150 influential Albertans

Honouring those who helped write our rich history

The countdown is on to Canada’s 150th birthday on July 1 and to mark the occasion, the Calgary Herald is profiling 150 Albertans who helped shape our province.

These are men and women who not only helped Alberta find its place in Confederation, but also worked to make the province a better place to live.

Alberta is a province rich in history, innovation and culture, which predates the creation of Canada as a country.

First Nations leaders such as Chief Crowfoot and Chief Poundmaker are some of the earliest members of our list of 150 remarkable Albertans. Their efforts to build bridges between diverse cultures provide a model that can still be aspired to today.

Other early names found on this list include missionaries, farmers and ranchers, who battled harsh circumstances to build a life in what was to them a foreign land.

Suffragettes, inventors, war heroes, writers, artists and musicians followed.

Alberta became home to Canada’s first female city councillor, the first female legislator in the entire British Empire and the first female magistrate of the British Empire. These women are a key part of our list, as is an array of academics, athletes, scientists, new Canadians and politicians, including three who became prime minister of Canada.

And, no list of remarkable Albertans would be complete without nods to the entrepreneurs, dreamers and philanthropists who contribute so much to the unique fabric of the province.

Each day for 15 weekdays (Monday to Friday, from June 12 to 30), we’ll reveal 10 names from our list of 150 Albertans, starting in the 1800s and moving to present day. For related content and video — and to comment on who you think should make the list — go to calgaryherald.com.

One thing is certain: there’s no shortage of remarkable Albertans to honour throughout our history.