Hamlet of Ranfurly

Hamlet of Ranfurly

Ranfurly, Alberta is a small hamlet located 20 minutes East of Vegreville on Highway 16. Despite only having one post office, one church, and an Agricultural Society, Ranfurly is quite an active community.

The first people to hunt and occupy the Ranfurly area were the prairie division of the Plain’s Cree. It is these hunting parties, or similar bands, that are likely responsible for the buffalo skeletons found in the Ranfurly area. After the buffalo were destroyed, the Plains Cree were obliged to settle on reserves. One of the original reserves and the one closest to Ranfurly is that at Saddle Lake. The area where Ranfurly is located was formed from a large number of smaller units of land dating back to the 1900s. Ranfurly sprung up, along with other nearby towns when a new railway line came into use in 1906.

The Ranfurly Ag. Society is very active in the community, by hosting monthly meetings at the old school, monthly Steak Suppers on the last Tuesday of every month, and by hosting the annual fair. The Ag Society is also very active in the Curling club which holds a handful of bonspiels each year, in the Ranfurly curling rink which uses only natural ice. The Ag Society also has a Seniors Club that is active in the community since 1984.

How did Ranfurly get its name? It was as simple as picking from a name from a hat of British Earls, Dukes, and Lords. Lord Ranfurly was the fifteenth governor of New Zealand. The Ranfurly Shield is a New Zealand rugby trophy memorial to Lord Ranfurly, who had no Canadian or local connection.