A “ground-breaking” historic walking tour app launches in Red Deer ahead of Canada Day.
With COVID-19 restrictions finally lifting this summer, many Canadians are eager to get out and explore their communities. The On This Spot interactive walking tour app is launching new content in Red Deer this week to provide more reason for people to get outside and explore.
Those who download this free app can view 20 historic photos of Red Deer and stand in the footprints of the photographers who took them. (The photos will be available on the On This Spot app or online at onthisspot.ca/cities/reddeer).
Users can compare the changes between 1900 to the 1960s and more recent years.
This content is a preview of planned expansion of walking tours and photography in the city. The walking tour app is designed to make history accessible to a wide audience, and encourage people to visit – or plan to visit – Red Deer.
Andrew Farris, CEO of On This Spot, said “Smartphones can make local history vastly more accessible… Now anyone with a smartphone can see Red Deer through the eyes of people a century or more ago, creating an exciting and tangible connection with the past.”
He believes the tours will be of interest to people who have spent their lives in Red Deer, as well as tourists. “This experience is especially popular with young people, and we hope … it encourages them to see and think about their community in a new way.”
On This Spot was founded in Vancouver in 2016, and has partnered with over 50 cities in eight provinces, including Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal, and Halifax. The app also has coverage in more than 20 Alberta cities, including Calgary, Edmonton, Lacombe, Fort Macleod, and Okotoks.
New content will be launched this summer in 30 more communities across Canada.
On This Spot is free to download on iOS and Android devices. The photos will also be freely available on On This Spot’s website.