Heritage in Our Communities: Heritage Community Investment Recipients, January 2017

On Monday, January 23rd, Edmonton City Council approved the EHC’s recommendations for funding from the Heritage Community Investment Program’s 2017 run. From new published books and online exhibits to oral histories and artistic celebrations, here are 16 examples of the great heritage work currently happening in our city.

Here are the summaries of 16 new projects and existing organizations that EHC is excited to support in our communities. In total, $322,634.95 in funding was allocated in this cycle.

Project Funding


Project Funding provides assistance to heritage projects carried out
by registered, non-profit heritage or community organizations.

A total of $76,500 was awarded to seven recipients.

150 Stories of Reconciliation – Connecting Us All
Action for Healthy Communities Society of Edmonton
$12,000.00

The project involves engaging with Indigenous and immigrant people to share inspirational stories about their experiences in leaving their homeland to relocate in Edmonton in a digital and printed book format.

Putting Edmonton Workers’ Stories Online
Alberta Labour History Institute
$11,000.00

Aims to significantly enhance the on-line educational resources of the ALHI. It will create video clips from ALHI video interviews, and post these, along with our published research materials. We will use these resources to create ongoing community dialogue about labour’s past, present, and future in Edmonton and Alberta.

Champions of Alberta Avenue
Arts on the Avenue Edmonton Society
$10,000.00

“Champions of Alberta Avenue” will be a photographic, film, and written telling/sharing of the person stories of many of the people who have built businesses over the years on 118 Avenue in Edmonton after immigrating, or coming as refugees from other lands.

Memories of Bonnie Doon Book Project
Bonnie Doon Community League
$15,000.00

The Memories of Bonnie Doon book is a major historical project commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Bonnie Doon Community League in 2018; it connects community members through inter-generational interviews, and provides for locals to tell their unique stories within the context of the neighbourhood’s history.

Crestwood Centennial
Crestwood Community League
$8,500.00

Crestwood will recognize the milestone of turning 100 years old in 2017 with the publishing of a book that focuses on the past 100 years of Crestwood and how it fits into the bigger picture of the City of Edmonton.

Advancing Reconciliation in Education
John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights
$15,000.00

Provides opportunities for students to learn about our national history of colonization within the context of Edmonton’s histories and human rights lens and hear from Indigenous students about the present-day injustices they face and how this is rooted in local histories of colonization.

Edmonton Bench and Bar Oral History Project
Legal Archives Society of Alberta
$5,000.00

Recognizing the importance of capturing the voices and stories of the Alberta bench and bar and others involved in the legal system, the Legal Archives Society has interviewed and preserved almost 300 interviews for their ongoing oral history project, with transcripts of these interviews amounting to approximately 30,000 pages.

Living Local Neighbourhood Arts & Heritage Grants


Living Local grants support projects with three partners—community
league, artist(s), and heritage practitioner(s)—to develop meaning
at a neighbourhood level.

A total of $6,600 was awarded to one recipient.

Exploring Historic Bonnie Doon
Bonnie Doon Community League
$6,600.00

Artwork will be commissioned to illustrate Bonnie Doon’s historic community for two time periods: 1882-1918 and circa the 1950s. A local artist will use historic photographs to illustrate our local geography and former historic buildings and outdoor pop-up art sessions will be held in the community.

Operational Funding


Operational funding supports museums, archives, and other organizations
so they can research, preserve and interpret Edmonton’s heritage according
to their mandate.

A total of $239,534.95 was awarded to eight recipients.

Alberta Aviation Museum Association
$119,617.00

In 2015 and 2016, the Alberta Aviation Museum underwent major transformations in regards to the mandates and goals formerly laid out by previous governing Boards. The museum understood the need for the complete change due to the circumstances of the Blatchford Development Project.

Alberta Genealogical Society
$31,638.50

Founded in 1973, the Alberta Genealogical Society is a non-profit organization, which for the past forty years has promoted the study of genealogy and genealogical research within the province of Alberta. The mission is to provide support and services for people researching their family history and genealogy.

Alberta Labour History Institute
$7,282.25

The founding mission of the Alberta Labour History Institute (ALHI) is to contribute to an historical awareness of workers’ past, which is crucial to the pride and dignity that workers today have in the jobs they do and in the communities they build. ALHI collections materials from working people including oral histories, photographs, and some documents to educate others and donate them to other public institutions.

Alberta Pioneer Railway Association
$16,511.70

The Alberta Railway Museum (ARM) is operated by the Alberta Pioneer Railway Association (APRA). The APRA is a not-for-profit organization of volunteers dedicated to the collection, preservation, restoration, and interpretation of artifacts that represent the technology and history of the Canadian National and Northern Alberta Railways (NAR) in Edmonton & Western Canada, as well as industrial and short line railways.

Edmonton Radial Railway Society
$5,270.00

Through the efforts of volunteer members, Edmonton Radial Railway Society preserves and interprets the history and technology of street railways with particular emphasis on Edmonton’s streetcar system. The organization collects and restores significant artifacts and maintains an operating street railway in Fort Edmonton Park and the High Level Bridge line.

Loyal Edmonton Regiment Museum
$5,675.50

In 1985 the Loyal Edmonton Regiment Museum Foundation was established with the goal of finding a permanent home for the collection. The museum opened its doors to the public in November 1997 with the Major General William Antrobus Griesbach Gallery.

Société Historique Francophone de l’Alberta
$31,790.75

The foremost goal of La Société historique francophone de l’Alberta (La Société) is the preservation and dissemination of the heritage and history of Alberta francophones. La Société not only preserves heritage but also makes it accessible to the community. Data collection and dissemination to the public are important aspects of the strategic plan of La Société.

The Telephone Historical Centre
$21,749.25

The Telephone Historical Centre’s mandate is to ‘preserve, exhibit, and interpret artifacts and materials which demonstrate the evolution of telecommunications for the education and enjoyment of historians and present and future generations.’ To accomplish this, THC offers tours and video, engaging displays, educations programs, and accessibility to collections and archival records.