Time for a Change? The Alberta Historical Resources Act

Abstract

The Alberta Historical Resources Act was a product of several well-attended hearings during 1970-71, chaired by Richard G. Forbis, a leading archaeologist and professor at the University of Calgary. Intended to preserve Alberta's heritage? particularly in the dynamic decade that saw oil, agricultural, urban, and pulp development?the Act symbolized the fact that Alberta was a modern state, with a responsibility for preserving its rich heritage. One suspects that it met no real opposition because many believed that Alberta had no heritage?in any case, not in the European or Eastern Canadian sense. If Albertans had any heritage, it was that of Alberta's Natives. Perhaps that is why archaeology became a primary focus of the Act in years following its proclamation.