A Wetaskiwin educator recently travelled to Ottawa to receive a prestigious history award.
Erin Quinn, vice-principal at Parkdale School in Wetaskiwin, visited the nation's capital this week to receive a 2025 Governor General’s History Award for Excellence in Teaching—one of the highest honours in history education in Canada.
Quinn was presented with the award Tuesday during a ceremony at Rideau Hall by Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada.
In a social media post, the Office of the Governor General highlighted the broader impact of inclusive history.
"It shapes empathetic, thoughtful citizens and strengthens cultural understanding, connection and belonging,” the post read. “We proudly celebrate the remarkable work of these outstanding Canadians and the lasting impact they are making.”
Quinn was the only Alberta nominee to receive the teaching award this year. The recognition stems from a project she developed a couple years ago that invited students to become historians by exploring their own community.
The initiative, called Discovering Our Roots, saw Grade 7 students step into the roles of researchers and museum curators. Working in partnership with the Wetaskiwin District Heritage Museum Centre and the City of Wetaskiwin Archives, students studied the Indigenous and settler communities that helped shape the region.
Over six weeks, students analyzed primary and secondary sources, examined historical artifacts, and collaborated with museum staff to curate a public exhibition. The display featured photographs, personal stories and objects from the museum’s collection. Students also wrote exhibit text and acted as guides during the public opening, sharing their research with visitors.
“History gives young people the context for the world that they’re inheriting,” said Quinn. “I think the most profound impact of this project is that it showed students that they could be connected to history if they just look around them.”
Administered by Canada’s National History Society, the Governor General’s History Awards are the country’s top honours in history and heritage. They recognize Canadians who have made outstanding contributions in teaching, museums, scholarly research, community programming and popular media.
** With information from The Governor General of Canada website.
Sign up to get the latest local news headlines delivered directly to your inbox every afternoon.
Send your news tips, story ideas, pictures, and videos to [email protected].
CentralAlbertaOnline encourages you to get your news directly from your trusted source by bookmarking this page and downloading the CentralAlbertaOnline app
Next Story