Historic sites good for business

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Historic sites good for business

Postby Bob van Wegen » Mon Dec 05, 2005 5:29 pm

Historic sites good for business

David Bly
Calgary Herald


Monday, December 05, 2005


Provincially operated heritage sites in Alberta brought in $70 million in the 2003-04 fiscal year, according to a newly released government report.

The province's 19 cultural facilities and heritage sites, which include popular southern Alberta facilities such as the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller and Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump north of Fort Macleod, create 1,100 permanent jobs a year, says the report, released by Alberta Community Development.

The report, which covers the 2003-04 fiscal year, says heritage tourism is becoming increasingly popular, and "heritage tourists' are generally willing to spend considerably more, travel further and stay longer" than regular tourists.

"In short, Alberta's high-quality heritage facilities have real economic power," says the report.

Richard White, executive director of the Calgary Downtown Association, said it's not news that heritage has economic value, but noted it's hard to put a figure to it.

"How do you evaluate something like the Stephen Avenue National Historic District?" he said.

The historic street is one of the things that makes the city unique, he said, and adds to the cultural and heritage attractions available in Calgary.

"They all generate tourism dollars, entice people to relocate here and bring conferences here," he said.

These are Alberta's major heritage facilities.

- Royal Tyrrell Museum, Drumheller

The Tyrrell was opened in 1985 with a construction cost of $27.5 million. The best-attended heritage facility in the province, it attracts an average of 375,000 visitors a year.

- Royal Alberta Museum, Edmonton

Formerly the Provincial Museum of Alberta, it was completed in 1967 at a cost of $9.2 million. It attracts an average of 224,000 visitors a year, the majority from the Edmonton region.

- Head-Smashed-In, Porcupine Hills

Designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1981, Head-Smashed-In is both a provincial and national historic site. The interpretive centre was completed in 1987 at a cost of $9.3 million, and attracts 86,000 visitors annually.

- Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village

Named the best outdoor site in Alberta by Attractions Canada, this reproduction of turn-of-the-century Ukrainian settlers' village is about 20 minutes east of Edmonton. It was completed in 1975 at a cost of $16.2 million, and attracts about 50,000 visitors a year.

- Reynolds-Alberta Museum, Wetaskiwin

One of the continent's premier transportation museums, the Reynolds brings in about 46,000 visitors a year. It was completed in 1992 at a cost of $22.5 million.

- Frank Slide Interpretive Centre, Crowsnest Pass

Overlooking a breathtaking view of Turtle Mountain and the Frank Slide, this centre was opened in 1985, and cost $6.5 million. About 45,000 visitors come each year to learn about the 1903 slide and the history of coal mining in the Crowsnest Pass.

- Oil Sands Discovery Centre, Fort McMurray

This facility, completed in 1985 at a cost of $9 million, explains the history and operation of Alberta's oil sands. It attracts about 27,000 visitors a year.

- Remington Carriage Museum, Cardston North America's largest museum of horse-drawn transportation, the Remington began with the carriage collection of Don Remington, opening in 1992 with a construction cost of $9 million. It draws nearly 28,000 visitors a year.

- Provincial Archives of Alberta, Edmonton

A new facility opened in 2004 at a cost of $21 million, replacing the original 1962 building. Last year, the archives handled 9,500 in-person requests for information, 3,300 phone requests, 300 requests by mail or fax, and 1,000 e-mail requests.

Other provincially operated heritage sites include the Brooks Aqueduct, the Father Lacombe Chapel, Fort George and Buckingham House, Historic Dunvegan, Leitch Collieries, Rutherford House, Stephansson House, Turner Valley Gas Plant, Tyrrell Field Station and the Victoria Settlement.

dbly@theherald.canwest.com

Also See: Skyscraper added to list on page B3.

© The Calgary Herald 2005
Bob van Wegen
 
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