BRUCE HAIG

Founder & Director - Historic Trails West (Historical Research Centre)

Since 1978 have published 29 books on western history
Current project: The Explorers of the West Sketchbook Series

Co-host - Heritage House Bed & Breakfast

Built by our family, Heritage House is a Designated Alberta Historical Resource. It is considered one of the finest examples of International Style architecture in the province.

TEACHING CAREER

• Currently working with schools publishing student sketches depicting journals of early explorers.
  
• 20 years classroom teacher
• In 1970 initiated a "living history" program which became known as TREK. Students researched, retraced and filmed historic routes across Western Canada and the United States.
  
• 12 years with the Community College Continuing Education Program
  

AWARDS

• 1998 - AHRF - Heritage Awareness Award
• 1988 - Canada Olympic Celebration 88 Certificate of Merit
  
• 1986 - CATV - Most Innovative Production Award - for program "Following Historic Trails"
  
• 1985 - CATV - Centennial Award - For promoting Lethbridge's 100th birthday.
  
• 1985 - Alberta Historical Resources Foundation - Heritage Service Award
  
• 1984 - Alberta Historical Resources Foundation - Heritage Service Award
  (Honorable Mention)
  
• 1980 - Alberta 75 - Four historical research and publication grants
  
• 1980 - Canadian Teacher's Federation Hilroy Fellowship Award for Innovations in Education
  
• 1979 - Heritage Canada Award
  
• 1979 - Canadian Commission of the International Year of the Child Grant for project: Kids Collecting History
• 1978 - Alberta Achievement Award- for "Excellence in Education"
  
• 1977 - Canada Council Explorations Grant to retrace the route of Thomas Blakiston's 1858 journey through the Rocky Mountains
  
• 1976 - Historical Society of Alberta Award for "Outstanding Contribution to Alberta History".
  
• 1974 - Alberta - RCMP Century Celebrations Grant to prepare an audio-visual exhibit based on a retracing of the original trek west of the North West Mounted Police
  
• 1973 - Alberta Department of Education Innovative Project Grant to develop a modified social studies program.
  
• 1971 - Nominated for Project Recall by the Alberta Teacher's Association for a Hilroy Fellowship Award for Innovations in Education.
  

WORKSHOPS

Presenter at the following conferences:

• Global Classroom, University of Nottingham, England - 1992
• Social Studies Council Conference of the Alberta Teachers Association - 1992
• Original Southern Alberta Pioneers - Palliser Hotel, Calgary - 1986
• Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers of Canada - 1985
• Alberta Health & Physical Education Conference - 1985
• Lethbridge Centennial Conference - 1985
• Alberta Outdoor Education Conference - 1983
• Alberta Social Studies Conference 1977 and 1978
• Association for Media and Technology in Education -1975
• Alberta Indian Educator's Association - 1975
• North West Mounted Police Conference - 1974

PUBLICATIONS

Magazine Articles:

• The ATA Magazine (Alberta Teachers Association) Fall 1996
• Lethbridge Magazine 1985, 1986, 1987
• Alberta Trustee - Nov./Dec. 1980
• Western Living - July 1979 & June 1980
• Alberta Education Communications Magazine-Access - Winter 1975
• Alberta Teachers Association Mediator - Winter 1974-75
• Alberta School Library Review - 1974
• Alberta Education - October 1973

Newspapers

Daily column in Lethbridge Herald during centennial year - 1985.

Books

• 10 Years of Trek
• 1874 Trek
• Southern Alberta Business
• Climate of Southern Alberta - J. McCaig
• Dawson 1873
• Early Sketches of Southern Alberta
• Foothill & Prairie Memories
• Gladstone Diary, The
• History of the Crowsnest Pass
• James Hector - Explorer
• Lethbridge 100th Plan Book
• Paul Kane - Artist
• Peter Fidler's Journal
• Riel Centennial Expedition
• Routes Highway History Series
• In the Footsteps of Thomas Blakiston
• Walk a Block (and Wonder)
• Waterton Lakes Park
• When the West was Young
• Where would I find...
• Who's Who 88-89
• Who's Who 90

Audio-Visual Productions

• IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THOMAS BLAKISTON-1858 - In the Footsteps of Thomas Blakiston - 1858 - Research funded by The Canada Council Explorations Program. Production funded by the Alberta 75 Committee.
• RELIVING THE TREK OF 1874 - Funded by the Alberta - RCMP Century Celebrations Committee.
• Consultant work for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

Drama, Radio & Television

• Producer - weekly TV series "Following Historic Trails," "Who's Who in Southern Alberta" and "Computers Don't Byte"
• Carried out a history quiz on radio for two years.
• 1962 - Alberta Provincial Drama Acting Award

Other Activities

• 1990 to 1993 - Board - Waterton Natural History Association
• 1990 - Founded "What's Below Time Air" -- A publication telling flyers of our Western Canadian airline, Time Air, information about the area they are flying over.
• 1989 - Launched "Red Coat Tours" - A special interest tour company exploring the history of the West
• 1987 to 1992 - Board - Alberta Historical Resources Foundation
• 1986 - Launched the Highway History Series. This series follows a variety of highways across the province. Initial financing for this project came from federal and provincial governments.
• 1984 - 1985 - Set up computer data-base of information on western Canadian History.
• Spring 1985 - retraced the South Saskatchewan River from Medicine Hat to Batoche to commemorate the part played by sternwheelers during the Riel Rebellion of 1885.
• Summer 1983 - organized the Galt Sternwheeler Centennial Re-enactment to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the launching of the first of three sternwheeler boats built by Father of Confederation, Sir Alexander Galt and used to haul coal from Coalbanks, now Lethbridge to Medicine Hat.
• Summer 1982 - organized a ceremony and placed a plaque on the North Kootenay Pass, a historic pass in Southern Alberta to honour Thomas Blakiston of the Palliser Expedition who used the pass in 1858 and named a number of landmarks in the area including Waterton Lakes National Park.
• 1979 - 1980 - organized pack trips to the Committee's Punch Bowl at the Athabasca Pass to promote interest in the history of the fur trade.
• 1978 - formed the Historic Trails Society in order to research and promote more interest in historic routes across Canada.

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