Yes, you read it right.
For the next few days, RETROactive (well, me, Matthew Francis) will be down in New Orleans representing Alberta at the U.S. National Trust Main Street Conference. This annual gathering brings together leaders from hundreds of historic communities from across North America, as well as representatives from State and Provincial coordinating programs. In addition to Alberta, Canadians from Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan will also be in attendance. This is an incredible opportunity to learn from the stories of revitalization through heritage conservation. In particular, we’ll be seeing first-hand how New Orleans’ cultural economy has contributed to the city’s post-Katrina recovery. In between sessions, I’ll try to provide some real-time highlights from this excellent learning event. This knowledge will then be brought back to Alberta, to benefit the communities in our Alberta Main Street Program. Current members of the program’s network are:
- Downtown Lethbridge
- Wainwright
- Uptowne Olds
RETROactive 
Have fun Matthew and whomever is travelling with you ! When you return, do think about travelling out to Battle River Country where exciting heritage things continue to unfold!
May 1st – Launch of Battle River Bus Book for travel to heritage sites around the region.
Jane Ross, PhD.