Local Treasures

Sometimes, people who love to travel might forget about about the things that make home so special. After our trip to Bonaire, we were ready to get out and about in our own part of the world to see some of southern Alberta’s charms.

We spent the month of August birding and hiking and we finally made time to see a place we have had our eyes on for a long time but have never managed to see. That place is the historical Bar U Ranch, nestled in the foothills of southwestern Alberta. This National Historic Site is a relic from the 1800s and gives you an idea of what it was like to operate a ranch in a that era.

The visitor centre is a large space that houses some artifacts like veterinary tools, clothing, and saddles. Interestingly, it also had the largest collection of barbed wire fencing we had ever seen. It was surprising to learn about and view samples of well over 100 varieties of fencing materials that had been used over time.

As you walk around the ranch, you will see an old camp kitchen, horse paddock, barns and a large stable. Additionally, you can view old storage buildings used to keep food and machinery, a blacksmith shop and a farmhouse complete with a vegetable garden.

The day we visited, the ranch had been hired out for a private wedding event. It was fun to see the guests being chauffeured in the large horse-drawn wagon and we would have loved to see some of the wedding photographs being taken on site.

Due to the wedding, our time at the ranch was cut shorter than we expected. However, we were finally able to experience this beautiful piece of history and recommend a trip there.