Alberta Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture Signs
This government department administers approximately 140 roadside historical point-of-interest signs. The program was originally implemented in the 1950s. The vast majority of the signs are culturally historic in their content. There are also signs addressing natural history. In 1995 the Department, in co-operation with the Alberta Historical Resources Foundation, undertook a program to replace the existing signs, many of which displayed varying levels of distress. In addition, the signs represented a series of five different construction styles that had been used over the years. The overall effect fell short of the unified visual approach that was originally intended.
At present there 57 signs that have been installed since the original five test signs that were installed in 1995/96. The intent of the new program is to replace all of the original 140 signs. In some instances, it will not be possible to replace signs in their original locations due to upgraded Department of Transportation requirements for turnouts. In such cases the signs are either relocated or in rare cases dropped from the inventory.
When waymarking a sign in this category please indicate whether or not the sign is of the new vintage…your photo will be the guide.
Other Agencies
There are numerous historic markers that have been placed on buildings through the designation by Alberta Culture or by the local municipality.
If you are waymarking another type of marker such as those placed by another government agency, historical societies, counties, cities, federal agencies, other group you must provide suitable historic reference information in the long description to provide this visitor with information about that site.
That information should provide relevant information with respect to why the building, structure or place received its designation. Signs placed by Alberta Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture contain that information for the next visitor to that location, these other markers often to not which leads to this additional documentation requirement.