Historical Interpreter

at  Victoria Settlement Provincial Historic Site

ABOUT US

Victoria Settlement Provincial Historic Site is located 10 km south of Smoky Lake, on Secondary Highway 855 and 6 km east along the historic Victoria Trail. The site depicts the history of the area from the 1862 arrival of the missionaries, through the arrival of the Hudson’s Bay Company fur trading post and pioneer settlement, to the demise of the town of Pakan in 1922.
www.victoriasettlement.ca
This position is being hired through a staffing contract with the Metis Crossing Experience Company, which will provide all Human Resources support including hiring and payroll. Historical Interpreters will work full time at Victoria Settlement Provincial Historic Site, providing visitor services on behalf of the Minister of Arts, Culture and Status of Women.
Métis Crossing Careers (metiscrossing.com)

QUALIFICATIONS

Post–secondary education in the following fields is desirable: Historical Interpretation, Education, Canadian History, Aboriginal Studies, Archeology, Ecology, Drama, Marketing and/or Recreation.
Customer service training; fluency in French, Cree, or Michif; knowledge of Alberta’s Métis history; heritage skills and crafts would be considered assets.
Current Standard First Aid and CPR C training is required. Proof of first aid must be provided before hiring. Hiring is dependent on a satisfactory security screening.

As an historical interpreter you will provide tours of the historic site, lead school programs and offer guided interpretive experiences. You will participate in the planning, development and presentation of educational programs, special events, off-site public interpretive programs and craft and skill demonstrations and activities. This job will allow you to develop a wide variety of skills including public speaking, customer service, program development, interpretation techniques, research, social media, and historical crafts and skills.
Other duties include the collection of admission fees and visitor statistics, event promotion, day-to-day administration, gift shop sales, and maintaining the general good order of visitor facilities. This position requires weekend work, and on occasion working and traveling alone or scheduled off-site work. You will walk and stand for extended periods, and lift and carry moderate loads. It is a historically costumed position with costumes provided.
A successful candidate for this position will be able to speak confidently to large and small groups of people in a public setting and be able to assimilate large amounts of information quickly. You must have the ability to work effectively with a range of audiences, from young children to seniors, and actively contribute to a workplace team. The position requires a basic understanding of the history of Alberta, an interest in historical interpretation, as well as planning and organizational skills. Training is provided.