MEDIA  RELEASE  September  18,  2015                  

 

PICTURE  BUTTE  MUSEUM  TO  BE  AWARDED  GOLD  MEDAL  FOR  COMMUNITY  PROGRAMMING  

COYOTE  FLATS  PIONEER  VILLAGE  PRESERVES  KNOWLEDGE  OF  OLDER  RESIDENTS  

A  desire  to  preserve  the  knowledge  of  older  residents  of  Picture  Butte,  Alberta  resulted  in  a  unique  project  that  has  now  been  named  winner  of  the  2015  Governor  General’s  History  Award  for  Excellence  in  Community  Programming.  

The  Governor  General’s  award  recognizes  community  projects  that  tell  stories  about  our  past  in  unique  and  innovative  ways  and  will  be  presented  to  Coyote  Flats  Pioneer  Village  in  Picture  Butte.    Coyote  Flats  has  won  the  award  for  an  oral  history  project  that  saw  seniors  share  their  life  stories  and  memories  on  video.  The  project  resulted  in  not  only  a  growing  collection  of  oral  history  videos,  but  also  an  ongoing  partnership  with  Picture  Butte  High  School  and  the  Centre  for  Oral  History  and  Tradition  at  the  University  of  Lethbridge,  numerous  opportunities  for  seniors  to  mentor  youth,  and  increased  appreciation  within  the  community  for  its  own  history.    

“Local  high  school  students  interviewed  more  than  a  dozen  seniors  about  their  connection  and  memories  to  four  historic  buildings  at  our  pioneer  village—a  school,  a  church,  a  mail-­‐order  house,  and  a  train  station,”  explained  project  coordinator  Kimberly  Lyall.  "Additionally,  we  also  interviewed  another  approximately  40  seniors  and  captured  their  life  history  and  memories  on  video."  

“The  stories  told  by  Picture  Butte  seniors  not  only  commemorate  local  heritage  but  also  create  links  between  generations,”  said  Janet  Walker,  President  and  CEO  of  Canada’s  History  Society,  which  administers  the  award.  “Hearing  seniors’  stories  about  being  a  child  or  teenager  long  ago  provides  today’s  students  with  insights  into  themselves  and  their  own  lives.”  

Coyote  Flats  Pioneer  Village  will  be  presented  a  gold  medal  by  His  Excellency  the  Right  Honourable  David  Johnston,  Governor  General  of  Canada,  at  Rideau  Hall  on  October  16.  An  additional  gold  medal  for  community  programming  will  be  presented  to  Musée  de  la  Gaspésie  of  Gaspé,  Quebec.  Also  attending  the  Ottawa  ceremony  will  be  the  three  award  finalists:  Société  d'histoire  et  de  généalogie  de  Montréal-­‐Nord,  Mehfil  magazine,  and  the  Calgary  Gay  History  Project.  

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For  further  information:  Barbara  Czech  Canada’s  History  Phone  204-­‐832-­‐3578  Email:  bczech@mts.net                 (more)  

About  the  Governor  General’s  History  Award  for  Excellence  in  Community  Programming  

First  presented  in  2011,  the  Governor  General’s  award  aims  to  inspire  small,  volunteer-­‐led  community  organizations  in  the  creation  of  innovative  programming  that  commemorates  important  aspects  of  our  heritage.  Projects  are  evaluated  on  their  audience  reach,  community  impact,  and  contribution  to  greater  public  understanding  of  Canada’s  history.    

 

About  Canada’s  History  

Canada’s  History  is  a  national  charitable  organization  whose  mission  is  to  promote  greater  popular  interest  in  Canadian  history,  principally  through  its  publishing,  education,  and  recognition  programs.  In  addition  to  administering  the  Governor  General’s  History  Awards  and  publishing  Canada’s  History  magazine  (formerly  The  Beaver)  and  Kayak:  Canada’s  History  Magazine  for  Kids,  Canada’s  History  produces  a  number  of  educational  and  online  programs  to  encourage  a  Canada  where  people  are  deeply  engaged  in  connecting  with  their  shared  past.