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The Cowboy Trail
10 Helpful Map Pages Kananaskis Country Films of the Trail Fiesty Females Rodeos & Pow Wows The Singing Highway
Reader Contests
system With a trailond to that’s sec ve it a none, we h shade e made in th nal trails are
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www.rockyview.ca For more on Bragg Creek see page 46
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For a chance to WIN! Upload your photos along The Cowboy Trail for a chance to win one of these great prizes Anchor D
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The 2016 Photo Contest contest will run until January 15, 2017. For full contest details and information on how to enter this photo contest go to ExperiencetheCowboyTrail.com/photo-contest
Experience The Cowboy Trail & Kananaskis Country Howdy Folks! Welcome to this our fourth annual visitors’ guide to the authentic western culture found in Alberta.
Because 37% of our readers stay in campgrounds, check out our Campground Directory and maps of Kananaskis Country (pg 66). For even more information, view our free back issues and other magazines and maps online:
We hope that this visitors’ guide becomes your trusted companion while you are exploring all the Aboriginal and cowboy attractions and events in the region.
ExperienceTheCowboyTrail.com/our-guides
And if you’re reading our mobile issue, use the top toolbar to seamlessly share your discoveries via social media or email. The Official Cowboy Trail runs along highways 5, 6 & 22 for 680 km from Cardston in the south to Mayerthorpe in the north. However, many now realize that the Cowboy Trail is more than a highway. It is a way of life! So we are expanding our coverage of “the trail”, to include the events, attractions & communities across the province that promote Alberta’s authentic western culture.
Check out our Calendars of Rodeos and Pow Wows and be sure to take along your camera when you go! Enter your best images, to our Photo Contest (pg 3) for a chance to win some great prizes and bragging rights. The Cowboy Trail is home to many friendly merchants and artisans eager to make you feel at home. So unplug and take a long refreshing drink of western hospitality. We are confident that this magazine can help you enjoy your visit and we are truly honoured to be of service.
Happy Trails! Bob Harris, Publisher
Our Contributors
Lee Hart is a long-time
Allen R. Gibson
Rob Lennard (aka The
Ray Johnson
Renee Delorme’s
Calgary writer. He began his writing career working as a newspaper reporter in his home province of Ontario before moving west 45 years ago. While the first half of his career he worked as a writer and editor with various weekly and daily newspaper, for the past 28 years he has specialized as a writer and editor for agricultural publications. (Museums of the Northern Leg pg 60)
is a writer and media producer. He’s also a big city boy who loves the country, and has been happily promoting rural Alberta since moving from Vancouver to Lethbridge. His company, StarMedia Services, provides branding and marketing advice to businesses and tourism organizations. He can be reached thru
History Wrangler) is a Calgary based historian, singer, songwriter, award winning author, and performer. Rob is the Historian at The Ranche and is responsible for its educational programming and outreach. He is also the Coordinator for the Calgary & Region History Fair which is associated with the national Heritage School Fair program. (Feisty Females pg 64)
and his wife own and live on the Box J Bar Ranch. Ray is a freelance writer and professional photographer. Ray was the official photographer for the Calgary Olympics – Rodeo ’88 Challenge Cup and the only Canadian photographer invited into the arena, for the final National Finals Rodeo.
passions brought her from Eastern Canada to Bragg Creek to pursue a career as a community development and government relation specialist. She now works closely with Aboriginal communities, and devotes time to her other passion, the art and science of wine. She is a trained sommelier. doing private events and media work. tastingpleasures.ca.
starmedia@uberskookum.com
(When the West Was Wild pg 22)
(Profile on Ponoka pg 12)
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(Follow the Mead Trail pg 36)
Experience The Cowboy Trail & Kananaskis Country Welcome to the 2016 - 2017 Edition of Experience The Cowboy Trail & Kananaskis Country Use it to plan your holiday and as your companion once you’ve arrived. CMI Publishing is a division of Complete Marketing Inc., a privately owned company with offices in Calgary, Ab. We specialize in the production of visitor guides and maps in print as well as digital formats. Printed copies are delivered in bulk to our network of distribution outlets throughout the region. Travellers are encouraged to pick up a FREE printed copy through these outlets or download a mobile-friendly digital copy of this, or any of our current or archived guides from our On-line Library at experiencethecowboytrail.com/our-guides Please support our advertisers and sponsors. If you get the chance, kindly mention where you saw their ad. Without their support this guide would not be possible. Publisher: Bob Harris, CMI Publishing Ph: (403) 259.8290 bob@CMIpublishing.ca
Circulation: Through our advertisers, AMA travel offices, numerous retail stores including Mountain Equipment Co-op, and most Visitor Information Centres located on or near The Cowboy Trail.
Designers: Christine Karchewski ckarchewski@extenddesign.ca
Special Thanks to: Kelly Schultz, Rob Lennard, Rob Storeshaw our advertisers, sponsors and distributors.
Kris Nielson kris@krisdesign.ca Editor: Larry Thomas larrylt2solutions@gmail.com Advertising Sales: Joseph Macdonald, Calgary Joseph@CMIpublishing.ca Ray Johnson, Millet Ray@CMIpublishing.ca
Cover photo: Andrew Penner of Calgary Photo titled On the Trail with Anchor D. Taken in the Sheep River Valley, Kananaskis Country Share Your Experience: Upload your experiential photos to ExperienceTheCowboyTrail.com to be eligible to win one of many great prizes! Twitter: Follow us at twitter.com/BHarris_Calgary
See page 38 and let us know your thoughts for a chance to WIN $300 at Alberta Boots!
EXPERIENCE THE perfect MOUNTAIN GETAWAY. With our Best Price Guarantee, you’ll get the lowest price on hotels in the Rockies and across North America!* Book now, the mountains are calling.
Visit AMATravel.ca/mountain-getaways or call us at 1.888.799.1522 *Terms & conditions apply. See website or contact AMA Travel for details.
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Table of Contents Communities Alder Flats 58 Black Diamond 40 Bragg Creek 2, 46-47, 75 Cardston 26 Caroline 56 Cochrane & Area 50-53 Crossfield 54 Drayton Valley 58 Fort Macleod 24 Kananaskis Country 67 Longview & The Bar U Ranch 34 Mayerthorpe 62 Millarville & Priddis 45 Nordegg 56 Pincher Creek 27-29 Ponoka 12-14 Rocky Mountain House 57 Sundre & Area 55 Turner Valley 42 Waterton & Area 28 Yellowhead County 55
Specialty Pages Alberta Open Farm Days 39 Alberta Country Vacation Association 22 Alberta’s Kananaskis 66 Campground Directory 74 Feisty Females 64 Films of the Cowboy Trail 32 Follow the Mead Trail 36 Golfing in Kananaskis Country 70 Museums of the Northern Leg 60 My Bucket List: Go to a Pow Wow 16 Pow Wow Schedule 19 Reader Contests 3, 38 Rodeo Schedule 15 Southern Alberta Circle Tour 20 Southern Alberta Land Trust Society 30 The Singing Highway 48 When the West was Wild 24
Map Pages Alberta Map 7 Bragg Creek 46 Cowboy Trail 10 & 11 Kananaskis Country 68 & 69 Kananaskis Valley 72 Kananaskis Village 73
Experience The Cowboy Trail & Kananaskis Country
Message from
The Honourable Shannon Phillips On behalf of the Government of Alberta, I am very pleased to welcome you to the Cowboy Trail and Kananaskis Country. Whether you are birdwatching on a hiking trail or looking to score a birdie on one of the many golf courses, our foothills and the Rocky Mountains offer spectacular scenery and an impressive variety of recreational activities. Albertans and visitors from outside the province will find numerous ways to share memorable experiences and connect with nature in this picturesque landscape. The Cowboy Trail is a 700-kilometre adventure that stretches from Mayerthorpe to Waterton Lakes. This region is rich in history. I encourage visitors to explore its western heritage and First Nations culture. Check out one of the area’s rodeos, festivals or pow wows. The Kananaskis region is a destination in its own right, and offers hundreds of tourist opportunities within an hour’s drive of Calgary. About two-thirds of this pristine wilderness is protected as a park, ecological reserve or recreation area. Alberta’s parks in the region offer unforgettable camping and day-use experiences, thanks to passionate staff, local entrepreneurs, guides and private operators. Please accept my best wishes for an unforgettable stay in this unique and treasured part of Alberta’s rich, natural heritage.
Shannon Phillips Minister of Environment and Parks
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Experience The Cowboy Trail & Kananaskis Country
Alberta Fast Facts Capital City: Edmonton Population: 4.23 million History: Entered Canadian Confederation in 1905 Total Area: 661,848 km sq/255,541 mi sq Highest Point: Mount Columbia, 3,747 m/12,293 ft Lowest Point: Slave River, 152 m/499 ft above sea level Longest River: Peace River, 1,923 km/1,195 mi Provincial Flower: Wild Rose Provincial Tree: Lodgepole Pine Provincial Bird: Great Horned Owl Provincial Fish: Bull Trout Provincial Motto: “Strong and Free”
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Experience The Cowboy Trail
Message from
The President Neil MacLaine Welcome to the Cowboy Trail! Highway 22, also known as The Cowboy Trail, is a scenic and historic connection for the towns, villages, and ranching communities of southern Alberta’s foothills. Western hospitality, adventure, antique shopping, National Historic Sites, whitewater rafting, and pristine wilderness can all be found on the Cowboy Trail. Take in a rodeo, a cowboy poetry gathering, a pow wow, or a farmer’s market. Explore the trail’s 700 kilometre length and visit the setting of many celebrated movies and television series. You can spend a few hours, a few days, or perhaps a lifetime exploring the trail’s hidden gems - there are no end of unique experiences to be had. The Cowboy Trail is the ultimate “scenic route,” offering a unique and unforgettable north-south alternative to Highway 2. For travellers looking to take a day trip or weekend getaway to explore Alberta, the Cowboy Trail is well connected to the cities of Lethbridge, Calgary, Red Deer, and Edmonton, as well as a network of engaging rural communities. Visit thecowboytrail.com to plan your own exploration of the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains. We look forward to seeing you out on the trail!
Sincerely,
Neil MacLaine President Cowboy Trail Tourism Association TheCowboyTrail.com
Box 285 Bragg Creek, Alberta T0L 0K0 | 403-949-3329
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Experience Alberta’s History Wrangler
Alberta’s History Wrangler 2016 Cowboy Trail Tour
Catch The History Wrangler this summer on his 2016 Cowboy Trail Tour! All the times and dates of the History Wrangler’s free performances can be found at HistoryWrangler.com or follow him on Twitter-HistoryWrangler@AlbertaHistory Preformances Include:
Music/Lyrics written by Rob Lennard, Alberta’s History Wrangler Now the trail was first blazed back in the olden days, Cowboys drove their cattle north and south to graze…. Well they came from all over, from every where, Including Cowboys from Mexico and that famous American John Ware Through the years the Cowboy Trail, it grew and grew, It’s now part of the scenic Highway 22. Well It starts in Cardston close to the USA and it ends in Mayerthorpe 700 clicks away! So let’s Shout and Wail for the Cowboy Trail, East of the Rockies, Let’s Shout and Wail for the Cowboy Trail, Part of our proud History Cardston was the birthplace of Fay Wray dont you see, The movie star from King Kong released in 1933, There’s been lots of movies filmed on the Cowboy Trail, Superman, The Revenant, Unforgiven and many more Hollywood tales
June 1st, Galt Historic Railway Park July 1st, Canada Day Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village August 1st, Heritage Day Rocky Mountain House Museum
Next on the trail there’s Fort Macleod, Pincher Creek, The Bar U and Longview, Where Ian’s four strong winds blow right through, We cant forget about Black Diamond and Turner Valley, Sister towns found in that beautiful Diamond Valley
September 1st Historic Bow Valley Ranche, Est 1873
Historian, Director of Education & Outreach, The Ranche
The Cowboy Trail Song
So let’s Shout and Wail for the Cowboy Trail, East of the Rockies, Let’s Shout and Wail for the Cowboy Trail, Part of our proud History
Award Winning Historical Fiction Writer Song Writer, specializing in Alberta historical themed songs
Regional CoordinatorThe Calgary & Region History Fair
Musician/Performer
Canada’s History Liaison, Calgary region
FNMI Programing
Now heading up the trail we have Millerville Priddis and Bragg Creek and then Cochrane named after a Senator followed by a town with a Norwegian name, Sundrie Then there’s Cremona, Drayton Valley and Sweet Caroline And historic Rocky Mountain house built way back in 1799
The Historic Ranche at Fish Creek Provincial Park, The Home of Alberta’s History Wrangler Rob Lennard/The History Wrangler historywrangler@gmail.com | 403-607-5299 www.historywrangler.com
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So let’s Shout and Wail for the Cowboy Trail, East of the Rockies, Let’s Shout and Wail for the Cowboy Trail, Part of our proud History
Experience The Cowboy Trail The western spirit comes alive in the small communities along the trail with special cowboy-flavoured events. Listen to poets celebrate the western way of life or watch native dancers move to the beat of a drum at a pow wow. Enjoy a pancake breakfast, watch a small town parade, shop for western antiques and local crafts, or cheer during a rodeo. Experience a horseback trail ride or pack trip with an outfitter into some of Alberta’s prettiest country. Here you’ll find guest ranches, farm and ranch vacations, interactive historic sites and western-themed attractions.
A variety of accommodations are available along the trail, from campgrounds and RV parks to B&Bs, hotels and lodges. There’s something for every budget. Now’s the time to saddle up for an authentic western adventure for a few hours, or a few days! Use the many communities on Hwy 2 as a gateway for your own personalized loop tour. There is something very special about watching the sun set on the prairies or dawn break on the eastern slopes of the majestic Canadian Rockies. Come experience The Cowboy Trail!
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Experience The Cowboy Trail
Complete our reader survey on pg 38 for a chance to win new boots!
TOP HAND WESTERN SHOP
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Profile on Ponoka
At the one hundred and six kilometer mark south along the old Edmonton Railway Company train tracks, sat an uninhabited trackside clearing dubbed “Siding 14”. Back in the late 1800’s the tracks ended here some fifty-six kilometers north of Red Deer. In August of 1891 a railway employee re-named the siding “Ponoka”, the Blackfoot word for Elk being ponokáwa. The only access road into the area was the winding and rugged Calgary and Edmonton Trail (C&E Trail), previously known as the old Morley or McDougalls’ trail. Building a depot in 1892-93 gave the caretaker and section crew living quarters. A large water tower, fed from the nearby Battle River by a windmill-powered pump, became a supply point for the steam locomotives twelve-hour run between Edmonton and Calgary and served firefighting needs of the rapidly growing community. The “Ponoka” settlement officially became a town on October 15, 1904. The Fort Ostell Museum sits at the north end of Centennial Park in Ponoka. The name comes from the original Fort Ostell built near Ponoka in 1885. The Museum Society was founded on June 25, 1967. To secure the area, members of the “Alberta Field Force”, numbering 462 men, arrived from Calgary under the leadership of Captain John Benjamin Ostell and set about building a fortification near the Battle River. This fort bore its name in honour of Captain Ostell. For fifty days, from May 9 to June 27, 1885, Fort Ostell served as a military post. While nothing remains of the fort today a model resides in the Fort Ostell Museum along with a history of Captain Ostell and the original flag that flew over the fort. The Museum Collection consists of agricultural and household objects of the early pioneers and natives from the late 1800’s. In 2004, as part of Ponoka’s Centennial, the museum brought back the “Alberta Mental Hospital Museum” collection from storage. This collection is unique as few collections of mental hospitals exist in Canada. These historical artefacts and archival materials from 1911 to the present are on display as “The Treatment of the Mentally Ill in Alberta” collection.
The museum collects artifacts which tells the story of the area’s past. It also serves as a research tool for many residents seeking specific details about the area or historical events. To find out more about the Fort Ostell Museum, its collection of historical facts and operations schedule, visit fortostellmuseum.com. Today, Ponoka is a busy centre of commerce with a population close to seven thousand. Six hundred and eighty businesses serve the population, protected by the local volunteer fire department, a Royal Canadian Mounted Police detachment and local bylaw enforcement. Health care facilities include the Ponoka General Hospital and Care Centre, the Centennial Centre for Mental Health and Brain Injury, the Northcott Care Centre, and the Rimoka Housing Facility. Every farm and ranch community relies on a system to sell their livestock and Ponoka has one of the top sales markets in the country in Vold Jones Vold (VJV) Auctions, established in 1957. VJV employs 9 full time regular staff and about 60 temporary staff on regular sale days. A record of about 6400 cattle have been sold in one day in the past, with over 2600 head being sold on Oct. 28, and 5000 on Nov 4, 2015. Drop by during regular cattle sale days each Wednesday and get ready for the lowing of cattle and the call of the auctioneer as you sip delicious coffee and a chat with cowhands and ranchers from real cattle country. Visit vjvauction.com for more information on all of VJV Auctions locations. A choice of kindergarten, elementary, middle and high schools, numerous business opportunities, several shopping options and many eating establishments, make Ponoka a great community to live in or visit. Fifteen churches and eighteen service clubs call Ponoka home. Tourism, arts, recreation, sports, entertainment and golf, Ponoka has it all. For more information on this thriving community, visit ponoka.ca.
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Story by Ray Johnson Photos courtesy of boxjbarranch.com
Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame located for easy access from Hwy 2A and QEII. Because the centre is strategically set in horse country it provides an attraction for economic and tourism opportunities.
Take a stroll in the downtown area and experience Ponoka’s connection to the authentic “cowboy” lifestyle. At the Canadian Finals Rodeo, in 1979, the Alumni pondered an association to honour outstanding contestants, animals and builders in the Canadian rodeo arena. After additional meetings the Canadian Rodeo Historical Association formed and registered as an association on June 19th, 1980. In 1981 the Government of Canada granted the association tax-free status as a charitable organization. Annually, the Association inducts qualifying contestants, builders and animals to the Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame. Their offices are located upstairs in the Calnash Ag Events Center, along Hwy 2A on the south side of Ponoka. The Hall of Fame attracts visitors from around the world, who view the history and artifacts on display portraying the history of pro rodeo in Canada. Since 1981, one hundred and eighty three inductees have been elected into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame. Visit their website for hours of operation, schedule of events, and to find out more about current inductees. (canadianprorodeohalloffame.com)
The Town of Ponoka, Ponoka County, the Ponoka Stampede & Exhibition and the Ponoka Agricultural Society joined to raise funds, plan and build the Calnash Ag Event Centre over a span of almost twenty years. The Ponoka Agriculture Event Centre Society (a non-profit), owns the property, while a Board of Directors is responsible for planning & fund raising for the facility. A Standing Committee of the Ponoka Ag Society operates the event centre. The Calnash Ag Event Centre is available for rent on an hourly, daily, or multi-day basis. Agricultural related and recreational based events are the majority of the activities currently taking place. However, the facility is appropriate for a variety of purposes, as indicated by a very full and outstanding events calendar. To book your event or to view the events schedule log on to ponokaageventcentre.com.
The Calnash Ag Event Centre fills the need within central Alberta for a year round agri-recreactional facility. It is ideally
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Story by Ray Johnson Photos courtesy of boxjbarranch.com
Ponoka Stampede
The Ponoka Stampede & Exhibition is known worldwide for the excitement, top-notch bucking stock, excellent prize money and outstanding entertainment including a Midway. People come from the four corners of the globe to watch or participate in the thrill of it all. The action and events are non-stop for seven full days, with the breath taking finals taking place on July 3, 2016. Once again Ponoka Stampede will be showcasing world-class entertainment with country music legends Dallas Smith and Clint Black. There will also be a brand new Dodge Truck giveaway, a talent night, an auction of Kim Penner’s original artwork, and featuring Jake Vold on Vold Rodeos “Mucho Dinero”. Of course, beer gardens and rodeo dances are on the docket and, after dusk, enjoy spectacular fireworks. It all starts at 9:00 a.m. Monday, June 27 with the farmer’s market taking place for three days at the Arena Complex. With about eighty-five vendors, selling a mix of mostly homemade or home grown items, such as food, vegetables, jewelry, crafts, gift ideas and collectables, there will surely be something for everyone.
Drop in for fresh baked cinnamon buns and coffee. For table rental space, give Donna a call at 403-783-6776. Cowboy up and join the 80th Anniversary Ponoka Stampede festivities, June 27th - July 3rd, 2016. Exhilarating professional rodeo performances and top-notch chuck wagon racing add to this amazing celebration. The fun features a number of prize draws, including one draw for forty bred heifers and many other great surprises throughout the week. For tickets, accommodation information, and schedule of events visit ponokastampede.com. Accommodations in the town and area range from motels, hotels, bed, bale and breakfasts to RV sites and campgrounds that fill up fast, so book early. Ponoka Stampede Campground and RV sites run on a first come, first served basis during the stampede, so plan ahead. Non-hook up site camping is FREE the entire week. For more information contact the campground (403) 783-5611. Story by Ray Johnson Photos courtesy of boxjbarranch.com
Don’t miss the 80th Anniversary of the Ponoka Stampede. See you there! 14 | See our Mobile Editions at cmipublishing.ca/library
2016 Rodeo Schedule Rodeo
Date Town/City Website
pg#
Mayerthorpe Indoor Rodeo
May 20-22
Mayerthorpe
Caroline Big Horn Stampede
May 21-22
Caroline
Little Britches Rodeo
May 21-22
High River
hragsociety.ca
Alder Flats Rodeo
May 27-28
Alder Flats
alderflats.ca
pg 58
Cowboys for a Cure Rodeo
May 28
Cochrane
cowboysforacure.ca
pg 50
Water Valley Stampede
June 3-5
Water Valley
ilovewatervalley.com
Rocky Pro Rodeo
June 8-12
Rocky Mountain House
Pro Chucks & the Guy Weadick
June 23-26
High River
Sundre Pro Rodeo
June 24-26
Sundre
sundrerodeo.com
Airdrie Pro Rodeo
June 27 - July 2
Airdrie
airdrieprorodeo.net
Ponoka Stampede
June 27 - July 3
Ponoka
ponokastampede.com
Raymond Stampede
June 30 - July 1
Raymond
July1-3
Strathmore
argra.org
Buck Lake Stampede
July 8-10
Buck Lake
fcarodeo.com
Calgary Stampede
July 8-17
Calgary
July 20
Crossfield
fcarodeo.com
Mary Reimer Memorial Rodeo
July 22-24
Hinton
rvrahinton.com
Millarville Rodeo
July 22-24
Millarville
millarvilleracetrack.com
Jasper Heritage Rodeo
August 17-20
Jasper
jasperheritagerodeo.com
Pincher Creek Rodeo
August 18-21
Pincher Creek
Didsbury Rodeo
August 19-20
Disbury
fcarodeo.com
Miniature Horse Chuckwagon
August 19-20
Cardston
cardston.ca
pg 26
August 21
Bar U Ranch
friendsofthebaru.com
pg 34
August 28-30
Okotoks
okotoksprorodeo.com
September 3-5
Cochrane
cochranelionsclub.ca
November 9 - 13
Edmonton
cfr.ca
Canadian Rockies Int’l Rodeo
The Dogpound Rodeo
Old Time Ranch Rodeo Okotoks Pro Rodeo Cochrane Rodeo Canadian Finals Rodeo
mayerthorpe.ca/events
pg 62
carolinebighornstampede.webs.com
pg 56
rockyrodeo.com
pg 57
wpca.com pg 55
pg 12
raymond.ca
calgarystampede.com
pinchercreekagsociety.com
If you would like your rodeo listed please contact Bob@CMIPublishing.ca
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pg 55
pg 44
pg 27
pg 50
My Bucket List: Go to a Pow Wow Seven Dance Categories Traditional - Men and Boys The movements tell of the warriors actions in hunting, stalking game, or battling an enemy. Traditional - Women and Girls This dance requires stamina, concentration and grace. The movements are very focused and graceful. Women move their feet in time with the drum keeping them close to the ground. Fancy Bustle - Men and Boys This is one of the more modern dances in the powwow. It is the most strenuous and athletic and the dancer must train for stamina and agility. The dance is fast and features jumps, cartwheels and twirling. The regalia is said to represent the rainbow spirit in its bright colours, flying feathers and ribbons. The Fancy dancer typically wears two bustles of bright coloured feathers with added ribbon. Fancy Shawl - Women and Girls This dance is extremely athletic and strenuous dance involving kicks, twirls and fast movement. It parallels the Men’s Fancy Bustle Dance in speed and style. Women dance with beautifully decorated shawls often with long ribbon or fabric fringe usually made by the dancer. Grass Dancing - Men and Boys Men and Boys dance this style in order to flatten the grass, in a particular place, to make it acceptable for a new camp or new dancing area. The regalia for the dance is comprised of long strands of yarn, ribbon or fabric attached to a base outfit to represent grass.
Why are all these people dressed up in colourful regalia, faces painted, dancing almost incessantly to the beat of drums? Am I allowed to attend, watch and possibly participate? Is it safe? Are these people friendly? Have you ever wondered what a Pow Wow is all about and why would you want to attend? The Algonquin term, “pauwau” or “pauau”, which referred to a gathering of medicine men and spiritual leaders, evolved into the name “Pow Wow” in the 1800’s when European observers mispronounced it. “Pauwau” referred to a religious ceremony, usually one of curing. The Massachusetts General Court made it law in 1646 that - “no Indian was allowed to ‘Pawwaw’ at any time, or visibly worship their false gods, or the devil.” The Poncas were the first to practice “Hethuska” (Pow Wow), as early as 1804. The ceremony was passed to the Kaw, who gave the dance to the Osage, who renamed it the “Inlonschka”. From there it was passed from tribe to tribe, eventually north to the Lakota (Sioux) who made it popular on reservations in the late 1890’s. The Grass Dance spread faster than the more famous Ghost Dance, with Grass dancers dancing for the purpose of dancing, instead of as a religious ceremony. An excellent source to learn more about the history of the Pow Wow is oied.ncsu.edu/MSA/native-american-student-affairs/native-american-pow-wow
If you like to watch extraordinary performances of stamina, art, balance, and agility, then you will enjoy Pow Wows. Every Pow Wow differs from another, and all dancers have their individual way of showing their art to guests, audience and the judges when necessary. What most Pow Wows have in common is they last
Jingle Dress Dancers - Women and Girls The dance is designed to incorporate the sound of jingles on the regalia, while the steps of the dance are controlled and do not involve high kicking or twirls. The dancer must also stay in time with the drumbeat. The jingle dress is made of a cloth or velvet base adorned with jingles of a shiny metal. The metal pieces are bent and moulded into triangular bell shapes and are attached to the dress with ribbon or fabric in a pattern designed by the dancer. Chicken Dance - Men and Boys Men and Boys execute this dance to mimic the movements of a male Prairie Chicken or Grouse, both lively prairie birds. Dancers’ styles may vary, but most tend to stand straight, chests and elbows out and shoulders back in a strutting posture. Dancers also shake, stoop over with arms out, and take quick little steps. Like all the other dancing styles, the dancers create their own regalia.
Christmas Pow Wow at Samson Oil and Gas Building Jingle Dress Dancers
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My Bucket List: Go to a Pow Wow many hours, sometimes ending well after midnight. Often there will be crafts or food available to purchase. You can also bring your own food for personal consumption.
get clear information is hartfordhwp.com/archives/41/337.html. Also something very important to keep in mind, a firm policy exists of no alcohol or drugs allowed on site.
You will witness a gathering of different Indian tribes who dance, sing, and visit with each other, renewing old friendships and making new ones in friendly, comfortable, and safe surroundings, at one of two types of Pow Wows: traditional or competition. Traditional gatherings are more social and are a relaxed way to dance and sing and visit with others. Competition dancers vie for the judges’ attention, with their own style and have precise movements in concert with the drums.
Dancers start as young as one year old and continue as long as they can still dance, many into their eighties. Dancing, to most regular participants, is perfecting their art in an individual way. No two dancers have the same regalia or the same style and each one performs their own interpretation of the sound of the drum. Vibrant colours adorn most regalia, which is usually made by a family member or the individual wearing them. The regalia are personal and express creativity and artistry to each individual. Dancers buy the items needed from different suppliers, as well as make their own from cloth and hides.
Who attends a Pow Wow other than the participants? The answer is simple, anyone and everyone who enjoys Pow Wows and those who want to learn more about them, as well as the curious who have never attended and want to know what is all the excitement, colour, dancing and music about. The regalia, not costumes, worn by participants are steeped in heritage and story. The main attendees are the dancers, drummers, families, friends and guests of the seven categories of dancers: Traditional men and boys, Traditional women and girls, Fancy Bustle, Fancy Shawl, Grass, Jingle Dress and Chicken dances. There are also regular spectators that attend several Pow Wows to watch their favourite dancers as they follow the “Pow Wow Trail”. Get more information by visiting: ahki.ca/powwow-trail-canada/ It is important to understand etiquette and rules exist, which must be followed when attending a Pow Wow. A good source to
CMI Publishing attended the Christmas Pow Wow held on December 26-27, 2015 at the Samson Oil and Gas building in Maskwacis. We were honoured to witness all the spectacular dances outlined above. The people were friendly, helpful and very willing to explain the event and answer any questions. During this Pow Wow there were approximately two hundred and ninety registered dancers who attended from Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Arizona, and Montana. There was also two days of Hand Games competition. Add to your bucket list by planning to take in a single Pow Wow or several. Story By: Ray Johnson Photos courtesy of www.boxjbarranch.com
Christmas Pow Wow at Samson Oil and Gas Building Mens Fancy Dancer
17 | ExperienceTheCowboyTrail.com
Christmas Pow Wow at Samson Oil and Gas Building Mens Traditional Dancer
A Pow Wow Experience
Tsuu T’ina Pow Wow Photos Courtesy of Renée Delorme
Tsuu T’ina Pow Wow Photos Courtesy of Renée Delorme
When I moved to Redwood Meadows, in the foothills of the
the slightest movement of the body. Others were elaborate with
Rockies 15 minutes west of Calgary, little did I know that across
imposing head dress. Most were covered in beads and intricate
the road was the site of one of the biggest and most popular Pow
designs, obviously all painstakingly hand made. The pride of the
Wows in Canada - the Tsuu T’ina Rodeo and Pow Wow. For
wearers was obvious. Beauty from within shined through.
three intense days in July, this Pow Wow is the rendezvous for thousands of Aboriginal people coming from across the Prairies
I spent time watching the dances, trying to understand what they
and Western USA. Listening to the drumming late into the night,
were about. I listened to the Master of Ceremony, slipping jokes
I had to check it out. Boy, was I in for a pleasant surprise.
amidst his explanations. Four huge drums were situated on the north, south, east and west parts of the tipi. Around each drum,
Part community gathering, competition, spiritual observances,
several drummers patiently waited their turn to lead a dance, all
Pow Wows are above all a celebration of the enduring and rich
drumming, singing and moving together.
culture of Canada’s First People. Tents, tipis and trailers all over the site – the centre piece a huge and permanent open wooden
There were several categories of dancers, each specializing in a
structure in the shape of a tipi. The audience sat watching in
particular style. (For more info see pg 16) Attires matched the
bleachers surrounding the base of the tipi. I might as well have
category and judges determined the best dancers based on a
been somewhere else on the globe. I felt wonderfully foreign yet
strict set of criteria including hand and body positions, footsteps,
totally welcomed. Having grown up in Eastern Canada, I could
capacity to dance in rhythm and the competitors’ overall stands.
not imagine witnessing anything remotely similar to this.
It was an incredible experience I will cherish.
Coming and going in the blazing heat of the summer sun were
There are numerous Pow Wows and most are open to the public.
hundreds of dancers, young and old, men, women and child-
In my view, this was the best, truest and most enjoyable way to
ren either watching, dancing or casually getting ready. They
experience Canada’s First People’s culture.
all dressed in beautiful and colourful outfits. Some jingled at 18 | See our Mobile Editions at cmipublishing.ca/library
By: Renée Delorme
2016 Pow Wows Pow Wow
Date
Town/City
Feb 20 - 21
Lethbridge
enmaxcentre.ca
Ben Calf Robe Traditional Pow Wow
May 7
Edmonton
bit.ly/1PSEzaq
Native Pow Wow
June 18
Arlee Pow Wow
June 29 - Jul 4
International Peace Pow Wow
September Springs Ranch uniqueartantique.com Arlee, Montana USA
North American Indian Days
July 7 - 10
Kainai Pow Wow & Celebration
July 15 - 17
Standoff
Tsuu T’ina Rodeo and Pow Wow
July 27 - 31
Tsuu T’ina Nation
Piikani Nation Annual Celebration
July 29 - 31
Brocket
Siksika Nation Annual Pow Wow
Aug 12 - 14
Siksika Nation
Samson Cree Nation Celebration
Aug 12 - 14
Maskwacis
Sept 2 - 4
Morley
Wesley First Nation Labour Day Pow Wow Heart Butte Celebration High Prairie Traditional Pow Wow
Aug 11 - 14
Website
arleepowwow.com
Browning, Montana USA blackfeetcountry.com bit.ly/23pxZ4O tsuutinarodeo.com piikanination.wix.com/piikanination siksikanation.com samsoncree.com/samsoncelebration wesley-nation.ca
Heart Butte, Montana USA blackfeetcountry.com
May 14
High Prairie
bit.ly/1WaU2tY
June 4 - 5
Peace River
bit.ly/1S9VG8R
June 18
Calgary
bit.ly/1TAHaMO
Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation Pow Wow
July 8 - 10
Glenevis
Stampede Competitive Pow Wow
July 8 - 11
Calgary
bit.ly/1Mc9hjU
TBA
Maskwacis
samsoncree.com
Aboriginal Gathering Pow Wow Graduation Banquet and Pow Wow
Samson Christmas Pow Wow
Dates and times are subject to change. If you would like your Pow Wow listed please contact Bob@CMIPublishing.ca
Wild West Gallery Perry Bartoshyk used all of his personal collection of antiques, vintage art, western gear and collectible items to start Wild West Gallery on December 10, 2010. Four years and four days later, on December 14, 2014, a devastating half million dollar fire, almost completely wiped out his dreams. bit.ly/1S0L2aW  Sustained by his cattle ranch, Top End Genetics, Perry rebuilt his store literally out of the ashes, salvaging what little he could and reopened on June 19, 2015 in a new location in Wetaskiwin Mall. Today Wild West Gallery is the #1 store of its kind in Western Canada, offering a huge selection of beads and materials to make Pow Wow dance regalia, drums, native crafts and many art creations. The gallery also sells numerous one of a kind western decor items, furniture, western art, collectibles, cowboy hats, blankets and jewelry.
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Experience Southern Alberta
One Region. Unlimited Adventures. Lost Secrets.
Are you ready?
Hear our Stories
Discover our self guided tours!
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@ChinookCountry Southwest Alberta
Experience Southern Alberta
Stay a night with Canalta! See a Sight!
• Drumheller: Ramada, Super 8, Canalta Jurassic Drumheller • High River: Ramada, Super 8 • Brooks: Ramada, Canalta Brooks • Cochrane: Ramada • Airdrie: Ramada • Pincher Creek: Ramada • Lethbridge: Hampton Inn & Suites, Fairfield Inn & Suites • Medicine Hat: Hampton Medicine Hat
• Atlas Coal Mine (Drumheller) • Royal Tyrrell Museum (Drumheller) • Heritage Park (Calgary) • Lougheed House (Calgary) • Fort Calgary (Calgary) • Dinosaur Provincial Park (Brooks) • Medalta Potteries (Medicine Hat) • Alberta Birds of Prey Centre (Coaldale) • Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden (Lethbridge)
When you stay at our listed hotels, you will receive a voucher to visit ANY of these attractions for FREE! Also, while you are in the area, be sure to check out the BONUS attractions that already have free entry!
• Remington Carriage Museum (Cardston) • Waterton Lakes National Park Gate Admission (Waterton) • Frank Slide Interpretative Centre (Crowsnest Pass) • Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump (Fort Macleod) • Fort Museum of the North West Mounted Police & First Nations (Fort Macleod) • Bar U Ranch National Historic Site (Longview) • Devil’s Coulee Dinosaur Heritage Museum (Warner)
FREE Attractions Passes! Attraction Admission Passes Family Pass (Up to 4 people)
BONUS attractions that already have FREE entry! Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park (Milk River) Brooks Aqueduct (Brooks) Cypress Hills Provincial Park (near Medicine Hat) Leitch Colleries (Crowsnest Pass)
21 | ExperienceTheCowboyTrail.com
Experience The Cowboy Way You can find it all, from the prairies to the Rocky Mountain foothills.
Alberta Country Vacation Association (ACVA) can help you find the ranch, country vacation
Imagine yourself taking the best vacation of your life at a ranch, in the backcountry or a country vacation venue. The cool, fresh mountain air, the open spaces, the feel of a steady horse beneath you as you top the next rise…relaxing in the warmth of the setting sun as you wait for the dinner bell call…shared time with family and friends. Some guests say it’s an awesome experience to be surrounded only by wilderness without a street light or freeway within sight or earshot. Others are amazed at the peaceful silence.
or backcountry adventure to match your dreams albertacountryvacation.com
The meals are scrumptious and the accommodations range from rustic cabins, cozy teepees to pampered retreats.
Sept 30 to Oct 2, 2016
Whatever you are looking for in the real west, we can offer it YOUR WAY. 22 | See our Mobile Editions at cmipublishing.ca/library
Experience The Cowboy Way
Let’s not forget the possibility to master the “art of relaxation”. When you find yourself surrounded by natural beauty, slow down, breathe deeply and appreciate it. All ACVA member properties are located in the most pristine wilderness areas or country sides in Alberta. Watch a sunset, wait for the cattle to come to water, go bird watching, take a walk through wildflowers, nap in a hammock, listen to the livestock, read a good book or just sit quietly and let your mind wander. Don’t hesitate to call or email the ranches that you are interested in, and ask them to help you. If they don’t offer everything you’re looking for, they will recommend a ranch that does. Or contact us directly by email albertacountryvacation@gmail.com.
Visit our website to plan your country experience AlbertaCountryVacation.com
Moose Mountain HORSEBACK Adventures horsepower to move your spirit
STAGECOACH & HORSEBACK HOLIDAYS Secluded Backcountry Lodge & Cabins • Hearty Home-Cooking Fishing, Hiking & Biking • Spa & Fitness Retreats • Western BBQs Equine Educational Clinics • Corporate & Event Getaways Bed, Bale & Breakfast • Buggy & Chuck Wagon Lunches
1.877.762.2767 • www.outpostatwardenrock.com
VAC AT I O NS DAY R I D ES L E SSONS S L E I G H RIDES G U E ST L O DGE
403.949.3329 www.packtrips.ca open year round we offer customized adventures for small groups and all skill levels only 30 minutes southwest of Calgary 23 | Pick up our Jasper Map and Coal Mine Tour Map
· BORDERING BANFF NATIONAL PARK AND THE YA HA TINDA · THE CIVILIZED WAY... TO LEAVE CIVILIZATION
®
When the West Was Wild Ready to enforce the law! Participating in “Groom a Horse” at Fort Macleod
Imagine what it must have been like: To move across the vast open prairies only as fast as your feet could carry you, following the sea of buffalo that sustain you. Sometimes - if you’re lucky - managing to actually herd those buffalo. To send them where you wanted them to go. To their deaths. So that you could live. For about six thousand years, long before horses or the white man arrived, and even before the pyramids of Egypt, Blackfoot people gathered near Fort Macleod to slowly channel buffalo herds in a complex process that ended by stampeding them over a cliff. The carcasses provided food, shelter, and tools to the people to support a nomadic confederacy that encompassed all of southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, and south as far as Yellowstone. Relive what buffalo hunting was like in pre-history with a visit to the World Heritage site of ‘Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump.’ See the actual cliffs, watch a video explaining the many roles in the hunt, walk the ‘lanes’ with an interpreter, and, in a new program, “Run with the Buffalo,” relive what the bravest hunters did to stampede the herd in its final moments.
Of horses, and horsemen
As the Blackfoot tell the story, their people didn’t know at first what the horse was. Scouts would return and say, “There’s an animal that looks like an elk, and people are sitting on it and going
places! It does the work of a dog, but carrying bigger travois.” So in the descriptive language of the Blackfoot, they combined elk: ponoka; and dog: iimiitaa, to make ponokaiimiitaa - horse. With the horse and, eventually, the rifle, the communal hunt of the buffalo jumps fell by the wayside. Clan leaders didn’t have to come together to plan a hunt - with a horse and gun they could do it alone. Sadly, with trade also came strange new diseases that killed the majority of their people and, as the Americans were conquering their west, another scourge. Flash forward to the late 1800’s: America had expanded west to what would become Montana. The first American traders to the Blackfoot grow rich on buffalo robes acquired from the various tribes, sometimes trading a beautifully worked robe for nothing more than a cup of rotgut ‘Bug Juice.’ The biggest culprits were from what became known as Fort ‘Whoop Up,’ near today’s Lethbridge. ‘Whoop Up Bug Juice’ was a potent mix of whiskey, chewing tobacco, molasses, red pepper, Jamaican ginger, and a dash of red ink!
New horsemen on the plains
The North West Mounted Police force (NWMP) eventually became today’s RCMP. Created in 1873, the mounted force’s mission was to trek to the vast territories recently purchased by Canada from the Hudson’s Bay Company, in part to make it safe for settlers to move-in, and partly to quell rising violence fuelled, or often perpetrated, by the traders - amid growing concerns that America would claim the land for itself. The NWMP column arrived after a long and brutal journey and built what they dubbed ‘Fort MacLeod’ on October 11, 1874. Everyone knew ‘the Mounties’ were coming and uncertain of
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Fort Macleod the outcome, natives and whisky traders alike hid. Upon arrival the Mounties did not encounter the cannon-wielding American occupation force they feared they might.
At least one policeman froze to death during those first winters. His horse returned to Fort Macleod, but he did not. In blizzards, one Mountie noted, you could lose a man three feet away.
“This is a wild, wild region. We are right up in the country of the Blackfeet Indians, surrounded on various sides by the forts of the whiskey traders, against whom we have come - men of the most degraded and desperate character, who make their money selling the rankest poison to the poor Indian.”*
A town preserved
Such is how Mountie surgeon R.B. Nevitt described the wild country and their purpose. Not all the whiskey had disappeared, of course, and the police were kept busy arresting and hunting traders. It was not an easy post. Soon after, the first of what was to become the Mountie’s famous ‘Musical Ride’ took place at the new fort – without an audience! Precision drilling on the horses was seen merely as a way to instill discipline. The tradition continues to this day, and can be seen reenacted at the Fort MacLeod museum all summer. Visitors can even participate with the horses for an up-close experience of being a ‘mountie.’ In early days, getting separated from your friends or your horse, especially during winter, could be a harrowing, or downright fatal, experience. The newcomers had little expertise in how to live off the land!
With the redcoats firmly established, Fort Macleod quickly sprung out of nothing. By 1884, it had its first pharmacist, a young man named J.D. Higinbotham, whose book, called “When The West Was Young” provides fascinating and often humorous insights into the hardships of life for early settlers in Canada. Today you see a town that looks much as it did during its heyday around the first world war. As with many towns in Southern Alberta, Fort Macleod bet too big on its early future, and found itself bankrupt in the 1920’s. As part of a deal to save the town, it was forbidden to build new facilities for fifty years! Which makes today’s main street, and Alberta’s oldest running theatre in The Empress, a prime location for movie and TV filming. At Head Smashed In, you can imagine life before the horse. In Fort Macleod, you can imagine life as an early pioneer.
Just imagine…
By: Allen R. Gibson
* R.B. Nevitt ‘A winter at Fort McLeod.’ C. 1974. Glenbow-Alberta Institute. With thanks to Quinton Crow Shoe for the stories of his people. And Sandi Davis of Fort Macleod.
Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump
Is now a UNESCO world heritage site. Open daily year-round; the site features a marvellous museum, with a thrilling video experience of a buffalo hunt, traditional storytellers and dancers on Wednesdays throughout the summer. The first Saturday of each summer month you can go on a guided hike along the ‘drive lanes’ of a buffalo hunt. Info: history.alberta.ca/headsmashedin
The Fort Museum
Young cowboys bring the RCMP Musical Ride to life each day during the summer months. Take in ‘The March of the Redcoats’ live theatre depiction of Fort Macleod history as well the ‘Groom A Horse’ program. Info: nwmpmuseum.com The Fort is open from May until Canadian Thanksgiving in the fall. Provincial passes do not provide Fort admission.
TIP: The “Experience Alberta History Pass” or “
Southern Sites Pass” can save you money if you plan on visiting multiple provincial historical sites. Head Smashed In, Frank Slide centre, and Remington Carriage Museum are all in this area. 25 | ExperienceTheCowboyTrail.com
Experience Cardston
Photo courtesy Town of Cardston/Remington Getting hands-on at the Remington Museum’s repair shop
Photo courtesy Town of Cardston/Remington The mini-chuckwagons race hard!
Photo courtesy Town of Cardston/Remington Family fun at the Remington Museum
Cardston, just ten minutes north of the Montana border, is a small town that is full of hidden gems. While there are great family activities throughout the summer, finding out the when and where can take a little digging. What other small town community, for example, offers up a kids-only “marathon,” or has a local theatre whose productions are described as “better than the London version,” or “as good as any amateur theatre in Vancouver?” Not many! Productions take place in the beautifully refurbished art deco-ish Carriage House Theatre, which is situated on main street just a few doors over from an original “little house on the prairie” - the Card home. The first house built in Cardston by the early Mormon settlers who’d arrived by wagon train, the Card home is open all summer for a glimpse of early prairie living. Since alcohol is not served in Cardston and there are no bars, residents find lots of other things to do. There’s mud pit car racing, a rancher’s rodeo, fun ball tournaments, and fireworks during Heritage Week in August. The town also celebrates its horse-drawn transport of the past with the largest collection of
carriages in North America. In fact, one of the jockeys who rode the famous racehorse Seabiscuit, started his career working in Cardston’s huge horse barns. Those barns served the wagon trains used to supply Alberta from Montana in the late 1800s. Although the barns burned down, a beautiful bronze statue of Seabiscuit and his jockey were erected outside the Remington Carriage Museum. No one leaves disappointed! The displays are fascinating, featuring everything from stagecoaches to the fancy carriages of New York high society. There are also Mormon history themed wagon tours through town in the summer. All this in a little town sitting in the midst of great fishing and bird watching options, and on some of the prettiest highways in the province. Whether you head southwest 30 min to Waterton Park, or on to Twin Butte for some great Mexican food, or go north of town and over to Magrath to explore the Mormon Trail, this is truly Sunday drive country! Cardston.ca | thecarriagehousetheatre.com TheMormonTrail.ca | history.alberta.ca/remington
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By: Allen R. Gibson
Experience Pincher Creek At the southern end of the Cowboy Trail sits the town of Pincher Creek. Founded in the early days of European settlement in the west, Pincher is a town proud of its cowboy past and present. It features a rancher’s rodeo where local cowhands get to show off their skills, as well as a professional rodeo that can help competitors get to the big shows. Small town rodeos are crucial for cowboys like bronc rider Dustin Flundra, who, along with his trick-riding, horse-whispering wife Niki, is among today’s professional rodeo elite. The prize money from every sanctioned rodeo adds up to become your ticket to the bigs, explains Dustin. “It was that last $600 I won at the rodeo in Hanna, Alberta, that gave me the score I needed to qualify for the national finals.” And if you don’t qualify, you can’t win. Travelling from his ranch south of “Pincher” for over 12 years to compete, Dustin finally won the famous $100,000 cheque from the Calgary Stampede in 2014. And Niki has performed as a trick rider at national events all over the US and Canada. Like most rural folks, though, they never lose touch with their roots. Which is why at 2015’s Pincher rodeo (see pg 15 for more info about this event) Niki was the headline entertainer, showing off her amazing relationship with horses. “In the Liberty Horse Show the horses perform with nothing but my body language and vocal commands,” she explains. “No saddles, whips, or gear of any kind!” It is, she says, a huge display of trust and of the horse and human relationship which audiences love. “Pincher has a small town, friendly vibe that’s so welcoming,” enthuses Niki, “and it’s a beautiful setting for the rodeo.” “It’s special because everybody’s there,” adds Dustin, “my first mentor, my chiropractor, my trainer - people who’ve had a lot of influence on my career.” It’s not hard to imagine that a chiropractor could be an influential person for a guy whose job consists of flying through the air with a horse. Sometimes on it, sometimes not!
YOUR ADVENTURE STARTS HERE.
www.PincherCreek.ca All in all, the pro rodeo sounds like one of the more amazing things to see this year in Pincher, but it’s not the only one. There are a number of good family diversions in the area, from the famous Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump to the Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village in the heart of Pincher. The village has rave reviews on TripAdvisor, mostly because you can get up close and personal with the displays, and there’s lots of room to roam for the whole family in the recreated historical town site. It even features Kootenai Brown’s original cabin. And if you don’t know who Kootenai Brown is, it’s a piece of history worth a look. How many people, after all, were almost killed in a gunfight, and by Sitting Bull, and then went on to help establish Waterton Lakes National Park and be a champion of nature conservation. Kootenai Brown is a great example of the old wild west. The Flundras are living examples of today’s slightly more civilized cowboy life. And horses are the constant that connects them all. Pincher Creek Rodeo: pinchercreekagsociety.com Kootenai Brown Historical Village: kootenaibrown.ca Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump: history.alberta.ca/headsmashedin
Niki Flundra and her supporting cast Photo Courtesy of Rod Sinclair
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By Allen R. Gibson
Experience Pincher Creek & Waterton
Courtesy of Travel Alberta
Before leaving Pincher Creek, antique hunters will want to find this hidden gem. Take Hwy 507 to the September Springs Ranch Museum & Gardens, located just 3 km west of Pincher. The Ranch is home to Unique Art Antique and Unique Art Boutique featuring hundreds of one-of-a-kind old treasures as well as quality antiques and collectibles. Browse through fine designer fashions, accessories, and eclectic jewellery. Fully licensed, Memories Tea Room serves a variety of fine wines, desserts and High Tea (Gluten free available). Open from
Victoria weekend to Labour Day, this mountain setting is ideal for weddings, reunions, and retreats. uniqueartantique.com The quaint townsite of Waterton is located 57 km from Pincher Creek on Hwy #6. This is a peaceful place that will remain in your heart forever. Relax and breathe in the fresh crisp alpine air. It may be the smallest of Canada’s national mountain parks, but many consider Waterton Lakes National Park the most stunning. The grasslands of the Great Plains give way to lofty mountains. The lakes, streams and waterfalls will refresh your spirit.
September Springs Ranch Museum & Gardens Unique Art Antique • Unique Art Gallery • Unique Art Boutique Memories Cafe & Tea Room • 1940’s Log Ski Lodge
We Invite You to visit our Unique Store, Tea Room, Gallery, Alpine & Iris Gardens. We Feature 1000’s of Unique & Rare Items, Some Ancient & Very Collectible. Discover Hidden Surprises, Hunt for the Perfect Purchase. Enjoy a Drink or High Tea and the Majestic View of the Great Canadian Rockies
Bordering Pincher Creek - 3 km west on Hwy 507 Towards Beaver Mines - 403-627-2706
Waterton’s Only Lakefront Hotel
1.888.527.9555 | www.bayshoreinn.com
Waterton’s All-Suite Hotel
1.866.621.3330 | www.watertonsuites.com Stay connected with us!
Waterton Lakes National Park • Alberta, Canada
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Experience Pincher Creek & Waterton The climate here is moderated by warmer Pacific winds which often carry seeds. As a result, Waterton is home to 1,000 native plants and more than half of all the wildflower species found in Alberta. The flowers here are so numerous and diverse, the park is considered the Wildflower Capital of Canada! If you are here in June, be sure to attend the annual festival. Waterton is home to 60 species of mammals and 250 species of birds. Wildlife is so abundant here that you’re likely to see more bighorn sheep then people. The diversity of wildlife in the park was the genesis of a fall festival, the Waterton Wildlife Weekend. Waterton is so special it has earned the UNESCO designation of World Biosphere Reserve as well as World Heritage Site. In 1932 Waterton Lakes National Park joined Montana’s Glacier National Park to form the world’s first International Peace Park. It’s a symbol of friendship between Canadians and Americans.
Waterton Wildflower Festival June 19 - June 24 watertonwildflowers.com Canada Day July 1 Celebrate Canada’s birthday in Waterton!
The Blackfoot people consider Waterton a sacred place. Learn more at the Crandell Mountain Interpretive Theatre’s Native Storyteller program. Be sure to visit the Maskinonge Overlook Exhibit and discover the origins of the sacred Beaver Bundle. It contains the essence of life and is usually opened in the spring. Horses played an important role in the early development of the area. Trails were created to link the great lodges and huge pack trains of horses would deliver supplies and the first tourists. So, while you’re here, cowboy up! Stop at Alpine Stables for a gentle one hour rolling ride, or a half day steep climb to breath-taking mountain tops!
For more Information visit mywaterton.ca or pinchercreek.ca/visit
Parks Day Weekend July 15 & July 16
Blackfoot Arts and Heritage Festival August 22 - August 24
Waterton-Glacier Science and History Day July 26, from 9:30am - 3:30pm, at the Falls Theatre in Waterton Free of charge.
Waterton Wildlife Weekend September 23 - September 25 watertonwildlife.com
Alpine Stables
- in waterton lakes national park -
Horseback riding IN the park. See wildlife habitat and wildflowers galore as you meander through wooded trails of the spectacular Rocky Mountains. Our guided rides are the ultimate western adventure for the whole family. Select hourly, half-day, full day or overnight trips. Across from the golf course.
Open May through Sept, 9am - 5pm
FOR HOTEL RESERVATIONS CALL 1.888.985.6343
•
EXPERIENCEWATERTON.COM
29 | ExperienceTheCowboyTrail.com
403-859-2462 alpinestables.com
Southern Alberta Land Trust Society If you love something it’s natural to do everything in your power
voluntary legal agreements between a landowner and a land trust
to protect it for the future. That pretty much sums up how the
organization where the landowner places restrictions on the use
Southern Alberta Land Trust Society (SALTS) spawned almost
of the property to protect natural values of the land. They key
two decades ago. Today this non-profit charitable organization
on initiatives including conservation easements for succession
has protected thousands of acres of picturesque and productive
planning for ranch families, tools for the study and protection of
Eastern Slopes rangelands in southern Alberta.
important ecological areas, and support for range management and riparian health.
On a chilly February evening in 1997, in a country schoolhouse in southwest Alberta, a group of concerned foothills ranchers
It didn’t take long for recognition and accolades to flow in. In
met to hone a vision and plan to establish a community-based
2001 SALTS won the 2001 Countryside Canada Stewardship
rancher-driven land trust society. Land trusts are most often
Recognition Award as well as Alberta’s prestigious Emerald
created to preserve important ecological aspects of a region.
Award in the non-profit category. By 2015 SALTS had protected
They are quickly becoming a popular conservation tool, though
16,000 acres of rangelands held in 35 conservation easements.
they can be set up for a host of other purposes. The ranchers aimed to preserve the ecological, productive, scenic and cultural
SALTS is focused on that stretch of the Cowboy Trail between
values of Alberta’s foothills and prairie rangelands found along
Longview and the Waldron Grazing Co-op. They’re mapping
the Eastern Slopes. Incorporated into their founding documents
important watershed, wildlife and aesthetic areas of critical value
is the unique goal of preserving ranches and rangelands.
in order to work with others in spearheading preservation efforts.
SALTS was incorporated in 1998 and within a year protected
For more information about SALTS and their conservation
2,000 acres of foothills rangelands. SALTS is an organization
efforts visit their website at: salts-landtrust.org
sanctioned to hold land conservation easements. These are
By: Larry Thomas
Photos taken from a SALTS conservation easements near Chain Lakes that is helping to preserve the Cowboy Trail’s open spaces
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Committed to Protecting Alberta’s Foothills Rangelands
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Films of the Cowboy Trail
re_select_3.00001914 Leonardo DiCaprio stars in THE REVENANT, an immersive and visceral cinematic experience capturing one man’s epic adventure of survival and the extraordinary power of the human spirit. Photo Credit: Courtesy Twentieth Century Fox. © 2015 Twentieth Century Fox Films Corporation. All rights reserved. THE REVENANT Motion Picture Copyright © 2015 Regency Entertainment (USA), Inc. and Monarchy Enterprises S.a.r.l. All rights reserved. Not for sale or duplication.
Alberta has been privileged to host the production of a huge number of films over the past four decades. While numerous areas throughout Alberta have been in the lens of movie, TV and commercial film locations, none come close to being as popular as sites along the Cowboy Trail. The Cowboy Trail features some of the most beautiful and diverse landscapes for filming opportunities. As such, movie producers and location managers flock to the unique area to focus on realizing their visionary creations. Clint Eastwood once described filming opportunities in the area stating - “Within 100 miles, you can make it look like five different states”. This truly describes locations along the Cowboy Trail. Numerous productions have scenes filmed near the Cowboy Trail as far back as 1970 with “Little Big Man” starring Dustin Hoffman, Faye Dunaway and Chief Dan George. “The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet” was filmed partially in Pincher Creek in 2013. When travelling through ‘Pincher’ stop in at the Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village. It is open all year and consists of over twenty-three historical buildings on the six-acre site. Along with over 18,000 artifacts, many other historical archives are accessible to the public as well. Continuing north on The Cowboy Trail you arrive in Cowley, just north of Pincher Creek, where two well-known movies, “Getting Married in Buffalo Jump” (1990) and “Brokeback Mountain” (2005), were partially filmed. The John Scott Ranch is located forty five minutes southwest of Calgary at Longview. Complete with its own western town, it has seen productions like Clint Eastwood’s “Unforgiven”, the TV movie “Monte Walsh” with Tom Selleck, “The Revenant” with Leonardo DiCaprio, and “Diablo”. Recent projects include “The Calgary Stampede”, “Night At The Museum 3”, “Hell
On Wheels” and “Heartland”. Other movies shot at the ranch include “Days Of Heaven”, “Little House On The Prairie”, “Legends Of The Fall”, “The Jack Bull”, “Shanghai Noon”, “The Virginian”, and “Crossfire Trail”. John Scott Productions also has horses, buffalo, longhorns and thousands of items for props and set decorations. Longview and area is known for its cattle ranching history as well as the many famous and wellknown celebrities living in the area. The Bar U Ranch National Historic Site and the OH Ranch are nearby as is country music legend Ian Tyson’s ranch. Stop by and visit the Lost American Art Gallery and Museum (pg 35) when passing through. The area also boasts several interesting choices to stay, RV camp and some great restaurants to enjoy a home cooked meal. village.longview.ab.ca. The majority of filming for the TV series “Heartland” occurs near Millarville. A 100-acre parcel of land near the hamlet serves as the series’ main ranch set, while 10 km away is the series’ dude ranch film set. While in the area, plan on attending the Millarville Farmer’s Market and Fair, which runs each Saturday through the summer months up to Thanksgiving weekend. The hit TV series Fargo, is a black comedy-crime drama. The first 2 seasons (2014 and 2015) were filmed in Calgary and around the Alberta foothills area including Fort Macleod, High River and Didsbury. This Emmy Award and Golden Globe winning series story is supposedly based in North Dakota so the landscape and climate in southern Alberta are a good fit. Fargo season 1 is available to stream on shomi. “The Revenant” was filmed primarily in Kananaskis country. The battle scene was shot on the nearby Morley First Nations settlement. The movie depicts the experiences of frontiersman and fur trapper Hugh Glass in Montana and South Dakota.
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Films of the Cowboy Trail Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) was severely injured from a brutal bear attack in 1823 while exploring uncharted wilderness. After being left for dead by his close friend John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy), Glass must survive at any cost while he finds his way back home to his beloved family. Filled with anger and focused on vengeance, Glass travels through harsh winter conditions, rough country and several life threatening challenges, to track down Fitzgerald. The Tsuu T’ina Nation is located on the western edge of the city of Calgary. It has hosted several films and has a permanent set. Bragg Creek is the location of the made for TV show “North of 60”. The Cochrane area has the Bow River Ranch, the Wineglass Ranch and Albertina Farms - all film sets. Rafter Six Ranch was the site of many film projects including “River of No Return”, “How the West was Fun” starring Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, and the TV hit “Grizzly Adams”. Other scenes shot in Morley area were for: “Legends”, “In the Valley of the Wild Horses”, “Open Range” and “Buffalo Bill and the Indians”. Em-Te Town is located 40 mins north of Rocky Mountain House (pg 58). Here is where “Tall in the Saddle - a Kurt Browning Special” was produced in the winter of 1990. In the summer of
1992 McDonald’s Canada filmed a commercial for the “Western Burger”. “Makin’ 8 - Rodeo’s Best & Wrecks” video for RDTV was also shot here in the fall of 1995. Documentaries filmed at Em-Te Town include “On the Road Again” by Wayne Ronstad, “CBC” with Colin MacLean, and CFRN’s “Alberta Getaways” with Terry Lynn Myers. Nestled along Rose Creek, Em-Te Town is a replica of an old western town, whose creation was based on the Sackett novels of Louis L’Amour. The name is a tribute to two characters in one of the books in the fictional series, Emily and Milo Talon. It also stood for the fact the town was indeed empty, except for its one lone occupant - creator and builder, retired carpenter Len Mohr, who started building the town in 1980. Travel and sightseeing destinations abound from one end to the other along The Cowboy Trail. You will enjoy numerous places to stop, explore, take photographs, buy some keepsakes, and a wonderful meal. You will be tempted to linger. Accommodations include hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, log cabins, tipis, RV and tent campsites. You can even shake out your bedroll and sleep under the stars if you so desire. By: Ray Johnson
Anson Mount as Cullen Bohannan - Hell on Wheels _ Season 4, Episode 7 Photo Credit: Chris Large/AMC
FARGO (L-R): Ed Blumquist (Jesse Plemons) and Peggy Blumquist (Kirsten Dunst) in “Before the Law.” Motion Picture © 2015 MGM Television Entertainment, Inc. and Bluebush Productions, LLC. All rights reserved.
Cullen Bohannon (Anson Mount) and Mickey McGinnes (Philip Burke) - Hell on Wheels _ Season 3, Episode 5 _ BTS - Photo Credit: Chris Mundy Large/AMC
FARGO Hank Larsson (Ted Danson) in “Before the Law.” Motion Picture © 2015 MGM Television Entertainment, Inc. and Bluebush Productions, LLC. All rights reserved.
To see the full story and for more information on CL Ranch visit ExperiencetheCowboyTrail.com/films 33 | ExperienceTheCowboyTrail.com
Experience the Bar U Ranch & Longview
Photo by: Andrew Penner
Set in the rolling foothills of the Rockies, the Bar U Ranch is the only National Historic Site to commemorate the history and importance of ranching in Canada. Established in the 1880’s, the Bar U was one of the first large corporate ranches. Pat Burns once owned this famous ranch, while Harry Longabaugh (better known as the Sundance Kid) worked here. Parks Canada has operated the site since 1991. Over the next five years, they will be restoring many of the historic buildings on the
Friends of the Bar U Historic Ranch Association
ranch. A visitor orientation centre and a vibrant living history program interpret a time when the West was young. The Bar U Cafe offers authentic ranch house meals and the Gift Shop stocks quality western gifts and much more. The Bar U National Historic Site of Canada is located 13 km south of Longview and 41 km southwest of High River, at the intersection of Hwy 540. Their hours of operation: May 16 Sept. 30, 2016; 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., daily.
Events at the Bar U Ranch May 16 : Opening Day Gates swing open at 10am! May 21 -22: Hometown Heroes Special Event Weekend June 19: Chuck Wagon Cook Off & Pack Horse Race Sample the stew ‘n biscuits & vote for your favourite cook. July 1 : Canada Day Free admission!
Chuckwagon Cook-Off and Pack Horse Race Sunday, June 19, 2016 Sample Some open-fire-prepared stew and biscuits, then enjoy the afternoon entertainment. Prizes are handed out for the best stew and the fastest horse!
Old Time Ranch Rodeo Sunday, August 21, 2016 Join us for an exciting afternoon of Broke Horse Racing, Team Sorting, Branding and Doctoring, and Wild Cow Milking, as teams of working cowboys from Alberta ranches compete for silver Bar U belt buckles, and bragging rights!
July 16: Parks Day Celebrate Canada’s cultural treasures August 6: Friends of the Bar U Trail Ride Annual day ride into original Bar U Ranch grazing lands. Call 403-395-3330 or 403-395-3879 for more info. August 21: Old Time Ranch Rodeo Cheer on your favourite ranch as teams of working cowboys compete for silver Bar U buckles - and bragging rights! September 11: Chore Horse Competition Most Special Events begin at 1:00pm.
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Experience the Bar U Ranch & Longview The views as you drive into Longview are absolutely breathtaking and change with the seasons. If you are searching for serenity and authentic western hospitality, you’ve come to the right place.
The Lost American Art Gallery & Museum
With the discovery of oil and gas in the area in 1914, Longview’s population surged and the community became known as Little New York. This is a name that is still celebrated each year in July with “Little New York Daze”. Lost American Art Gallery specializes in turquoise jewellery, Navajo rugs, bronze sculptures, landscape & western art, Edward S. Curtis photographs, and Pendleton blankets. In their museum we find rare Southwest pottery, historically significant baskets from many tribes, and artifacts relating to the North American lifestyle of days gone by. Also on display are antique saddles, bridles and other cowboy gear. The Garside Wilson Gallery opened just last December. Debra Garside (renowned Sable Island photographer) and Donna Wilson (bronze sculptor) have teamed up once again in a permanent location on the west side of the trail.
Handcrafted Turquoise Jewelry Large selection of Native American jewelry from Navajo, Zuni, and Hopi artists for sale in the Gallery.
The Historic Twin Cities Hotel is known for their Cowboy Saloon that features live music while the Longview Jerky Shop serves up packages of tender finely cut strips of marinated roast. Two fine restaurants are sure to exceed your expectations in Longview. Relive your adventures over fine Mediterranean-style cuisine at the Little New York Bistro or check out the Longview Steakhouse in their new location up the hill at the north end of town. Come for the food, stay for the view.
Where the Southwest meets the North on the Cowboy Trail
403-558-3693 Thursday, Friday & Saturday - 11 am - 5 pm 122 Morrison Road, Longview, AB
thelostamericanartgallery.com
For more information visit village.longview.ab.ca
Longview is truly the gateway to Kananaskis, rich in history with breathtaking scenery and amenities: Gourmet Dining and Coffee Shops | Art and Craft Galleries and Gift Shops Tourist Information Centre | LEGACY Memorial Garden, Centennial Park Bert Smith-Lorne Fuller Playground and Exercise Park | Skate Park Hotel, Motel and Campground | Gas Stations and Conveniences Stores
Join us for our 2016 annual celebrations... Little New York Daze July 23-24 9th Annual Longstock Music and Arts Festival August 20-21
www.village.longview.ab.ca
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Follow the Mead Trail It is a beautiful spring morning in the Alberta foothills and I am rolling down Hwy 22 south on my way to visit the first of three meaderies. The white-capped mountains are glistening in the crisp morning sun. There is magic that comes with warmer days. The rolling hills are tender green and the first birds have arrived. Beethoven’s pastoral is playing on the radio. I feel bliss. Alberta produces 1/3 of Canada’s honey and has no grape wine industry. As mead is being rediscovered by connoisseurs and consumers alike, the production of mead is rapidly becoming a cottage industry with incredible potential. Its history is in the making by local mead producers who are the embodiment of the western spirit: bold, creative, and passionate about what they do. Mead, a.k.a. hydromel or ambrosia, may be the world’s oldest alcoholic beverage. The Greeks celebrated mead as a god-sent elixir with magical and sacred properties as reported by Virgil’s Georgics. Mead could prolong lives, increase fertility, build strength, and impart wit and poetry. Quite a noble calling! However, I also picture another kind of mead: that of the Vikings … rather hairy and “rustic” figures drinking mead from horns and brawling their way along the European coast in search of young virgins to steal and carry back on their shoulders. Either way, mead has permeated western cultures and carries with it a rich folklore that we are slowly rediscovering. At its most basic, mead is a yeast-fermented mixture of honey and water yielding a degree of alcohol. Today, this basic recipe
has been elevated to an art form by our local mead producers, expanding the range of styles, aromas, and tastes to new heights. Aproaching Spirit Hills, a family owned winery, I am welcomed by friendly dogs and an expansive view of the undulating Alberta foothills. Ilse de Wit invites me into her winery designed and built by local craftsmen. For Ilse and her husband Hugo, Spirit Hills is all about celebrating mead for what it is: a high quality beverage that lends itself to innovation. Using methods similar to wine making, Ilse and Hugo control all aspects of the production. Honey is harvested from their beehives once a year, integrating the flavors of wild and pasture flowers that grow throughout the warm season and ensuring consistency from batch to batch. Next, the honey is warmed up to beehive temperature and mixed with water and various fruits or herbs depending on the style of mead. Champagne yeast is added as it favours rapid fermentation and imparts unique flavours. The fermented mead is then filtered, sometimes aged in wood, and finally bottled. Spirit Hills’ total mead production is about 2000 cases and growing rapidly. Spirit Hills is located close to the Millarville Farmer’s Market. Appointments must be scheduled to make sure the owners are on hand to give you a guided tour complete with a taste of their meads. This is a perfect activity to follow a visit of the market. Also close to Millarville, and just west of Okotoks, Chinook Arch Meadery is located in what can best be described as big sky country. Art Andrews has been producing honey for over 20 years and mead for eight years, making him the first to produce mead commercially in the province. Today Chinook Arch offers a full complement of services including an educational centre that teaches young and old about bees and honey, and a wellappointed boutique and mead tasting bar. Art’s style of mead is more traditional, meaning sweeter, in style but is no less creative.
Chinook Arch Meadery
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Spirit Hills Honey Winery
Follow the Mead Trail
Fallentimber Meadery
In fact Art, like Hugo from Spirit Hills and Colin Ryan from the Fallentimber meadery, is somewhere between a mad chemist and an artist mead vintner. Self taught, they revel in exploring new styles of meads, new flavours, and new production methods. This is what keeps their passion going—the realization that they are pioneers in their field as they help to develop the Alberta mead industry one bottle at a time. Fallentimber is located near Water Valley, a 30 minute leisurely drive north of Cochrane. Tucked in the woods of the foothills, it is a family business that started 46 years ago as a honey farm. Five years ago, Colin Ryan started “experimenting”. Today he cannot meet demand and the business is growing quickly. Perhaps the largest of the 3 meaderies in terms of production, Fallentimber wishes to provide their customers with a full country experience. Open year round, their farm offers lovely picnic areas and the possibility to explore the forest in their midst. Their tasting room is warm and inviting with multiple honey and mead products
made solely of wild flowers. You can visit their mead-making room and perhaps have a taste of Colin’s latest concoction. Add to your visit a stop in the quaint hamlet of Water Valley, and you have yourself a beautiful Sunday outing. This summer set aside three beautiful days, one for each meadery. Visit, taste, compare, and learn the differences between these three highly creative and exceedingly good mead houses. You will treat your palate and undoubtedly discover gems to pair with any of your favorite dishes. Once you set your heart on your favorite meads, visit the Liquor Connect’s website (liquorconnect.com) to locate your chosen bottles in a store near you. In doing so, you will help Hugo, Art, and Colin add another exciting chapter to the history of mead making. By: Renée Delorme A local sommelier who offers private tastings. For more information visit her website at tastingpleasures.ca
Spirit Hills Honey Winery
Fallentimber Meadery
Chinook Arch Meadery
240183, 2380 Drive West, Millarville 403-933-3913 ilse@spirithillswinery.com spirithillswinery.com
Water Valley 403-637-2667 info@fallentimbermeadery.ca fallentimbermeadery.ca
386087 Range Road 11, Okotoks 403-995‐0830 info@chinookhoney.com chinookhoney.com
Open: Call to schedule a tour
Open: Sat & Sun: 11:00 to 17:00. Email to book a tour outside regular hours.
Open: Wed - Sat: 10:00 to 17:00, Sund & Mon: 12:00 to 17:00
Ilse de Wit and Hugo Bonjean
Try: Dande, winner at the Alberta Beverage Awards.; Wild Rose Passion; and new as of summer 2015, a sangria mead.
Nathan Ryan and Colin Ryan
Try: Beer-like meads Ginger Mead, Hopped Mead, Braggot, Smokey Rye, and Honey Kölsch
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Cherie and Art Andrews
Try: Melomels (fermented honey and fruit juice) Summer Sassation and Cherry Mi Amor, and decadently rich iced mead Forsted Blissss
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WIN: A Gift Certificate for a NEW Pair of Cowboy Boots courtesy of Alberta Boots, Calgary ($300)
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Alberta Open Farm Days the Chinook Arch Meadery is located on the same property and, if memory serves me correctly, I have yet to turn down a free mead tasting. Mead, which is sometimes called “honey wine,” is one of the oldest alcoholic beverages in the world. It was quite popular during medieval times and, given the number people at the tasting bar, remains quite popular. Poplar Bluff Organics, which is the Alberta’s largest organic carrot producer, was another highlight. We were able to sample many delicious carrots right out of the ground after they were given a quick wash in the buckets. (Eating carrots with a bit of dirt on them won’t kill you, it will make you stronger!) We visited four farms: Poplar Bluff Organics, near Carseland; Seeds to Greens, just 5 km southeast of Calgary; Bumbleberry Orchards & Field Stone Fruit Winery, near Strathmore; and the Chinook Honey Company & Chinook Arch Meadery, near Okotoks. All were friendly, welcoming, unpretentious places where we were entertained and educated on the many aspects of their unique operations.
Musician in Garden at Rootstock Photo Courtesy of Andrew Penner
For many city slickers, a visit to a working farm isn’t even on their radar. The closest thing to “connecting” with the food they eat takes place in the aisles of the supermarket; an experience that doesn’t allow for an adequate understanding or appreciation for how the agricultural world really works. Alberta Open Farm Days - an annual late summer event that celebrates agriculture in the province - provides Albertans a backstage pass to visit many of the farms and ranches that are peppered throughout the province. It’s an opportunity to witness firsthand the behind-the-scenes workings of an industry we are all connected to. At its roots, pun intended, this is an industry that makes life possible! Thanks to the maps provided on the Alberta Open Farm Days website, albertafarmdays.com, as well as a comprehensive list of participating farms and suggested itineraries, finding your way to the many different farms and markets participating in the event is easy to do. From carrot farms, fruit wineries, elk and bison ranches, to honey farms, there is something for everyone. The weekend includes a number of culinary events as well. For example, in 2015 Rootstock, an under-the-tent party that included live music, an incredible dinner prepared with farmfresh ingredients, and a farmer’s market, proved a huge success. Alberta Open Farm Days will take place on the August 20 & 21st weekend in 2016. The Chinook Honey Company, one of the stops I enjoyed with my family last year, was one of many highlights. They provided a hands-on - or, better put, hands-in - honey tasting experience that capped off an interesting tutorial on those amazing bees. Some of the cool facts we learned? Honey bees have five eyes. Edible honey was found in the 2,000 year-old tomb of King Tut. And honey, if it’s in a sealed container, lasts forever. Conveniently,
Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who underestimate the profound importance agriculture plays in their daily lives. With a little time researching - and bumping along the backroads learning a bit more about this vital community and industry can be a fun and greatly rewarding experience. By: Andrew Penner
Experience the wonders of farm to table. Meet the local farmers and ranchers who grow your food. Plan your farm and culinary experiences at albertafarmdays.com August 20, 2016
Farm to Table Culinary Events August 21, 2016
Farm Tours
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Experience Diamond Valley
Friendship Trail
The town of Black Diamond is strategically located 15 min north of Longview and just 35 min southwest of Calgary, at the junction of Hwys 7 & 22. The town of Turner Valley is only 5 minutes west of Black Diamond. They are so close to one another that the local Chamber of Commerce represents both towns and has adopted the name Diamond Valley!
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Here, the pace is much calmer than that in the big city. The scenic 3km Friendship Trail is a paved path linking these two neighbouring communities. A stroll on it offers scenic vistas of the river and the beautiful mountainous backdrop. Along the way, benches invite you to stop, rest and take it all in. At the turn of the 20th century, settlers moved here because of the high grade coal discovered in the area. Coal was quite valuable at that time, so that, combined with the “sparkle” coal gives off, led to the nickname “black diamond”. When incorporated in 1929, residents decided to use this as their town name. Although coal is no longer mined here, “the world’s largest black diamond” is displayed in front of our municipal office on Centre Avenue. Stop and rub it for luck. The friendly local business owners here cater to travellers on the Cowboy Trail and Calgarians heading into Kananaskis. Time stands still at Marv’s Soda Shop, an authentic soda fountain and 50s diner. The ambience will stir the heart of any senior and everyone enjoys home-cut fries, and a handmade hamburger. You may not find a better milkshake!
Inside awaits:
luxurious silk & wool carpets, teak root and hardwood furniture, hand carved sculptures and many other forms of captivating artifacts from around the globe. Open Daily From: 10:00am to 5:30pm 134 Centre Ave, Black Diamond 403-933-5356 | blackdiamondgallery.com
On your way out, be sure to swing into the Black Diamond Bakery, right next door, for some Cowboy Trail sourdough bread. It goes great with George’s award winning chili. International travellers will enjoy a pastry with afternoon tea. In only his third year, Chef Nelson has carved out a niche for Soft Rock Bistro. Locals and travellers alike enjoy his many Quebec-inspired dishes such as Tarte au Sucre. The small poutine is large enough for most, while the salads and sandwiches offer very good value.
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Experience Diamond Valley
Photo Courtesy of Travel Alberta
But there’s more than exceptional food in town; check out the local artwork, hand-crafted decor, specialty clothing, gifts and jewellery. You can park and walk the downtown with ease and you will be pleasantly surprised at the selection of treasures found behind each storefront. Rusty Davidson has been travelling the world for more than 40 years. He and brother Lane began importing oddities and
striking tribal art pieces. They were struck by the indigenous art styles of the Middle East, Asia, and South America. Rusty eventually expanded his wares to include the colourful Balinese kites, bright children’s clothing and Teak Root furniture from Java, Bali and Indonesia. Come and explore their collection of unique pieces in their showroom in the Black Diamond Gallery. Open year round.
Visit theheartofthecowboytrail.com to find out more about Diamond Valley.
Black Diamond Bakery and Coffee Shop We serve: Hearty breakfasts including French Toast (on Saturdays only), a large selection of fresh sandwiches, 2 soups daily and our award winning chili.The bakery specializes in Danish baking and offers 4 kinds of Danish rye bread, as well as Trail of the Cowboy Sourdough bread. Breakfast served from 8:00am - 1:30pm. Open 8:00am - 5:30pm 119 Centre Ave W, Black Diamond Phone: (403) 933-4503 Fax: (403) 933-4501 Email: blackdiamondbakery@telus.net www.blackdiamondbakery.ca
Authentic soda fountain and 50s diner. Over 150 flavours of soda pop.
Eat In & Take Out Specialties: Smoked Meat, Poutine, Homemade Burgers, Salad, Pasta and Pies. Hours June - September Mon to Sat 11:00 am - 8:00 pm Sunday 11:00 am - 3:00 pm 114 Centre Ave West, Black Diamond Phone: 403.933.3320 41 | ExperienceTheCowboyTrail.com
Handmade Burgers and Fries. Marv's own Marvello carbonated ice cream. Summer Hours: Monday and Tuesday 11 AM to 5 PM Wednesday to Sunday 11 AM to 9 PM Located at 121 Centre Ave. Black Diamond
Ph: 403-933-7001 www.marvsclassicsodashop.com
Experience Diamond Valley
The Bluerock Gallery specializes in high quality handmade art and crafts created by Alberta artists. Browse the jewellery, cards, books, and monthly exhibits to your heart’s content. A popular destination for travellers and Alberta residents alike, you’ll discover an eclectic mix of paintings, works in fibre, metal, clay, glass, and wood. Recently, Bluerock Gallery has partnered with the Firebrand Glass Studios, The Lost American Art Gallery & Museum (Longview), and Leighton Art Centre (Millarville area) to establish The Most Beautiful Art Tour in Alberta. These four outstanding art venues are all located in the southern foothills, and combined, make for a lovely day trip. themostbeautifularttourinalberta.com The Chuckwagon Cafe and the Country Store Diner are located in Turner Valley. The Chuckwagon Cafe has been awarded Calgary’s Best Burger twice. Their Flat Iron Eggs Benedict was featured on “You Gotta Eat Here”. This cafe is a very popular spot for breakfast, especially on summer weekends, but don’t hesitate to stop for pie! Terry and his staff consistently get great reviews not only for the quality of their food, but also for their friendly staff. American tourists will be pleased to know that Terry offers a fair exchange rate on US dollars, too. Curtis Dixon recently converted Canadian Pizza Unlimited into a full diner with an expanded menu. Make no doubt about it, you’ll still get a terrific pizza at the Country Store Diner, but don’t hesitate to try their pasta, poutine, and wings! On a warm summer evening, sit on their patio. Open late! 2016 marks the 2nd anniversary of the Eau Claire Distillery in what was reportedly once the town brothel. Located just
off Main Street, beside the Chuckwagon Cafe, the Eau Claire will impress. Sample their spirits. You’ll soon understand why they are already racking up international awards. Soak up the sun at Millennium Park, a beautiful little park located in downtown Turner Valley. This is where many community events take place. There is a rich assortment of activities in the area: - Relax in front of the fire or soak in a hot tub - Hike trails in or near Kananaskis Country - Eco-adventures with naturalist & guide Julie Walker - Shop at the Millarville Market - Wander among the art at the historic Leighton Centre - Trail ride at Anchor D Outfitters - Tee off at the Turner Valley Golf Club - Spend the day with an ex-bull rider on a “Real” Agricultural Tour - World class fishing or fly fishing lessons - WJ Homestead Disc Golf - Enjoy some of the great local music - Browse the quaint galleries and shops - Star gaze at the U of C’s Rothney Astrophysical Observatory - Attend the Beneath the Arch concert When in town, stop at the Sheep River Library. They carry lots of great info about the communities and have applied for status as the new Visitor Information Centre. Open year round, you’ll find the Library in Turner Valley beside the Flare ‘N Derrick. The staff would be happy to answer your questions. Ask to use their WiFi. visitblackdiamond.ca to learn more about local events.
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Experience Diamond Valley
June 11th is “Lemonade Day” in the Foothills. Hit the Cowboy Trail for a scenic morning drive. The Diamond Valley business district of Turner Valley and Black Diamond are sponsoring our youth to become future entrepreneurs. Children of all ages will be participating in Lemonade Day throughout the area. Stop and taste the magic of their accomplishments. There will be dozens of stands located all around the valley, for your tasting pleasure. Get out and engage our youth, the leaders of tomorrow. The motto is “SPEND a little, SAVE a little, and SHARE a little”. All lemonade stands will pick a charity and donate back to the communities in which they live. Together we can make a difference in the lives of our young people and our communities. SEE YOU THERE.
Chuckwagon Cafe Here is one of those terrific hidden gems along the Cowboy Trail. Winner of “Calgary’s Best Burger” awarded by Avenue Magazine for 2 years in a row. Featured for their “Flat Iron Eggs Benedict” on the TV Show “You Gotta Eat Here” produced by the Food Network Canada.
Look for the little red barn at the 4-way stop in Turner Valley. Open at 8 AM daily. Ph: 403-933-0003
June 4 Turner Valley’s Discovery Days & Black Diamond Parade
June 18 Millarville Market Half Marathon
July 1 Canada Day Celebration
July 9 Stampede Breakfast Turner Valley
July 22-24 Millarville Rodeo
Paintings • Furniture • Jewelry Pottery • Glass • Books Cards • Art Classes
July 24
See www.bluerockgallery.ca for current and upcoming events.
Marv’s 9th Annual Rock & Roll Classic Show N Shine
A Gem at the Heart of the Cowboy Trail!
Dec 3
110 Centre Ave. West, Black Diamond
Diamond Valley Christmas Market and Light-Up
403-933-5047
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Turner Valley - What’s in a Name?
The Town of Turner Valley, Alberta Present Day
From oil to forestry, from ranching and agriculture to tourism – the towns and villages along the Cowboy Trail are vast and varied. In this issue, we focus on four such municipalities: How they came to be, and what keeps them going. In the early 1880s cowboys began trailing big herds north from Montana and Idaho. Much of the area from Bragg Creek all the way south to the Porcupine Hills, including the Turner Valley area, was the final destination of these huge herds – some of the finest ranching country in North America. Named for the first settlers in the area, John, James and Robert Turner, Turner Valley is located in a valley of the same name. Turner Valley is best known for its rich oil and gas history. It all started when a farmer, Stewart Herron, saw gas bubbling up alongside Sheep Creek in 1911. Herron bought up property and brought investors on board, including Senator James Lougheed, R.B. Bennett and A.E. Cross, to finance the Calgary Petroleum Products Company, which drilled its first well in 1913. On May 14, 1914, the Dingman #1 well blew, forever changing Alberta’s economic future. For 30 years, the Turner Valley Oilfield was the largest oil and gas producer in the British Empire. The discovery was not crude oil, but more a gasoline product called “unrefined condensate,” but there was also natural gas
and oil production at well sites in the years to follow. Wells soon dotted the valley, and the petroleum activity was a bright spot in the otherwise bleak economy of Alberta in the 1930s. The field was depleted by the time the focus shifted to Leduc after WWII. The rich finds in the area prompted the development of the Turner Valley Gas Plant, the first petroleum processing facility west of Ontario. Through three separate stages of development, between WWI and the late 1940s, the natural gas processing plant at Turner Valley served as the largest in Canada’s oilfield. While overshadowed by the arrival of Leduc No. 1 in 1947, the Turner Valley field continued to produce oil and gas. Today, it produces more than it did 50 years ago. The Plant itself continued to operate, until 1985. Alberta Culture acquired the Turner Valley Gas Plant In 1988, and in 1989 it was designated a Provincial Historic Resource. In 1995 it was also named a National Historic Site. Turner Valley was incorporated as a town in 1930. The 2015 municipal census pegs the town’s population at 2,511.
To see how Sundre, Rocky Mountain House, and Drayton Valley got their names visit ExperiencetheCowboyTrail.com/name 44 | Enter our Photo Contest & Reader Survey
By: Janet Kanters
Experience Millarville & Priddis Millarville is located on the Cowboy Trail, just 9 minutes north of Turner Valley at the junction of Hwy 549. Although it is only a hamlet, Millarville is a popular destination for several reasons, not the least of which is the Millarville Farmers’ Market.
truly a fun family hideaway that is cool and shady on those hot summer days – everyone will find something to explore at this gem of a park. Watch for the full story by Julie Walker, owner of Full Circle Adventures, in our 2017 edition, or read it now at experiencethecowboytrail.com/brown-lowery-provincial-park.
Celebrating 34 years in 2016, this is southern Alberta’s largest outdoor market. Open Saturdays only, from June 18 - October 8, 9am-2pm. Each week, you will find upwards of 150 vendors here showcasing their Alberta produced products. Spend time interacting with the artists, farmers, ranchers, food artisans, and 32 Mayerthorpe crafters to find that special something for you or a loved one. 751 Sangudo Rochfort The proceeds from your $3.00647admission fee help43to Alaskasupport Bridge Highway
You may be surprised by how many great attractions are located along The Cowboy Trail. Watch for signage to WJ Homestead Disc Golf, the U of C’s Observatory, and the historic Leighton Centre. The former home of Albertan artists A.C. and Barbara Leighton, the centre is situated on the crest of a hill overlooking the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies. Many first-time visitors
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are astounded by the utter beauty of the landscape.
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Located between Millarville and Priddis, this sweet little park 620 Breton 616 Lodgepole Buck MOUNTAIN Creek has stunning views of the Rocky Mountain front ranges to the Buck Winfield 13 Lake west and vistas of downtown CalgaryAlder to the northeast. Access Flats from Hwy 22734is west on Plummers Road 22 for about 10 km. It is Pigeon Lake
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The hamlet of Priddis is 20 km west of Macleod Trail. Perhaps best known for its picturesque golf course, the community gets Leduc its name from Charles Priddis, one of the early residents. The Priddis Community Hall is more than 100 years old, and lays 2 claim to be the oldest Hall in Alberta. Stock up on supplies at the Wetaskiwin General Store. The View & Brew Bistro offers homemade food and specialty coffees.
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Bragg Creek is a favourite day trip destination for Calgarians. It’s the gateway to Elbow Valley, a recreation area enjoyed by all: hikers, bikers and riders. And this funky town also offers unique shops and some great dining experiences. The 30-minute drive to Bragg Creek along Hwy 22X is a winding, relaxing, and scenic experience. Within the Calgary City Limits, this roadway is also referred to as Stoney Trail, Spruce
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As mentioned on pg 45, the hamlet of Priddis is just 20 km west of Macleod Trail. From this point west, pay particular attention for wildlife on this highway, especially at dawn or dusk. And be ready for some jaw-dropping landscapes!
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Paddy’s Flats Aspen Creek
July 23 & 24 Bragg Creek Days & Ride for Sight July 29 - 31 Tsuu T’ina Pow Wow and Rodeo August 27 Moose Mountain Trail Races September 24 & 25 Heritage Festival October (all month) Scarecrow Festival
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November 19 & 20 Artisans Christmas Sale December 3, 4 & 10, 11 Spirit of Christmas
Experience Bragg Creek Bragg Creek gets its name from two young brother adventurers who arrived in 1885. Warren Bragg, aged 17 and John Bragg, aged 14 ran away from home in Nova Scotia over a disagreement with their new, very young step-mother. Dr. George Ings prospected this area in the 1890s. He mined a thousand tons of coal out of Moose Mountain. The discovery of natural gas then fueled oil speculation. Many wells were drilled over the next 70 years but no oil was found - just natural gas. While Bragg Creek is known for its enjoyable outdoor activities and beautiful landscape, it also has a number of popular shops throughout the hamlet. Keeping in mind the culture and history of the area, the stores in Bragg Creek are the perfect place to pick up a piece of local memorabilia, high quality home and garden wares, and gifts you are not likely to find anywhere else. Kids of all ages enjoy an ice cream cone at Scoops & Snacks. The Bavarian Inn serves traditional German fare, the Italian Farmhouse draws those who love country food with passion, and The Steak Pit specializes in Alberta beef. The Powderhorn Saloon offers great food and cold beer. With a live band playing on Fridays and a Jam session Wednesdays, there’s something for every two-stepper or toe-tapper.
Bragg Creek was hit hard by the June Flood of 2013. Several businesses were simply washed out when the Elbow River rushed through town. One of the hardest hit businesses was the historic Bragg Creek Trading Post. It’s located at the edge of town where White Ave turns into Hwy 758, adjacent to the Elbow River. The Trading Post was originally built by Guy Coates in 1925 and called the Upper Elbow General Store. In 1940, Jack Elsdon purchased it and delivered mail from Calgary to all the homes along Hwy 8. Jack’s daughter Barbara, rebuilt the business after the flood of 2013 and continues to run an old fashioned store that provides native handicrafts, treats and mercantile goods. Hwy 758 continues west for another 1.5 km, to Bragg Creek Provincial Park, where you can enjoy a pleasant picnic listening to the river, or launch a tube if the river is not running high. Bragg Creek is a terrific destination and a jumping off point for exploring the Elbow River Valley. Check on hiking, biking and equestrian trails at the Elbow Valley Information Centre, located just 3 minutes west of town on Hwy 66.
TASTING
The path to your next Wine Adventure
Specializing in Custom & Private Wine Tasting, Courses & Workshops
Enjoy authentic Texan cuisine at the Wild Texan BBQ. This family-friendly restaurant features savoury southern dishes made by their very own Texan chef. Award-winning ribs or chili.
RENÉE DELORME
Sommelier ISG2, WSET3
PLEASURES
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T 403-200-9961 mail@tastingpleasures.ca tastingpleasures @tastingpleasure www.tastingpleasures.ca
The Singing Highway Legacy Guitar
se
and Coffee Hou
Twin Butte, is a hamlet on a wind swept hill located halfway between Pincher Creek and Waterton National Park. A poster at the general store/restaurant announces the coming of Western Canadian Music Award winning group Sweet Alibi. The 50-seat room is sure to sell out. You see, the Twin Butte General Store is a favorite stop of the who’s who in the Canadian and American music scene – folk, country, rock and roll and even funk. Fred Eaglesmith, Little Miss Higgins, Devin Cuddy and Sam Baker have all performed at the “Twin Store”. This is a family run business featuring Mexican food and talented artists. Audiences seek out the café for a rare opportunity to intimately connect with artists who seek the same. No big city stage comes close to such an experience. Throughout my virtual pilgrimage up Highway 22, a picturesque 700 km stretch, I’ve come to understand how cuisine, culture and community spirit intersect. From the mountain peaks, to cattle country with its striking open skies to the gentle rolling farmland of the north; café, bars, trading posts, country resorts and community centres provide a diversity of stages for musicians to perform. Quality wholesome food is the norm and a reminder of the warm hospitality of country folks. Activities for the whole family include: barn dancing, hiking trails and craft centres. Wherever you are, there is something for everyone on Hwy 22. However, before you leave home on your own music pilgrimage be sure to plan ahead. Call or surf the net to find out what’s up. As is the case for most community small towns, promotion is often a billboard or a poster, word of mouth and sometimes a website or a Facebook Post. Here is a sampling of music venues along the Cowboy Trail in 2016:
Great Canadian Barn Dance – Hill Spring
Grandview
Stage
be without their favorite java. In a true small town way, Mike handed them a key and so his ‘regulars’ went in, every day, to brew their pot of ‘Joe’ relaxing in their favorite café. When he came back a brown bag of money was waiting for him as a warm thank you for his generosity. It is a family run coffee house infused with youthful energy and excellent food. Located in the historic downtown, many international vacationers on their way to fly fishing or hiking destinations make it a priority to stop by for their amazing coffees.
A barn like no other brings you back to yesteryear. A must for the whole family. Once you have settled into the Barn’s full facility family campground or Bed & Breakfast lodge, comes the hard choices - boat ride on the pond, wagon ride, music camp, tasting great western food, sauntering along local trails, barn dancing, kids barn sleep overs, live music, the list goes on. The Kunkel Family has offered those hard choices for over 25 years and pledge to continue doing so. Visit the website at: gcbd.ca
The Stop is also a fierce supporter of the arts presenting home style concerts several times a year. Many celebrated Canadian singer-songwriters and Juno award winners have performed at the Stop. But that’s not all. Keeping things fresh this year the owner is introducing monthly songwriter evening sessions. For more information give them a call at 403-933-3002 or visit their Facebook page at: facebook.com/TheStopcoffee
Waterton Lakes Opera House – Waterton
Walking down historic downtown amongst the famed MacKay’s ice cream parlour, nifty craft stores and intriguing street arts you will find the Legacy Guitar House café. Founded by lifelong music lover Tom Powell, this is a music store turned coffee shop, turned music lesson hub, turned music venue. Despite the fact there is no alcohol served on the premises this cafe is definitely a favorite of the locals. The likes of Amos Garret and Oscar Lopez have performed at the Legacy as well as countless talented artists worth discovering. The venue sells out regularly. For more info visit their website at: legacyguitarhouse.com
In 2012, Phil and Jeny Akitt, with the help of many good friends, transformed the 100-year-old movie theater into a venue which celebrates fine cuisine and arts. Expect coffees, ice cream, Mexican cuisine, and an amazing line up of Canadian and International live music. Oh! And they still play old films daily on the big screen free of charge. Drop in anytime to check out what they have going on in one of our prized National Parks. For more information visit the website at: watertonoperahouse.ca
The Stop Coffee House - Black Diamond
Last year, the Stop Coffee House GM Mike Kingston aimed to shutter his café for 10 days to take his family on a vacation. Twelve locals, regulars at the café, grew concerned they’d
Legacy Guitar House Café – Cochrane
Grandview Stage – Rocky Mountain House
The Grandview Stage was founded in 1969 as a staging area for outfitters and travellers heading west. Today it is a family run
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The Singing Highway Waterton Lak
es Opera Hou
se
There are a number of other destinations along the Cowboy Trail offering music along with great food and a welcoming atmosphere. Here are of some notables: Hill Spring - Great Canadian Barn Dance Website: gcbd.ca Waterton - Waterton Lakes Opera House Website: watertonoperahouse.ca Twin Butte - Twin Butte General Store Restaurant Website: twinbuttestore.com Longview - Longview Twin Cities Saloon Website: twincitieshotel.ca Turner Valley - Turner Valley Lodge Website: turnervalleyhotel.com
Twin Butte
resort complete with a general store, restaurant, deluxe cabins and Western Canada’s largest tin sign collection. Tucked away in the magnificent foothills of the Rockies and close to pristine Cow Lake, the Grandview Stage is a destination for outdoor enthusiasts and music lovers. Del and Lesley, owners of the well known music hub, have presented concert series, festivals and weekly open mics for the past 13 years. Some of the finest Canadian artists have experienced the good old friendly western hospitality and enjoyed the best backdrop nature can offer. Visit their website to learn more: grandviewstage.com
Sangudo Connections Coffee House
The 400 residents of Sangudo knew exactly what to do when the local Legion closed its doors. In true pioneer spirit they collectively purchased the local building, fixed it up and turned it into the community’s cultural focal point. Four years later the Ohler family purchased the building honoring the local vision. The Connections Coffee House is located 20 km east of Mayerthorpe on Hwy 43. It offers home style cuisine and a warm place for all to connect. the café presents the Home Routes Concert, a publicly funded concert series and local artists’ sell their art on consignment. Celebrated artists such as Saskia & Darrel or Sean Hogan – winner of the 2003 Roots Artist of the Year at the Canadian Country Music Awards – often cold call in the hope they can perform in Sangudo. Locals have their regular evenings too, fostering new talents and celebrating their strong community spirit. Once there you can be assured proprietor Carol will greet you like a long lost cousin and present the best her food and art menus have to offer. To learn more visit: facebook.com/connectionscoffeehousesangudo. By: Renee Delorme
Black Diamond - The Stop Coffee House Website: facebook.com/TheStopcoffee Black Diamond Bar & Hotel Website: blackdiamondhotel.com Bragg Creek - Powder Horn Saloon Website: powderhornsaloon.ca Cochrane - Legacy Guitar and Coffee House Website: legacyguitarhouse.com Cochrane - Cambrian Arms Pub Website: facebook.com/CumbrianArmspub Cremona - Cremona Hotel Website: cremonahotel.ca Water Valley - Water Valley Saloon Facebook.com/ Water-Valley-SaloonRoadhouse-333757122096 Sundre - Swamp Donkey ‘s Pub facebook.com/pages/Swamp-DonkeysPub/130283583670390 Rocky Mountain House - Grandview Stage Website: grandviewstage.com Drayton Valley - Hines Creek Café Tel. 780-494-2009 Mayerthorpe - Sangudo Connections Coffee House Website: facebook.com/connectionscoffeehousesangudo
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Experience Cochrane & Area Located 36 km west of downtown Calgary, 32 km north of Bragg Creek, and in the heart of Alberta cattle country, Cochrane is smack dab in the middle of the Cowboy Trail. Senator Matthew Henry Cochrane established the Cochrane Ranche in 1881. Nestled at the base of Big Hill in the Bow River valley the ranch was in a truly picturesque location. Four years later, the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) created a townsite here and named it in honour of the man. Located just minutes north of Cochrane, Spring Hill RV Park has become a favourite first stop for travellers who rent their RV in north Calgary or Airdrie. You simply follow Hwy 567 west til you get to Hwy 22. The driving time is about half an hour, just long enough for you to get used to your rig. Bonnie & Sean will help you get settled so you can start your adventure fresh in the morning, just be sure to top up with gas. Heading south on Hwy 22, your first stop is minutes away. It’s the Cochrane Ranch Historic Site, home of the Bert Sheppard Stockmen’s Foundation Library and Archives - a must see! Full of western memorabilia, ask the staff to see their Collection of 101 cowboy hats and their displays of barbed wire and saddles.
Cochrane has a reputation for western culture, which is obvious as we saunter down Main Street. The quaint authentic stores such as the Rockyview Hotel, Tony’s Western Wear, and Home Quarter Mercantile anchor Historic Downtown Cochrane. Be sure to stop at the expanded Home Quarter Mercantile for an excellent selection of affordable, authentic western wear. Joan & Clarence Longeway stock home decor and accent pieces, plus men’s and women’s clothing lines, jewellery, handbags, wallets, and other accessories, with new stock arriving regularly. If your sweet tooth is acting up, stroll down the street two doors to another landmark in Cochrane. If it is a hot day, you’ll probably notice a long line of people eager to enter MacKay’s Ice Cream. Meghan and her family have been serving perhaps the best ice cream, frozen yogurt and sorbet in western Canada for more than 65 years! Some of their more innovative flavours include Purple Yam, Avocado, Kulfi, and Halo Halo although their best seller is Chocolate. What’s your favourite? Olive ‘R Twist is a trendy bistro and martini bar, nestled in the heart of downtown Cochrane, just across the street from Home Quarter Mercantile. Megan will make your dining experience a Con’t on pg 52
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Experience Cochrane & Area See cochrane-tourism.ca for up to date events listings Saturday mornings June - Sept. 9:30 am - 1:30 pm Cochrane Farmers’ Market
August 13, 2016: Calgary Police Rodeo with Barn Dance August 19, 20, 21, 2016: Cochrane Fair
Sundays June 5-Oct. 2, 12:00 - 6:00 pm ACFC Artisan Market, Centennial Plaza July 1, 2016: Cochrane Canada Day Family Festival July 13, 2016: Stampede Breakfast, Spray Lake Sawmills July 14, 2016: Foothills Bucking Horse Futurity July 23 and 24, 2016: Zombie Survivor and Hero Survivor
November 20, 2016: Christmas Market
September 2, 2016: Slimdor Ranch Rodeo
December 3, 2016: Kids Christmas Shopping Event
September 3,4,5, 2016: 50th Annual Cochrane Lions Rodeo
December 10, 2016: Last Minute Christmas Market
September 24, 2016: Cochrane Outhouse Races
December 10, 2016: The Holiday Parade of Lights
August 6, 2016: Cochrane Classic Bullriding
Spring Hill RV Park Fully serviced RV park. All amenities on site including gas station, propane, convenience store, fast food, liquor store, laundry, power/water/sewer to each site, dump station, pull thru sites, showers and laundromat.
Ph: (403) 932-2010 info@springhillrvpark.com www.springhillrvpark.com
November 19, 2016: Cochrane Light Up
August 20, 2016: Spring Hill Annual Charity Show & Shine
July 30, 2016: Cochrane Ranche Day Festival
Located 7 km north of Cochrane on the corner of Hwy 22 and Hwy 567. Reservations recommended.
October 22, 2016: Stockmen’s Memorial Foundation Annual Dinner & Auction
216 1st St. West Cochrane, AB
403-932-2121 homequarter1@gmail.com homequarter.ca
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Experience Cochrane & Area
STUDIO WEST Art Gallery & Bronze Foundry Large Selection of Sculptures & Western Art A SCULPTURE EXPERIENCE See the lost-wax bronze casting process
205 - 2nd Ave E, Bow Street & 2nd Ave E, Cochrane 403-932-2611 www.DonBeggStudioWest.ca Con’t from pg 50
memorable event with friendly, personable service, comfortable atmosphere, trendy décor and delicious cuisine prepared with the freshest ingredients. May we suggest the Ahi Tuna Salad, Ginger Duck or the Maple Blueberry Bison Burger? The Bullhorn Saloon is a western-themed bar located just south across the tracks. A 10 tap beer tower makes the draft beer alone worth stopping in for, but you may also like the seven sport TVs. The Studio West Art Gallery & Bronze Foundry is a very unique attraction. Don & Shirley Begg have operated this lost-wax bronze foundry since 1970. Since then they have designed and created more than 85 public bronze statues. Be sure to stop for a free tour of sculpting and see work in progress. They too are located just south of the tracks not far from the Bullhorn. You’ll find their work from Lethbridge to Mayerthorpe and beyond. Can you find “The Legacy” in downtown Cochrane or “The Fallen Four” in Mayerthorpe? Refer to our map of The Cowboy Trail (pg 10) for the locations of numerous works along the trail. Two years ago, Justin Burwash launched a hotel management company and his first acquisition was the Cochrane Super 8. With lofty goals for growth, this family is doing everything right. The Super 8 is a budget hotel, but you won’t feel cheap staying here. This “pet-friendly” property had lots of amenities and great service, including breakfast with waffles and hard boiled eggs!
art and jewellery. Located right next door is Poor David’s. This unique little gift and card shop will charm your sweetheart and crack up your friends. Karrie Peace, owner of both, organizes the annual Cochrane Outhouse Race usually scheduled for the last Saturday in September. Proceeds from this fun event go towards the Cochrane Food Bank. Bow RiversEdge Campground is located along the banks of the beautiful Bow River. Owned by the local Rotary and Lions Club, each site has full hook-up facilities including the Internet! We’re located close to the Sports Center and shopping. Sandi and her friendly staff will assist you with all your questions. Cochrane is growing rapidly and changing. In recent years it has earned a reputation as a centre of outdoor adventure for such activities as paragliding, skydiving, wind sports, water activities, golfing, hiking and cycling. However, our western roots remain strong. There is even talk of a new western conference facility. Sure hope you can attend our 2nd Annual Bull Riding Event on May 28th, 2016. Organized by Cowboys for a Cure, proceeds go to support cancer research. And be sure to join us for the Lions Labour Day Rodeo weekend!
The Heavenly Outhouse carries a unique collection of delightful treats for you and your home – from bath and bed, to furniture,
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Experience Cochrane & Area
Cowboy for a Cure
On May 28th, 2016 Cowboys for a Cure in Conjunction with the Alberta Cancer Foundation will be holding the 2nd Annual Bull Riding Event in Cochrane, Ab. The event will host a Professional Bull Riding, Cowboy Cabaret, Silent Auction and many other great activities for the whole family. Cowboys for a Cure was created in 2013 By Bill Scheers who lost his battle with Cancer. Our vision is to continue to promote cancer awareness in the Rodeo and ranching world. 2016 will be another year dedicated to those fighting the beast, those that are alongside them and for those that are now living the cowboy way in a grander arena. Cowboyforacure.ca
53 | ExperienceTheCowboyTrail.com
• Over 140 sites (most are pull-through) • Beautiful riverside location • Next to Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre • Easy access via Hwy 22 to Griffin Rd • Close to all amenities • Power, water & sewer on every site • Showers, laundry • 30/50 Amp sites • Year round camping • Central washroom building • Wi-Fi Internet included
The Premier Year Round Campground on the Cowboy Trail 403.932.4675 I Toll Free: 877.932.4675 900 Griffin Road East, Cochrane, AB
www.bowriversedge.com
Experience Crossfield Crossfield is located 45 min northeast of Cochrane at the junction of Hwys 2A and 574. Access into Crossfield is easy as it is also adjacent to Hwy 2, the main north-south corridor between Calgary and Edmonton. You’ll find the town about 30 min north of the Calgary Airport. The community roots run deep for 125 years when, in 1890, Mrs. Hannington opened a stopping house on the CalgaryEdmonton Trail. Two years later, the C & E Railway linked these two large centres by rail and a siding, 29 miles north of Calgary that became identified as Crossfield, named for Mr. Crossfield, an engineer with CPR surveyor crew. In 1980, when the Village of Crossfield’s population reached 1,000 people, it was incorporated into a town. Facilities now include a splash park, library, parks, rodeo grounds, curling rink, fish ponds, golf course, wetlands and arena. Named after a famous rodeo star, the Pete Knight Memorial Centre provides an opportunity for youth to participate in winter sports like figure skating, minor hockey and lacrosse. The Center also hosts the Farmers’ Market and other events during the summer months.
Numerous services are available in the Town of Crossfield for travellers, including several restaurants, hotel, groceries, pharmacy, gas bars and much more. However, one of the major retailers in the area became so big that they had to get out of town. You’ll find Irvine’s about 6 km NE of Crossfield, and it is worth the drive. Irvine’s prides itself as being Canada’s Largest Western Store. They were established as a family run business in 2004. With over 65,000 sq. ft of retail space, they carry more products than most traditional western stores. You will find everything from western apparel to saddles and from giftware to all your rodeo gear. They have 5,000 sq. ft dedicated just to ropes! Where are you off to next? If you’re following the Southern Alberta Heritage Circle Tour and on your way to Drumheller, head south from Crossfield to Hwy 72, then east through Beiseker and Hwy 9. And if you are heading west to The Cowboy Trail, simply follow Hwy 574 over to Water Valley. Or take 567 from Airdrie back towards Cochrane via Spring Hill.
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Experience Sundre & Area
Beautifully situated in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and on the Red Deer River, the quintessential Alberta town is waiting for you. Come explore Sundre, to see what life is really about..
VISIT. Nestle among the trees of the boreal forest, camping
EXPLORE. Come explore our rich pioneer history. And
on the shores of the Red Deer River, in Sundre. Why not check
do it on horseback. Or, for a little culture, bring your family
out Tall Timbers Leisure Park, an RV and Camping Resort that’s
to visit the unique and fascinating Sundre Pioneer Museum,
perfect for your family? Or relax at the Greenwood Camp-
which interestingly features the World of Wildlife exhibit,
ground, where you’re likely to wake up to the local wildlife.
a showcase of animals from around the world. But if adventure is more your style, go rafting with Otter Rafting
LIVE. What do you get to do during your 9 to 5? In Sundre,
Adventures. Yes, they call us home too.
you can spend your lunch break at one of Alberta’s elite golf courses, the spectacular Sundre Golf Club. Two other courses are within 15 minutes of town, including Coyote Creek Golf Club, and Forest Heights Golf Course. These are examples of why so many people are beginning to call Sundre home.
VISIT
LIVE
EXPLORE
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Experience Caroline & Nordegg Caroline This small but progressive community is surrounded by Alberta’s rolling foothills. The area is well known for its breath-taking landscape and untouched wilderness. For those looking to unplug, to enjoy peace and quiet, Caroline may be the perfect little getaway. The Village of Caroline is located right on the Cowboy Trail, just 40 km north of Sundre, 41 km south of Rocky Mountain House, and 50 km east of Banff National Park. Caroline is the hometown of Canada’s figure skating champion Kurt Browning. Figure skating fans will want to check out the memorabilia from his skating career housed in “Kurt’s Korner”, in the Kurt Browning Arena. To learn more about the early western history of the area, be sure to stop at the Caroline and District Museum.
In 1907, a colourful adventurer and entrepreneur named Martin Nordegg headed west with the backing of German investors. His sights were set on the rich coal seams, he was told existed on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains. The advice received was true and by 1911 Nordegg built the Brazeau Collieries. His efforts were key in the development of a major industry as immigrant miners arrived from Europe looking for work. By the late 1940s the Collieries were the 2nd largest coal briquette maker in North America. You can learn more about the rich mining history in the region and the unique town Nordegg built visiting the Brazeau Collieries National Historic Site and the Nordegg Heritage Centre.
Nordegg
The Nordegg area is a big piece of rugged countryside. You can enjoy a wide range of summer activities, from bird watching and wildlife viewing to mountain biking and fly fishing. Lounge around the campfire in one of over 300 campsites. Swing a club at the 9-hole golf course, take a heli-tour of the vast glaciers, or live out your cowboy dreams on a horseback tour.
Until recently, Nordegg has been a relatively well kept secret. Located 90 km west of Rocky Mountain House on the David Thompson Highway (Hwy 11), Nordegg is about half way to Saskatchewan Crossing and the Icefields Parkway.
In the winter months experience the silence and serenity of cross country skiing, or bring out your inner adventurer with ice climbing or snowmobiling the miles of trails.
Let the Nordegg Lodge be the centre for your Rocky Mountain getaway.
Welcome Visitors!
Fishing, Hunting, Camping, Hiking, Trail Riding, Kayaking Mountain Biking, Golfing, Boating, Swimming, Water Skiing Places to see:
• Kurt’s Corner Memorabilia Room, Kurt Browning Arena • Wheel of Time Museum & RV Campground (May-Sept) • Raven Brood Trout Station • Burnstick, Swan and Phyllis Lakes Campgrounds • Raven, Tay and Clearwater Rivers • Limestone Lookout • Gateway to Corkscrew Mountain & Ram Falls
FAMILY - FUN - SERVICE Year round nature at its finest becomes your playground. Experience the Beauty!!
Special Events:
• Small Town Smackdown (3rd Sat Apr.) • Farmer’s Market ( Fri, May to Sept) • Big Horn Stampede (May Long Weekend) • Rodeo Parade (Sat May Long Weekend) • Canada Day Celebration (Museum) • Black Elk Hockey Camp (Aug) • Christmas Light Up (1st Fri, Dec)
Visit www.villageofcaroline.com or call 403-722-3781
www.nordegglodge.com Reservations: 1-800-408-3294 or 1-403-721-3757
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Experience Rocky Mountain House Rocky Mountain House Fur traders put Rocky Mountain House on the map 200 years ago when the North West Company and the Hudson’s Bay Company established trading post forts on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River. The two companies competed for the lucrative beaver pelt market that flourished in this region until their merger in 1821. One famous resident of the fort was David Thompson, the greatest chronicler of his day of landscapes, peoples and nature. His famous map of the Province of Canada covered 4 million sq. km. (1/6) of the continent, with unprecedented accuracy. The Rocky Mountain House trading post fort was eventually deserted in 1875, however it lives on today as a National Historic Site that commemorates the rich era of the fur traders and explorers of Western Canada. Stroll along the interpretive trails. The kids will love the pint-sized play fort and puppet theatre along with a chance to see the bison. Rocky Mountain House is aptly tagged “Where Adventure Begins” and there are hundreds of miles of wooded foothills and front-range mountains to explore. Here you can hook up
with well-established outfitters and ranches to try your hand at working cattle, backcountry trail riding, canoeing wilderness rivers, fishing spring fed trout streams, or maybe just relaxing. There’s no need to rough it at the end of the day. Expect everything from hearty home-cooked meals to luxurious log cabins complete with hot tubs - guaranteed to sooth aching muscles! There are some fabulous lakes; Crimson, Cow and Sylvan close by with great beaches and lots of camping. The Grandview Stage (see pg 48) offers bluegrass music, camping, cabins and chef prepared meals at its resort. Farther west on Hwy 11 and off the Forestry Trunk Road you will find the Land of the Falls: Siffluer, Crescent, Bighorn, Ram and Hummingbird to name just a few. At the west end of the Abraham Lake are the Kootenay Plains an important native heritage site with its unique grasslands where the North Saskatchewan River breaks out of the mountains. The Town of Rocky Mountain House will be hosting many events such as the pro-rodeo, world professional chuckwagons, a demolition derby and many others. For more information visit rockymtnhouse.com.
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Experience the Northern Leg
Photo Courtesy of Travel Alberta
Photo Courtesy of Travel Alberta
You’re entering the North Country, home to boreal forests, rolling croplands and some of the best forage and pasture producing land in the province. Along the way don’t miss the chance to hunt wild boar in a natural setting. Consider an overnight stay in a spacious log cabin complete with all the comforts of home. Then tuck into a hearty country breakfast before you move on. Expect to see herds of cattle, elk and bison grazing next to bobbing oil pump jacks. The giant West Pembina oilfield near Drayton Valley is Canada’s largest, but don’t be fooled. The cowboy way of life is alive & well along this northern leg.
Alder Flats to Drayton Valley The hamlet of Alder Flats is located 71 km north of Rocky Mountain House and only 49 km south of Drayton Valley. Visit a western ghost town movie set at Em-Te Town. Sip a cool one in the Hog’s Breath Saloon. Check out the jailhouse, morgue, livery stable, and two-storey outhouse. Indulge in a hearty steak supper after your trail ride, before bunking down. There’s no shortage of things to do in the North Country, including playing a round of golf. Raven Meadows Golf Resort operates from May through October. It is an easy-to-
To see how Sundre, Rocky Mountain House, and Drayton Valley got their names visit ExperiencetheCowboyTrail.com/name
Come Visit EM-TE TOWN FR FUL EE BRE L HOT AKF AST
63 Deluxe Guest Rooms Honeymoon Suites | Business Suites Exercise Facilities | Wireless Internet Banquet & Meeting Room
Steak & Pasta Kitchen The Rack 403-845-7620 | Liquor Store 403-845-5472 Highway 11 | Rocky Mountain House
403-845-5252 | 1-877-845-5252 www.tamarackmotorinn.com
An Old Western Frontier Town Resort & Campground Group Tours Available Camping/ RV Sites | Motel/ Cabins Saloon/ Restaurant | General Store
Tour the town. Enjoy a beverage and a bite in the ole saloon. Stay the day or overnight. You’ll be glad you did. Directions: From Junction hwy #22 and Hwy #13, Go West 6 km to Alder Flats. Go 3 km South, 3 km West. Follow the signs
www.emtetown.com emte@emtetown.com 780-388-2166
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Experience Yellowhead County walk, mature, 18 hole, par 72 course with lush irrigated greens. This family run facility also features a pro shop, restaurant, RV campground and a year round hotel. Combined, Em-Te Town and Raven Meadows may make this area the perfect venue for your Western Wedding!
Yellowhead County Here, the active outdoors person has plenty of opportunity for touring, hiking, biking, camping, fishing, hunting, ATV’ing, white water rafting, caving, snowmobiling or skiing. Stay in one of seven County campgrounds, or our numerous Provincial Parks or Wildland Parks. Swimming, boating, and some of the best fishing in the province abound. Hiking trails in our canyons and hoodoos offer a unique perspective. Stay in the town of Edson or Hinton, or set up your base in one of our many campgrounds, guest ranches, lodges or country bed & breakfasts as you explore all our region has to offer.
Pembina River Provincial Park is located at the junction of the Yellowhead Highway. It’s a great place to stop for a picnic and on a hot day the river offers a cool respite. With more than 130 campsites, this park makes for another great hub from which to explore The Yellowhead County and The Cowboy Trail. The villages of Entwistle and Evansburg are located adjacent to the park. Entwistle started as a railway town to transport coal from mines located at nearby Evansburg. It’s hard to imagine that the hamlet was once called the “toughest town on the northwestern frontier” complete with its fair share of brothels and gambling joints. Life became considerably quieter once the coal industry petered out and large numbers of immigrants moved in from the prairies to try their hand at homesteading. Try to find the official residence of the Town Grouch at #10 Frowning Street in Evansburg. Maybe you can spot Dippy the Chip Lake Monster, although you’re more likely to see the bald eagles, blue herons, pelicans or snow geese that frequent Chip Lake on their annual migrations.
For more information visit NorthernRockiesAreCalling.ca
Yellowhead County is Calling You.
Raven Meadows Golf Resort features many opportunities for fun and relaxation. The golf course is a mature, 18 hole, par 72 course with long lush fairways. Challenges include long, links style grass on some fairways, water on others and mature trees. The pro shop is fully stocked.
There is also an RV park supplying water and power, washroom and shower facilities, and firewood to purchase. The 9 room hotel, restaurant and lounge operate 12 months a year, seven days a week.
The staff is friendly, efficient and always eager to serve you. They hope to see you soon! Located on Hwy 22 just 1.5 km south of the Hwy 13 junction.
Pro Shop & Lounge: 780-388-3060 Restaurant: 780-388-3820 ravenmeadows.ca
Each year more and more Albertans are making Yellowhead County part of their vacation plans – and it isn’t hard to see why. Come discover all there is to explore, from the Cowboy Trail and Pembina Park to the Northern Rockies and the surrounding historic Coal Branch area. Just make sure you leave enough time – you’ll be surprised at how much there is to do.
www.NorthernRockiesAreCalling.ca
#northernrockiesare calling
Yellowhead County 2015 Cowboy Trail
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Museums of the Northern Leg If you’re interested in learning more about how this great province got its start, set aside some time on your next visit to west central Alberta to visit a few of the museums and historical sites that capture the guts, glory and determination of people and events that have shaped Alberta over the past 150 years. Jasper
In this iconic national park the year-round Jasper-Yellowhead Museum and Archives features an historical gallery capturing the essence of pioneer life in the Rocky Mountains. The gallery includes exhibits of the fur trade, the coming of the national railway, early explorers and development of the national park. Featured exhibits include a canoe used by early guide and outfitter Curly Phillips, an ice axe from the first expedition to Mt. Alberta, and artifacts of explorer David Thompson. The yearround museum, located at 400 Bonhomme St., operates from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily during the summer and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday during the winter. jaspermuseum.org
Hinton
About an hour northeast of Jasper on the Yellowhead Highway, the Hinton Historical Society has been busy getting a museum open in the 1913 Grand Truck Pacific Railway station house. It’s located at 225 Greg Ave., which is Highway 16 through Hinton. The museum not only captures the railway history of Hinton, but also the history of the town named in 1911 after William P. Hinton, vice president and general manager of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. Museum displays tell the story of the early days fur trade and the exploits of explorer David Thompson during his travels in the region. The society plans to have the museum open Tuesday through Saturdays starting in June for the summer months. For more information on the Society and museum hours email: hintonhistory@gmail.com
Canoe used by early guide Curly Phillips Jasper Yellowhead Museum and Archives
Edson
The Galloway Station Museum and Travel Centre is housed in a former Canadian Northern Railway station that was moved to its present site in Edson’s Centennial Park in 1975. Open yearround, the recently renovated facility includes a larger exhibit space and visitor information centre. Operated by the Edson and District Historical Society, the museum features an up close and personal glimpse into the region’s natural world and early industries. Take the time to explore a life-sized trapper’s cabin and enter a mine shaft. Experience life in a tie camp and learn about Edson’s genuine wild west past. Then investigate artifacts from the Grande Trunk Pacific Canadian Northern and Canadian National Railways. The museum is open yearround but hours vary with season so visit the website before heading out: gallowaystationmuseum.com Red Brick Art Centre and Museum - Also in Edson visit this museum and performing arts centre housed in an old school house that was built in 1913. The museum focuses on early Alberta school days and features classroom and daily living artifacts from the turn of the last century. The facility also has an art gallery showcasing the work of local artists as well as a 140-seat performing arts theatre. The Theatre hosts a number of local travelling shows and performances over the year. The Red Brick Art Centre and Museum is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. year-round. For more information visit their website at: redbrickartscentre.com
1913 Louisville Kentucky Rail Car Hinton Historical Society
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The Galloway Station Museum and Travel Centre Edson, Alberta
Museums of the Northern Leg Evansburg
Visit the Tipple Park Museum and maybe see a grouch - that’s all part of the package during a visit to Evansburg, which is on the northern leg of the Cowboy Trail. The museum, located on the original Evansburg coal mine site, features heritage buildings including an early one-room school house, a log cabin once the home of the Mazeppa pioneer family, and the original Scout Hall. Buildings feature displays on local history, including the early days of the hamlet’s namesake Harry Evans, who discovered coal in the area. The community launched a good-natured tradition several years ago of selecting one town resident at the annual Pembina Valley Days to be dubbed as the “town grouch” for a year. The resident receiving the honor can often be seen at community functions dressed in a coal miner costume. The museum is open year round but hours vary with season so call 780-727-2240 or visit the website before heading out: tippleparkmuseum.com
Drayton Valley
The Drayton Valley Museum features a number of heritage buildings.Watch for the Paul Bunyan bowling ball display. Your getting close. The museum, operated by the Drayton Valley Historical Society, features an old one-room schoolhouse, a barn outfitted with farm implements from pioneering days, as well as a general store. Along with displays of the community’s oil and gas history, visitors can also see displays of early lumber and trapping industries. The museum is open May long weekend until Labor Day daily from 12 noon until 5 p.m. For more information visit the Drayton Valley website at: draytonvalley.ca
Rocky Mountain House
The Rocky Mountain House Museum and visitors centre offers displays in the main building itself, including a working player piano and an amazing collection of different types of barbed wire. Several heritage buildings sit in the adjoining Pioneer Park. They include the 1923 Glacier one-room schoolhouse and the Meadows Cabin which was once an original Forest Service Cabin. Explore the implement shed which features displays of the areas agricultural history. This includes a “brand board” which carries livestock brands once displayed at Coles Auction Mart. Take in the pancake breakfast each July 1st. The museum is open daily year round but hours vary with season so visit the website before heading out: rockymuseum.com
Nordegg
West of Rocky Mountain House along Hwy 11 you’ll find the Nordegg Heritage Centre museum housed in a historic yellow schoolhouse. The Heritage Centre features a museum, café and gift shop. The museum features displays of local history including early school days and the life and times of early coal mining days. The Heritage Centre is open daily from the May long weekend until late August from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. While you’re at the centre, book a tour of the Brazeau Collieries Mine Site, designated as both a provincial and national historic site. The upper site includes a guided tour of ancillary buildings and a trip into a coal mine shaft and a separate tour takes visitors through an old barbecue briquette plant. Tours leave from the Heritage Centre and operate through the summer months on a varied schedule so check the website: clearwatercounty.ca By: Lee Hart
For more information on other great Alberta museums visit unlockthepast.ca
A Working Player Piano Rocky Mountain House Museum and Visitor Centre
The Meadows Cabin Rocky Mountain House Museum and Visitor Centre
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Early Coal Mining Days Nordegg Heritage Centre Museum
Experience Mayerthorpe
Mayerthorpe is located at the junction of Hwy 43, The Canamex Corridor, and Hwy 22, the northern terminus of The Cowboy Trail. We’ve always enjoyed a cowboy heritage and our town is home to many rodeo champions, cowboys, cowgirls, high school rodeo competitors, and Canada’s famous Hay Brothers. Throughout the year, there are so many activities to enjoy and places to visit that you should plan to spend at least a couple of days in the area. You can camp beside the golf course, stay at the local motel or at one of the nearby country guest ranches or check out the Cowboy Storyboard located in Town along Hwy 22. Mayerthorpe’s Fallen Four Memorial Park was built in 2008 to honour the memory of four slain RCMP officers, and as a tribute
to all peace officers. It is a popular attraction for visitors, a stopping-off point for weary travelers, and a beautiful location for marriage ceremonies and wedding and graduation photos. From Mayerthorpe, you can head 8 km east to the Rochfort Bridge Trestle and Museum, one of the longest wooden rail bridges in western Canada. If you want to cool off and enjoy some water sports, the Paddle River Dam is just a few kilometers south of the bridge’s viewpoint. If the thought of an old-fashioned country fair excites you, head into Mayerthorpe on the second weekend of August to enjoy the agricultural fair. You will see bench exhibits, horse and cattle shows, ball games, and enjoy live entertainment and exciting demonstrations. The kids can try their luck at the penny carnival and enjoy the petting zoo. Whatever the reason for your visit to Mayerthorpe, be sure to stop by our unique gift shops, to eat a great home-cooked style meal at one of our restaurants, and to experience the small town hospitality that we have to offer. Check out our website for more information about our town, visitor activities and attractions available in the area. @Mayerthorpe1
MyMayerthorpe
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Experience Mayerthorpe Indoor Rodeo: May 20 - 22, 2016 Rangeton Farmer’s Day Music Festival: June 10-12, 2016 County Cruisers Show & Shine: June 18, 2016 Agricultural Fair: August 13 - 14, 2016 Culture Days: October 1, 2016 Kin Club Christmas Market: November 19, 2016 Christmas Light-Up: December 2, 2016 Fallen Four Memorial Park open from May 1 to September 30
Our Local Businesses and Attractions Welcome You...
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The “Feisty Females”
Stampede Queen Evelyn Eagle Speaker (Princess Wapiti) with Ladies-in-waiting. Calgary, Alberta. NA-5093-18 Courtesy of The Glenbow Museum
Flores La Due, cowgirl and fancy roper. NA-3164-371 Courtesy of The Glenbow Museum
Canadian movie star Fay Wray circa 1935
On April 19th, 1916, Alberta’s politicians passed a bill granting women the right to vote in the province. To celebrate and commemorate the 100th anniversary of this important step forward we feature the “Feisty Females” from The Cowboy Trail. Additionally, we recognize “The Famous 5” Alberta women who fought and won the right to have women legally recognized as persons in 1929. The ‘Famous 5’ women were petitioners in the groundbreaking Persons case led by Emily Murphy and included Henrietta Muir Edwards, Nellie McClung, Louise Crummy McKinney and Irene Parlby.
Feisty Cowgirls
Flores La Due was much more than the wife of Guy Weadick, cofounder of the Calgary Stampede. The 5 ft., one hundred pound cowgirl ran away from home as a child and changed her name to join a Wild West show. Later she won the World Champion Lady Fancy Roper title at the first Stampede with her amazing tricks. In one jaw-dropping feat La Due stopped 5 horses barrelling toward her at full speed with just her rope! Anna Chevallier, another super brave cowgirl, wowed the crowds by riding her horse ‘Johnny’ off a 40-foot high platform into a small water tank as part of the Dr. Carver’s Diving Girls Show. And Chevallier couldn’t swim!
Feisty Movie Stars
Fay Wray was born on a ranch outside of Cardston in southern Alberta and starred in over 50 Hollywood movies including the
original King Kong in 1933. She has a star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood, a park named after her in Cardston, and Canada Post featured her on a commemorative postage stamp. Miss Stasia Cross Carry started out as a circus performer who thrilled the crowd with her amazing riding and sharp shooting skills and ended up in a movie called Cupid the Cowpuncher with the one and only Will Rodgers.
Feisty Aboriginal Women
Evelyn Eagle Speaker from The Blood First Nation was the first aboriginal woman to be crowned Stampede Queen in 1954. All of the Stampede queens and princesses were expected to wear matching cowgirl outfits, but the feisty Evelyn, also known as Princess Wapiti, decided to wear the beautiful buckskin dress her mother made for her to the ceremony and Stampede parade.
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From The Cowboy Trail
Canadian folk singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell circa 1972
Mrs. John Glenn (nee Adelaide Belcourt), Fish Creek, Alberta. PD-262-18 Courtesy of The Glenbow Museum
For decades Josephine Crow Shoe from the Pikanii First Nation has educated Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people about native culture, tradition and history. Josephine received the National Aboriginal Achievement Award and the prestigious Order of Canada for her outstanding contributions.
Feisty Women of The Cloth
Mother Mary Green was an Irish nun who arrived in Calgary in 1885. She and her fellow Faithful Companions of Jesus (FCJ) nuns started St. Mary’s school, Calgary’s first. While escaping the North-West Rebellion one of the large wooden wheels on her red river cart broke and she quickly jumped out and repaired it in no time! French nun, Sister Horise Valiquette arrived in Calgary from Quebec in 1891 and with other Grey Nuns started Calgary’s first hospital, Hopital Sainte-Croix, (Holy Cross Hospital). When the deadly smallpox epidemic hit and victims were in quarantine in tents on the outskirts of Calgary, the brave Grey Nuns put their own lives in danger without hesitation to care for the sick.
Feisty Metis Women
Adelaide Belcourt was the Metis wife of John Glenn, the first documented European rancher in the Calgary area. They were married on September 1, 1873 in St. Anne, northern Alberta and settled on a ranch where the Elbow and Bow Rivers converge. Adelaide had 6 kids, ran a boarding house with her husband for travellers, and was a midwife who helped deliver countless
Portrait of Lady Belle Lougheed, Calgary, Alberta. NA-4441-1 Courtesy of The Glenbow Museum
babies including one belonging to Lady Belle Lougheed, wife of Sir James Lougheed, one of Alberta’s most prominent citizens. Lady Belle, also Metis, held several senior roles in communities organizations including vice-president of the Alberta district of the National Council of Women of Canada (1896) and president of the Calgary branch of the Victorian Order of Nurses. Lady Belle also hosted numerous dignitaries at their mansion. This includes the Duke of Connaught and his wife and daughter Princess Patricia in 1912 and the Prince of Wales in 1919.
Feisty Athletes
Winnie Galen Reid played on the world famous Edmonton Grads basketball team. This squad won 502 out of 522 games between 1915 and 1940. A natural athlete Reid also shone in baseball where she pitched for the Army and Navy Pats softball team and even skipped a curling team to a provincial curling championship! Becky Scott won the gold medal at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. She was the first Canadian and first North American to win an Olympic medal in cross country skiing. Finally, we can’t forget about the remarkable and feisty folk singer Joni Mitchell. Born in 1943 in Fort Macleod in southern Alberta, Mitchell has sold millions of albums, won 8 Grammy Awards, and received the Order of Canada in 2004.
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By: Rob Lennard
Experience Kananaskis Country
Sundance Lodges Family Adventure Accommodation in Kananaskis Tipis • Trapper’s Tents • Campsites (unserviced)
Call 403.591.7122 info@sundancelodges.com www.sundancelodges.com
Comfortable Camping since 1992! Kananaskis Country’s Award Winning Resort
Rated “Top 10” by Trip Advisor in 2012 for Family Friendly Resorts Voted #1 Hotel for the past 2 years by Calgary's Child Magazine!
Summer • hiking • golfing • fly fishing
• mountain biking • horseback riding • whitewater rafting
Winter • downhill skiing • X-country skiing • snowshoeing • tobogganing • sleigh rides • ice skating
For more information: 1-866-432-4322 or visit: www.deltalodgeatkananaskis.com
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Saddle Up for Kananaskis Country Saddle up and see the Rocky Mountain wilderness of Alberta’s Kananaskis Country. The sprawling mountain parkland that covers about 1,500 m2, along the Eastern slopes is truly a year-round destination offering something for all interests. While a favoured location for hikers, skiers, fishers, kayakers and golfers, equestrian activities through the rugged and picturesque mountain terrain are very popular too, says Jill Sawyer with Alberta Parks. Kananaskis Country was created by the Alberta Government in 1978. It is actually a network of parks, protected public lands, and wilderness areas that contain one million acres of parkland lying to the west of The Cowboy Trail. Kananaskis Country, which takes its name from the Cree word (“Kine-e-a-kis”) was travelled by explorer John Palliser in 1858. It encompasses 6 provincial parks, 4 wildland provincial parks, 39 provincial recreational areas, 1 ecological reserve, 1 natural area, and 10 equestrian campgrounds, says Sawyer. “Most of the designated campgrounds are outfitted with stables, hitching posts, and other horse-friendly features,” she continued. And parking at or near the campgrounds is also designed to accommodate trucks and trailers. Visitors are welcome to bring
their own horses to the park, or they can also hire the services of a number of outfitters operating in and near Kananaskis. Boundary Ranch is located in heart of Kananaskis Country just off Hwy 40. Other private guides and outfitters bring riders and pack trains to the mountain trails each summer. While Kananaskis Country is home of a wide array of wildlife species including grizzly and black bears, moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, deer, coyotes, and more, visitors in specified areas might also run into cattle as well. Some of the multipleuse public lands, particularly on the edge of the “country” boundaries continue to provide summer grazing - a vital resource to generations of southern Alberta ranching enterprises. If a landscape looks familiar, it may have been the backdrop of one of the many feature films and TV series that have been filmed here over the years. (See pg 32) In the winter months, the Nakiska Ski Hill offers six lifts and 28 marked runs that were a focal point of competitions for the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics. In summer, test your skills at the challenging 36-hole Kananaskis Country Golf Course once it’s fully operational. (See pg 70) For more information: albertaparks.ca/kananaskis-country.aspx
Read the full story at experiencethecowboytrail.com/saddleup
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Experience Kananaskis Country For up to date seasonal trail maps cmipublishing.ca/library
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Experience Kananaskis Country
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Golfing in Kananaskis Country Beyond the water-surrounded green, hanging into the pristine valley, rows of jagged mountains puncture the blue sky. The tee deck, cut out of the pines on a rocky bench, is an elevated serene little spot; a beautiful vantage point to survey the classic Rocky Mountain scene. After photographing the hole - one of the most shuttered in Canadian golf - I tee up a ball and let it fly. My little white Titleist, painted against the majestic backdrop, stalls in the cool breeze and plunges into the pond fronting the green. But the mark on the surface, just like my frustration, dissipates quickly. After all, I’m golfing in K-Country. And life, despite my shot-making skills, is good. Ask anyone who had the privilege of playing it; the par-3 4th on the Mount Kidd Course at the Kananaskis Country Golf Course is a thing of beauty. Or, was a thing of beauty. Unfortunately, the devastating flood of 2013 left the hole, as well as 33 others at this renowned 36-hole facility, in ruin. However, after plenty of ups and downs, posturing and playing, in the political arenas, Alberta’s Provincial government (they own the course) has finally determined that a complete restoration of the popular mountain golf facility will make it to the finish line. So, as early as 2017, Titleists will once again take flight above the lush-green fairways at the Kananaskis Country Golf Course.
testament to the beauty and brawn of the mountain golf genre. The restoration of the courses, led by Canmore-based golf course architect Gary Browning, will unveil a more contemporary style of golf course architecture promising to be a better fit for all skill levels, especially the higher handicap players who often struggled at Kananaskis due to the quantity and severity of the hazards. “It’s an honour and privilege to be given this opportunity at a legendary place like Kananaskis,” says Browning, whose crew is well underway in the restoration. “The routing will remain the same and the essence of the designs will remain intact. However, the playability and the aesthetics, especially the bunkering, will change. It’s a new era in golf and the courses will reflect that.” As good as the golf at Kananaskis was - and is sure to be once again - there are other exceptional golf facilities in the region. Conveniently located just a couple of kilometers off the Trans Canada Highway, Brewster’s Kananaskis Ranch is home to a charming 18 hole layout meandering through a beautiful mixed forest near the base of Mount Yamnuska, a rock climbing Mecca in the Canadian Rockies.
For enthusiasts this, obviously, is welcome news. The postcardworthy holes - and there are many - at Kananaskis Country are a
From the quaint log cabin pro shop to the incredible wildlife golden eagles, deer, moose, bear, wolves, and many other species have been sighted here - a round at Brewster’s Kananaskis Ranch is going to afford many photo ops. So don’t forget your camera!
The par-5 6th hole on the Mount Kidd Course at Kananaskis Country Golf Course taken the fall before the tragic 2013 flood. Photo by: Andrew Penner
Par-4 18th at Silvertip tumbles down the hill. Photo by: Andrew Penner
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Golfing in Kananaskis Country “Photogenic” is just one way to describe the stunning courses located in nearby town of Canmore. This historic mountain community boasts three exceptional courses able to hold their own against anything...anywhere. With huge elevation changes, bold bunkering, beautiful shaping, and 18 compelling holes that parade up and down the slopes, Silvertip is, perhaps, the ultimate example of mountain golf. Tumbling down the majestic mountain with an idyllic, baby blue pond protecting the green, the finishing hole, a wild par-4 where anything can happen, is a fitting conclusion to every round. But the finishing run at the Stewart Creek Golf Course, located on the opposite side of the Bow Valley, is every bit as good. It was designed by Gary Browning. Stewart Creek is a smooth-flowing, minimalist (not a ton of dirt was moved to create the course) design taking full advantage of the site’s natural features. Rock outcroppings, spirited creeks, major elevation changes, crystalclear ponds, and old mine ruins are all incorporated. And, no question, the final stretch, which concludes with a go-for-broke par-5 plunging down the hill towards the clubhouse, is a great opportunity to end with a birdie. Recent changes to the layout of the course, include the re-design of the controversial 9th. It is now a terrific downhill par-3 with the tee set high on the hill where the landing area used to be, have only bolstered the facility’s status. “It’s a natural par-3,” says
Par-3 4th on the Mount Kidd Course at Kananaskis Country Golf Course Photo by: Andrew Penner
General Manager, Greg Andrews. “The changes have been extremely well received and the hole is now the perfect conclusion to the opening nine.” Located right in the heart of Canmore, the Canmore Golf & Country Club features a mature, parkland course that cruises through massive pines and meanders along the serene banks of the Bow River. A community-minded course with a history of excelling at game-growing initiatives, the Canmore Golf & Country Club is a welcoming and inviting place for members and guests alike. Its peaceful and pastoral setting – augmented by a challenging mix of playable, super-fun golf holes – have made this course a long-standing favourite among golfers in the Bow Valley. Without a doubt, golf in the mountainous regions of Kananaskis Country and Canmore is a rich and rewarding endeavor. This Mountain golf – with its rarefied pine-scented air, spectacular vistas, and roller-coaster characteristics – holds a special place for golf enthusiasts and the connoisseurs of the game. So special, in fact, that the shots that don’t quite pan out, or even end with a watery conclusion, are quickly forgotten. As the ancient words say, “The mountains shall bring peace to the people.” My theory? The ancient scribe was writing those words to golfers. By:Andrew Penner
The par-5 6th at the Stewart Creek Golf Course. Photo by: Andrew Penner
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Experience Kananaskis Valley
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If you require Fire, Ambulance, Police, or Mountain Rescue assistance, call 9-1-1. Tell the operator you have an emergency in Kananaskis Country.
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Experience Kananaskis Village The Kananaskis Valley has it all! Have a real western experience at Boundary Ranch, treat the kids to a heli tour, or spend a night at Sundance lodges in a real tipi, or enjoy one of the fine resorts in the region. Raft the Kananaskis River, bike the many paved and back country trails. Take a day hike to a waterfall or backpack into spectacular wilderness. The Kananaskis Country Golf Course was closed on June 20, 2013 as a result of the flood but should reopen in 2017. See pg 70 for more information. The staff at the renovated Barrier Lake Visitor Information Centre can help you plan your day and provide you with current safety information. If you’re heading into the back country, you can purchase your permit, bear spray and a topographical map here, too. Guide books and gifts can be found at Kananaskis Village retailers. No gear? Stop at Kananaskis Outfitters for all your equipment and apparel needs.
Boat Launch
Skogan Pass Trail
Camping (Tent Only)
Stoney Trail
High Level Trail
Camping (Vehicle Access)
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Day Use Area Downhill Ski Area
Ruthie’s Trail
Group Camping Equestrian Facility
Centennial Ridge Trail Coal Mine Trail
Gas Station Interpretive Trail
Ribbon Creek
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Come back in the winter for snowshoeing, cross-country, and downhill skiing at Nakiska. For free trail maps of the area go to experiencethecowboytrail.com/our-guides.
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Kananaskis Emergency Services Centre Bill Milne Paved Trail
Campground Directory Bow River 12 Three Sisters Lac Des Arcs 5,6 Bow Valley 5,6,9,17 Willow Rock 5,9,12,16 Sundance Lodge Mt. Kidd R.V. Park 1,5,6,19 Eau Claire 5,12 Sibbald Lake 5,7 Dawson Equestrian Canyon 5,7 Elkwood 5,6,7,9,17 Boulton Creek 6,7,9,16,17 Lower Lake 5,13 Mt. Sarrail 12 Interlakes Spray Lakes West 7,12 Beaver Flats Gooseberry 5 Little Elbow 6 Little Elbow Equest. 4,6 McLean Creek 5,6,9,18 Paddy’s Flat 5 Mesa Butte Equest. 4 North Fork Fisher Creek Bluerock Bluerock Equest. 4 Sandy McNabb 5,18 Sandy McNabb Equest. 4,18 Cataract Creek Etherington Creek 6 Etherington Creek Equest. 4 Green Ford Indian Graves Regular 5,10,11,14 Indian Graves Equestrian 3,5,10,11,14 Strawberry Regular & Equestrian 4 Burnt Timber 7,20 Fallen Timber South 7,20 North Ghost 7,20 Waiparous Creek 7,20 Ghost Reservoir 2 Red Deer River North 7,20 Red Deer River South 7,20 James-Wilson 7,15,20 Fallen Timber North 7,20 Cartier Creek 7,20
Apr. 29 | Sept. 25 Apr. 8 | Nov. 20 Apr. 29 | Sept. 5 Apr. 29 | Oct. 10 Apr. 1 | Oct. 25 May 20 | Sept. 18 Year round June 3 | Sept. 5 Apr. 29 | Oct. 10 Year round June 17 | Sept. 5 May 13 | Oct. 10 May 13 | Oct. 10 May 18 | Sept. 18 June 24 | Sept. 5 May 18 | Oct. 10 May 18 | Sept. 18 May 15 | Sept. 9 Apr 29 | Oct. 11 May 15 | Sep. 19 May 15 | Sep. 19 Year round May 9 | Sept. 19 May 15 | Sept. 12 May 15 | Sept. 12 Year round May 15 | Sept. 19 May 15 | Sept. 19 Apr. 29 | Oct. 11 Apr. 29 | Oct. 11 May 18 | Sept. 5 May 18 | Sept. 25 May 18 | Sept. 25 May 18 | Sept. 5 May 19 | Sept. 5 May 19 | Sept. 5 Sept. 5 | Nov. 30 May 1 | Sept. 9 May 1 | Oct. 14 May 1 | Oct. 14 May 1 | Oct. 14 May 1 | Oct. 15 May 1 | Sept. 16 May 1 | Sept. 16 May 1 | Sept. 16 May 1 | Oct. 14 May 1 | Sept. 16
Spring Hill RV Park, Cochrane springhillrvpark.com | 403-932-2010 Open Year Round | 121 Sites | Fees: $42 Ammenities: Flush Toilets, Showers, Sani Dump, Disabled Access, Firepits Located 7km north of Cochrane. See page 51 for more information.
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$26 39 $26 36 $26 28 $26/$39 173 $26/$33 158 $31.50 30 $32.50/41/43/48 229 $26 51 $26 134 $26 10 $26 50 $26/$39 130 $26/$39 118 $26 104 $26 44 tent $26 48 $26 50 $26 55 $26 85 $26 94 $32 46 $26/$33 170 $26 98 $32 15 $26 34 $26 30 $26 66 $32 17 $33 112 $39 20 $26 102 $26 61 $32 10 $26 13 $26 32 $26 6 $26/$32 18 $308 30 $308 55 $308 169 $308 53 $26 80 $308 14 $308 50 $308 17 $308 34 $20 12
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Tails & Trails Campground, Longview village.longview.ab.ca | 403-558-3922 Open Apr 1 - Sept 30 | 19 Sites | Fees: $10 - $25 Ammenities: Flush Toilets, Showers, Firepits Adanac Adventures, Crowsnest Pass adanacadventures.com | 403-399-2331 Open Year Round | 10 Sites | Fees: $25 Ammenities: Firepits
Discount of 10% to all senior citizens (65 years and older). Discount of $2.00 to Alberta seniors. Plus $6.00 per corral (will accommodate 2 horses). Price includes fee for two horses, each additional horse $6.00. Playground available. Reservations taken with $12.00 reservation fee (includes GST). Opening dates subject to snow levels. Price includes firewood.
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Coin operated showers available. Firewood for sale off service vehicle. Off season reservations may be considered. Food lockers available for cyclists. Walk-in tenting sites closed. Reservation fees is $ 5. Cancellation policy: no refunds but reschedule to another date without additional costs, provided notification received for weekends before Friday noon.
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403-673-2163 403-673-2163 1-877-537-2757 1-877-537-2757 403-673-2163 403-591-7122 403-591-7700 403-591-7226 403-673-2163 403-673-2163 403-591-7226 1-877-537-2757 1-877-537-2757 403-591-7226 403-591-7226 403-591-7226 403-591-7226 403-949-3132 403-949-3132 1-877-537-2757 1-877-537-2757 1-877-537-2757 403-949-3132 403-949-3132 403-949-3132 403-949-3132 403-949-3132 403-949-3132 403-949-3132 403-949-3132 403-591-7226 1-877-537-2757 403-591-7226 403-591-7226 403-995-5554 403-995-5554 403-591-7226 403-637-2198 403-637-2198 403-637-2198 403-637-2198 403-851-0766 403-637-2198 403-637-2198 403-637-2198 403-637-2198 403-637-2198
Clearwater Trading, Caroline clearwatertrading.ca | 403-722-2378 Open Year Round | 47 Sites | Fees: $20-$30 Ammenities: Flush Toilets, Showers, Sani Dump, Firepits Proud to offer you a separate, private Venue for all your events’ needs. Call us today!
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Reservation ONLY. Power is 15 amp only. Discount for 2nd unit in a power and water site is $4/day. Discount for 2nd unit in a power site is $2/day. All reservation changes are subject to a non-refundable change fee of $5.
When it co m off - the - raes to we take it l ck iterally We offer smal
l town charm that’s second to no ne. Whether you’re here to shop our q uaint storefro nts, enjoy fine or casual dining, or to explore majestic Kan anaskis Coun try on foot or by bike – w e bring you n ature at its best. Visit us today for an ex perience that you’ll ch erish forever. Brought to yo u by the Bragg Creek & Area Cham ber of Comm www.visitbra erce ggcreek.com Proudly supported by
www.rockyview.ca For more on Bragg Creek see page 46
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Our traditions. Our heritage. This is Indian Village. Come to our brand new location in Enmax Park
Our traditions. Our heritage. This is Indian Village. Come to our brand new location
JULY 7 – 16, 2017 Get your tickets and packages at calgarystampede.com/travel TICKETS FOR THE 2017 CALGARY STAMPEDE GO ON SALE OCTOBER 2016