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Frank Slide Interpretive Centre
School Programs

Please note: all information is subject to change. Please contact the site to confirm.

We support education at the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre! Our programs are curriculum- based to assist teachers in developing their students' knowledge and skills. We provide a fun and unique out-of-classroom setting, and we encourage participation by one and all!

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1. About Us

Hours
From May 15 - September 14 the Centre is open 9am until 6 pm
From September 15 - May 14 the Centre is open 10am until 5 pm

Location
We are located 1.5 km off Highway #3 in the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass, in southwestern Alberta. The Frank Slide Interpretive Centre is located 2.5 hours south of Calgary, 1 hour west of Fort Macleod, 1.5 hours west of Lethbridge, 2 hours east of Cranbrook, BC, 1 hour east of Fernie, BC.

Supervisor Ratio
For all education programs, the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre requires a supervisor to student ratio of 1:8. This ratio is mandatory. All supervisors are expected to stay with their group at all times, and to discipline unruly behaviour.

Group Size
We can accommodate groups of up to 120 students. However, large groups will need to be split into smaller groups, so no more than 30 students are participating in a program at any given time. This ensures quality programming and organization, increased student participation, and better overall service to your group.

Bookings
Bookings are based on a first come-first served basis. Keep in mind that September, May and June are our busiest times, so plan early.

Cafeteria
The FSIC is not equipped with a cafeteria or eating room for your visit. We do have several picnic sites, a carpeted recessed area inside the Centre, and benches on our boardwalk. Each of these areas is suitable for eating lunches. The indoor area may not be available due to its use for programming. There are also suitable outside areas near-by: Leitch Collieries Provincial Historic Site and Lundbreck Falls.

Gift Shop
Rumbler’s Gift Shop is open during our normal business hours. Students are welcome to shop in the gift shop. Note at your time of booking if you would like to have time for shopping. We ask that chaperones supervise students while shopping, and that no more than 8 students be permitted in the gift shop at any one time.

Weather and Hikes
If you are booking programs that require hiking or other outdoor activity, be aware that weather in the Crowsnest Pass may be very different from the weather at your place of origin. Teachers are responsible for ensuring that students come with appropriate footwear for hiking, and with proper outerwear. Students who are not adequately prepared may have to stay behind. In extreme weather conditions, programs may need to be changed or cancelled.

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2. Choices

We offer education programs at Leitch Collieries Provincial Historic Site and at the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre. Programs at both sites can be combined for a daily visit. If a one-day trip is too much for your school or group, consider our popular Sleepover Program.

Sleepover Program
See section of the web site by this name.
Sleepover Booking Form - Adobe PDF file - 33KB
(You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this document.)

Programming Choices

Frank Families
ECS - Grade 3
By use of imagination, discussion and role playing, students learn about turn-of-the century families who lived in the mining community of Frank.
Curriculum correlation: Social Studies

Turtle Mountain Rocks!
Grades 1 - 3
Become a scientist to learn about the rocks of Turtle Mountain. Make take-home crafts and sample our yummy earth crust cookies. (Please notify us of any food allergies).
Curriculum correlation: Science / Art

Strangers in a Strange Land
Grades 4 & 5
What was it like to come to Canada a century ago? Find out how people from many lands made the Crowsnest Pass their home.
Curriculum correlation: Social Studies

Scoop
Grades 4 & 5
Inaccurate reporting at the time of the Frank Slide has given the world a distorted version of the 1903 rockslide. Now it's time to track down the real story. Become a reporter and get the scoop on the Frank Slide.
Curriculum correlation: Social Studies / Language Arts / Science.

Miners Wanted!
Grades 3 to 5
Can you pass the test to be a miner? Develop brains and brawn to earn your mining certificate.
Curriculum correlation: Science / Social Studies.

Promises of Paradise
Grades 5-7
Promises of free land and good jobs in the coal mines lured many Europeans to the Crowsnest Pass. Students take on the roles of immigrants in a game that simulates the experience of traveling to Canada and establishing a new life.
Curriculum correlation: Social Studies.

Rocks to Riches
Grades 7-9
Discover how valuable coal seams were created. Use the knowledge to operate and manage a profitable coal mine. Risk everything to be the best coal mine operator in Alberta.
Curriculum correlation: Social Studies / Science.

In The Mountain's Shadow
All Grades
Let the Crowsnest Pass' bittersweet history unfold before you in this award-winning audio-visual presentation.
Curriculum correlation: Social Studies.

On the Edge of Destruction, the Frank Slide Story
All Grades
This award-winning docudrama accurately recreates the events surrounding the 1903 Frank Slide. Explore what caused North America's deadliest landslide.
Curriculum correlation: Science / Social Studies.

Hear That Whistle Blow
All Grades
Retrace the steps of miners at the Hillcrest Collieries to discover the tragic events of Canada's worst mine disaster. Participants must dress for weather. Please note: this is not an underground tour.
Curriculum correlation: Social Studies

Frank Slide Trail
All Grades
Length: 1.5 km guided walk (steep last 35 meters).
Curriculum correlation: Social Studies / Science.

• Killer Mountain - What turned Turtle Mountain into a killer? Walk through the debris field to investigate the geology and structure, mountain building, folding and faulting of the mountain.
  
• Survival Kit - What knowledge might have helped the residents of Frank in 1903 escape the deadliest rockslide in North American history? Join our hike through the rock debris to ponder and discover first hand.

Leitch Collieries Provincial Historic Site
Leitch Collieries is located near the eastern boundary of the Crowsnest Pass, approximately 10 minutes by bus from the FSIC. All education programs are outside, and are subject to weather conditions.

Grades 4-6
Miners Wanted
Curriculum Correlation: Science, Social Studies
So you want to be a miner? First you need to pass the test! Understand the skills and training needed to be a miner in the Pass in 1910. Use physical skill, knowledge of geology and safety. Students work as a team to earn their own mining certificates. (1-1.5 hours)

All Grades
Guided Walk
Curriculum Correlation: Social Studies
How did coal move from mine to market? Learn the processes through exploration of the impressive ruins of the surface operations. (30-60 minutes)

Programs for Cubs, Scouts, Guides and Brownies
We offer special programs for all the divisions of Scouts Canada, to enable participants to earn several different badges.

Strangers in a Strange Land - Heritage Badge, Making a Model Badge, Learning a Folk Dance

Pricing
The Frank Slide Interpretive Centre has an educational mandate. We offer our education programs at a minimal, cost-recovery price. A visit to the FSIC and LC is $3.00 per student. Chaperones and bus drivers are complimentary.

Our sleepover program is offered at $50.00 per student (which includes programs, sleeping at the center and meals.). For groups wishing to stay two nights, the price is $40.00 per student per night. Chaperones required to fill the 1:8 ratio are complimentary. Additional chaperones are $30.00 per person.

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3. Plan Your Visit

Timing
Our busiest months are May, June and September. If you wish to come during these months, please book early, as times fill up very quickly. Programs can start as early as 9am, and day programs must be completed by 5pm. Due to staff training, we are unable to take any group bookings for the first two weeks of May.

Supervisors
Our required ratio of supervisors to students is 1:8. Teachers, please communicate to your accompanying supervisors their roles as chaperones. All supervisors are expected to stay with their groups, to control unruly behaviour, and to participate in the programs.

Lunch
There is no cafeteria at the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre. We suggest groups bring a bag lunch. We have a small area indoors, which may be available to you for eating. Please make this request at your time of booking if this is something you would like to use. There are outside benches and picnic areas which may also be utilized by your group.

Rumbler’s Gift Shop
Most groups who visit us like to give students time to browse and shop in our gift shop. If this is an option that you would like your group to have, please request special time when you book your visit. A maximum of 8 students is allowed in the gift shop at any time. Due to limited space, we ask that supervisors accompany a maximum of 8 students at a time into the gift shop.

Storage Space
We request that all backpacks and extra clothing be left on the bus. We have limited space available in the Centre if it is absolutely necessary to leave some belongings indoors. We cannot accept responsibility for belongings that are left unattended.

Special Requests
We are able to alter some programs to accommodate special needs groups. Please notify us of any special requests at your time of booking, and we will do our best to accommodate your group.

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4. Book Your Visit

Print the school program booking form here -
Booking Form - Adobe PDF file - 16KB
(You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this document.)

If you are unable to print this document, phone us at 403-562-7388 for a fax copy, or email us and we will email a copy to you. We MUST receive a copy of this form to process and book your visit. Upon receipt of your booking form, we will assign a confirmation number, and return the confirmation with your itinerary. Ensure the entire form has been completed, and provide detailed information on your group numbers, age of students, number of supervisors, and the amount of time you have to spend with us.

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5. Your Arrival

Timing
Try to arrive 10-15 minutes ahead of your scheduled start time. This will give your group some time to get settled and use the washrooms. If you are going to be extra early, or you will be arriving late, please phone us and let us know. We may be able to work around your new arrival time, but be aware that our days are often tightly booked. We make our schedules on the premise that your group will be on time.

Groups who arrive more than 15 minutes late may have their programs cancelled or altered to accommodate your group and our staff. Groups arriving early should expect to wait until their scheduled time to begin their programs.

Cancellations
If you are unable to fulfill your booking commitments, please contact us as soon as possible to either cancel your visit or arrange an alternate date. We often have other groups waiting for a cancellation, so your prompt notification is much appreciated by all.

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6. Other Attractions

There are other historic sites and tourist attractions in the Crowsnest Pass and in southern Alberta that you may wish to add to your itinerary. For your convenience, their information is provided below.