Alberta
Red Deer Museum receives Alberta Heritage Award

Kim Verrier, Minister Ron Orr, Marrisa Mitsuing (and baby Mitsuing)
News Release from the Red Deer Museum + Art Gallery (MAG)
We are excited to announce that the Red Deer Museum + Art Gallery (MAG) received a Heritage Awareness Award for their exhibit Powwow! Ohcîwin the Origins. This Award was accepted in Edmonton, AB on October 3, 2022, on behalf of the organization by Marrisa Mitsuing, Co-Curator and Co-creator for the exhibit, and Kim Verrier, Exhibitions Coordinator, Red Deer Museum + Art Gallery. This exhibit is now travelling and currently on display at Musée Héritage Museum in St. Albert, AB.
The biennial awards honour the contributions of individuals, organizations, businesses, Indigenous communities and municipalities actively engaged in heritage preservation and appreciation in the following categories: Outstanding Achievement, Heritage Conservation and Heritage Awareness.
The recipients of this year’s awards follow.
Outstanding Achievement
- Richard de Boer, Calgary
- Belinda Crowson, Lethbridge
- Noreen Easterbrook, Smoky Lake
- Tofield Historical Society, Tofield
- Alberta Genealogical Society’s Provincial Archives of Alberta Volunteers
- Bodo Archaeological Society
Heritage Conservation
- The City of Calgary for the rehabilitation of its historic city hall
- Sandra Hajash for the restoration of the Duke of Sutherland Bungalow exterior
Heritage Awareness
- Powwow! Ohcîwin the Origins by Patrick and Marrisa Mitsuing and the Red Deer Museum and Art Gallery
- Métis Nation of Alberta Region 3 Historical Research by Matt Hiltermann
- Abandoned Alberta by Joe Chowaniec
The awards program is an integral part of the Government of Alberta’s commitment to support heritage preservation efforts in communities throughout Alberta. A total of 81 awards have been presented to recipients from across the province since the program was reintroduced in 2005.
Oh-cÎ-win:
Ooo-chi-win, Cree
1. “The Origin” or telling of a story of where something originated
Powwows are Indigenous cultural celebrations where many forms of dance styles are performed as part of the ceremony. These social gatherings, held across North America, bring people together to sing, dance and share teachings all while celebrating Indigenous culture. Each dance style has a meaning or origin story and a specific purpose. Regalia, the distinctive clothing and ornamentation worn by the dancers, corresponds to the different dance styles.
Powwow! OchÎwin the Origins was created by Patrick and Marrisa Mitsuing. Working with a diverse team of Indigenous Artists they assembled each of the individual dance regalia on display. During the 2019 and 2020 Powwow season, they met with knowledge keepers across North America to record the origin stories of the dances they perform.
Alberta
Made in Alberta! Province makes it easier to support local products with Buy Local program

Show your Alberta side. Buy Local. |
When the going gets tough, Albertans stick together. That’s why Alberta’s government is launching a new campaign to benefit hard-working Albertans.
Global uncertainty is threatening the livelihoods of hard-working Alberta farmers, ranchers, processors and their families. The ‘Buy Local’ campaign, recently launched by Alberta’s government, encourages consumers to eat, drink and buy local to show our unified support for the province’s agriculture and food industry.
The government’s ‘Buy Local’ campaign encourages consumers to buy products from Alberta’s hard-working farmers, ranchers and food processors that produce safe, nutritious food for Albertans, Canadians and the world.
“It’s time to let these hard-working Albertans know we have their back. Now, more than ever, we need to shop local and buy made-in-Alberta products. The next time you are grocery shopping or go out for dinner or a drink with your friends or family, support local to demonstrate your Alberta pride. We are pleased tariffs don’t impact the ag industry right now and will keep advocating for our ag industry.”
Alberta’s government supports consumer choice. We are providing tools to help folks easily identify Alberta- and Canadian-made foods and products. Choosing local products keeps Albertans’ hard-earned dollars in our province. Whether it is farm-fresh vegetables, potatoes, honey, craft beer, frozen food or our world-renowned beef, Alberta has an abundance of fresh foods produced right on our doorstep.
Quick facts
- This summer, Albertans can support local at more than 150 farmers’ markets across the province and meet the folks who make, bake and grow our food.
- In March 2023, the Alberta government launched the ‘Made in Alberta’ voluntary food and beverage labelling program to support local agriculture and food sectors.
- Through direct connections with processors, the program has created the momentum to continue expanding consumer awareness about the ‘Made in Alberta’ label to help shoppers quickly identify foods and beverages produced in our province.
- Made in Alberta product catalogue website
Related information
Alberta
Province to expand services provided by Alberta Sheriffs: New policing option for municipalities

Expanding municipal police service options |
Proposed amendments would help ensure Alberta’s evolving public safety needs are met while also giving municipalities more options for local policing.
As first announced with the introduction of the Public Safety Statutes Amendment Act, 2024, Alberta’s government is considering creating a new independent agency police service to assume the police-like duties currently performed by Alberta Sheriffs. If passed, Bill 49 would lay additional groundwork for the new police service.
Proposed amendments to the Police Act recognize the unique challenges faced by different communities and seek to empower local governments to adopt strategies that effectively respond to their specific safety concerns, enhancing overall public safety across the province.
If passed, Bill 49 would specify that the new agency would be a Crown corporation with an independent board of directors to oversee its day-to-day operations. The new agency would be operationally independent from the government, consistent with all police services in Alberta. Unlike the Alberta Sheriffs, officers in the new police service would be directly employed by the police service rather than by the government.
“With this bill, we are taking the necessary steps to address the unique public safety concerns in communities across Alberta. As we work towards creating an independent agency police service, we are providing an essential component of Alberta’s police framework for years to come. Our aim is for the new agency is to ensure that Albertans are safe in their communities and receive the best possible service when they need it most.”
Additional amendments would allow municipalities to select the new agency as their local police service once it becomes fully operational and the necessary standards, capacity and frameworks are in place. Alberta’s government is committed to ensuring the new agency works collaboratively with all police services to meet the province’s evolving public safety needs and improve law enforcement response times, particularly in rural communities. While the RCMP would remain the official provincial police service, municipalities would have a new option for their local policing needs.
Once established, the agency would strengthen Alberta’s existing policing model and complement the province’s current police services, which include the RCMP, Indigenous police services and municipal police. It would help fill gaps and ensure law enforcement resources are deployed efficiently across the province.
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