The Wild Side: Polar Prairie Pacific

Dave Conlin

March 5–June 29  

The Wild Side: Polar Prairie Pacific showcases several large mammals from three Western Canada regions. From the polar bears of Churchill, Manitoba, the plains bison of Alberta’s grasslands (including the Capital Region), to the grizzlies of northern British Columbia, visitors will explore 39 photographs of various large mammals and learn about their challenging lives.

“Dave is extremely talented and his photography is breathtaking,” says Musée Héritage Museum Curator, Martin Bierens. “He has travelled quite a bit over the years in pursuit of his passion for capturing wildlife in their natural habitats. Many are our neighbours living magnificent lives and we are showcasing some of the challenges that they face.”

Conlin captures the bond between a mother grizzly and cub learning to hunt salmon, a deer peeking over canola, a cautious coyote, the rare Spirit Bear and many more. Also on display are some animals that are part of the museum’s taxidermy collection to highlight certain species.

“We hope that visitors can leave with a better understanding that right now we have many wild animals around us but there’s no guarantee they will be with us forever. We hope that viewers will think about how we can better conserve these animals and think of ways that we can support them while we all live in harmony,” adds Bierens.

The exhibition also includes some interactive features, such as a scavenger hunt, a take-home craft, and an activity where visitors can create captions for the photos to showcase the personality of the animal featured.

Exhibition Opening + Talk: March 9 from 3–5 pm

Museum Speaker's Event: Duane S. Radford: March 16 from 10 am–12 pm

Dave Conlin Photography Tours: April 20, 27, May 4, 11, 18

Images by Dave Conlin