Tag: Place Names

Hot off the virtual presses is the revised and updated Geographical Names Manual. It is now available on the Alberta Geographical Names Program website.

What is the Geographical Names Manual? 

The Geographical Names Manual is the guiding document for naming geographical features in Alberta. It contains a brief history of geographical naming in Canada and Alberta; it identifies and describes the legislation covering geographical naming; and it outlines the roles and responsibilities of the Alberta Historical Resources Foundation and the Alberta Geographical Names Program in geographical naming matters. It also outlines the research done by the Geographical Names Program and attempts to demonstrate the high standards of research and evidence that are required before names are adopted for use on official maps in Alberta.

Most importantly, the manual contains the “Principles of Geographical Names.” These principles are used by the Alberta Geographical Names Program to evaluate proposed names for geographical features and proposed changes to existing names before presenting naming proposals to the Foundation for consideration. The Principles are largely based on those used by the Geographical Names Board of Canada, which in turn are based on long-standing, international naming policies and procedures. These international standards have been developed since regulatory bodies were first established to oversee geographical names, more than a century ago.

Why do we need the Manual and its Principles and Standards?

Standardized principles and procedures for the adoption and revision of official names were developed to ensure a high a level of consistency in land-marking and map-making over time and across jurisdictions and cultures. Maps, whether paper-based or electronic, are an essential navigational tool. For this reason it is essential that the names that appear on these maps are accurate and consistent so that navigation is efficient and free of confusion. However, as human beings, it is also natural for us to want to name our surroundings, thereby affirming our place amongst our geography, identifying features important to us and commemorating our history and our evolving cultural values. The established standards, principles and procedures that have been developed over time are an attempt to balance the need for consistency with our desire to name the landscape.

Most people are unaware that there are naming standards and a process for the adoption of official names. The intention of the manual is to make the standards, principles and procedures available to the general public in a format that is accessible and understandable.

People considering making an application to have a new name adopted for a geographical feature or proposing a change to an existing name are encouraged to read the Manual, particularly the “Principles of Geographical Names” section. An understanding of the Principles can save substantial effort and make the process much clearer and easier to understand.

Why was the Manual updated?

The Geographical Names Manual was first published in 1987 (reprinted in 1989). A second revised edition was published in 1992 and a third edition in the early 2000s. Since the publication of the third edition, some of the basic information, such as the Department/Ministry name, Government of Alberta logos, etc. had become significantly outdated. As these details needed to be updated, the opportunity was ripe to give the entire Manual an overhaul. Revisions included:

• Enhancing the format and style, making the document more attractive and interesting by taking advantage of current word-processing tools;
• Expanding the Introduction section to include answers to some of the frequently asked questions about naming;
• Expanding the History section to provide more context of how place naming in Canada and Alberta has evolved;
• Minor editing of the “Principles of Geographical Names” to improve readability;
• Expanding the Standards of Research section to provide more information about the importance of sources of evidence and to provide links to other guides and information;
• Revising the Procedures section to better reflect the path taken by naming proposals from receipt of application to official rejection or adoption of the proposed name.

The most significant change was the addition of sections explaining naming procedures in areas where the Government of Alberta shares jurisdiction over naming matters – National Parks (with Parks Canada), Canadian Forces Bases (with the Department of National Defence), and Indian Reserves (with the Aboriginal and Northern Affairs Canada and the affected First Nations tribe, band or community). Also added were sections explaining the naming procedures for features that lie on or cross an inter-provincial boundary into Saskatchewan, British Columbia or the Northwest Territories or for features that cross the international border into the state of Montana.

So, there it is. The new and improved Geographical Names Manual is available as a PDF on the Geographical Names Program website.

We hope that all Albertans interested in our province’s naming heritage will find this revised edition of the manual useful, interesting and educational. In the near future the Geographical Naming Application form and the webpage itself will also be updated.

Written by: Ron Kelland, Historic Places Research Officer and Geographical Names Program Coordinator

The Alberta Historical Resources Foundation and the Minister of Culture and Community Services has officially adopted the name Gibb Lake for a previously unnamed lake in Clear Hills County. The small lake is located approximately 16 kilometres north east of the Village of Hines Creek. The newly adopted name serves two commemorative purposes. Firstly, it commemorates the family of William and Christina Gibb, early homesteaders in the Hines Creek region. Secondly, it commemorates the service of their sons, many of whom served in the armed forces, particularly Private Stanley Alexander Gibb, Loyal Edmonton Regiment, R.C.I.C., who lost his life during the conflict.

William Gibb was born about 1899; he was raised in the Gordon district of the Scottish borderlands where he worked as a farmer or farm labourer. His wife Christina, who was born about 1901, was from Newtyle, Scotland. In 1925, they and their four sons (Charles Howard, aged 5; Stanley Alexander, aged 3; David William, aged 2; and three month old John William) immigrated to Canada aboard the Canadian Pacific liner SS Marburn. They arrived in Quebec on August 22 and immediately traveled to Wolseley, Saskatchewan where William was employed as a farm labourer in the employ of a Mr. Alex Callander.

The family moved to Fairview, Alberta in 1928 and William Gibb filed for a homestead in the relatively unsettled Hines Creek region (NE ¼, Section 5, Township 85, Range 4, West of the 6^th Meridian). The family would grow to include eight children – Charles, Stanley, David, John, Marjorie, William and Chris. While proving up the homestead, William Gibb Sr. became an active member of the community. In addition to farming, he worked on regional road crews and served as a trustee for the Ednam School District No. 4359 (the school district being named for the market town of Ednam, Scotland, which was near William Gibb’s birthplace). According to a long-time resident of the region, the Gibb’s also provided entertainment at community gatherings with their singing (in Gaelic) and traditional Scottish dancing. Despite only clearing 10 of the required 30 acres, the Gibb family was granted title to their land in December 1935. The inspection agent determined that the Gibb’s land was extraordinarily difficult to clear and declared that the 10 acres was equal to 30 acres of cleared land elsewhere in the province.

With clear title to their land, the Gibb’s existence should have been more stable. However, their lives, like those of many Alberta families, were irrevocably disturbed with the outbreak of war in 1939. A number of the Gibb sons enlisted for service. It has not been possible to track down records for many of them, but Stanley’s service records indicate that he had two brothers (unnamed) serving, one with the Royal Navy and the other with the Royal Air Force. However, since the lake became officially named, more information has been revealed by a family member (William Gibb Jr.), which suggests strongly that Stanley’s Service Record may be inaccurate or incomplete.

According to William Gibb Jr., almost all of the Gibb sons did their part for their country either during or following the war:

– Charles Gibb enlisted in the Army and spent most of the war as a sergeant, training troops in England;

– David Gibb enlisted, but was released after six months due to having poor eyesight. He returned home, and worked on the construction of the Alaska Highway under the employ of the American Armed Forces;

– John Gibb enlisted later in the war and served with the Occupation Army in Germany during 1944-45;

– William Gibb served in the Canadian Merchant Navy and then as a seaman and helmsman on a hydrographical survey ship (CGS W. J. Stewart) on the Pacific Coast;[1]

– Chris Gibb served with the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1953 to 1956.

The Gibb’s second son, Stanley Alexander Gibb, had perhaps the most interesting and ultimately the most tragic experience. Stanley served as a Private with the Loyal Edmonton Regiment. In his enlistment papers he stated that he was employed as a farm labourer and expressed interest in training as either a mechanic or a railroad engineer. He also indicated that he collected stamps and enjoyed boxing and baseball (he played third base).  He trained in Calgary and embarked for Great Britain in August 1941 where he received further training, served garrison duties and was temporarily assigned to a Mechanical Transport Vehicle Reception Depot. In June 1943, Private Gibb was deployed to the Mediterranean. Soon after arrival in North Africa, he contracted malaria and spent three weeks in hospital.

The Loyal Edmonton Regiment was actively involved throughout the Italian campaign, but Private Gibb’s role in most of these engagements is not known. However, on October 22, 1943, The Regiment fought in a battle that became known as the Savio Bridgehead. The Loyal Edmonton Regiment and the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada launched supporting attacks to the Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry’s second attempt to cross the Savio River just north of Cesena and gain a foothold on the opposite bank. The attack began with an artillery barrage at 8pm. By 9pm, the Edmontons were in the fast flowing river and attempting to reach the other side. An early setback occurred when Major W. G. Longhurst, the commander of the first company to attempt the crossing, was killed. A second company joined the fight and the Edmontons recovered. The crossing continued until daylight, when they reached Case Gentili, a small hamlet west of the river. The Regiment received Battle Honours for their actions in this engagement. For most of the Regiment, the fight continued. However, during the crossing, Private Stanley Alexander Gibb had stepped on a landmine. According to his service record, he suffered the traumatic amputation of his right foot and severe wounds to both legs and both arms. He was evacuated to a field hospital and underwent surgery, having his right leg amputated at the knee and his right arm amputated above the elbow. His post-operative condition was listed as stable, but infection and fever set in the following day, from which he did not recover. Private Stanley Gibb died of his wounds on October 27, 1944. He is buried in the Cesena War Cemetery, in the Italian province of Forli.

During the war, William and Christina sold the Peace Country farmstead and relocated to Vancouver Island, where much of the family remains today.

The application to have Gibb Lake adopted as the official name for that lake was made by a member of the Clear Hills Watershed Initiative in September 2009. The proposal was supported by the Municipal Council of Clear Hills County and the local MLA. After considerable research, the proposal was presented to the Board of the Alberta Historical Resources Foundation during their December 3, 2011 meeting in Calgary, at which they agreed to accept the name. On January 31, 2012, the Minister of Culture and Community Services concurred with the board’s decision and the adoption of the name became official. Notification of the adoption of the name Gibb Lake was published in Alberta Gazette on February 29 and it was added to the Canadian Geographical Names Database, ensuring the name appears on new maps of the region produced by the federal and provincial governments.

This has been a very interesting naming proposal to work on. The name was made official following nearly two years of research. Since the name was officially adopted and media stories began to appear, new information has been received. Keep checking back to this blog, updates will be posted about the Gibb family’s record of service to their country as more information is discovered and verified.

Written by: Ron Kelland, Historic Places Research Officer and Geographical Names Program Coordinator

For location information and a list of additional resources:  Read more →

Origin of the name of the Hamlet of Hairy Hill

Recently the Edmonton Journal ran a photo essay and article about the Hamlet of Hairy Hill, which included the story about the origin of the name (see the Further Reading section below for links).  Hairy Hill is undoubtedly one of the most unusual place names in Alberta. It is a name that frequently raises questions, not to mention more than a few eyebrows.

The region around what is now Hairy Hill has been historically known as both the Whitford District and the Soda Lake District.  In November 1903, a post office by the name of Soda Lake was established with A. E. Boutellier as the first postmaster. The post office name was in reference to a highly alkaline lake located nearby (which has since dried up). However, in February 1907, a new post office was opened closer to the lake. Probably in recognition of geographical realities and to avoid confusion, the new post office was given the name Soda Lake, meaning the older post office needed a new name. (Click on the above image for a larger view.)

The new name chosen for the post office was inspired by a strange phenomenon the region’s early settlers had observed. In the 1940s, folklorists recorded this story told by George Chrapka, an early resident of the area:

The first settlers, on moving into this district … chose the site for their new homes on a large flat hill.  This hill, however, was somewhat different from any other they had seen.  Everywhere they looked they saw large mats of hair covering the ground.  Naturally they were puzzled, but with the coming of the spring also came an answer.  One bright morning they saw a hundred or more buffalo roaming lazily along the slopes of the hill.  On going to the spot they found fresh mats of hair.  This solved the “hairy mystery,” and also suggested a name for the locality – Hairy Hill.

Many mammals grow a shaggy coat during the winter, which they shed in the spring. North American bison, commonly referred to as buffalo, are known to rub themselves on the ground and against foliage to rid themselves of their winter coats.  Jack Brink, a former archaeologist with the Alberta Archeological Survey and now a curator at the Royal Alberta Museum, has commented:

Bison, or buffalo as they are commonly known, have lived in central Alberta for thousands of years. The area around Hairy Hill would have been an especially attractive region because it straddles the boundary of two eco-zones: the plains to the south and the parkland and forest to the north. As such it offers access to and advantages of both regions. Hilly areas offered lush grass, greater moisture and some protection from extremes of weather. So it is reasonable to suggest that Hairy Hill was a popular spot for bison herds. This could account for the historic records of great amounts of buffalo hair found on the hill by early settlers.

Year after year, while there was still bison roaming the plains, they would return each spring to this hill, leaving new deposits of hair over its surface. The settlers called the place Hairy Hill. The unusual name stuck, gained a following and in 1907, the regional post office was given the name Hairy Hill.

As the writer of the Edmonton Journal article points out, Hairy Hill’s history is a common one for many of Alberta’s rural communities – a promising and optimistic start followed by disappointment and decline.  The population of Hairy Hill grew, slowly but steadily, over the first few decades.  In 1928, the Canadain Pacific Railway built an east-west line through the community. Soon after the completion of the rail line, Hairy Hill boasted a large school, numerous stores, and up to six grain elevators.  By 1946 the population had reached 235 and the community was erected as a village.  The population continued to grow, reaching a high of 250 in 1948 before beginning a steady decline, falling to 136 by the late-1960s.  The population dropped precipitously through the 1970s and 1980s, reaching a low of 54 people by 1993.  In 1996, the village was dissolved and Hairy Hill became a hamlet under the jurisdiction of the County of Two Hills No. 21.

Written by: Ron Kelland, Historic Places Research Officer and Geographic Names Program Coordinator

Location:

National Topographic System Map Sheet: 73 E/13 – Hairy Hill

Latitude/Longitude: 53° 45′ 48″ N & 111° 58′ 43″ W

Alberta Township System: Sec 23 Twp 55 Rge 14 W4

Description: Approximately 18 km northwest of the Town of Two Hills and 11 km southeast of the Village of Willingdon. 

Additional Resources: 

More information about Hairy Hill can be found in:

Chrapka, George. “How Hairy Hill got its Name,” Alberta Folklore Quarterly, Vol. 2 no. 1 (March 1946), p. 34, available from the Alberta Folklore and Local History Collection, University of Alberta Libraries http://www.ourfutureourpast.ca/folklore.html.

Lucas, John. “Gallery: Hairy Hill,” Edmonton Journal, 29 October 2011, Available from http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/photos/Gallery+Hairy+Hill/5628500/story.html.  

Mah, Bill. “Hamlet of Hairy Hill Fading Slowly Into Alberta’s Past,” Edmonton Journal, 30 October 2011, Available from http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/Hamlet+Hairy+Hill+fading+slowly+into+Alberta+past/5630654/story.html.   

Castle Mountain to Mount Eisenhower and Back Again

In January 1946, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe and future President of the United States of America, was on an official visit to Canada. Prime Minister Mackenzie King was seeking a fitting honour to bestow on the general. Sir Leonard Brockington, a friend and former aide of the Prime Minister’s, suggested that Banff National Park’s Castle Mountain be renamed in the general’s honour, adding, in a statement that proved to be astoundingly inaccurate, that because the mountain “was not named for any individual … no one could be offended by a change of name” (quoted in memorandum, Pickersgill to King, 7 January 1946). Reportedly against the objections of the Geographic Board of Canada, King announced the renaming during a state dinner on January 9. Recounting that the people of Scotland had recently presented Eisenhower with a castle, King said that

We have no ancient castles in this country, but we have other things that are even more enduring. We have ancient mountains. We can’t very well present you with a mountain, but we have this mountain named ‘Castle Mountain’ and it is the wish of the Government of Canada and of the people of Canada to change the name from ‘Castle Mountain’ to ‘Mount Eisenhower’.

Reportedly visibly moved, Eisenhower responded by saying that he was “touched by such a tribute that one man should be so honoured and his name so perpetuated in this way,” adding that “One day I am going to see that mountain. There is one thing, too, of which I am fairly certain – it must be a bald peak” (Ottawa Journal, 10 January 1946). The mountain became Mount Eisenhower and the junction of the two main roads in the area became Eisenhower Junction. Oddly, the Canadian Pacific Railway station in the area retained the name Castle Mountain.

Although the audience at the state dinner responded enthusiastically to the announcement, protests erupted from across Canada and even from the United States. The Vancouver Province wrote that

The gesture is a gracious one …it is a pity that the gesture will be futile. No one who has seen Castle Mountain can call it anything but Castle. The mountain named itself in the first instance. Its battlemented towers, its buttresses, its crenalated crags shout Castle, Castle, Castle, all day long. They can never be made to say Eisenhower [cited in the Banff Crag and Canyon, 18 January 1946].

The Banff Crag & Canyon wrote that “the man on the street is wondering why out of all the peaks and lakes in the Banff National Park, Castle Mountain should have been selected” [11 January 1946], and on 18 January added that

‘Residents of Banff were highly pleased when they learned Castle Mountain was to be called Mt. Eisenhower,” quotes one of the daily papers. Just which resident? … Letters and comments of protest are being published daily, which must sound a rather sour note to the supreme Allied commander as and if he reads them. Far be it for anyone to mean to belittle such a gesture, but two generations or more have known this mighty monarch of the Rockies as Castle Mountain, and it will take some educating to change its name. Surely the choice of another mountain would have been more in order [12 January 1946].

The Alpine Club of Canada wrote to the Prime Minister noting Eisenhower’s achievements, but lamenting the loss of the historic and uniquely descriptive name and also protesting the lack of consultation and the seemingly random selection of Castle Mountain to be renamed. Read more →

Castle Mountain is an approximately 2,860 metre (9,383’) mountain located in Banff National Park. It is in the Bow Valley and situated approximately 30km northwest of the Banff town site and 20 km southeast of the Lake Louise town site. The name is descriptive and comes from the fortress- or castle-like appearance of the mountain; its peaks and ridges give the impression of the towers and battlements characteristic of a medieval fortress or castle. The mountain appears to stand alone in the middle of the valley and, although it is not amongst the tallest of the mountains in the area, it is one of the most picturesque and well-known mountains in the Canadian Rockies. This prominence has made the mountain the subject of one of the greatest naming controversies in western Canadian history.

The origins of the name Castle Mountain are found with the Palliser Expedition, which explored western British North America from 1857 to 1859.  In August 1858, the expedition split up to cover more territory. Dr. James Hector, the expedition’s geologist, led a party westward from the Morley area up the Bow Valley. On August 17, 1858, Hector’s party entered a wide portion of the Bow Valley between the Sawback Range and the Bow Range. He recorded in this Journal that “[s]eeming to stand out in the centre of the valley is a very remarkable mountain, still at a distance of 12 miles, which looks like a gigantic castle.”  Hector spent the next two days camped near the mountain, which he named Castle Mountain. [Interestingly, on August 12, 1858, just five days prior to Hector’s naming of Castle Mountain in the Bow Valley, Lt. Thomas Blakiston, another member of the Palliser Expedition had bequeathed the name Castle Mountain to a mountain near Pincher Creek. In order to avoid confusion, Blakiston’s mountain was officially named Windsor Mountain in 1915].

On August 19, Hector and a party member named Sutherland attempted to climb Castle Mountain. Hector recorded the details of the climb in his Journal:

[W]e began to rise very rapidly. At 1,000 feet above the valley, before we had quite got out of the woods, we came to a cliff, about 80 feet high, composed of quartzite and indurated sandstone of a pinkish hue… . After this we reached the first of the cliff ranges that are so conspicuous from the valley below … . When 2,000 feet above the valley we passed round to the N. side of the mountain, and found that a deep valley separated it from a lower spur composed of splintery shale of a dull red colour. The mass of the mountain, which rose more than 2,000 feet above us, seemed to be composed of thick bedded limestones, and these breaking away as the soft shales below them have been destroyed has given rise to the castellated appearance.

Hector’s party left Castle Mountain the next day to continue their exploration of the Bow Valley. On September 3, he again noted the mountain, which could be seen from Kicking Horse Pass, at a distance of 15 to 20 miles.

On his second journey up the Bow Valley in 1859, Hector camped at the north end of Castle Mountain. During this trip he recorded observations that the mountains on the west side of the valley were characterized by strata of soft shale, while the mountains on the east side of the valley were composed of limestone. Geologically speaking, he wrote, Castle Mountain, with its heavy shale, belonged with the mountains on the west side of the valley, even though the course carved by the Bow River placed the mountain on the valley’s east side.

The Palliser Expedition wrapped up in 1859. In 1861, Hector was appointed as the director of the Geological Survey of Otago, New Zealand. He spent the rest of his life in New Zealand, where he died in 1907 at the age of 73 years. Despite only spending two short visits to Castle Mountain, Hector’s vivid descriptions of the mountain and the name he gave it lived on.

In 1883, the Canadian Pacific Railway established a station near the mountain. This station was listed as Castle Mountain in the railway’s timetables and maps. Also in 1883, a mining town known as Silver City was established in the mountain’s shadow. It quickly grew to over 2,000 people before disappearing in 1885 after the expected ore deposits failed to materialize.

In 1912, the Geographic Board of Canada officially approved the name Castle Mountain to identify the mountain on federal maps. During the First World War, the Castle Mountain Internment Camp was established to contain detainees, mostly recently-arrived immigrants from Eastern Europe. Castle Mountain also featured prominently in promotional literature produced by the Canadian Pacific Railway and Banff National Park. The mountain continued to dominate the landscape of the region and the minds and imaginations of those that viewed it. The name Castle Mountain appeared to be indelibly affixed upon the map. The events of 1946 changed that.

To read Part 2, click here.

Location:

National Topographic System Map Sheet: 82 0/5 – Castle Mountain

Latitude/Longitude: 51° 17′ 59″ N & 115° 55′ 21″ W

Alberta Township System: Sec 8 Twp 27 Rge 14 W5

Description: Approximately 30 km northwest of the Banff town site and 20 km southeast of the Lake Louise town site.

Written by: Ron Kelland, Historic Places Research Officer and Geographical Names Program Coordinator

Additional Resources:

More information about Castle Mountain and Dr. James Hector can be found in:

Dell, R. K. “Hector, James: 1934-1907, geologist, explorer, administrator,” Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, available from http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/1h15/1.

Kordan, Bohdan S. and Peter J. Melnycky. In the Shadow of the Rockies: Diary of the Castle Mountain Internment Camp, 1915-1917. (Edmonton: Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies Press, 1991).

Spry, Irene M. ed., The Papers of the Palliser Expedition, 1857-1860. (Toronto: Champlain Society, 1968), available from http://link.library.utoronto.ca/champlain/search.cfm?lang=eng. [Dr. Hector’s Journal for 1858 can be found on pages 286-469].

Preparing a Naming Proposal 

The Historical Resources Act gives authority to make geographical naming decisions jointly to the Alberta Historical Resources Foundation and the Minister of Culture and Community Spirit. However, over the last number of decades, the Government of Alberta has not generally been proactive in naming geographical features. The responsible authorities believe that it is more appropriate for the citizens of Alberta to play the key role in making naming proposals. So, how does a person suggest a name for a geographical feature? The short answer is to submit a proposal.

Applications or proposals to name a geographical feature are made to the Alberta Geographical Names Program. The application form is available on the program’s website along with the Geographical Names Manual, which will help guide applicants through the application process and provide some details about the research standards and principles that guide geographical naming in Alberta. It is highly recommended that applicants read the manual before starting the application to ensure that the proposed name is appropriate and meets the “Principles and Guidelines for Geographical Naming” (more on these in a future blog post).

On the application are a number of questions that should be completed as thoroughly as possible. This remainder of this blog post will walk you through the application form. Read more →

The name Skrine Creek has been officially adopted for a previously unnamed creek in the Porcupine Hills. The name commemorates Walter and Agnes “Nesta” Skrine (pronounced “screen”), who were early operators of a medium-sized ranch in the region. The spring-fed creek rises in the Municipal District of Ranchland No. 66 and flows northerly into the Municipal District of Willow Creek, where it joins Mosquito Creek approximately 24 kilometres west of Nanton.  

Walter Skrine was born in Somerset England in 1860. After receiving his education at Oxford University, he managed a coffee plantation in Ceylon until the early 1880s. In either 1883 or 1884, he to migrated to the Canadian northwest, where he began ranching along the Highwood River in the “Pekisko Hills” (Little Rolling Hills) region. After losing most of his cattle during the disastrous winter of 1886/87, he moved further west and established a ranch on Mosquito Creek. He chose the site due to the protection offered by the surrounding hills and the plentiful water supplied by the area’s creeks and springs. He settled first as a squatter, but later filed on a 160-acre homestead and leased nearly 16,000 acres of surrounding land. Starting with 200 head of cattle, he grew the herd to 700 head by 1898. Walter was active socially and politically within the ranching community. He ran, unsuccessfully, for the Territorial Assembly and, in 1885, the North-West Stock Association, a protest movement against the policies of the existing territorial stock association, was formed during a meeting at Skrine’s house in 1885.   

In 1895, Walter travelled to Ireland where he married Agnes “Nesta” Shakespeare Higginson of County Antrim. Walter and Nesta travelled back to Canada, where she took an active role in the daily activities of the ranch. Nesta was a very well-educated young woman and a talented writer and poet. She was published throughout Europe, mainly in Blackwood’s Magazine, under the pseudonym Moira O’Neill. She also published a short novel, The Elf-Errant (1895) and two books of poetry, Songs of the Glens Antrim (1900) and More Songs of the Glens of Antrim (1920). Ranching life and the landscape of the Canadian West provided inspiration for much of her prose and poetry, notably a prose piece entitled “A Lady’s Life on a Ranche,” which has been republished in many anthologies about southern Alberta ranching history, and a number of poems in both of her published books.   

Unlike many of their fellow ranchers, the Skrine’s welcomed the arrival of farmers into the region and assisted many of them in establishing themselves. However, the transition of the local economy from ranching to farming put pressures on many ranchers. In 1902, Walter and Nesta sold the Bar S Ranch to a neighbour and returned to Ireland. They settled at Ballyrankin House in County Wexford. In 1921, the house was burned by Irish patriots, one of many such attacks on English gentry during “The Troubles.” Undaunted, the Skrines, purchased the Newlands House, about a mile away and re-christened it as Ballyrankin House. Walter Skrine died here in 1930 following a hunting accident. Nesta Skrine died on January 22, 1955. As of 2011, the Bar S Ranch continues to operate on the same land originally selected by Walter Skrine in the 1880s.   

The proposal to name this water feature Skrine Creek was received from Clay Chattaway, the current owner/operator of the Bar S Ranch in September 2009. The proposed name was supported by both Municipal Districts, the surrounding land-owners and descendants of the Skrine family living in Ireland. The proposed name received the approval of the Alberta Historical Resources Foundation in November 2010 and the Minister of Culture and Community Spirit in February 2011.   

Creek Location

Click here for a full view of Aerial Imagery of the Region Around Skrine Creek.

National Topographic System Map Sheet: 82 J/8 – Stinson Creek

Latitude/Longitude: 50° 16′ 56″ N & 114° 5′ 57″ W to 50° 19′ 37″ N and 114° 6′ 18″ W

Alberta Township System: Sec 20 Twp 15 Rge 1 W5 to Sec 5 Twp 16 Rge 1 W5

Description: Rises in the MD of Ranchland No. 66 and flows north into the MD Willow Creek No. 6. The creek flows northerly into Mosquito Creek, approximately 24 km WSW of Nanton.  

Additional Resources 

Additional information about Walter and Nesta Skrine and the history of the Bar S Ranch can be found in the following resources: 

Skrine, Agnes, “A Lady’s Life on a Ranche,” In A Flannel Shirt and Liberty: British Emigrant Gentlewomen in the Canadian West, 1880-1914, edited by Susan Jackel, 95-110. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, 1982. Originally published in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine vol. 163 no. 987 (January 1898). 

Higginson, T. B. “Moira O’Neill in Alberta,” Alberta Historical Review vol. 5 no. 2 (Spring 1957): 22-25. 

Klassen, Henry. “A Century of Ranching at the Rocking P and the Bar S.” In Cowboys, Ranchers and the Cattle Business: Cross-Border Perspectives on Ranching History, edited by Simon Evans, Sarah Carter and Bill Yeo, 101-122. Calgary: University of Calgary Press and Boulder: University Press of Colorado, 2000.

Blog Post Written by: Ron Kelland, Historic Places Research Officer and Geographical Names Program Coordinator