The early artistic history of the province is largely one of rich oral folklore, although a major Icelandic poet, Stephan G. Stephansson, lived near Markerville and did most of his writing in Canada. His house is now a historic site. Since the 1940s a limited number of noteworthy artists (all immigrants to the province) have emerged, including the painter Illingworth Kerr and such writers as W.O. Mitchell and Rudy Wiebe. Interest in cultural heritage and the arts has increased rapidly since the 1960s, and Calgary, Edmonton, and Banff exhibit a rich and diverse artistic life with thriving communities of artists in all fields, many of national (and some of international) renown.

Cultural institutions

A network of museums and historic parks now interpret the natural, historical, and artistic heritage of the province. The Provincial Museum of Alberta was opened in Edmonton in 1967. The Glenbow-Alberta Institute in Calgary has important collections of history and art, and the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology in Drumheller is one of the world’s largest fossil museums, with particularly fine displays of dinosaurs. The latter institution operates in association with Dinosaur Provincial Park near Brooks, the first place to be designated a World Heritage site for its fossil resources. Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, another World Heritage site, near Fort Macleod, features a buffalo jump (a cliff over which hunters chased buffalo) that was used for 6,000 years. Other notable institutions include the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village (located east of Edmonton), the Crowsnest Pass Ecomuseum (on the border with British Columbia), the Calgary Zoo, the Edmonton Space and Science Centre, and the Art Gallery of Edmonton.

The performing arts are served by the Jubilee auditoriums in Edmonton and Calgary, the Calgary Centre for the Performing Arts, and Edmonton’s Citadel Theatre complex and Francis Winspear Centre for Music. These facilities are used by local symphony orchestras and opera and ballet companies. A lively performance scene exists in less-formal settings, with a host of theatre and other groups performing outdoors and in a variety of small venues. Alberta hosts major folk and jazz festivals as well as Edmonton’s Fringe Theatre Festival. Ethnic and Native American arts and crafts are featured at such annual events as the Banff Indian Days, the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede, the Edmonton Heritage Festival, and many local fairs and rodeos. Support for many of the arts is provided by the internationally renowned Banff Centre for Continuing Education, the Canada Council for the Arts, the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, and a number of independent funding agencies.

Sports and recreation

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Alberta is home to five national parks: Wood Buffalo National Park (a World Heritage site) in the northeastern part of the province; Banff and Jasper national parks, which are located in the Rocky Mountains near the border with British Columbia and together with two of that province’s parks (Kootenay and Yoho national parks) have been designated a World Heritage site; Waterton Lakes National Park, which joined with Glacier National Park in Montana in 1932 to form the first international peace park (designated a World Heritage site in 1995); and Elk Island National Park, near Edmonton. The national parks and several provincial parks are heavily utilized for recreational activities such as downhill and cross-country skiing, mountaineering, camping, hiking, and bird-watching.

Rodeo remains a popular sport and an important tie to the province’s agricultural tradition. The Calgary Stampede is one of the world’s most famous rodeos. Ice skating and curling are important sports during the long winters. Professional ice hockey and Canadian gridiron football also are extremely popular. Calgary is home to the Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Edmonton is home to the CFL’s Eskimos and the NHL’s Oilers. In the 1980s the Oilers, led by all-time hockey great Wayne Gretzky, won four Stanley Cup titles. The 1988 Winter Olympics, held in Calgary, centred world attention on the city and the province.

Media and publishing

Prominent among Alberta’s scores of daily, weekly, and community newspapers are the Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, Calgary Herald, Calgary Sun, and Lethbridge Herald. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has a number of television and radio outlets throughout the province, most notably in Calgary and Edmonton, and Alberta is also well served by private broadcasters.