Ordinary People…Extraordinary Stories

The Cause

The Ice on Whyte Festival, in partnership with the Edmonton and District Historical Society and a number of local cultural groups will be presenting Ordinary Stories...Extraordinary People in celebration of Canada\'s 150th birthday at Ice on Whyte in January as well as in July at Sand on Whyte and the Historic Edmonton Festival.
A temporary historic village will be built at End of Steel Park, in the Old Strathcona area of Edmonton, where the festivals take place. The village will consist of a Teepee, a Fur Trade Post, a Settlers Cabin and an existing caboose. Heritage actors will “live” in the heritage village tell the stories of ordinary First Nations, Explorers, Fur Traders, Northwest Mounted Police, Railway builders and Settlers that shaped our country in a unique and extraordinary way.
Special programs will be curriculum based and offered on school days. Evening and weekend programming will be formatted for families, young professionals and new Canadians.
The program finale will be a massive fire and drumming circle where drummers from many local cultural groups perform together and celebrate who we are today.
The extraordinary stories of ordinary people will draw on our past with a goal to celebrate and strengthen our community’s cultural diversity and collaboration for the future.

Who Will it Benefit?

School groups that already pre-book for activities at the Ice on Whyte Festival and visitors to all 3 festivals will be engaged in and learn about ordinary Canadians and how their extraordinary stories built our community and country and also shaped who we are today.
The festivals\' target audience of families, young professionals and new Canadians will celebrate together and learn how we can live, work and celebrate together and strengthen our community\'s diversity for the future.