Author: Alberta's Historic Places

Heritage Marker Unveiling in Peace River

Alberta's Historic Places

The Municipal District of Peace No. 135, which has been celebrating its centenary in 2016, hosted the unveiling of the two latest Provincial Heritage Markers on August 24. The first marker details the rich history of the region’s fur trade and the competition between the Hudson’s Bay Company and the North West Company, as well as the crucial participation of First Nations people as trappers and provisioners. The second marker highlights the history and growth of agricultural settlement in the area at Shaftesbury Settlement. The unveiling was attended by Leah Miller, Board Member of the Alberta Historical Resources Foundation, who brought greetings from the Board and Minister of Culture and Tourism, Ricardo Miranda.

Leah Miller, Board Member of the Alberta Historical Resources Foundation at the unveiling of the Shaftsbury Settlement Heritage Marker.
Leah Miller, Board Member of the Alberta Historical Resources Foundation, at the unveiling of the Shaftesbury Settlement Heritage Marker.

The Shaftesbury Settlement marker was installed at the St. Augustine’s Mission Site in September 2015, while the Peace River Fur Trade marker was installed at the site of the McLeod’s Fort Cairn on Highway 684 in December 2015. The Provincial Heritage Marker Program promotes greater awareness of the provincially-significant people, places, events and themes that have defined the history and character of our province. The public plays an important role in the program, and we welcome applications from groups or individuals who want to propose topics and locations for future markers, including our popular urban/trail-sized markers, suitable for placement in towns, parks, and other locations with pedestrian traffic. For more information about the program, please visit our website.

New Peace River Fur Trade Heritage Marker at the site of McLeod's Fort Cairn on Highway 684 in the Municipal District of Peace No. 135.
New Peace River Fur Trade Heritage Marker at the site of McLeod’s Fort Cairn on Highway 684 in the Municipal District of Peace No. 135.

Written By: Allan Rowe, Historic Places Research Officer

Remembering Allan Pard

Alberta's Historic Places
Allan Pard (right) and Blair First Rider (left) (Photo Credit: Jack Ives)
Allan Pard (right) and Blair First Rider (left) (Photo Credit: Jack Ives)

Alberta Culture and Tourism staff are heartbroken by the loss of our mentor, colleague and friend Allan Pard. Allan (Mi’kskimmiisoka’simii “Iron Shirt”) was a highly respected and beloved Piikani Nation Elder and ceremonialist, active in ceremony and numerous sacred Societies. Working for the Government of Alberta for more than 30 years, Allan was integral to a large number of Alberta Culture and Tourism initiatives and served as a senior adviser to the Ministry of Indigenous Relations. He constantly strived to bridge relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples by fostering environments of understanding and respect. He challenged us to do better, and led by example each step of the way. Read more →

Honouring Alberta’s Heritage Heroes

Alberta's Historic Places

Nominations for the Alberta Historical Resources Foundation’s Heritage Awards are still open. Help us honour and celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of individuals, organizations, municipalities and businesses who have contributed to the preservation of Alberta’s heritage.

Deadline for nominations is July 15. The awards ceremony will take place on October 14 at the historic McDougall Centre in Calgary.

Print

For a copy of the guidelines and nomination form, click here or contact Carina Naranjilla at 780-431-2305 or Carina.Naranjilla@gov.ab.ca. More information is also available at http://www.culture.alberta.ca/heritage-and-museums/grants-and-recognition/heritage-awards/.

Written By: Carina Naranjilla, Grants Program Coordinator

Alberta Historical Resources Foundation Seeking Board Members

Alberta's Historic Places

The Alberta Historical Resources Foundation (AHRF) – the primary source of the Government of Alberta funding for heritage projects – is currently accepting applications to fill seven vacancies on the Board of Directors, including the position of Chair.

Founded in 1973, AHRF has evolved into a complex agency that serves a wide range of stakeholders. Board members are appointed for a term of up to three years. Board meetings are held four times a year for approximately 1.5 days. Board members are also occasionally asked to attend heritage events on behalf of the Foundation.

Online applications are preferred. For details on the position profile and to apply online, please visit www.jobs.alberta.ca. Job ID is 1035487.

Help us ensure the preservation and promotion of Alberta’s heritage through a competent and vibrant board. Applications will be accepted until May 15, 2016.

Celebrating National Volunteer Week: Calhoun Bay Archaeological Sites Tour

Celebrating National Volunteer Week: Calhoun Bay Archaeological Sites Tour

Alberta's Historic Places

April 10 to 16, 2016 is National Volunteer Week in Canada. Well over 12.7 million Canadians have generously donated their time and energy to important causes. Volunteers help our communities grow strong and resilient. Even the smallest effort has the ability to transform, leaving profound and lasting effects in local communities. The work of volunteers affects virtually every aspect of our society and the heritage field is no exception. This week is the perfect time to reflect on the importance of volunteer work involved in the preservation of heritage. Over the years, the Archaeological Survey section of Alberta Culture and Tourism has developed a strong working relationship with the staff of the Parks Division of Alberta Environment and Parks. Both ministries regularly collaborate on joint efforts to preserve Alberta’s natural and cultural heritage for future generations. An important component of our preservation partnership is sharing heritage information with Parks volunteers. The Archaeological Survey participates in these programs to help Parks provide support, increase communication and offer new learning experiences for both staff and volunteers.

Calhoun Bay Provincial Recreation Area Parks Volunteer Conference Field Trip

The Archaeological Survey’s Regional Archaeologists, Caroline Hudecek-Cuffe and Wendy Unfreed participated in Alberta Parks’ Volunteer Conference Field Trip to Calhoun Bay Provincial Recreation Area (PRA) as part of a 3-day conference held in September 2015. Calhoun Bay PRA is located along the eastern shores of Buck Lake surrounded by thick boreal forests. On the bus ride to the site, Caroline and Wendy treated their fellow riders to an introduction to Alberta archaeology and explained how the Read more →

AHRF 2016 Heritage Awards

Alberta's Historic Places

Calling for Nominations for the Alberta Historical Resources Foundation’s (AHRF) 2016 Heritage Awards

Nominations for the AHRF’s biennial Heritage Awards are now open!  This is an excellent opportunity to recognize and celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of individuals, organizations and municipalities who have demonstrated their commitment to preserving, and promoting appreciation of, Alberta’s heritage.

Awards are presented to projects for the Heritage Conservation and Heritage Awareness Awards; to municipalities for the Municipal Heritage Preservation Award; and to individuals for the Outstanding Achievement Award.

Print

For a copy of the guidelines and nomination form, click here or contact 780-431-2305 or e-mail Carina.Naranjilla@gov.ab.ca.  More information is also available at http://www.culture.alberta.ca/heritage-and-museums/grants-and-recognition/heritage-awards/

Deadline for nominations is July 15.  The awards ceremony will take place on October 14 at the McDougall Centre in Calgary.

Written By: Carina Naranjilla, Grants Program Coordinator, AHRF

Historic Burial near Viking, Alberta: A story of excavation, ceremony and community

Historic Burial near Viking, Alberta: A story of excavation, ceremony and community

Alberta's Historic Places

In late August 2015, Brian Rozmahel, a farmer near the Town of Viking, was working in one of his fields. He recently experienced problems with gophers causing damage to his crops and decided to set up several traps as a preventative measure. One morning he went out to check the traps he set the day before and discovered something he was not expecting to find. A badger got to the site overnight and dug into the gopher burrows. Quite a bit of earth was brought up through the badger’s digging. However, there was more than just earth that was surfaced by the badger. Resting on the ground near the burrows were human remains and other items such as buttons and beads.

When Brian encountered the remains he immediately contacted the Viking Detachment of the RCMP. The RCMP cordoned off the site and did an initial investigation of the area. In the meantime, the exposed human remains were sent to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) for further analysis.

In consultation with forensic anthropologist, Pamela Mayne-Correia, the OCME concluded that the human remains were historic in nature and were likely of a young Aboriginal individual. The RCMP deemed the situation to not be criminal and the Historic Resources Management Branch (HRMB) was then contacted by the OCME. As the remains were considered historic, the HRMB now had jurisdiction over the site. Read more →

She’s Got Bette Davis Eyes

Alberta's Historic Places

Her hair is Harlowe gold
Her lips sweet surprise
Her hands are never cold
She’s got Bette Davis eyes
(from Bette Davis Eyes; Kim Carnes, 1981)

Backstory

Everyone says my mother (Marina Lynch-Staunton) has Bette Davis eyes. Perhaps she used them, back in 1955, to catch the judges’ eyes. That’s when Marina was crowned Queen at the Crow’s Nest Pass Winter Carnival.

The tale of Marina’s crowning achievement has an unlikely beginning.

Picture this: a grassy hillside overlooking the Oldman River. There, a hop, skip and jump east of The Gap—the water gap through which the Oldman River cuts through the Livingstone Range—a farm tractor was used to power a rope tow that pulled skiing enthusiasts from the surrounding ranching community to the top of “Mount Pleasant,” a modest climb from the Oldman’s storied shores.

It was here that the Maycroft Ski Club was born. Read more →

Romanian Settlement in Alberta

Alberta's Historic Places

One of the latest additions to the Provincial Heritage Marker collection details the history of Romanian settlement in Alberta, starting with the first Romanian pioneers to settle in the province in 1898, Ikum Yurko and Elie Ravliuk. The earliest Romanian settlements in Alberta were concentrated in the east-central part of the province, where communities such as Boian flourished in the early twentieth century. New Romanian-Albertan communities emerged in the late 1920s as the children of the first generation began to move to other parts of the province in search of land and new opportunities. By the 1950s the province’s Romanian population was predominantly Canadian-born, but Romanian culture, traditions and language still flourished in Alberta.

New Heritage Marker installed in June 2015 on Highway 45 east of Willingdon.
New Heritage Marker installed in June 2015 on Highway 45 east of Willingdon.

The marker was installed on Highway 45 east of Willingdon in June 2015. The Provincial Heritage Marker Program promotes greater awareness of the provincially-significant people, places, events and themes that have defined the history and character of our province. Topics relevant to the history of immigration, settlement and ethnic history has been an important part of the program since it was first launched in 1955. The public plays an important role in the program, and we welcome applications from groups or individuals who want to propose topics and locations for future markers, including our popular urban/trail-sized markers, suitable for placement in towns, parks, and other locations with pedestrian traffic. For more information about the program, please visit our website.

Written By: Allan Rowe, Historic Places Research Officer

Christmas at the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village

Alberta's Historic Places
Photo Credit: Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village
An employee at the UCHV holding a Didukh (sheaf of grain). Photo Credit: Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village

The Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village is a major open-air museum operated by the Historic Sites and Museums Branch of Alberta Culture and Tourism. Located 50 km east of Edmonton the museum preserves more than 30 historic structures and interprets the lives of Ukrainian settlers in east central Alberta between the years of 1892 and 1930. Based on extensive contextual and site specific research, the museum is an important steward of the intangible cultural heritage of Alberta’s Ukrainian settlers.

Among the customs which the Village documents and observes is Christmas. As Byzantine Eastern rite Orthodox and Catholic Christians, Ukrainians celebrated Christmas according to the Julian calendar, which predated the introduction of the current Gregorian calendar. What is popularly referred to as “Ukrainian Christmas” is celebrated on January 7 rather than December 25. On January 6, Ukrainians celebrate Sviat Vechir (or Holy Evening, Christmas Eve) with a special meal. For the early Ukrainian settlers of east central Alberta as well as their descendants in urban settings, this was an evening filled with ritual and tradition, including pre-Christian agrarian elements.

Christmas Eve meal, January 5, 1949. Photo: Eric Bland, from City of Edmonton Archives.
Christmas Eve meal, January 1949. Photo: Eric Bland. From City of Edmonton Archives, EA-600-1885g.

The evening meal on Sviat Vechir would begin when the children in the family spotted the first star in the night sky. After it was spotted, the family assembled around the table and shared a prayer or carol. The patriarch of the family then brought the first of 12 Lenten dishes to the table. This dish is Read more →