Fort Walsh National Historic Site

Trip Date: July 2018

If you haven't realized it by now I tend to enjoy exploring old frontier forts that are scattered across western Canada. I've had the pleasure of visiting Fort Whoop-Up in Lethbridge, Fort Normandeau near Red Deer, and Fort Calgary in its namesake city. I also had the privileged of visiting a North West Mounted Police Post in Writing-On-Stone Provincial Park and Last Mountain House near Regina. Fort Walsh has been on my bucket list for awhile now, but up until our recent trip to the Cypress Hills I hadn't been able to visit.

I felt like an old timey rum runner entering the province via this back road

After a good night's sleep and a hearty breakfast Cooper and I hit the road, which turned out to be a bit of an adventure on its own. The drive is roughly 50km from Elkwater to Fort Walsh, but the Battle Creek Road gets progressively worse the further east you go. It took me about an hour to travel that distance, but I wasn't even remotely upset as those backwoods roads are definitely more fun than any highway. 

One of the landmarks along the drive is this memorial for Constable Marmaduke Grayburn. Although this is not the exact spot of his murder there was a NWMP outpost located here that was named Grayburn Detachment in his honour. The memorial plaque reads,

"Constable Marmaduke Grayburn NWMP, was shot and killed by unknown persons in the Cypress Hills Nov. 17, 1879. He was the first mounted policeman killed by violence since the force was organized in 1873. Star Child a Blood Indian was accused of the murder but was acquitted in 1881."

RIP Constable Grayburn

Another historic site along the road is this abandoned log cabin. Through the power of social media and some sleuthing online I was able to uncover some details about its history. According to the Canadian Nature Photographer and the Historic Reesor Ranch it's called the Symons Noble Cabin because it was lived in by Robert Symons in 1939 and then he sold it to Albert and Sylvia Noble just three years later and they built the addition. According to local historian Fay Beirebach the Coleman Family actually lived in the cabin prior to Symons moving in, but no-one is quite sure who built it. Symons was a writer, painter, game warden, and rancher living in the area. He often carried a pencil and scrap of paper to sketch the landscape. He published several books about the Cypress Hills area. The Nobles lived here for ten years while raising a family and working a nearby sawmill.

The Symons Noble Cabin

The entire Cypress Hills area is rich with history. Archaeological evidence confirms human habitation as far back as 8,500 years, which were entirely pre-contact First Nation groups. In the mid-1600's early European traders and explorers began to arrive in the region, bringing whiskey, firearms, and diseases, all of which wreaked havoc on the local First Nation people. The introduction of guns made hunting bison much easier and before long bison were being slaughtered for their pelts to trade for whiskey, instead of for food, shelter, and tools. Although whiskey trading had been outlawed in the United States (please see my post about Fort Whoop-Up for additional information) this practice was still prevalent in the highly lawless Canadian west. In the mid-to-late 1800's at least four major Metis camps with about 300 families had been erected in the Cypress Hills area. Like the plains First Nation, the Metis were nomadic people following the bison herds, but they also incorporated some European language and traditions into their distinct culture. In 1859 the Palliser Expedition passed through the region on their westward journey to document western Canada. Of the area Captain John Palliser wrote, "these hills are the perfect oasis in the desert we have travelled."

This sculpture is one of the first things you see after exiting the Visitor's Centre and Museum. The plaque reads, "In 1873 the Government of Sir John A. MacDonald created the North West Mounted Police to assert Canadian sovereignty and enforce Canadian Law in the newly acquired North-West Territories. Within a decade this had been done and the orderly settlement of the Canadian prairies begun. In the process the force achieved an international reputation for even-handed justice and devotion to duty."

The famous Parks Canada red chairs have a gorgeous view of the Cypress Hills and Fort Walsh below. Read more about the Red Chairs right here.

Cooper seemed to like the chairs!

Looking down at Fort Walsh from the surrounding hillside

This was the civilian cemetery from the town of Fort Walsh. A few of the graves have been identified and several are associated with the McKay family who operated a small trading post and farm near the fort.

In 1889 the Hudson's Bay Company transferred Rupert's Land to the Canadian Government, but it would still be a number of years before law and order could be brought to the western territory. In the early 1870's the entire region was a tinderbox. Ungoverned trading posts and whiskey forts, dispirited First Nation groups, and wolf hunters all contributed to this volatile scene. On June 1, 1873 everything came to a head when a trader discovered his horse had been stolen. He immediately, but falsely, accused a group of Nakoda that were camped nearby. After recruiting several wolf hunters from Montana who had been drinking heavily, they attacked the camp. By the end of the day some twenty Nakoda men, women, and children were dead and the Cypress Hills Massacre was born. As a direct result of this tragedy the newly formed North West Mounted Police (now the Royal Canadian Mounted Police) headed west to bring order to Canada's newest territory once and for all.

Peeking through he entrance to Fort Walsh

A panoramic shot from inside the walls of the fort

An inside look at the Armourer's Workshop

The workshop was also home to the big gun!

Looking inside the Non-Commissioned Officer's Barracks

Cooper was a lucky little guy to get to wear a NWMP hat

The NWMP force, with some 275 men, set out from Fort Dufferin in Manitoba in July 1874. They first established Fort Macleod by the end of the year and then Fort Walsh in 1875. Fort Walsh quickly became the largest and most heavily armed fort in the NWMP's possession. In a mere seven years the NWMP abolished the whiskey trade and brought law and order to western Canada.

Outside the fort's walls was a First Nations Camp

These are Metis Trade Cabins and they represent trading posts from the 1870's. These cabins are near the location where Metis settler, Edward McCay, established his post in the spring of 1872.

The items inside the cabins are typical goods a trader may have had available during the early 1870's

The man who established Fort Walsh, Major James Morrow Walsh, was a true leader who commanded respect for the NWMP. An informative sign inside the fort's museum reads, 

"Major James Morrow Walsh was a courageous leader. His superiors respected him, his men admired him, and the newspapers loved him. As Walsh rose in rank, his superiors were not always pleased with his sometimes impulsive decisions and unconventional methods. However, Walsh used his influence and reputation to enforce Canadian law and keep peace in the west. 

In 1877, Walsh's scout recognized stolen horses in the possession of White Dog, a Nakoda man visiting Tatanka Iyotanka's Lakota camp. Walsh instructed one of his sergeants to place White Dog under arrest. The Mounties seized the horses but chose to release White Dog when he argued the horses were found, not stolen. The situation escalated again when White Dog threatened Walsh. However, when challenged by Walsh, White Dog backed down. To those looking on it proved that the Canadian law and the NWMP should be respected and obeyed."

Cooper also got to try on a NWMP red coat and hold this replica gun

By 1880 the NWMP had over five hundred men scattered at forts hundreds of kilometres apart. They were responsible for an incredibly large piece of land. Fort Walsh's immediate jurisdiction included some 52,000 square-kilometres of present-day southwest Saskatchewan and southeastern Alberta. Fort Walsh was the NWMP headquarters from 1878 to 1882 and was strategically placed close to the US border.

Inside the NWMP cemetery. Originally this was just for officers, but later civilians were allowed to be buried here as well. These seven graves that are chained off are of the earliest NWMP officers who passed away at Fort Walsh as a result of violence, accident, or illness.

Fort Walsh closed in 1883 after its importance decreased at the end of the Lakota Crisis. Fewer men were needed with a more secure border in place and Regina, which sat on the new transcontinental railroad line, became the capital of the North-West Territories and the new NWMP headquarters. Ranching became the main economic activity in the Cypress Hills region and two men, David Wood and Wellington Anderson, developed a ranch where Fort Walsh had been.

This stone marker is located within the NWMP cemetery and indicates the fort as a National Historic Site of Canada

The plaque on the above monument reads, 

"In 1875 a detachment of North-West Mounted Police under Superintendent J. M. Walsh built a post here which served from 1878 to 1882 as the headquarters of the force. The men stationed here played a key role in implementing Canada's Indian policy and in supervising the Sioux who had fled to Canada with Sitting Bull after the battle of the Little Big Horn. Following the return of the Sioux to the United States and the settlement of the Canadian Indians on reserves, the fort's importance declined and in 1883 it was abandoned. From 1943 to 1968 the Royal Canadian Mounted Police used the site as a remount station."

I had a great time exploring Fort Walsh and learning how this piece of Canadian history connects with other forts and outposts I have visited in the past. The staff were fantastic and they're all dressed in period costume, which adds a sense of realism and authenticity in picturing what life was like back in the 1870's. If you're ever in the area make sure you stop and discover this important piece of our heritage.

Cypress Hills: Firerock

Trip Date: July 2018

In early July we headed east for the Cypress Hills, which is quickly becoming one of my favourite places to camp. In what is quickly becoming an annual tradition, friends of ours from Regina joined us for an extended weekend of camping and exploring. As you might remember I was sent to Cypress Hills last summer while on assignment with ZenSeekers to report about the growing mountain biking scene that was happening there. In July 2016 the same group of friends all met us in the park for a similar weekend of fun. Our first trip there was actually back in 2010 though, but it was in the Centre Block on the Saskatchewan side of the park.

Welcome to Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park

Since I'm off for the summer, Cooper and I headed out Thursday morning to setup camp and start our weekend early. Christine was working, but planned to join us Friday afternoon. After an uneventful drive we rolled into the Firerock Campground and began setting up camp. I really like the Firerock Campground because the sites are well-treed and private. It's also located at the western end of the park, meaning it's quiet and relaxing. Much like our camping trip at Little Elbow Equestrian last month the sites were primitive, so we'd be running off battery power and some new solar panels I just purchased. Thankfully there was absolutely no rain in the forecast, however we did get hit with a massive heatwave...basically from one extreme to the next!

The blooming Canola fields certainly add a splash of colour to the drive. Those are the Cypress Hills rising above the field in the background.

We also had the fortune of seeing and photographing this male Pronghorn just outside the park gates. They don't usually stick around long enough for me to snap a photo.

This was our campsite in the Firerock Campground

Maybe it was all the excitement of another camping trip or it was just still too hot inside the camper, but Cooper did not want to go to bed Thursday night. In what is quickly becoming my go-to move, I put him in the truck hoping a drive through the hills would have him snoring in no time. The drive along Murray Hill Road is absolutely gorgeous and offers terrific opportunities to spot some of the park's abundant wildlife.

This dude isn't tired at all!

This is Head of the Mountain viewpoint, which is also the highest point in the Cypress Hills

The informative sign nearby reads,

"At 1,466 metres you are standing on the highest point in the Cypress Hills, and the highest point of land in Canada between the Rockies and Labrador. And what a view! On a clear day, you can see the Sweetgrass Hills in Montana over 100 kilometres away. 

The connection between the Sweetgrass Hills and these hills spans much more than the view. It began about 50 million years ago, before either existed. Firey hot magma raised the Earth's surface, hardened underground as igneous rock, and later became exposed through erosion to form the Sweetgrass Hills. As the land rose, rivers carried cobbles and gravel, and deposited them here. Over millions of years, as rivers and glaciers carved this plateau, those cobbles and gravel became the caprock of the Cypress Hills. 

Sweetgrass and Cypress: in spite of their distance, their relationship is rock solid." 

Just one of the nearly two dozen deer we spotted on our evening drive

A squadron of Pelicans searching for food on Reesor Lake

Sunset in the Cypress Hills

After a good night's sleep (finally) and eating a hearty breakfast the two of us set course for Fort Walsh National Historic Site, which is located just 50km away on the Saskatchewan side of the park. The fort itself is pretty cool and therefore deserves its own post, which you can read about by following this link.

Even with the temperature in the campground pushing +35 degrees Celsius, it didn't stop us from hitting a few of the amazing trails for some mountain biking. As previously mentioned I was sent on assignment to report on all the amazing trails being developed in the Elkwater area by the 670 Collective, the local mountain biking club out of Medicine Hat. I had previously ridden many of the trails, but we opted to explore Plateau and Mystery Trails before descending Cobble Miner. The buddy I was with hadn't done much riding in the past, but he was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the trails and the super fun descent.

Cruising along Plateau Trail

Having some fun along Mystery Trail

We found ourselves in the deep stuff here!

While we enjoyed some two-wheeled fun the rest of the crew hit the beach to cool off. Cooper's love of the water continued even though the lake was far from bathtub temperature. As you can see the kids were instant friends!

Cooper playing in Elkwater Lake

So maybe the boat isn't in the water anymore, but it's still fun!

Before hitting the highway Sunday afternoon I had time to sneak in one last bike ride. I powered up Tower Trail before descending the new Mazama Drop, which is named after Mount Mazama, a volcano in Oregon that erupted around 5,700BC and some of the ash made it all the way to Alberta. The trail is very well-built and incredibly fun to ride!

Descending Mazama Drop

Just one of the viewpoints along the trail

Every time I visit the Cypress Hills area I find something new and exciting to learn or try. There is no shortage of recreational options available and I feel like I'm still just scratching the surface. Here's hoping to another trip next summer for more adventures.

Sulphur Mountain Gondola

Trip Date: October 2017

The final destination on my Brewster's Ultimate Explorer Pass was the Banff Gondola. The following is a recap of that adventure. You can also read about the Minnewanka Lake Cruise and the Glacier Adventure and Glacier Skywalk, which I visited during the summer and are also part of the Explorer Pass. You will also find this story on the Calgary Guardian website and lastly this marks the second time I visited the gondola, the first time can be enjoyed right here.

A neat take on a horse-drawn wagon as seen at the base of the Banff Gondola!

The Banff Gondola

Norman Bethune Sanson has likely summited Sulphur Mountain more times than anyone else. The former curator of the Banff Park Museum first climbed the peak in 1896 to record weather observations from an elevated position. He subsequently trekked to the summit more than one thousand times over the next thirty years to record weather data for his job as the federal government's official weather observer. If not for the sulphur-rich thermal springs (which are the basis for the entire national parks system in Canada) located near its base the whole mountain would likely be named in his honour. Instead the northern end of Sulphur Mountain carries the name Sanson Peak in recognition of the man who spent more time than most perched high above the town of Banff. Today you can walk in Sanson's footsteps and follow the Sulphur Mountain Trail (six-kilometres one-way and 750m gained in elevation) that switchbacks its way to the summit or you can opt to ride the Banff Gondola, which is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the park.

A solitary Larch Tree overlooking the town of Banff far below

From the summit ridge you can see far more than just the Banff town site

In just eight minutes you can travel from parking lot to mountain top inside a fully-enclosed gondola cabin. The original gondola was opened to the public in 1959, making it the first bi-cable gondola in North America and the first gondola of any kind in Canada. Over the ensuing years the gondola and summit complex have gone through various reconstruction and rejuvenation projects in order to keep up with demand, offer world-class visitor experiences, and to maintain minimal impact on fragile alpine environments and wildlife. After easily accessing the summit you'll be awarded with breathtaking views of six different mountain ranges and experience an entirely new perspective on the town of Banff. The summit facility also features restaurants, interactive exhibits in the Above Banff Interpretive Centre, a multi-sensory theatre, and a 360-degree rooftop observation deck, so there's more than enough to keep everyone entertained.

To celebrate Canada's 150th birthday these signs were erected across the country, including the Sulphur Mountain Summit Complex!

You can also find two sets of Parks Canada Red Chairs on top of Sulphur Mountain

From the summit complex there are a couple of trails waiting for you to explore. The most popular is the one-kilometre Mountaintop Boardwalk, which is a self-guided interpretive trail that leads to the Sulphur Mountain Weather Observatory. The historic stone structure was built back in 1903 and was in operation until the mid-1930s. The observatory is still perched atop Sanson Peak allowing visitors to peek through the windows and catch a glimpse of a time gone by. The more ambitious will likely tackle the South East Ridge Trail that runs south past the complex and eventually leads to Sulphur Mountain's true summit.

The historic stone weather observatory atop Sanson Peak

The observatory has been standing in the same place for over 100 years

In the mid-1950s Sanson Peak was chosen as the site for a Cosmic Ray Station that was built in conjunction with the International Geophysical Year (1957-1958). The Cosmic Ray Station, one of nine that were constructed across Canada, was built by the National Research Council and was completed in 1956. Due to its high elevation Sulphur Mountain was considered the most important station in Canada. In 1960 the University of Alberta at Calgary took over the station and it closed for good in 1978. The station was completely dismantled in 1981 and a plaque now marks the site's location. Today the spot where the cosmic ray station once stood is now a National Historic Site of Canada.

The Summit Complex as viewed from the weather observatory

Sulphur Mountain is a prominent feature on the landscape and has been a stunning backdrop for countless photographs taken from downtown Banff. Experience this mountain in a new way aboard the Banff Gondola and heighten your senses as you gaze in wonder at the scenery as it unfolds around you.

Sanson Peak with the weather observatory as viewed from the Summit Complex observation deck

This awesome Canadian flag can be found inside the Summit Complex and a portion of the informative sign reads, "The Canadian Maple Leaf emblem here rests upon the weathered wood from the early backbone that connected this vast country: the Canadian Pacific Railway."

To learn more about the Banff Gondola or any of the other Rockies Attractions please visit the Brewster Travel Canada website or you can purchase the Ultimate Explorer Pass that provides admission to four of Brewster's top attractions. You can also connect with Brewster on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, and Vimeo) and don't forget to share all your gondola photos using the hashtag #BanffGondola.

Fort Normandeau

Trip Date: August 2017

The Red Deer River is a prominent natural feature on the landscape of central Alberta. It was used for centuries by First Nation People who came to hunt the bountiful wildlife that were found along its banks. Plains Cree referred to the river as 'Waskasoo Seepee' or 'Elk River' due to the large herds that would gather there. Early European fur traders mistook the Elk as Scottish Red Deer and misinterpreted the name as 'Red Deer River'. Even though it was incorrect the name stuck to the growing community and that name still lives on today.

Welcome to Fort Normandeau

The front gates of Fort Normandeau

The easiest place to cross the Red Deer River was a natural shallow section a short distance west of modern-day Red Deer. Pre-contact First Nation groups used this shallow section of river for generations in order to move about the land hunting wild game. As the earliest Europeans began exploring the western frontier the same crossing point continued to be well-used. In 1882 the first permanent settlement was created and became known as Red Deer Crossing or simply The Crossing. The Calgary-Edmonton Trail passed through The Crossing and was a popular spot to stop during the long journey.

The grounds of Fort Normandeau

The Fort Normandeau Interpretive Centre

This sculpture is titled "Ghosts of the Prairies" and was created by Douglas Taylor in 2015. The informative plaque nearby reads: "The abstracted Plains Bison symbolizes why humans have come to this ford on the Red Deer River for eons. The bison's annual migrations brought First Nations peoples, followed by Metis and then the first European settlers to this site. The layered and textured steel slabs that form the front end of the animal transform into entwined textured steel rods representing leafy branches. The artist's intent is to recognize the bison for the integral role it played on the prairies and surrounding parkland that regrettably has all but disappeared in the wind today.

In 1884 a stopping house (also known as a hotel) was built at The Crossing by Robert McClellan. During the North-West Rebellion, in 1885, the hotel was commandeered by troops under the command of Lieutenant J.E. Bedard Normandeau in order to build a military stronghold. The original log building was renovated and reinforced to create Fort Normandeau. Lieutenant Normandeau and his men were tasked with protecting the surrounding community and the Calgary-Edmonton Trail in the event of an attack. Tensions were high as several bloody battles spilled over from the District of Saskatchewan into what is present-day Alberta.

Outside the reconstructed fort

A tower and a cannon

The main building inside the fort

"The detachment of the 65th Rifles took Robert McClellan's 'hotel', built in 1884, and fortified it. They cut loopholes in the walls, built a palisade of 10-foot logs set in a 2-foot trench, erected a protective wall of planks and clay outside the walls of the stopping house and lined the palisade with planks and clay."

                   -Raymond Gaetz, The Story of Fort Normandeau

Behind the main building is a garden and chickens

This stone cairn marks the site of the first trading post between Calgary and Edmonton and the old Red Deer River Crossing. Erected by the Old Timers Association in memory of the pioneers of the Red Deer District - 1951

Tensions at The Crossing were high. Rumors of looting and raids by unruly First Nation groups spread like wildfire and many settlers fled to Calgary to avoid the conflict. Relationships between First Nation, Metis, and white settlers were strained and due to the language barrier many were confused as to why their neighbours were suddenly afraid of them.

Inside the main building of Fort Normandeau

After the rebellion ended Fort Normandeau was used as a North West Mounted Police (NWMP) headquarters from 1886 to 1893 before eventually moving to Red Deer permanently. When the NWMP vacated, the fort was left abandoned and the main building was moved and used on a farm until 1937. In 1974 the Central Alberta Pioneers and the Old Timers Association moved the fort close to its original location where it was reconstructed and opened for visitors.

Across the river from Fort Normandeau was the site of the Red Deer Indian Industrial School built by the Dominion government in 1893. The school was operated by the Methodist Church until it closed in 1919. Although the school is long gone this exhibit on the grounds of Fort Normandeau pays tribute to those who were enrolled in the residential school system and brings to light the atrocities they faced.

The Red Deer River

Fort Normandeau's story may lack the drama of historic battles between First Nation groups and settlers, but the fear of attack was very real. It's hard to say, but maybe the presence of a fortified structure complete with armed troops was enough to discourage local uprisings.

To learn more about other Alberta historic forts please refer to these posts about Fort Whoop-Up and Fort Calgary.