The Historical Society of Alberta (HSA) was founded in 1907 and now includes five local chapters. Its work combines historical study, preservation, publishing, grants and public programming across Alberta. The figures below identify the relevant source label and period where the supplied historical record provides one.
Contents
- At a glance
- Founding and institutional history
- Chapters and regional organization
- Publications and the Alberta History journal
- Membership prices and renewal terms
- Grants and financial disclosure
- Regional history and public events
At a glance
The following numbers summarize the main measurable features of the society described by the supplied source labels.
| Measure | Figure | Source label |
|---|---|---|
| Founding year | 1907 | Our History |
| Local chapters | 5 | Who We Are |
| Titles published or sponsored | Over 50 | Our History |
| Alberta History frequency | Quarterly | Alberta History Quarterly Journal |
| Grant application deadline | March 31 | Grant Guidelines |
| Historic Calgary Week attendance | Over 3,000 | Chinook Chapter |
| Historic Calgary Week events | 81 | Chinook Chapter |
| Historic Calgary Week presenters | 90+ | Chinook Chapter |
These figures describe different kinds of measures: some are dates or counts, some are prices, and others are operating terms. They should not be treated as a single time series. In particular, the historical milestones refer to specific years, while membership prices and grant rules describe the terms identified by their respective source labels.
Founding and institutional history
The Historical Society of Alberta was founded in 1907, the same year that its original governing act was passed. The society’s founding father was Alexander C. Rutherford, who was premier of Alberta and also founded the University of Alberta. Rutherford remained president of the society for 32 years, making his tenure a defining part of its early institutional history. These details are reported under the source label “Our History.”
The governing framework did not remain unchanged. The original act was revised on June 2, 1972. That date is distinct from the 1907 founding and act-passage date, so the two milestones mark different points in the society’s legal history.
The society’s stated object is to encourage the study of the history of Alberta and Canada. Its purpose also includes preserving narratives in print, manuscript or other forms, as well as preserving objects illustrative of civil, religious, literary and natural history. This scope connects research, documentary preservation and material heritage rather than limiting the society to one type of historical record.
The society’s institutional reach also included representation beyond its own chapter structure. “Our History” records that the society had a representative on the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada during and after the 1940s. It also records representation on the Alberta Geographical Names Board. The supplied record does not give a count of representatives or exact appointment dates, so those details are not quantified here.
The society expanded to Calgary in 1958 and to Lethbridge in 1961. Its office is maintained in Calgary, and its staff is described as largely volunteer-based. “Our History” also reports that over 50 titles have been published or sponsored by the HSA’s Alberta Resources Publication Board or by its chapters. The “over 50” wording is an open-ended count, not an exact total.
Chapters and regional organization
The HSA has five local chapters. Each chapter is organized by a volunteer board, according to “Who We Are.” The five named chapters are Central Alberta Historical Society, Chinook Country Historical Society, Edmonton and District Historical Society, Lethbridge Historical Society, and Peace Country Historical Society.
The five-chapter structure provides a useful way to understand how the society’s Alberta-wide identity is organized locally. The supplied record names each chapter but does not provide enrollment, budget or membership counts by chapter. It therefore supports a count of chapters and a description of their volunteer-board organization, but not a ranking of chapter size.
Central Alberta has a dated organizational milestone. The Central Alberta branch formed on January 26, 1995. Its stated boundaries run from Ponoka to the north to Olds to the south. Those place names define the north-to-south span given in the “Central Alberta” source material; no east-west boundary is supplied.
The Lethbridge chapter has a much longer and more discontinuous history. The Lethbridge Branch was first formed in 1888 and met bi-monthly. The Lethbridge Society was reorganized in 1923, disappeared again in 1928, and was resurrected in 1935 to celebrate Lethbridge’s 50th anniversary. It was registered as The Whoop-Up Country Chapter in 1958, remained active in museum development until 1972, and was reincorporated as a chapter in 1986. These milestones come from “Lethbridge Chapter” and describe successive organizational states rather than uninterrupted operation.
Publications and the Alberta History journal
The society’s publication history includes the Alberta Historical Review, which launched in 1953. It was renamed Alberta History in 1975. The two names therefore refer to different stages of the same publication history as described by “Our History.”
Alberta History is published quarterly, according to “Alberta History Quarterly Journal.” A quarterly schedule means four publication periods in a normal year, but the supplied material does not provide issue dates, circulation, page counts or subscriber totals. The journal’s named editor is Harry Saunders, and the associate editor is Scott Dumonceaux.
The journal office is listed at 320, 1201 5 St SW Calgary, AB T2R 0Y6. Its office phone number is 403.261.3662. The society’s membership information lists the same phone number for the office. No email address or direct publication URL is supplied in the source record.
The quarterly journal’s listed prices include an individual membership subscription price of $55, a family membership subscription price of $75 and a subscription-only price of $35. These amounts should be read as the prices stated by “Alberta History Quarterly Journal,” while the membership page has a separate subscription-only figure described below. The source labels are retained because the two pages report different price contexts.
Membership prices and renewal terms
“Memberships & Subscriptions” lists annual membership options. An individual membership without a subscription costs $30, while an individual membership with a subscription costs $55. A family membership without a subscription costs $50, and a family membership with a subscription costs $75. Affiliate membership with a subscription costs $55.
The same source lists subscription only to Alberta History at $30 and identifies the optional subscription add-on as $25. The page says memberships run on an annual basis and do not renew automatically. These are operating terms, not estimates or forecasts.
| Membership or subscription option | Listed price | Source label |
|---|---|---|
| Individual, no subscription | $30 | Memberships & Subscriptions |
| Individual, with subscription | $55 | Memberships & Subscriptions |
| Family, no subscription | $50 | Memberships & Subscriptions |
| Family, with subscription | $75 | Memberships & Subscriptions |
| Affiliate, with subscription | $55 | Memberships & Subscriptions |
| Subscription only to Alberta History | $30 | Memberships & Subscriptions |
| Optional subscription add-on | $25 | Memberships & Subscriptions |
The supplied record does not state a currency symbol beyond the dollar amounts shown, so the values are reproduced as listed rather than converted. It also does not provide a price date, inflation adjustment or historical price series. The annual, non-automatic renewal terms are therefore more specific than any claim about how prices may have changed over time.
Grants and financial disclosure
The Historical Society of Alberta grant application deadline is March 31, according to “Grant Guidelines.” The supplied facts do not identify a separate deadline time, eligibility count or application volume. March 31 is the stated calendar deadline.
Grant funding that is not paid out within 24 months of approval is forfeited unless the deadline is extended in writing. The 24-month period is measured from approval, while the March 31 date applies to applications. These are separate parts of the grant process and should not be combined into one deadline.
The HSA discloses grant recipient names and grant amounts in its annual financial report. Grant information is also published in History Now. The supplied record does not provide the number of recipients, the total amount awarded, the size of individual grants or the publication dates of the reports. It supports the disclosure practices, but not a total-funding calculation.
Regional history and public events
The Chinook chapter provides one of the clearest sets of event statistics. Historic Calgary Week had over 3,000 attendees, 81 events and 90+ presenters. These figures are reported by “Chinook Chapter.” “Over 3,000” and “90+” are threshold descriptions rather than exact counts, while 81 is an exact event count as stated.
The event figures also show why different metrics should remain separate. Attendance measures people, events measure programmed sessions and presenters measure contributors. The supplied record does not state whether every presenter appeared once, whether attendance counts unique people or visits, or what year the event figures represent. No unsupported attendance-per-event or presenter-per-event average is calculated here.
The regional material also illustrates the society’s varied historical footprint. The Lethbridge record reaches back to 1888 and includes museum development through 1972. Central Alberta’s branch formation is dated to January 26, 1995, with boundaries from Ponoka to Olds. Chinook Country’s Historic Calgary Week records public participation at a scale of more than 3,000 attendees. Together, these facts cover chapter formation, geographic definition, museum activity and public programming without implying that all chapters have the same history or operating model.
The available statistics are strongest for dates, chapter counts, membership prices, publication frequency, grant timing and event scale. They do not establish current enrollment, annual budgets, circulation, grant totals or chapter-by-chapter comparisons. Those measures would require additional source-specific figures.