Calgary鈥檚 Lougheed House once belonged to one of the province鈥檚 most wealthy and politically influential families, but has since become a perfect metaphor for the changing times in Alberta.
The mansion, located in the Beltline district of Calgary, was built in 1891 as the home of James Alexander Lougheed, an early advocate for the oil industry.
Lougheed鈥檚 grandson, Peter Lougheed, served as Alberta鈥檚 Progressive Conservative premier for 14 years.
But despite its ties to conservative politics and the energy sector, the home has constantly reinvented itself to survive the times.
Alexander Lougheed and his family were forced to move out in part due to the Great Depression. Ever since, the home has been used as a barracks, a blood donor clinic and a training centre for young women.
Now it鈥檚 a national historic site, a museum and cultural hub 鈥� and its latest exhibit is 鈥淩oar: Exploring Queer History and Gender Identity.鈥�
鈥淩oar鈥� runs for 11 weeks ending on June 9 with scheduled events that include a drag queen tea party, a fashion show for frugal divas, a history of drag in Canada and a look at influential Canadian women, to name a few.
"It鈥檚 so important we hear multitude of stories and get away the idea that Alberta just has this single story that is around of boom and bust and around oil," Caroline Loewen, the curator of Lougheed House, told CTV National News Chief Anchor and Senior Editor Lisa LaFlamme.
Loewen hopes exhibits like 鈥淩oar鈥� can dismantle some of the stereotypes Albertans face.
"People come into Lougheed House -- people come to Calgary or Alberta -- expecting to hear a certain narrative, expecting to hear what they think Alberta or what they Calgary is and I think the best thing we can do is suprise them," she said.
