Red Deer City Councillor Michael Dawe passed away suddenly on the evening of December 24, 2023. Known by many as Red Deer’s “Beloved Son”, Michael’s death has affected his home town in a significant way. No one knew the people and the history of this part of Alberta like Michael Dawe. No one could communicate the past to us quite like Michael.

With this in mind, Todayville would like to share with you a typical interaction with Michael Dawe in his role as Red Deer’s Archivist.  In this video we appreciate seeing Michael at his finest as he explains to Central Alberta students how their ancestors played a role in the Great Wars of the 20th century.

From Todayville archives (Nov. 2020)

You might think World War I and World War II happened far away.  But just as these wars forever changed many Central Alberta families, they also changed Red Deer itself.  Just like Canada’s amazing war effort, the community of Red Deer punched way above it’s weight as far as war contributions go.

Red Deer Public Schools commissioned Todayville and Michael Dawe to put together this video called Red Deer’s Memorials with Michael Dawe.  As you’ll see, the infrastructure needed to fight the World Wars have put a permanent stamp on the city.   This video was part of the online memorial ceremony produced by Red Deer Public Schools for their community.