Join Shari on Wednesday, May 25 at 6:30 PM at the Sundre Municipal Library for her first event to launch her new book! Alberta’s Cornerstone: Archaeological Adventures in Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park is published by Heritage House Publishing. A short presentation will cover the archaeological work that inspired the book, summarize the history of the… Continue reading Upcoming Book Launch!
Author: shari@sharipeyerl.ca
A Public Park
Last August marked the tenth anniversary of the official opening of Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park. Over the past decade Glenbow Ranch has welcomed many visitors, but did you know that it is not the first public park to exist here? During the peak of Glenbow’s settlement in 1911, there was a place at Glenbow where… Continue reading A Public Park
Book Release!
The official date for the release of Alberta’s Cornerstone: Archaeological Adventures in Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park is just around the corner. Tuesday, May 3, 2022 is the Big Day!! You can ask for the book at your favourite local bookstore, order it online through !ndigo or Amazon, or attend one of Shari’s upcoming events and… Continue reading Book Release!
New Arrivals
There is always something happening at Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park. With each new season, the wildlife varies and different plants highlight the landscape. Human use of the area also changes. A human alteration with a huge impact was the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Between 1881 and 1885, men and machines raced across the… Continue reading New Arrivals
Margaret Mole
Food is an important part of holiday celebrations, but do we always appreciate the people who prepare our festive treats? All too often, historical records focus on the wealthy party-goers, while the people working behind-the-scenes are forgotten. This photo from the Vanderhoef collection is a classic example: the notation on the back names the dog,… Continue reading Margaret Mole
Governesses
Unpredictable school schedules are not only a recent phenomena; they were common in the past, too. In particular, rural areas (such as those in today’s Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park) were susceptible to schooling disruptions due to inclement weather, inadequate funding, teacher unavailability, or insufficient student numbers. Some upper-class Glenbow families in the early 1900s avoided… Continue reading Governesses
Ethel / Anna Uphoff
Miss Uphoff wafts briefly through the history of Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park like a ghost. She appears out of nowhere, suffers a tragic accident, and then vanishes from the historic record. Even her true name is unknown. On Thursday night, 21 March 1912, Miss Uphoff was travelling with her sister — Nellie — aboard the… Continue reading Ethel / Anna Uphoff
Schoolteachers
As spring arrives, we have come to expect a break from school classes. However, a scheduled school-year is relatively new in the Canadian west. In the settlement period, changeable school calendars were caused by a variety of reasons, as illustrated by Glenbow School, once located in today’s Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park. At Glenbow, it took… Continue reading Schoolteachers
Blytha Copeman Pearkes
Constance Blytha Copeman Pearkes, who was born at Glenbow on 18 March 1902, led “an extraordinary life” due to “her wit, good humour and positive attitude” — and a bit of good luck. In 1900, William and Edith Copeman, left England and purchased Waverley Ranch (now in the centre of Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park). During… Continue reading Blytha Copeman Pearkes
Betty & Currey Wearmouth
Parenting is never easy, but can you imagine what it was like a century ago? Currey and Betty Wearmouth had the largest family in Glenbow, and Betty rose to the challenge. In 1910, when Currey returned to Glenbow to work at the quarry, he was accompanied by Betty and their first baby, Stennard. Their house… Continue reading Betty & Currey Wearmouth