Stories along the Yellowhead

Explorers and pioneers left their mark in Yellowhead County, Alberta

Yellowhead County, located in west-central Alberta, has seen explorers and homesteaders come and go for the last several hundred years. The Yellowhead County Heritage Sites website lists more than 50 historically significant sites, including historic homesteads, barns, rooming houses, churches and schools, with the occasional pool hall, water tower and dance hall thrown in. All meet provincial guidelines for historical significance, and though some have been restored or repurposed, all still have features that communicate their historical status.

Yellowhead County communications co-ordinator Stefan Felsing, who is an outdoorsman as well as a history lover, has a few particular favourites among the county’s historic sites.

1. Brule, Switzer Park and Willmore Wilderness Park: These areas are full of character and rugged beauty. Historic guest ranches, bed and breakfasts, lodges and even teepees, offer a variety of accommodation, guided horseback tours and retreats. Some of the proprietors are descendants of the original Metis explorers and guides who first traversed the Northern Rockies routes.
2. Evansburg and the Pembina River: Located in Evansburg, on the northern leg of the famous Cowboy Trail (Highway 22), the new Tipple Park Museum & Amenities Building is currently being built to replace the old Train Station Visitor Information Centre. It is located in a small community park just minutes from the highway, surrounded by historical buildings and farming equipment. Pembina River Provincial Park Campground, a beautiful green oasis deep in the Pembina River Valley, is popular for fishing and tubing. Bring your own tube or rent from the local operator who picks you up at the end of your run to deliver you back to your vehicle.
3. Coal Branch area: This is a picturesque small summer community that—although active mining still takes place in the nearby area—is a very different community today than it was a century ago. In the late 1920s it boasted the only symphony orchestra between Edmonton and Vancouver and had a population of close to 3,000 residents, up from only 316 people in 1916. Today there are only a few dozen year-round residents and the Cadomin General Store. Coal Branch is currently the site of the highest cemetery in Canada (Mountain Park Cemetery just south of Cadomin).

An interactive Heritage Sites map is available in the visitors section under Historical Places of Interest. The county is putting in two large signs on a pull-out on the way to Brule, highlighting some of the historically significant spots in the area as well as the explorations of David Thompson more than 200 years ago.

There are numerous campgrounds and other places to stay along the Yellowhead Highway, and even more if you decide to explore the areas north and south of the Yellowhead.