Red Deer mourns the death of city councillor who worked to share the stories of rural Alberta

To understand Red Deer, you had to meet its "beloved son."

"Red deer is not a small pond, and for Michael to come with a title like that, you can imagine how he would have been received, and it was how he treated people," Mayor Ken Johnston said in an interview.

Coun. Michael Dawe, 67, died on Christmas Eve.

Dawe is remembered for his character and accolades, having been on council since 2017 and playing an integral role in the province's archivist community.

Dawe was named Alberta Citizen of the Year by the Council on School Administration of the Alberta Teachers' Association for his work with local schools.

He also received the Minister of Veterans' Affairs Commendation and the Queen's Golden and Diamond Jubilee Medals.

"He didn't take himself too seriously, even though he was a fifth-generation Red Deerian," Johnston said.

"He really took the ordinary life in Red Deer and illuminated it to the point where you had a sense of instant identity."

LISTEN | Red Deer mayor talks about the legacy of Michael Dawe

Philip Pype is an archivist with the City of Medicine Hat and president of the Archive Society of Alberta.

Dawe was one of the founding members of the society.

Pype said Dawe acted as a mentor when Pype first started working as an archivist more than 20 years ago.

"Michael was on the leading edge of working with archives in smaller to middle-sized communities in Alberta," Pype said.

Dawe's knowledge of Red Deer and rural Alberta ran deep. Pype recalls how Dawe's work from the 1970s set the stage for establishing professional archival programs to make a historical record of small communities.

"His work really helps make the stories of our communities that much more accessible," Pype said.

The loss has been compounded by the death of former city councillor Frank Wong, who died Wednesday.

Frank Wong, a former councillor, also died this week. (City of Red Deer)

Johnston said Wong and Dawe both had a "terrific love for people" and were tremendous givers to the community.

"When I think of Frankie, I think of the ways that he was really patient with me as a new councillor," Johnston said.

He noted Wong was a tremendous donor to charities and "a very quiet giver."

"He didn't seek the spotlight, but the community loved him all the same, and here we are with two losses this week, which obviously is quite draining on us," Johnston said.

The flags at Red Deer City Hall have been brought to half-mast in recognition of Dawe and Wong's passings.