Edmonton is a city with a deep and multi-layered history spanning over two hundred years of development from a small trading post to the modern capital of Alberta. For newcomers eager to understand the history of the country they now call home, this city offers an unusually rich array of opportunities. From world-class museums that tell the stories of Indigenous peoples and European settlers, to walking tours of streets where every building tells a story, to archives with millions of documents, to cultural centres that preserve the heritage of immigrants, all of this creates an opportunity to deepen one's understanding of Canadian history through a local lens. This approach to learning history helps newcomers not only find their place in Canadian society, but also see themselves as part of a long-standing narrative of people who came here before them, built new lives, and left behind evidence of their struggles and achievements.
Fort Edmonton Park: history comes alive in the open air
Fort Edmonton Park is located along the North Saskatchewan River and is Canada's largest living history museum, where you can literally walk through time. This museum does not present history through lifeless exhibits behind glass — instead, costumed interpreters, authentically recreated buildings, and interactive demonstrations create a full-blooded experience of life in different historical eras, from 1795 to the 1920s.
When you enter the Hudson's Bay Company fort, reconstructed based on the original drawings of British officer Mervyn Wavassur and the journals of the fort's inhabitants, you are transported into the world of the fur trade. People dressed in 18th-century clothing talk about how the fort worked, how trade with indigenous peoples took place, which goods were most valuable, and what everyday life was like on the frontier. Near the fort is a Cree camp, symbolizing the critical role of indigenous peoples in the trading system—without their knowledge of geography, hunting skills, and trade networks, the fort simply could not have functioned.
As you continue on, you come to a street from 1885, which shows the era when settlers began to venture beyond the fort and build their own settlements. Pioneers in period clothing talk about arriving by train, receiving homesteads (land granted by the Canadian government to newcomers), struggling with an unfamiliar climate, and accessing resources. On this street, you will see the first telegraph offices, printing houses, shops, and even replicas of the tents where the first settlers lived before building permanent homes. Historical demonstrations, such as showing how food is prepared over an open fire or how work begins in a period when there were no electric tools, help you feel the reality of that era.
The 1905 Street marks the moment when Alberta became a province of Canada. On this street, you see the transformation from a settlement to a developed city with trams running on iron rails and powered by electricity. There is also the construction of schools where immigrant children were taught English, even though they spoke their native languages at home. The last period, the 1920s, showcases interwar Edmonton — a city that had grown and developed significantly, with musical stops at theaters, restaurants, and entertainment venues.
Beyond the historical periods, in 2024 Fort Edmonton Park opened a new Indigenous Peoples Experience section, which differs from the rest of the park in that it tells the story through the voices of the Indigenous peoples themselves. In this area, you can talk to Indigenous guides from different nationalities (Pisgot, Cree, Assiniboine, and others) and hear their personal stories about their connection to the land, cultural practices passed down through generations, and the challenges Indigenous peoples still face today. This is not just an exercise in history—it is an opportunity to hear contemporary voices and understand how the past influences the present.
Fort Edmonton Park is open annually from May to October, and the overall atmosphere of the place changes dramatically depending on the season. In the summer, the park is lively and bustling, with more interpreters and regular demonstrations. In early fall, as the leaves change color, the atmosphere becomes more peaceful, although it does get cooler. The park offers different ways to explore — you can join a guided tour if you want a deeper understanding, or go out on your own and talk to interpreters at your own pace.
Royal Alberta Museum: a comprehensive history of humanity and nature
The Royal Alberta Museum, which opened in a new building in 2018 on the Goose Wing of the river, aimed to become the most progressive museum in Western Canada. The museum occupies more than 75,000 square meters with two main exhibition halls: the Natural History Hall, which tells the story of Alberta's geology and biodiversity, including dinosaurs and modern biodiversity, and the Human History Hall, which covers 13,000 years of human presence in the region.
The Human History Hall is organized so that you can move through time, starting with ancient times and moving to the present. The first section, Ancestral Lands, is dedicated to the indigenous peoples who lived in this territory long before the arrival of Europeans. It contains exhibits on ways of life, tools, clothing, ceremonial objects, and most importantly, a thoughtful presentation of the voices of indigenous peoples. Audio recordings in which representatives of indigenous peoples talk about their culture in their own languages and in English translation provide a perspective that is often missing in traditional museum exhibitions.
The next section, Worlds Meet, covers the period from 1680 to 1880, when the fur trade transformed the social and economic life of the region. Contrary to the romanticized version of the “Wild West,” this exhibition tells the complex story of economic exchange, in which Indigenous peoples were key partners rather than marginalized figures. You will learn about the Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company, about prominent traders, and about the experiences of Indigenous women, who were often married to European traders (creating a Métis culture). But the exhibition also honestly addresses the tensions and imbalances in these relationships, showing how trade changed the ways of life of Indigenous peoples over time.
The After Buffalo section covers the period from 1859 to 1900, a time of great crisis for Indigenous peoples. The mass slaughter of bison (the near-total extermination of an animal on which many Indigenous peoples depended) changed their economy. Treaties signed with the British Crown transferred control of the land from Indigenous peoples to the Canadian government and settlers. This section does not hide this painful period, but it also shows the resilience of Indigenous communities, who adapted to new realities while preserving their cultural practices.
Separately, Alberta Transforms (1945-present) tells the story of modern Alberta, including the oil boom that shaped the province's economy and politics, the development of Edmonton as a modern city of industry and services, the Edmonton Oilers' achievements in hockey and its cultural significance, the changing status of women in society and the workforce, and the issues facing modern Alberta.
The Royal Alberta Museum also offers tours specifically designed for different audiences. The RAM Architecture and Design Tour explores the architecture of the museum building itself, designed by Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta, which has become an architectural landmark. The building has a traditional museum shape, but its walls are covered with a malleable fiber that changes color depending on the direction of light and time of day, giving the museum a lively, changing appearance.
Provincial Archives of Alberta: archives as a place of research
The Provincial Archives of Alberta (PAA) is located in a huge building on the province's territory and stores millions of documents, photographs, films, maps, and other records that tell the story of Alberta's development from the early days of European presence to the present. Unlike museums, archives are not just about displays; they are about preserving and providing access to primary sources that researchers, genealogists, and simply curious people can use to understand the past.
The archives are open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and anyone can come to use the materials in the reading room. The archives staff helps provide perspective on how to find what you are looking for—it is a personal experience of interacting with archivists who have in-depth knowledge of the collections. The archives include groups from the provincial government (ministry reports, legislative records, official correspondence), legal records (court findings, registers), and private collections from individuals and organizations.
For newcomers, especially those who want to learn about the history of their ethnic community in Alberta, the Provincial Archives can be a treasure trove. It houses photographic collections, such as records of the early lives of Indigenous peoples, and archives of vibrant ethnic organizations—Ukrainian societies, Chinese associations, Polish communities—whose members contributed records of their cultural practices and survival in a new country.
Every year during the Historic Festival and Doors Open Edmonton, the Provincial Archives organizes behind-the-scenes tours and demonstrations of how the archives function, how documents are preserved, and how to request materials from the collections. This is a great opportunity to see the archives in action and meet archivists who can answer your questions about how to start genealogical research or how to find a specific document.
Historic Festival and Doors Open Edmonton: the largest annual celebration of history
Every July, the Edmonton and District Historical Society organizes the Historic Festival and Doors Open Edmonton, a huge multi-faceted festival that includes more than 100 events throughout the city and its surrounding areas. This is a time when the city celebrates its history, when museums, archives, historic buildings, and communities open their doors for free or reduced-price research.
The festival usually takes place during the first or second week of July and covers a huge variety of events. Walking tours are one of the most popular components of the festival. For example, there are walking tours of historic cemeteries such as Edmonton Cemetery, Beechmount Cemetery, and Mount Pleasant Cemetery, where historical interpreters talk about the prominent people buried there and how the cemeteries reflect the social history of the city. Some of the people buried in these graves are the business founders who built the city, the public figures who shaped its development, but also ordinary people whose stories tell of everyday life in times gone by.
While in the city, don't miss walking tours of the Ukrainian neighborhoods in the city center, especially the McCauley and Central McDougall areas, where the first Ukrainian immigrants settled in the early 20th century. The tours often include visits to Ukrainian churches (some of which are still active, some converted into cultural centers or museums) and community halls where immigrants gathered to celebrate and organize community affairs. Guides talk about the economic constraints Ukrainians faced, the language barriers, but also how they built a community and passed on their culture to their children.
Other events include an open house at the Alberta Railway Museum, where you can see historic trains and learn about the role of the railway in expanding and opening up Alberta for settlement. The railway was the primary means by which settlers and goods passed through the province, and understanding this role provides context for many other aspects of Alberta's development.
The festival also includes special tours by the Alberta Labour History Institute on the city's labour history, the strikes that took place at businesses, the unions that organized workers, and the struggle for labour rights and fair working conditions. This is a perspective on history that often remains invisible, as traditional historical narratives focus on statesmen and businessmen, but the labour movement played a critical role in shaping modern Canada.
Walking tours: exploring history through city streets
The city of Edmonton offers many self-guided and guided walking history tours that allow you to explore the city through its streets and architecture. The city has published a series of free guidebooks that can be downloaded from the City of Edmonton website, including Historical Walking Tours of Downtown Edmonton.
One of the most popular routes is the Heritage Trail, which roughly follows the original route from the original Hudson's Bay Company fort to the development of the Edmonton settlement. On the streets, you will see red paving stones marking the route and commemorative plaques explaining the historical significance of various sites. The trail begins at the Macdonald Hotel, a huge building constructed by the Great Plains Railway in the early 20th century and still serving as a hotel. The hotel was intended to be a symbol of the developing metropolis, similar to hotels built by large railway companies in other Canadian cities.
The route then takes you past McDougall United Church, a church built in 1909 that served many ethnic communities and, during the Great Depression, served as a shelter and food distribution center. Along the route, you will see the Salvation Army Citadel, whose construction began in 1924 and which continues to serve as a center for those in need. Also included is the Masonic Temple, a 1931 building whose architecture shows the influence of the Masonic brotherhood and its cultural significance in the city's history.
The Jasper West and Warehouse District route shows the main commercial and industrial heart of the city, which developed around the railway lines. On this route, you will see the MacLean Block and Jasper Block, commercial buildings from the early 20th century that had shops on the lower floors and living spaces on the upper floors. These buildings had to adapt to changing times—first serving as commercial centers, then transitioning through difficult times of depression and instability, and in recent years being restored and converted into modern residential lofts and restaurants while retaining their historic architecture.
Edmonton City as Museum Project (ECAMP) organizes more structured Curiosity Walking Tours that explore specific themes in the city's history. Working Downtown Edmonton tells the story of how workers lived and worked in the city center, the early factories that produced goods and services, working conditions, and organization. The Ukrainian Ties tour delves deeper into Ukrainian identity in the city, showing where Ukrainians settled, where their churches and Greek Catholic prayer centers are located, where their shops and restaurants were, and how they gradually integrated and changed the urban landscape.
Alberta History Tours offers a number of themed tours, including the Beechmount Cemetery Tour, which tells the stories of people buried in one of the city's oldest municipal cemeteries, and the Hudson's Bay Company Tour, which explores the role of North America's oldest commercial company in the city's development.
For those who prefer to explore on their own, the city has developed an app called On This Spot, which can be downloaded to a smartphone. The app superimposes historical photos onto current geolocations, allowing you to pick up your phone and see what the area looked like 50, 100, or even 150 years ago. This creates a fascinating experience of seeing how the city has transformed over time.
Rutherford House: a glimpse into the life of the province's first premier
Rutherford House Provincial Historic Site is located on the grounds of the University of Alberta and is a well-preserved and furnished Edwardian house that belonged to the family of Alberta's first premier. Alexander Cameron Rutherford was premier from 1905 to 1910, a period when Alberta gained provincial status and began to form its own public administration and institutions.
Rutherford was not only a politician, but also a lawyer, educator, and most importantly, the founder of the University of Alberta, an institution that remains one of the most prestigious universities in Canada. His house, built in 1911 after he resigned as premier, remained in the family and was donated to the province as a historic landmark. The house is located directly on the university grounds, and its architecture and design reflect the prestige and status that Rutherford enjoyed.
Kutherford House offers costumed tours, during which staff dressed in 20th-century clothing talk about the life of the Rutherford family. Interpreters talk about life in the mansion, who the maids and utility workers were, how evening receptions were held, and what expectations were placed on the family's children. Through the staff's stories, you can learn not only about a particular family, but also about the social structure of early Alberta, gender roles, and class relations of the time.
Of particular importance are the House's English as a Second Language (ESL) and children's programs. ESL programs bring students to explore the museum, listen to stories, and practice understanding spoken English in a natural context, with physical objects available for reference. Programs for children include dressing up in period costumes, participating in historical crafts and games, and learning about how children lived in other times.
Rutherford House is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and admission is affordable—$7 for adults, $6 for seniors and students, $5 for youth ages 7 to 17, and free for children under 6 and Canadian military personnel and their family members. These prices make the museum accessible to most people, including newcomers on limited budgets.
Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village: Immersion in the Culture of Ukrainian Settlers
Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village is an open-air museum located 25 minutes east of Edmonton, along Highway 16, dedicated to the history of Ukrainian settlement in central-western Alberta from 1892 to 1930. The museum features more than 30 authentic historic buildings, including settlements, churches, schools, a blacksmith's shop, a store, and community halls, which were moved to the site from various locations in the region and restored to their original appearance.
The museum showcases not only the architecture but also the way of life of Ukrainian immigrants who first arrived in Canada in the late 19th century. These people often did not speak English, had little money, and were unaccustomed to the northern climate and a way of life based on wheat farming. They received homesteads — plots of land from the Canadian government — and had to build a new life from scratch. Costumed interpreters — farmers, wives, children, teachers, priests — recount their daily experiences, the harsh climate, and how they preserved their language and culture in the face of cultural pressure from the government and their English-speaking neighbors.
One of the museum's central buildings is the original Ukrainian Greek Catholic church built by the settlers. The church served not only as a place of worship but also as a community center, a place where weddings and other celebrations were held. Interpreters talk about the role of the church in preserving culture and language—many families sent their children to the parish school attached to the church, where they were taught the practices of their faith and the Ukrainian language, in addition to the English language classes required by the province.
A separate classroom demonstrates the complexity of the language situation. Many children spoke only Ukrainian at home but had to learn English at school. Teachers talk about the problems of this situation — it was difficult for children to adapt, and they were often allowed to speak Ukrainian when discussing their homework. But this also meant that children spoke less Ukrainian as they mastered English, and cultural transmission had to depend on the family and the church.
Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village is open seasonally from May to September (some years until October) from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission is $15 for adults, $13 for seniors, $10 for youth ages 7 to 17, and $40 for families. For Ukrainian newcomers, the museum has a special impact, as it allows them to see the history of previous generations, understanding what they went through and how they built a new life.
Métis Crossing: a cultural sanctuary for the Métis
Métis Crossing is located on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River, 45 minutes northeast of Edmonton, near the small town of Smoky Lake, and is Alberta's first and currently largest interpretive facility dedicated to Métis culture. The Métis are a people who emerged from unions between European fur traders and women of various indigenous peoples and developed their own unique culture, language, art, and way of life.
The Métis Crossing site covers 512 acres and is located on historic river lots that were the original Métis settlements in the late 19th century. Some of the original buildings remain and have been reconstructed, and Métis interpreters tell stories about how their ancestors lived, their hunting and gathering practices, the importance of the river, and communal structures.
Cultural experiences at Métis Crossing vary depending on the season. In the summer, you can take part in Paddle Into the Past, a voyageur canoe experience (a small canoe formerly used in the fur trade) led by Métis interpreters along the North Saskatchewan River. During the trip, which can last 2-3 hours, you will learn about the role of rivers in Métis life, hunting and fishing methods, and the significance of the canoe as a cultural symbol.
In winter, Métis Crossing offers Tale from the Trapline, a fully immersive 3-hour experience that introduces you to traditional Métis winter life. You can learn about hunting techniques, heating and cooking in the harsh conditions of the northern winter climate, and Métis thinking and philosophy about nature and society.
There is a restaurant on site that offers food inspired by Métis cuisine with ingredients harvested and grown on the centre's own land. There is also the option of staying overnight in scenic lodgings, including a 40-room hotel, domes with transparent roofs for stargazing, and campsites. Admission to Métis Crossing is free, but various experiences and activities have separate fees. For newcomers, especially those who want to better understand Canada's indigenous cultures, Métis Crossing offers the opportunity to see living culture, not just historical relics.
Specialized museums: aviation, technology, and wealth
The Alberta Aviation Museum is located in an original World War II hangar on the grounds of Blatchford Air Base and displays more than 30 historic aircraft and helicopters. The museum tells the story of aviation in Alberta, from early experiments with small monoplanes flying in northern regions for exploration and delivery, to the role of aviation during World War II, to the development of commercial aviation.
A special attraction of the museum is the opportunity for visitors to climb inside the cockpits of historic aircraft and feel like a pilot. Every September, the museum holds Open Cockpit Day, when more than a dozen aircraft are opened to the public. This means that adults and children can stand in the cockpit of a B-25 Mitchell (a World War II bomber) that was still in use in Canadian search and rescue operations and imagine what it was like to fly the plane.
The museum also offers guided tours led by knowledgeable guides (often former pilots or technicians) who talk about each aircraft, its role in aviation history, and how it was used. Tours usually last about 90 minutes and cover the entire hangar, including several cockpits that you can climb into and look around.
The Telephone Historical Centre is located in the magnificent Prince of Wales Armouries building and offers free admission to a museum dedicated to the history of telephone communications. The museum tells the story of the development of telephone systems, including mechanical switches operated by human operators who manually connected calls by plugging cables into different sockets.
The museum is particularly popular with families with children, as children can actually participate in working with original telephones and switches. They can call each other on working phones or try to connect a call as female operators did, and the experience demonstrates how complex and painstaking this work was.
Yesterday's Auto Gallery (although the current status should be checked, as the museum underwent re-registration in 2024-2025) was the largest museum of classic cars in Canada, with over 100 rare and classic cars from 1926 to the present. The museum told the story of the evolution of car design, technological innovation, and the cultural significance of the car in Canadian society.
Alberta Legislature: the architecture and political history of the province
The Alberta Legislature Building is the provincial parliament building, built in 1913, and continues to be the seat of the Alberta Legislative Assembly. The building is not only functional but also an architectural landmark, and it is open to the public for free guided tours.
Tours, led by qualified guides, cover the main areas of the building, including the rotunda with its huge marble fountain and dome reminiscent of St. Peter's Basilica. On the tour, you will learn about the history of the province's legislative process, how laws are made, and the various functions and committees of the legislature.
Of particular interest is the “magic spot” on the fifth floor — an acoustic anomaly where your voice is reflected back to you in an amazing way. This spot is located near the dome, and the architecture of the building creates conditions in which sound is concentrated in this way.
For students, the Legislature offers educational programs, including Mock Legislature, where students can simulate the legislative process and understand how democracy works at the provincial level. Another program, Race for the Ridings, takes students through the provincial election process.
City of Edmonton Archives and Edmonton Public Library: Basic Research
The City of Edmonton Archives collects and preserves the city's permanent records, as well as private collections from individuals, organizations, and businesses that they are trying to preserve. The archives contain over 700 fonds of records, including materials on Ukrainian societies, Polish communities, Chinese associations, women's organizations, and sports clubs. This is a resource for those conducting genealogical research or wanting to learn about a specific organization in the city's history.
The archive also holds a collection of newspaper clippings from the 1920s that can help get your research started. Newspaper reports provide context on what events people were paying attention to and often include names and details that can be used for further research.
The archives also collect over 700 maps of Edmonton and the surrounding area dating back to 1882, which show the geographical development of the city and variations in the names of streets, neighborhoods, and landmarks.
The Edmonton Public Library (EPL) is a large library system with numerous branches throughout the city and has a dedicated Genealogy & History section. The EPL provides access to a digitized collection of its archives, including historical photographs and documents from its own history dating back to 1913. The library also offers access to historical newspapers on microfilm or in digital format, covering centuries and allowing you to search for local news, such as what happened in Edmonton in 1920, 1950, or 1980.
The EPL also hosts free programs, including Library Lunchtime Concerts by the Health Arts Society of Alberta, which take place at various branches and offer the opportunity to listen to live music in the middle of the day. EPL also supports Voices of Amiskwaciy (the name now used to refer to the Cree language territory where Edmonton is located) — a digital space where Indigenous communities can collaboratively create, share, and celebrate local content.
Neon Sign Museum: a palimpsest of the 20th-century city
The Neon Sign Museum is located on the walls of buildings in downtown Edmonton and displays a collection of neon signs that the city has collected and restored. It is the first museum of its kind in Canada and is noteworthy as a historical document of the commercial and cultural landscape of the 20th century.
Signs such as The Movie Studio (a video store that was very popular in the 1990s and early 2000s until streaming replaced physical media) and other iconic signs tell stories about how people did business and interacted with commerce. The signs are especially beautiful at night, when the neon glows in bright colors and creates a magical atmosphere.
The museum is open 24/7 and free to view from the outside. It's a place worth visiting not only to understand the commercial history of the city, but also simply for the aesthetic beauty of the neon lights at night.
Practical tips for newcomers
If you are new to Edmonton and want to explore Canadian and Albertan history, here are a few practical steps to get you started.
First, get a free card from the Edmonton Public Library. The library is more than just a place for books—it's a cultural center that offers historical collections, language classes, and free programs. With a card, you'll have access to historical newspapers, genealogy databases, and digital collections.
Second, sign up for newsletters from the Edmonton Heritage Council and the Edmonton and District Historical Society. These organizations send out information about historical events, guided tours, lectures, and volunteer opportunities. This will help you stay up to date on the city's historical life.
Third, plan your museum visits in advance, as many places, such as Fort Edmonton Park and the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village, are open seasonally. Check websites before visiting, especially during peak times (spring and fall).
Fourth, if you're on a budget, check out the Canoo program (formerly Cultural Access Pass), which gives new Canadians free or discounted access to over 1,400 cultural institutions across Canada, including many museums in Edmonton.
Fifth, don't miss the Historic Festival and Doors Open Edmonton in July. This is the biggest historical festival of the year, when hundreds of locations open their doors for free or low-cost tours. It's the perfect time to explore the city's history, as so many resources are available in one period.
Sixth, for Ukrainian newcomers, consider visiting the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village and taking part in historical tours of Ukrainian neighbourhoods during the Historic Festival. This will help you understand the history of your predecessors in Alberta.
Finally, consider joining the Edmonton and District Historical Society. The society organizes numerous events and publications that can help you delve deeper into history and meet people who are also interested in local history.
Why it matters to newcomers
Studying Canadian history through the local lens of Edmonton is not just an academic exercise. It is a way to understand how the country you now live in was formed, what values underpin it, what challenges it has overcome, and what issues still need to be resolved. The history of Indigenous peoples, the history of the fur trade, the history of mass immigration from Europe (including Ukraine), the history of industrial development, the history of the struggle for women's and workers' rights — all these are pieces of the mosaic that forms modern Canada.
For newcomers, especially refugees and those who have left their homeland due to war or persecution, the history of immigrants who arrived in Edmonton over a century ago and built new lives in harsh conditions can be a source of inspiration and hope. Ukrainians, Poles, Germans, Scandinavians, Chinese, and many other ethnic groups came to Alberta with nothing, faced language barriers, economic hardship, and discrimination, but preserved their culture, built communities, and made a huge contribution to the development of the province. Their stories remind us that you are not alone in this experience.
At the same time, it is important to recognize that Canadian history is not an idealistic story of progress and harmony alone. The history of colonization, the seizure of land from Indigenous peoples, residential schools for Indigenous children, discrimination against Chinese people through the head tax, and the internment of Ukrainians during World War I are all parts of Canadian history that need to be known and acknowledged. Understanding these complex and controversial aspects of history helps you to be a more informed citizen and to be part of the process of reconciliation and building a more just society.
Edmonton offers a wealth of opportunities to learn about Canadian history through world-class museums, living history exhibits, archives, walking tours, and cultural events. From grand institutions like the Royal Alberta Museum and Fort Edmonton Park to more intimate experiences at Rutherford House or the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village, from the official political history at the Alberta Legislature to the voices of marginalized groups at the Provincial Archives, the city offers multiple perspectives on the past. It is important to take advantage of these opportunities, because understanding the history of the country you now live in is key to feeling not just a resident, but a true part of the Canadian community.