Opinion: Cutting Historical Society funding will hurt Alberta tourism When Finance Minister Nate Horner tabled the 2026 Alberta Budget, the headlines focused on a $9.4-billion deficit and a bold plan to double tourism spending to $25 billion by 2035. |
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Opinion: Cutting Historical Society funding will hurt Alberta tourism
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When Finance Minister Nate Horner tabled the 2026 Alberta Budget, the headlines focused on a $9.4-billion deficit and a bold plan to double tourism spending to $25 billion by 2035.
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To bridge the gap, the government introduced a six-per-cent tax on rental cars and hiked the tourism levy on hotel rooms by 50 per cent. But buried beneath these aggressive revenue measures was a quiet, contradictory notice: The Historical Society of Alberta (HSA) is to have its provincial funding eliminated entirely.
On the surface, cutting a heritage grant during a deficit year might look like “tough fiscal choices.” In reality, it is a strategic error. By defunding the HSA, the government isn’t just saving a rounding error’s worth of taxpayer dollars; it is dismantling the very research and development department that creates the “product” Alberta is now trying to tax.
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The Historical Society of Alberta is not just another non-profit seeking a handout. We are a foundational partner in the governance of this province. Founded in 1907 by Alberta’s first premier, Alexander Rutherford, the HSA was established by a specific act of the legislature.
Rutherford, who also founded the University of Alberta, understood that a new province required more than just railways and wheat fields; it required a documented identity.
For 119 years, the HSA has been the statutory steward of that identity. We were the principal architects behind Alberta’s first heritage legislation, providing the framework for what is now the Historical Resources Act. Our members have served — often for free — on the Alberta Geographical Names Board and various historic sites boards, ensuring that the landmarks Albertans cherish today were protected. To eliminate funding for the HSA is to walk away from a century-long provincial contract.
The government’s “Higher Ground” tourism strategy aims for a $25-billion visitor economy. Minister of Tourism Andrew Boitchenko recently celebrated a record $15.2 billion in visitor spending for 2025, noting that Alberta is a “top choice for visitors seeking authentic experiences.”
Here is the inconvenient truth for the Treasury Board: Authenticity is not a renewable resource if you stop tending to the source. Tourists do not fly from London or Tokyo to look at generic hotel rooms or car rental agencies. They come for the “Whoop-Up Country” narratives preserved by our Lethbridge chapter.
They come for the “Gateway to the North” stories maintained by our Edmonton archives. They come for the pioneer and Indigenous histories that our chapters in Red Deer, Calgary, and Grande Prairie have meticulously rescued from oblivion.
The HSA provides the intellectual infrastructure that local museums and interpretive centres use to build “market-ready” attractions. By increasing the tourism levy to six per cent while cutting the HSA, the government is essentially buying a massive billboard for a store it is simultaneously emptying.
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In the context of a $74-billion budget, the funding for the HSA is a microscopic line item. Yet, the return on investment (ROI) is staggering. The HSA mobilizes over 25,000 volunteer hours annually. We leverage every provincial dollar to support publications like Alberta History, educational programs at the Queen Alexandra History Centre, and regional festivals that draw thousands of visitors.
When you cut a grant to a volunteer-led organization, you don’t just “save” money. You “fire” thousands of dedicated Albertans who have spent decades providing pro bono labour to their communities. Unlike a road project or a bridge, which can be deferred for a few years, a historical society is fragile. Once professional oversight is gone, archives are scattered, and volunteer networks fold, 119 years of institutional memory is extinguished. It cannot be “re-funded” back into existence in 2028.
On Wed., March 11, the Standing Committee on Alberta’s Economic Future will review the budget for Arts, Culture and Status of Women. Committee members, including chair Ron Wiebe and representatives from across the province, will have a choice to make. They can treat the HSA as a disposable “luxury,” or they can recognize it as the foundation of our $15-billion tourism engine.
If this government is serious about “Higher Ground” and economic diversification, it must stop treating heritage as a cost and start treating it as an asset. We are asking the government to honour the Historical Society of Alberta Act and restore the modest funding required to keep our province’s story alive.
History isn’t just about where we’ve been; it’s the map that tells us where we’re going. Without the HSA, Alberta is just a place on a map. With it, we are a destination.
Lorien Johansen is president of the Historical Society of Alberta.
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