The wide-open spaces at a historical ranch will be open this season without any charge.
The Bar U Ranch National Historic Site will not have an admission fee this season in celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday.
“This is something they (the federal government) have given us a head’s up on and we are actually looking forward to it,” said Mike McLean, spokesman for the Bar U. “One of the big things is it is going to allow us to tell a whole lot more people about the importance of ranching to the development of Canada.”
The Bar U staff is taking the news just like the men and women who worked on the ranch did in the days when George Lane or Patrick Burns owned the ranch south of Longview.
Don’t get flustered, just mosey and get down to hard work.
McLean isn’t echoing some of the concerns out of Banff, Jasper and other national parks of potential overcrowding due to the free charge.
“As for the crowds, last year was our best year ever at around 23,000 people,” McLean said. “We have identified with our management plan that we can accommodate 30,000 people annually.
“So, we have lots of room.”
As for the accounting books, the Bar U will get by without the entry fee. The federal government is helping compensate for lost revenue without admission fees.
“My understanding is we will be getting that back,” McLean said.
However, there will still be some costs at the Bar U.
“For any of the special programs or activities, there would still be the special charges for those — a guided-wagon tour for example,” he said.
While there are concerns about difficulty getting campsites at Jasper and Banff, that won’t be a problem for the Bar U, where overnight stays are not permitted.
The Bar U will have plenty to offer in this country’s sesquicentennial celebration.
“We are going to have Hometown Heroes back,” McLean said. “This marks a century for World War One. It will be a tribute to the Bar U Ranch and its connection to World War One — the men who served, the animals that served, how things were here on the home-front.”
The Bar U will also feature A Cowboy Concert — An Onstage Performance at the Bar U.
Performers will be announced at a later date.
For more information about the Bar U go to www.pc.gc.ca
