Breaking Barriers in Heritage through Communications

Broadly speaking, the Edmonton Heritage Council's mission is to connect people with the stories of their city. Our goal is provide a link between citizens, educators, artists, government, business—all valuable pieces in raising the profile of heritage in Edmonton.

It's easy to think that heritage is primarily the realm of historians, history books, and museums. But our goal is communicate that everybody is a character in the Edmonton story and we are all valuable actors in its preservation and sharing. It's still uncommon for heritage organizations to have an active online presence through a website, and rarer still for them to be active on social media. To us, this is a huge opportunity lost, since many of Edmonton's movers and shakers meet and communicate through Facebook, Twitter, and other social media.

We've all seen how quickly a tweet can turn an idea into a huge conversation, and then a meeting, and then a project, and then a big part of civic discourse. As the EHC's Communications Assistant, it's my job to initiate, engage with, and follow these idea surges in the hopes that people will feel encouraged to bring them to fruition. And it's also my job to ensure that people are aware that our organizations would love to help in the process, whether it's through grants, workshops or just advice.

At this point, most know what to expect from a museum or a history book, but there often isn't room in either for the creativity of the populace. The most unexpected stories we've heard have come from people with minimal or no heritage experience just giving it their all to see their passions through. Such was the case with Fred Armbruster, who is currently leading the charge to see the Edmonton Civil Defence bunker rebuilt back to its prime. For decades, nobody cared about this nondescript structure in the west end, but now locals are clawing at the opportunity to go inside. Our historians and museums are incredibly valuable resources, but getting the public more involved in the discussion of our identity will only give a stronger sense of who we are, where we came from, and the artifacts left in our wake.

Edmonton is a pretty creative city, and we have a knack for creating something out of nothing. This can come from anywhere, including social media. It's my job to communicate that these unique ideas—however daunting they may seem—have a place to go.