Movie Magic

Photo Courtesy of Travel Alberta / Jeremy Fokkens

Photo Courtesy of Travel Alberta/ Katie Goldie

Photo Courtesy of Neil Zeller @neil_zee

If you visit Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, 18 km northwest of Fort Macleod, your journey through the picturesque and historic southern Alberta is really just beginning.

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump has an excellent interpretative centre west of Hwy 2 and is one of the world’s oldest buffalo jumps. Known for its remarkable preservation of prehistoric life, the site bears witness to the technique of harvesting buffalo practiced by indigenous people of the North American plains for nearly 6,000 years. With its elaborate drive lane complex and deep archaeological deposits still intact it was designated a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1981.

A visit to nearby Fort Macleod - located on the east/west Hwy 3 at the junction ofthe north/south Hwy 2 is a good next choice.

The area was being threatened by the disruptive and unlawful practices of the American whiskey traders who were trading deadly “firewater” for buffalo robes, wolf skins, and other items of value. The arrival of the NWMP put an end to the illicit trade within the Blackfoot, Blood, and Piegan Indian territory. While on a broader scale, the presence of the federal mounted police in the region, discouraged any thoughts by the United States of possibly annexing the Canadian territory.

To learn more, be sure to visit The Fort Museum of the NWMP and First Nations Interpretive Centre. Throughout the summer they showcase the world-renowned NWMP Musical Ride four times each day! The Fort Museum has also received numerous awards including the prestigious Canadian Signature Experience.

The town ofFort Macleod and historic fort site are at the roots of settlement in Western Canada. Founded in 1874 with the arrival of the North West Mounted Police, led by Colonel James F. Macleod, Fort Macleod became the headquarters of the first law and order in what then was known as the North West Territories of Canada.

Travelling east from Fort Macleod, visitors brush the northern edge of the Kainai Nation which is commonly known as the Blood Reserve. It’s the largest first nations reserve in Canada which covers about 1,414 km² (approx 350,000 acres). With a population ofabout 12,000, the Kainai speak a language ofthe Algonquian linguistic group; their dialect is closely related to

those of the Siksika and Piegan. They are one of three nations comprising the Blackfoot Confederacy.

While Lethbridge is ahead on the horizon, travellers can also swing north for a stop in Picture Butte about 27 km north of Lethbridge. Known as the “Livestock Feeding Capital of Canada”, this small town is also home to the Coyote Flats Pioneer Village. The collection of history here does not simply include pictures and the items used during those times. It’s an assembly of the stories, buildings, and artifacts actually used by the region’s early settlers who shaped our history. Walk the streets and experience the history written about in books.

Agriculture is a mainstay industry of Alberta and travelling north and around the city of Lethbridge brings the visitor through the heart of what’s known as Feedlot Alley - a nickname given to a 500 km² area known for its intensive livestock operations. It’s home to over 2.3 million beef cattle as well as hog, dairy and poultry operations. Feedlot Alley produces 60 per cent of all Canadian beef.

You’ll notice in your travels around Lethbridge that you are in irrigation country. The very first irrigation systems were established with the skill of Mormon farmers who immigrated to Canada from Utah in the late 1800s. The Alberta irrigation zone covers 625,000 hectares. Although irrigation represents only six per cent of the cultivated acres, they account for 19 per cent of the agricultural production.

Continuing east from Picture Butte takes travellers through the diversified and more intensively farmed communities of Coaldale and Taber. And swinging south and west from Taber, will bring you to the town of Cardston, settled by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) in the late 1800s. The Cardston LDS Temple, completed in 1923 and located on about five acres just offMain Street, is the oldest temple outside ofthe United States. From Cardston it is about a 50-minute drive north to Lethbridge on Hwy 5.

The city of Lethbridge offers visitors a wide range of historic, cultural and entertainment attractions. It is described as a gateway to both the Canadian Badlands to the east and the majestic Canadian Rocky Mountains to the west, Lethbridge is considered a cultural centre, celebrating arts and history through festivals, exhibits and centres. By: Lee Hart

C O Y O T E F L A T S P I O N E E R V I L L A G E . . . T R A V E L B A C K I N T I M E A N D E X P E R I E N C E : A Pioneer Village • Our Agricultural History Restored Tractors and Equipment • Interpretive Daily Tours Available End your day with some delicious Ice Cream.

Be sure to check their websites for current information.

Located 2km South of Picture Butte, AB on Hwy #843, 20 mins North of Lethbridge, AB Phone 403-732-5451