Book details woman's life in northeastern Alberta

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One of the first recipients of Fort McMurray's Regional Aboriginal Recognition Award and Alberta's Esquao Award is promoting her book that details the changes that Fort McMurray and surrounding area have gone through in the past 70 years.

On Feb. 26, Grant MacEwan Community College in Edmonton played host to Alvina Strasbourg, author of Memories of a Metis Woman: Fort McMurray Yesterday & Today.

Strasbourg, a Metis Elder, shares with her readers her experiences and thoughts about growing up in northern Alberta.

She began thinking about writing the book about 15 years ago when she thought that somebody should write about Fort McMurray's boom years and about how life was before the boom began.

"I wanted to leave something for my grandchildren, for their heritage," said Strasbourg. "There was a book out called, Pass The Salt Please. It was about the salt plant in Fort McMurray, but there wasn't much about the history of the area."

Strasbourg did not tell anyone she was going to write the book and, in November 1997, she took her work to an editor and then to the printers to get the material published. The book's first printing was in August 1998. In it she shares her experiences of what life was like on a trapline and about growing up without a television or a radio.

Along with her memoirs as a mother, wife and a trapper, she's also included her time spent in Fort McMurray and the changes that the area went through because of the oil boom.

As an author and Elder, Strasbourg has been busy with book signings, speeches, school lectures, and readings. She is outspoken and says that she "tells it like it is."

Strasbourg was born in Owl River in 1921. Her parents were both Metis. Both the recognition and the Esquao awards were presented to her for her courage, and for her contribution to the lives of Aboriginal people. Memories of a Metis Woman: Fort McMurray Yesterday and Today was written from the bush to the boardroom, said Strasbourg.

The message she wants to send is for the young people. She wants to explain that everyone in the past worked hard just to survive and she wants to leave her great-grandchildren a part of her history, to let them know about their culture.

"My parents did not have enough time for us kids when we were growing up, because they were always working. They worked hard to support us," said Strasbourg. "They taught us how to be self- reliant and not to live off of our parents, and how to make it on our own. Our parents were strict with us but we learned how to live right. We respected people and we had a respect for our families."

Strasbourg played a major role in the development of many different organizations including the Native Woman's Pre-employment Program, of which she is the founder; Syncrude Canada Ltd., as an employment recruiter; Keyano College, as a member of the board of governors.

"I'm just like a Duracell battery. I just keep on going and going," she said.