The site commemorating Alberta’s historic ranching industry has been honoured by a national magazine as being one to the top national historic sites in Canada.
Earlier this month “Canada’s History” magazine named the Bar U Ranch as one of the top 10 National Historic Sites in the country and the staff at the tourist attraction south of Longview could not be more pleased.
“This is a pretty big honour,” said Ken Pigeon, site manager of the Bar U Ranch. “This means they know we are doing something right and people have noticed.”
The Bar U Ranch was originally established in 1882 and it developed into one of the foremost ranching operations in Canada. Some of the renowned ranchers who owned the Bar U included Fred Stimson, George Lane and Patrick Burns. Stimson established the infrastructure for the Bar U Ranch, then under Lane the Bar U was renowned for cattle and purebred Percheron horses. Burns and his company modernized the ranch by replacing horses with tractors.
Parks Canada acquired the 367 acres for the Bar U Ranch in 1991 as a means of commemorating the ranching history of the area.
For Pigeon he said what makes the Bar U Ranch stand out from other heritage sites is the opportunity for visitors to experience a real working cattle ranch not just a museum of artifacts.
“Our visitor experience really sets us apart,” said Pigeon. “People leave here with something they can remember. Plus they like our historical integrity and authenticity.
“We are living history and all of our neighbours are still doing it — that is what makes our site successful.”
“Canada’s History” magazine could not agree more with Pigeon’s assessment.
The magazine article profiled the Bar U Ranch’s authentic western hospitality and the many ways visitors can experience traditional ranching skills such as learning to swing a lasso. It also introduced some of the many legendary colourful characters who passed through its corrals such as the Sundance Kid and John Ware.
Pigeon said what is most encouraging for the Bar U Ranch is the number of visitors the site is attracting on an annual basis and each year attendance continues to rise. For example, last year more than 12,000 people visited the Bar U Ranch up from 11,400 in 2009.
The site manager attributed the popularity of the ranch to a number of factors.
“The local region has finally found us,” said Pigeon. “Local residents are starting to visit the ranch and it is very affordable for families — there are not too many places where you can take your family for under 20 bucks anymore.”
Of course, the real attraction to the Bar U Ranch is the fact it is a working ranch and the activities on site are a tribute to ranching’s rich history. On site visitors can see a blacksmith or saddle maker at work, sit around the fire at Roundup Camp and sip on a cowboy coffee listening to local poets and storytellers, smell the baking from cookhouse or take a wagon ride through the picturesque Rocky Mountain foothills.
The Bar U Ranch also hosts a number of popular events throughout the summer including horse shows, trail rides, polo matches, chore horse competition and the extremely popular Old Time Ranch Rodeo.
The Old Time Ranch Rodeo, which will be held on Aug. 14 this year, features teams of cowboys from working ranches throughout southern Alberta competing for bragging rights. Some of the events include broke horse racing, branding and doctoring, and wild cow milking.
One of the bigger events this year will be the second annual Percheron Horse Show which will be held on June 19. The event honours the powerful Percheron show horses and it is a tribute to legendary rancher George Lane.
Finally, another celebration this year will be the 100th anniversary of Parks Canada as the first national parks system in the world. No specific events have yet been scheduled.
Pigeon said staff at the Bar U Ranch also continues to work on restoring the buildings at the site. After completing the massive restoration of the cookhouse two years ago, they are now working on the feeder bunkhouse, the chophouse and a few other smaller projects.
In addition, in the visitors’ centre overlooking the breathtaking ranch, the media area has been expanded and the restaurant renovated.
For a complete schedule of this year’s events call 1-403-395-3044 or visit www.parkscanada.gc.ca
