Nothing for me is too early nor too late, which is in due time for thee. Everything is fruit to me which thy seasons bring, O Nature" (Meditations 4.23). When people worry about the "perfect" time to move, I think of that. Every season here has its good side, and the right time is the one that fits your life.

If you're thinking about making Lloydminster home, or moving within the city, I'd be glad to show you around in any season and talk through what makes sense for you.

Call or text me at 306-371-5888, or email jordanbirdrealtor@gmail.com.

Jordan Bird
LPT Realty
306-371-5888
jordanbirdrealtor@gmail.com