Historical Society gets three-year transition funding
After being cut from the budget, the 119-year-old organization receives stepping-stone support from Alberta.
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Alberta's government has agreed to provide the Historical Society of Alberta with transitional funding over three years after the organization was excluded from the February provincial budget.
The volunteer-run society, founded in 1907 by Alberta's first premier, had lost its annual $76,000 in government support. On June 19, the organization announced the province would restore funding in a declining pattern: $76,000 this year, $38,000 in the next budget, and $19,000 in the budget after that.
Society president Lorien Johansen said the organization appreciated the assistance. "This funding is not just an investment in our organization; it is an investment in Alberta's cultural fabric and our vibrant tourism economy," she said in a statement.
Tourism Minister Andrew Boitchuko described the funding as temporary and said the government remained committed to what he called a "refocus" of its funding scheme. "This approach prioritizes programs and initiatives that benefit the broader heritage and community sector, rather than providing ongoing operational funding to individual organizations," he said.
The society, with five chapters across Alberta, puts on events, funds research, and publishes materials related to provincial history. Its members and members of the public had advocated for the organization's support during the funding cut.