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Alberta's historic main streets provide a rich and tangible experience of our history like no other.

Heritage buildings on main street are the traditional heart of our communities. Preserved over the decades and enlivened by the stories of local residents, these structures offer a diorama of community life, both past and present, and contribute to a local and regional architectural mosaic. Their character is as unique as the individuals who lived and worked there — and of the people who continue to do so today in a dynamic retail environment thriving with special events and businesses of all descriptions.

Some 23 communities across the province have restored and revitalized their historic downtowns in partnership with the Alberta Main Street Programme. Now, as participants in Doors Open Alberta, these communities give residents and visitors an exceptional opportunity to discover local history through a coordinated heritage awareness program. Working with its network of past and current projects, the Alberta Main Street Programme helps communities welcome new generations across the thresholds of heritage buildings throughout the province.

A lottery-funded heritage initiative of the Alberta Historical Resources Foundation and Alberta Community Development, the Main Street program provides financial and technical resources toward the conservation of significant collections of historic commercial buildings. The program's highly successful approach combines professional architectural expertise and building conservation grants with a wide range of strategies and resources in organization, marketing and economic development.

A vital aspect of main street conservation and renewal is the development and delivery of interpretive programs in the form of commemorative plaques, walking tours, public awareness and school programs. As part of the province's new Municipal Heritage Partnership Program, Main Street project communities and other municipalities can further promote local heritage by nominating historic sites to the Canadian Register of Historic Places, accessible to all Canadians at www.historicplaces.ca.

To find out more about Alberta's main street legacy or learn how you can participate in the Alberta Main Street Programme and the Doors Open initiative, please contact 403-297-4082 (available toll-free within Alberta by dialing 310-0000) or visit our web site at www.albertamainstreet.org.