From a national historic place to longstanding operations in Stavely, Longview and Turner Valley, southwestern Alberta ranches were recognized by a packed house in High River.
More than 200 people gathered at the Highwood Memorial Centre to honour the Bedingfeld, Garstin and Broomfield families and their ranching history on Jan. 25 at the annual Stockmen’s Dinner, put on by the Friends of the Bar U as their largest fundraiser of the year.
Friends chair Karen Ritchie said the group typically raises about $15,000 to support its activities at Bar U Ranch, including events and equipment maintenance.
Families and ranches are recognized for a century of operation, she said.
“They homesteaded here, from Highway 2 west, as far south as Lundbreck and as far north as Millarville, for 100 years or more,” said Ritchie. “It’s very rewarding because it kind of gets the families to add to their history, get it down.”
Each of the three families honoured at the 2020 event provided a history of their family and the establishment of their ranches.
Bedingfeld
The Bedingfeld family traces its origins back to Oxford Hall castle in England, where some descendants still reside today, though its matriarch did not come straight from there when she settled with her son, Frank, at the Bar U Ranch.
George and Agnes Bedingfeld struck out from England for him to take a position as lieutenant commander in India, but George fell ill from dysentery and died at age 32. Not wanting to return to England, Agnes packed up their son and immigrated to Canada in 1881, ending up at the Northwest Cattle Company (Bar U Ranch) in 1884.
“Agnes worked as a housekeeper, which would have been a big shift from her life in India,” said great-great granddaughter Sarah Green during her presentation.
Within a few years, Agnes and Frank claimed adjoining homesteads and built log cabins on the lands, and began growing their own ranching business, investing all profits back into their operations to focus on high-quality livestock.
“She was an accomplished horsewoman and capable ranch manager,” said Green.
Frank was married in 1910 and welcomed baby girl Josephine – Green’s grandmother – in 1911. The young girl had animals and neighbouring children to play with, a nanny to care for her, and many overseas excursions with her parents.
When the First World War broke out, Frank joined as an ambulance driver and his wife carried on the ranch work in his absence. Upon his return home, the family moved to England, where Frank died and the Bedingfeld Ranch days came to an end.
“It was sold to the Prince of Wales in 1919,” said Green. “The ranch became known as EP Ranch after it was sold.”
Josephine visited Canada many times and eventually married Richard Gardner in 1939. The couple had two children, and ranching life continued in Canada.
“I feel fortunate to still ride my horse through the hills and run cattle on this landscape while trying to keep a business afloat,” said Green. “I have no doubt Agnes would have enjoyed the same things to some degree.
“There are trying days when I wonder if I’m cut out for this life, but I think we all strive for the same – to endure what we choose to do and it sits well in our hearts, try and fail and try again.
“No doubt, that would have been a necessary attitude starting a new life on a ranch in the 1800s.”
Garstin
Brian Garstin is grateful his grandfather settled in Alberta after returning to Canada following the First World War.
“Thank God he didn’t go back to Willow Bunch (Sask.),” said Garstin.
Having come to Canada from Ireland in 1907, Garstin’s grandfather settled in the prairie town of Willow Bunch and purchased two quarters of land, receiving homesteading status on one quarter, where he stayed until 1914 after serving one year on local council.
He sold the land and returned to Ireland, where he was married before shipping out to France to fight in the war. Having received a medal and promotion for his service, Garstin’s grandfather was referred to as Captain for the rest of his life.
Captain’s oldest son, Lawrence, was born in 1918 in Ireland, and in 1920 the family settled into the Hartell district in Alberta on six quarters, where they raised two herds of cattle and grew grain and hay.
Robin Garstin, the second son of the Captain, was born in 1921, and the boys were raised on the Longview-area ranch. Robin enlisted in the Calgary Highlanders and was part of the liberation of France and Holland at the end of the Second World War.
“When he came home he took up ranching again,” said Tamara. “Through the Veterans Act, Grandpa bought the half-section that we now refer to as Up West, as it’s located west of Turner Valley.”
The house from Up West was moved down to the Hartell yard eventually, where it still stands today – though it is no longer occupied.
Robin and Edith Garstin married in 1949, and welcomed son Brian in 1950 and daughter Lucille in 1958.
“The first few years they lived on the property (Up West) was not easy,” said Tamara. “They had no running water, no power, no telephone, and only a trail for a road.
“In 1952, the road was improved, the phone came in and the power arrived. Grandma called the power one of the most useful and peaceful inventions.”
They moved to the Longview yard in 1957, she said.
Their son Brian has taken up the torch and continued ranching the family’s land, as well as renting an additional four quarters, with his family.
Broomfield
The Broomfield family credits its operations in Alberta to ancestor James, who left Ontario in the early 1880s to strike out on his own in southern Nebraska, where he and wife Elizabeth had five children, before leaving for Alberta in 1902.
“He found the climate very hot and dry and he had the urge to return to Canada and own more land,” said Donny Broomfield, James’ great-great-grandson.
The homestead ended up being in the Porcupine Hills district three miles north of Stavely, and he built the first shack on the farm with his son Russell – Donny’s great-grandfather. The shack still stands today.
James was one of the first members of the local branch of the Alberta Farmers Association and acted as a director. Then, in 1914, when returning from a visit to Nebraska, the train he was on derailed and the sole casualty in the wreck was James Broomfield.
Sons Russell and John took up farm operations and after they were each married they set their sights on land west of Turner Valley to find more reliable grass sources for their growing herd in 1917.
Doug Broomfield, Russell’s grandson and Donny’s father, said the ranch became known as Broomfield Brothers until 1942. At that time, Russell kept the Stavely land and the Turner Valley holdings were divided between the two brothers.
Doug’s father, Jack, and his wife Dena moved to the farm in 1966 where they lived until 1992, when they moved into Stavely. The operation became known as Broomfield Farms Ltd. in 1985, and still runs under the same name. Doug and his wife Gwenn then moved out to the farm with their three children.
Son Donny still lives on the farm with his wife Shlane and their two children, he said.
“Donny and Shlane’s kids Ayla and Jack are the sixth generation of Broomfields to live on the original homestead at Stavely,” said Doug.
As the family did historically, cattle are wintered and calved at Stavely and move to Turner Valley for the summer. It’s a lot easier now with two cattle liners rather than single-axle trucks the family used when Doug was 14 and learning to drive, he said.
It’s not the only thing that has changed about ranching over the years.
Donny said his ancestors would be baffled by how some things are done now.
“Things like GPS for field-mapping, tractors that drive themselves, the use of computers to complete all kinds of tasks, feeding equipment, the use of drones to assist in finding your cattle,” he said.
