Funding will promote Indigenous, Francophone sites in western Canada

Monday, May 8th, 2017 6:55pm
The marketing initiative will promote the sites and their place in Canadian history to a broader audience.

The federal government is investing $142,000 towards the Trails of 1885 Association Inc. to launch a new website highlighting Francophone and Indigenous cultural centres and historical sites in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.

The announcement was made Monday in Saskatoon by Navdeep Bains, minister of innovation, science and economic development, and minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification Canada.

Project activities include developing a marketing campaign, bilingual signage and marketing materials, as well as expanding the existing Trails of 1885 map.

This marketing initiative will promote the sites and their place in Canadian history to a broader audience in preparation for Canada's 150th anniversary of Confederation.

“The Government of Canada is committed to help generate economic activity in Western Canada by increasing visitors to these important Francophone and Indigenous historic and cultural sites for significant milestone events like Canada'’s 150th anniversary of Confederation and beyond. Canada’s heritage is shaped by our diversity, and it deserves to be celebrated and shared,” said Bains.

The Trails of 1885 Association was created in 2007 to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the NorthWest Resistance in 2010. The association has a membership of more than 60 organizations from Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan, including provincial destination marketing organizations and national historic sites.

In Alberta, sites include Fort Edmonton Park, Frog Lake Historic Site, Lac La Biche, and Victoria Settlement Provincial Historic Site.