What are some important events that happend in Alberta?

* 1788: The North West Company is founded in Montreal, Quebec. The company would later become one of the most important fur trading companies in North America, and its operations would help to open up the Canadian West.

* 1870: The Hudson's Bay Company surrenders its land rights in Rupert's Land to the British Crown. This land is then divided into two new provinces: Manitoba and the North-West Territories. Alberta would later be carved out of the North-West Territories.

* 1896: The Klondike Gold Rush begins in the Yukon. This event would bring thousands of people to the Canadian West, including many who would later settle in Alberta.

* 1905: Alberta becomes a province of Canada.

* 1914-1918: Alberta plays an important role in the First World War. Over 50,000 Albertans served in the Canadian military, and many of them fought in the Battle of the Somme and the Battle of Vimy Ridge.

* 1930: The Great Depression hits Alberta hard. The province's economy is heavily reliant on agriculture, and the decline in commodity prices causes widespread poverty and unemployment.

* 1942: The discovery of oil at Leduc, Alberta, transforms the province's economy. Alberta quickly becomes one of the world's leading producers of oil, and its oil wealth would help to fund the province's rapid growth.

* 1967: Alberta celebrates its centennial.

* 1970: The Calgary Stampede is designated as a National Historic Site of Canada.

* 1988: The Calgary Winter Olympics are held.

* 2016: Alberta's economy is hit hard by the global oil price collapse. The province's unemployment rate rises, and the government is forced to make significant cuts to its budget.

* 2017: Jason Kenney is elected Premier of Alberta. Kenney promises to cut taxes, reduce government spending, and increase economic growth.