On June 28, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. the Sparwood District Municipal Office will be hosting their Heritage Workshop. The aim is to start a dialogue about how Sparwood can enhance their understanding, appreciation and further celebrate their heritage.
The workshop has five objectives according to Sparwood’s Manager of Planning, Nelson Wight, “First for our community to learn more about what is happening regionally with respect to heritage planning and practice. Second, for our community to learn from these organizations about their success, to share our success, and to be inspired to accomplish even greater things to celebrate our heritage,” he said in an email to The Free Press. “Third, for our community to learn how to better connect with the Ktunaxa Nation. Fourth, for our community to begin to talk about how we can better encourage the conservation, interpretation and celebration of the community’s heritage. Lastly, to provide a venue for our regional partners to share their efforts with one another.”
Wight considers the Heritage Workshop to be the first of a two-part process.
“Part one, happening on June 28, is more focused on gaining a better understanding of what we are doing, what our regional partners are doing, and getting inspired to future action,” he said. “Part two, which is planned for the fall of this year, will focus on the strategic planning that will hopefully lead to outcomes that accomplish the Official Community Plan (OCP) objective below.”
According to Wight, the event has had great support and enthusiasm from the six speakers who have committed to attending. The speakers were chosen because they represent groups that are working in the region to promote a better understanding of its history. The six speakers include, Rosalie Fornasier from the Michel Natal Sparwood Historical Society, Margaret Teneese form the Ktunaxa Nation, Darryl White or Anna Majkowski from the Columbia Basin Institute of Regional History, Ron Ulrich from the Fernie Historical Society, Chris Matthews from the Crowsnest Pass Historical Society and Linda Lafleur from the Columbia Basin Trust. Each of the speakers has been asked to talk about the work that they have been doing, and to share their success.
While there have been similar initiatives like the development of the Coal Discovery Centre, to Wight’s knowledge, this will be the first event of its kind in Sparwood. While the event is aimed toward Sparwood residents, anyone interested is welcome and attendees will need to register before the event to reserve a seat.