The Alberta Motor Association has opened a public exhibition of its archives in west Edmonton to mark 100 years since its formation. “A Road Well Travelled” begins Saturday at The Creative Hive, where artifacts, interactive displays and visuals trace a century of travel by Albertans.

The exhibition includes steering wheels showing changes in car design, material on the evolution of the school safety patrol and displays about vehicle technology and travel. AMA vice-president Jane Flower described the collection to CTV News Edmonton on Wednesday. “We’ve got steering wheels from vehicles, so you can see the evolution of the car. We’ve got the evolution of school safety patrol. We’ve had little people protecting their colleagues at the crosswalk for over 80 years, and so (we) see the evolution in that program, not to mention the technology that’s in our vehicles, how we’ve evolved from a travel perspective, from road trips to travelling the globe,” she said.

Flower said the objects connect the organization’s history with the experiences of people across Alberta. “Every one of these pieces that we exhibit tells a story about what we as Albertans have been through for the last 100 years.”

The AMA was formed in 1926, when automotive clubs in Edmonton and Calgary joined forces to lobby for safer roads and lower fuel taxes. It now has more than 1 million members across the province. Flower said responding to motorists’ needs over the past century has been a welcome challenge.

“AMA is a membership organization. It is nothing without the people that have put their trust in us for 100 years and Albertans are a part of this story. So this isn’t just a celebration of AMA; it is a celebration of what we as Albertans have created through this membership organization,” she said.

Admission to the exhibition is free. It is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with Thursday hours until 8 p.m., through Nov. 8. The display is scheduled to move to the Reynolds Museum in Wetaskiwin from May to October 2028. CTV News Edmonton’s Evan Klippenstein contributed files.

Based on reporting by CTV News Edmonton.