Facts & Statistics

Culture

• Alberta's cultural policy The Spirit of Alberta was launched in January 2008 and provides a framework for decision-making related to the support, growth and development of culture in our province.
• Albertans define culture in a broad sense to include not only the arts, but also heritage, sport and recreation, and the natural environment.
• 97 per cent of Albertans believe it is important for every child in Alberta to learn about the culture of the province.
• The Conference Board of Canada estimates the economic footprint of Canada's cultural sector was $84.6 billion in 2007, 7.4 per cent of Canada's GDP. Cultural sector employment exceeded 1.1 million jobs in 2007. For more information visit Cultural Policy facts.
• Alberta's cultural sector represents approximately 3per cent of provincial GDP and employment. Other Cultural Policy facts available here.
• A 2008 study commissioned by the Alberta Magazine Publishers Association showed that magazine publishing added $83.4 million in direct revenue in the province.
• Sound recording added $2.1 million to the Alberta gross domestic product in 2008.
• Albertans spent $3.0 billion on cultural goods and services in 2005 - about 3.3 per cent of total consumer spending in the province.

The Arts

• Alberta has a diverse arts and culture community that provide an array of festivals, events and attractions. Over 170 arts presenters bring music, dance, film, literature, theatre and the visual arts to Albertans throughout the province. Residents and visitors alike enjoy performances by 10 major performing arts companies, over 45 professional performing arts companies and 155 community performing arts organizations.
• The Alberta Foundation for the Arts (AFA) is the Alberta government's principal arts funding agency.
• Total attendance at arts events supported by the AFA reaches close to 12 million each year—three times the provincial population.
• Communities across the province came alive September 30-October 3, 2011 with concerts, exhibits, performances, demonstrations and much more in honour of Alberta Arts Days. Thousands of Albertans took part in the celebrations at over 1000 community-led events in more than 90 communities. Alberta Arts Days 2012 will occur September 28-30 in conjunction with Culture Days.
• Alberta Culture manages 17 different art collections with nearly 10,000 pieces including paintings, photographs and sculptures. Learn more about the art collections at the Alberta Foundation for the Arts - Provincial Art Collections.
• The first artwork to be accessioned into the Alberta Foundation for the Arts Collection was a baseball card featuring a portrait of Don Getty in 1972. Learn more about the art collection at the Alberta Foundation for the Arts - Provincial Art Collections.
• 43 musical acts performed at Alberta House and other Alberta programming, and 41 artists and arts organizations ranging from Alberta Ballet to Feist participated in the 2010 Vancouver Cultural Olympiad.
• The Alberta Foundation for the Arts distributes roughly 1,400 grants per year, supporting hundreds of arts and culture organizations. Of these, approximately 500 grants are distributed to emerging and professional artists. Learn more about AFA grants here.
• Every year, the Alberta Foundation for the Arts funds approximately 70 festivals throughout the province enriching communities big and small with music, dance, film, visual arts and cultural celebrations. Learn more about AFA grants here.

Additional facts and stats on arts and culture can be found at http://www.affta.ab.ca/fast-facts.aspx

Film

• Since 1948, Alberta film crew have been nominated for 46 Academy Awards
• 85 per cent of Alberta's film industry is based in the Calgary region
• Alberta has been involved in motion picture production since the 1900s
• Dollars spent in Alberta as a result of film and television productions supported by the Film Development Program in 2006-07: $124 million.
• In Alberta, more than 900 films are classified and given ratings every year? Learn about film classification at Alberta Film Ratings.ca.
• There are almost 30 different film festivals that place in Alberta year. Find more Alberta arts and culture activities by visiting What's On in Alberta.
• Alberta film crews have been nominated for 48 Academy Awards since 1948, and have received 22 Emmy Awards out of 92 nominations. Learn more about Alberta's film, television and digital media industry at Alberta Film.
• More than 3,000 people are employed directly in Alberta's film, television and digital media industry, with many more being impacted by production-induced spending such as hotels, caterers and lumber companies. Find out more about Alberta's film industry at Alberta Film.
• Alberta's film and television production history dates back to the 1940s, with films like Springtime in the Rockies starring Betty Grable, Carmen Miranda and Cesar Romero, and River of No starring Marilyn Monroe. Find out more about Alberta's film industry from Alberta Film.
• Movies made in Alberta are featured on the Alberta Movie Maps driving tour. Three different driving routes take visitors to more than 100 film locales and settings from popular films like Brokeback Mountain and Unforgiven.
• Though set in Wyoming, Brokeback Mountain was filmed all in Alberta, featuring more than 20 different locations including Kananaskis, Fort MacLeod and Canmore. Learn more about Alberta's film, television and digital media industry at Alberta Film.

Alberta's History

• Alberta Culture manages an irreplaceable legacy of over 12 million historic and scientific objects and specimens; 10 million archaeological artifacts; 2 million photographs, maps and architectural drawings; 50 kilometers of archival holdings; 110,000 hours of film and sound recordings; and 130 historic structures.
• Over 900,000 people visit Alberta's provincial museums, historic sites and interpretive centers on an annual basis.
• More than 100,000 visitors participated in educational programming at our provincial historic sites in 2007-08.
• Alberta is home to five of Canada's 15 United Nations World Heritage Sites, areas designated by UNESCO as offering exceptional universal value to humanity.
• The present-day City Centre Airport in Edmonton was the first municipally owned airport in Canada. Learn more about Alberta's history at the Provincial Archives of Alberta.
• The Edmonton Eskimos were originally a baseball team that joined the Western International League in 1952. Learn more about Alberta’s sport history at the Provincial Archives of Alberta.
• Telus Field in Edmonton was once known as John Ducey Park. Born in New York State, John Ducey was an Edmonton baseball legend fondly known as “Mr. Baseball.“ Learn more about Alberta’s sport history at the Provincial Archives of Alberta.
• Dr. Mary Percy Jackson, a decorated British physician hired by the Alberta government, was the only doctor in the 400-square mile territory of Battle River in 1929? Learn more about Alberta’s medical history at the Provincial Archives of Alberta.
• The Alberta Hotel in Red Deer was built in 1891 and was Red Deer's first hotel. A three-storey brick addition was built in 1912. View historic photographs at the Provincial Archives of Alberta.
• Prohibition, a law that prevented the manufacture and sale of alcohol, came into effect in Alberta on July 1, 1916 and ended in 1923. Learn more about Alberta's past at the Provincial Archives of Alberta.
• The first North American photographs of the Sputnik I satellite were captured by a scientist at the Newbrook Observatory in northern Alberta. Learn more about the photograph that sent shockwaves around the world in 1957 at the Alberta Register of Historic Places.
• The Father Lacombe Church in St. Albert is the oldest building still standing in Alberta. Learn more about this mission church at the Alberta Register of Historic Places.
• Constructed of heavy timbers, the towering tipple at Atlas Coal Mine in the Drumheller Valley is the largest surviving structure of its kind in Canada. Learn more about this remarkable construction at the Alberta Register of Historic Places.
• Fort Chipewyan is the oldest continuously occupied Euro-Canadian settlement in Alberta. Learn more about this pioneering community at the Alberta Register of Historic Places.
• Calgary's City Hall is the oldest existing city hall in Alberta, and the earliest example of steel-frame construction in Calgary. Learn more about this monumental civic building at the Alberta Register of Historic Places.
• Stephan G. Stephansson, one of western Canada's premier poets, hailed from the small Icelandic community of Markerville. Learn more about this farmer-poet and his fascinating life at the Alberta Register of Historic Places.
• The greatest landslide in North American history occurred at the Frank Slide site in 1903. Learn more about this natural disaster and its terrible human toll at the Alberta Register of Historic Places.

Voluntary Sector

• About 1.2 million Albertans (48 per cent) of the population volunteered 214 million hours to charitable and nonprofit organizations in 2004, or the equivalent to more than 111,000 full time jobs.
• A small group of volunteers contributes the majority of the hours volunteered: 75 per cent of all hours volunteered in Alberta came from just 25 per cent of volunteers.
• Alberta has one of the highest charitable tax credits in Canada.
• In 2007, charitable donations by Albertans increased by close to $100 million dollars, the second highest in Canada.
• The average Albertan volunteer donates 172 hours of their time each year. Learn more about Alberta's voluntary sector from Alberta Culture and Community Spirit.
• Alberta has roughly 1,445,000 men, women and children who volunteer. That's about 40 percent of Alberta's population! Learn more statistics on Alberta's nonprofit and voluntary sector here.
• In Alberta, 15-19 year olds are more likely to volunteer than 20-24 year olds. To find out how the Alberta government recognizes Alberta's volunteers of all ages, click here.
• Alberta is home to more than 20,000 non-profit organizations and more than 9,020 registered charities. To find out how the Alberta government supports the nonprofit/voluntary sector, visit the Community Spirit Program website.
• Albertans aged 55 to 64 make up 12.3 per cent of Alberta's population. Of this group, 43.6 per cent volunteer an average of 181 hours per year. Learn more about Alberta's nonprofit and voluntary (sector) here.
• Albertans aged 65 and older make up 12.2 per cent of the population. Of this group, 41 per cent volunteer. Learn more about Alberta's nonprofit and voluntary sector here.
• People involved in the decision-making process are more committed to the outcome. Last year, Culture and Community Services staff supported the design and/or facilitation of public involvement processes for over 70 projects and more than 5,000 participants. Learn more about Public Participation services.
• Effective planning focuses efforts and resources, and help groups achieve their goals. In 2009, Culture and Community Services staff helped more than 500 organizations develop effective plans for their future. Visit Strategic Planning for additional information.
• Need help in your organization? More than 2,000 Albertans were trained at workshops on board governance, fundraising proposal writing and strategic planning. Customized workshops are available through Organization and Board Development and Fund Development.
• Facilitation skills can be learned. Basic Facilitation Skills workshops are provided in partnership with local community organizations. To find out when the next workshop is offered see Facilitator Training.
• Better processes lead to better decisions and results. Our Community Development Officers across the province can help you design a process and facilitate discussions that lead to better decisions and results. Visit Community Development Branch Offices for contact information.