A photographer so enamoured with the mining sites of Canada and especially the Drumheller Valley, has spent over four decades working and making photos.
And now he has handed over a significant collection of his work to the Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site.
Lawrence Chrismas has donated more than 250 of his photographs to the museum. This collection “documents the region’s coal mining heritage, featuring portraits of Drumheller Valley miners, their families, homesteads, and mining infrastructure,” notes a release.
"Recently when I reached an old age, I decided I should find a permanent home for my Drumheller region photographs, and the Atlas became my number one choice to receive this collection," says Lawrence Chrismas. "Old-timers frequently told me that after long years of digging coal, they missed their job and fellow miners—many were proud of their life in mining. My objective as a documentary photographer has been to show the positive side of coal mining."
In a previous interview with the Mail, he explains that fresh out of college he went to work with the Department of Mines and Energy, and for the first time stepped into the valley in 1969.
About a decade later he was in Canmore to see the last mine there close. From that point, he began his life work of photographing and documenting the history of the mines and the lives of the miners.
“It grew from there, I realized I was doing something of considerable historic value and people were enjoying my photographs and stories of the miners,” he said.
He has been honoured for his work. Coal Dust Grins was published in 1998 and featured miners from across the country. It was which was shortlisted for the Roloff Beny Photography Book Award. His work has also been exhibited at the National Gallery of Canada, the Glenbow and the Whyte Museum of the Rockies. He is a Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA) inductee.
In 2011, the centennial year of mining in the valley, he published Coal in the Valley: Drumheller Miner Photographs and Stories.
“This collection of remarkable photographs is truly an honour to have in the Atlas collection. Many of the individuals featured in these images were part of the local workforce and still have family members in the community,” says Jessica Fleury-Schatz, Executive Director of the Atlas Coal Mine. “At the Atlas, we foster a sense of belonging by sharing the stories and experiences of this unique place. These images will enrich our research and deepen our interpretation of mining life in the Drumheller Valley. We anticipate an exhibit showcasing a selection of these photographs in the near future.”

Photo courtesy C.Schatz Film & Photography

The Hanna RCMP Detachment is warning residents of a couple of different scams that have been circulating in the community.
One such is a text-based scam.
The Detachment has received a number of reports from area residents receiving text messages labelled as from the “Alberta Regional Municipality”. In the text message, it warns that the message recipient has an outstanding parking ticket fine and that they must pay it by a certain date to avoid a driver’s license suspension.
The message directs the recipient to a fraudulent site that collects personal data from the message recipient. If you have provided your information to this website, please notify your local detachment.
The Hanna RCMP also warn residents of internet-based frauds often soliciting gift cards.
The fraudster will tell the victim to go to a local retailer that sells gift cards for a number of different businesses, direct them to purchase a certain quantity of them, and then obtain the redemption code on the card(s) from the victim.
This allows the fraudster to utilize the funds on the card without actually having the card. Fraudsters will typically request gift cards for businesses that have an online store, so that the fraudster can obtain goods that can be mailed to them for resale or other purposes.
This is an especially popular method for internationally based fraudsters. If you or someone you know is being directed to use gift cards as a way to send money, tell them that it is a scam, and direct them to your local RCMP detachment. Retail store employees can play a key role in preventing gift card fraud by being alert to customers who are purchasing large quantities of gift cards. Victims may have been told by the perpetrator not to tell store staff why the cards are being purchased. Some fraud schemes even convince the victims that they are assisting in an investigation against the business itself, in order to convince the victim to not share with the retailer why they are buying the cards. Retailers retain the right to not engage in any transaction where they suspect that fraudulent activity is taking place.
Fraudsters are also using E-transfers to separate a person from their hard-earned money.
The fraudster will provide an email account address for the victim to send an E-transfer to. Once received, the fraudster will typically either withdraw the funds in cash, transfer it to another account, or purchase crypto-currency in order to prevent it from being recovered.
This method is commonly used by fraudsters who have access to a Canadian bank account. Users of E-transfers should be very cautious of any e-transfers where they have not met the recipient in person. Once the money is sent, it is unlikely that the transfer can be reversed, and the money will soon be moved elsewhere so that it cannot be recovered.