I had the great pleasure of vacationing in Alberta and experiencing the overwhelming mountains of the Canadian Rockies. It's like coming to another world to see glaciers, mountain peaks, blue lakes and giant forests, and it struck me that our world is created with extraordinary creativity.

The visit to Alberta was also an opportunity to experience another part of the Danes' history in Canada. When you look around, there are Danish fingerprints on signs, buildings, and farms in many places. A Danish name, a Danish building and churches that once were or are Danish reminds that many Danes have helped build Canada - often with great creativity.

In Calgary and Edmonton, there are two active Danish churches with stories that go back 100 years. My pastor colleagues told how Danish pioneers built churches when they immigrated to Canada to cultivate the land or dig in the mines. Even today, the congregations are active, though more English than Danish is spoken. The Danish fingerprints are still evident, and so is the need to celebrate worship and Danish culture - far from Denmark.

In Alberta, the "hyggelige" Danish-Canadian museum has its own little mermaid, Viking ship, and church. The museum is located in the small town of Dickson, where the stones at the cemetery carry Danish surnames such as Christensen, Westergaard and Jensen.

The story of Alberta is also the story of Ontario and other parts of North America. For me, it was very educational to travel and experience the great country and see the Danish fingerprints and be reminded that the Danes before, today and in the future make their own mark on Canada - just like Danes all over the world do it. 

Pastor Simon Kangas Larsen