A sample of media reports highlighting RHCA events & activities
The Rural History and Culture Association (RHCA) of Saskatchewan (Canada) is based in Rosetown, Saskatchewan (located about one-hour west of the city of Saskatoon). Formally established in 2006, the RHCA is a grassroots, non-partisan, non-profit organization. It champions, organizes, facilitates and promotes historical re-enactments, commemorations, celebrations, performances and develops print, multi-media and on-line resources that encourage interest in, and support for, the study of history. Although the RHCA does occasionally apply for and receive funds through government and other grant programs for specific projects, the RHCA does not receive sustained funding from any source, nor does it have funds it can provide other groups.
Philosophy
The philosophy of the RHCA is based on the belief that history is about telling stories that provide the meanings that are central to all forms of human identity. As such history should not be restricted to experts with formalized training but should be an activity open to, and pursued by, everyone. The ability to independently interpret history, without interference from any authority, is a fundamental aspect of a free society and is essential to democracy.
Objectives
- To facilitate historic storytelling.
- To promote generational succession within historical institutions and organizations.
- To support grassroots and community ownership and control of historic resources.
- To promote active citizenship and democratic participation.
- To increase appreciation for the value of historic identity.
- To use the new media in communications and historic storytelling.
Partners
As an organization, the RHCA has not sought to attract formal members and does not sell memberships to either individuals or groups. The RHCA approach is to build partnerships with existing grassroots, community organizations. Some of the groups it has recently partnered with include:
- Lemberg Sowing Our Spirit Foundation
- Lemberg Culture Shock Drama Group
- Mossbank and District Museum
- Mossbank Economic Development Office
- Kindersley and District Plains Museum
- Watrous Arts Council
- Saskatchewan History and Folklore Society
- Prince Albert Historical Society
- Wood Mountain Historical Society
- McCord and District Museum
- Prairie Wind and Silver Sage (Friends of Grasslands National Park)
- Grand Coteau Heritage and Cultural Centre
- Eastend Historical and Cultural Museum
- Fort Walsh National Historical Site of Canada
- Burning Sun Productions
Through these partnerships RHCA events have been supported by numerous agencies and corporations including:
- Canadian Heritage (through Building Communities Through Culture & Heritage Program)
- SaskCulture (through Multicultural Initiatives Fund & SaskFestivals Grant)
- RCMP Heritage Centre
- Building Pride Program (Saskatchewan Ministry of Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport)
- Saskatchewan Ministry of Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport
- Motherwell Homestead National Historic Site of Canada
- SaskEnergy Share the Warmth Foundation
- Western Development Museums
- Conexus Credit Union
- Benchmark Public Relations and Benchmark Publishing
- SaskTel
- Diefenbaker Canada Centre
- Saskatchewan Arts Board
- Saskatchewan Heritage Foundation
Media Coverage and Public Attention
RHCA events have been very successful in attracting public attention and media coverage. Over 2000 people attended RHCA events in the June-September period of 2008 and many more were reached through extensive media coverage. The RHCA’s summer 2009 program is currently underway and has also been attracting significant coverage. Some highlights include:
Media events held in Regina, Yorkton and Saskatoon in 2003, 2006, 2008 and 2009 attracted audiences as large as 100 people and resulted in extensive print, radio and television coverage. This included stories and pictures in the Leader Post and Star Phoenix and evening stories on the CTV, CBC and Global TV News. The videos to the right feature news stories run by CTV news on James Gardiner VS the Ku Klux Klan in 2008 and Celebrate the NWMP Trail in 2009.
The RHCA has received front page coverage in the Leader Post, the Star Phoenix, the Moose Jaw Times Herald, the Prince Albert Daily Herald and the Assiniboia Times. CTV News Reporters based in Regina, Yorkton and Prince Albert have all covered RHCA events.
CBC Radio produced a documentary on James Gardiner VS the Ku Klux Klan, which was broadcast nationally on their program Sunday Edition.
Stories on RHCA events have been featured in a number of local newspapers including: the Melville Advance, the Gravelbourg Tribune and Moose Jaw This Week; other periodicals including The Beaver: Canada’s History Magazine, Prairies North, SaskCulture Connections, SaskCulture Heritage Advocate; and on-line blogs including Christopher Moore’s Canadian History and the Canada Heritage Foundation’s Heritage News.
Although, the RHCA website registered 4,155 individual visitors and 7,573 total visits in 2008 and in the first six months of 2009, the RHCA website has already registered 4,495 individual visitors 7,500 total visits The RHCA Youtube site, which only went on-line in April 2008, has registered 11,100 views as of July 2009. RHCA’s Youtube video John Diefenbaker – Famous Speeches registered 2400 views in one year (averaging 200 views per month) and is frequently No. 1 in both Google Video Searches and a Youtube searches for “John Diefenbaker.”