Yellowhead County is excited to have one of the finalists from the Next Great Save contest within our borders. The Empyrean Cemetery, part of Yellowhead County’s Heritage Inventory, is in the running for $50,000 in prize money to restore the cemetery.

Celebrate our local heritage by voting today!

Exciting news! The Empyrean Cemetery is a finalist and we need your vote!

Voting is open until April 16th. www.nextgreatsave.nationaltrustcanada.ca/2025/entry/89

The Empyrean Cemetery, one of Yellowhead County’s Heritage Inventory locations, has been selected as a finalist in the National Trust’s Next Great Save Competition and we need your votes to win!

Why is the Empyrean Cemetery such an important part of Yellowhead County and Alberta history?

Empyrean Cemetery, near Wildwood, was once at the heart of Western Canada’s first African American community. After years of abandonment, restoration efforts are underway to honour its powerful and often untold history. Last fall, ground-penetrating radar uncovered 48 unmarked graves, some belonging to former slaves from the American South who sought freedom in Alberta.

Voting is open until April 16th.

Vote today at https://nextgreatsave.nationaltrustcanada.ca/2025/entry/89

The first prize winner receives $50,000 in restoration funding, and we need your votes to win!

With this funding, the cemetery can:

✅ Clear overgrowth

✅ Restore headstones

✅ Install interpretive signage

✅ Create an accessible memorial space

This is more than a competition—it’s a chance to preserve a vital piece of our shared heritage. Please vote DAILY and share with friends, family, and your community!

You can cast one vote per email every day.

Find out more about the full history of one of Alberta’s earliest Black Homesteader communities at the above link.

Thank you for supporting history, remembrance, and restoration! Please help us win and share this with your friends and community!