An exciting summer is approaching for On This Spot. So far, 2021 has been our best year yet, as we are expanding our coverage to dozens of new communities across the country. In the lead-up to summer, we have been working hard to prepare for a grand Canada Day launch, which will include content in a total of thirty-three communities.
We are excited to embrace the possibilities this summer has to offer. As vaccinations ramp up, the possibility of domestic travel throughout Canada increases. There is light at the end of the tunnel; soon, with luck, restrictions will be lifted, and Canadians will be able to get outside in the sun to enjoy all that their local communities have to offer. On This Spot’s new content will be waiting for them in communities in four different provinces.
In British Columbia, new content will be launching all over the province, from the Northwest Coast, to the Interior, to the Southwest Coast. On Vancouver Island we will be launching then-and-now photography in Courtenay, Cumberland, and Comox, and in the Lower Mainland, we are in the process of creating new content for Vancouver, Abbotsford, Mission, White Rock, Chilliwack, and Aldergrove.
In the Interior, we are taking a new, exciting regional approach by creating a linked tour and linked then-and-now photo sets for the eight communities of Summerland, Naramata, Kaleden, Penticton, Peachland, Okanagan Falls, Osoyoos and Oliver. This will allow us to focus on both the individual histories of each community and the overarching stories of this fascinating region.
Also in the Interior, we will be launching two tours in Castlegar that explore the history of the Doukhobor community located there, and another tour in the mining town of Sparwood. Finally, on the Northwest Coast, we will be launching content in Kitimat that will explore the unique identity of this planned company town and the aluminum industry which created it.
Across the border in Alberta, we will also have an abundance of new content launching around Canada Day to capitalize on the coming summer. In the prairies, then-and-now photography and historical tours in Red Deer, Medicine Hat, Lethbridge, Lacombe, Fort Macleod, Blackfalds, and Calgary will be making its way onto the app soon. We will also be launching new photo sets in Banff to showcase the rich history of Canada’s first ever national park.
In Ontario, we recently launched our walking tour of Little Italy in Toronto. By Canada Day, we hope to follow this with then-and-now photographs of Toronto’s Chinatown. We will also be launching new content in Aylmer, King Township, and Watson’s Mill. Farther east, in New Brunswick, we are in the middle of conducting historical research in the region of Albert County, where we will be launching multiple historical tours this summer.
The rapid expansion of On This Spot demonstrates the evolution of history education across the country. More and more, museums and tourism associations are turning to technology to help share the stories of their communities. On This Spot allows us to celebrate our history in a more accessible, versatile way—a way which is appealing to people of all ages and demographics.
For us at On This Spot, our expansion is an incredible opportunity to share and celebrate Canadian history. This summer, we hope you will join us in exploring this unique and diverse country and the many voices which have built it. With the world slowly reopening as vaccines continue to go into arms, the summer may be the chance we have all been waiting for to get out and explore.