The Battle River Valley

The Battle River Valley that we call home has been host to a few events over the last century. On the river flats south of our place, a rodeo was held. There is an action picture in the “Oxen Tails to Jet Trails” history book labelled “Myers Stampede” dated 1931. Thank God for the invention of photography! Looks to me like they captured the wild horse race in progress and there’s a big crowd! (Just love those 10-gallon cowboy hats).

Just east across a coulee on another river flat, possibly 10 years later, there was a huge corral constructed from trees along the river. This pole corral likely served the local ranchers on fall roundups when cattle were gathered to trail home for winter feeding. The pasture was immense and there were no fences for miles, likewise the river was not fenced and cattle from neighbouring ranches would cross and graze together. This historical pole corral on the river flat was “cow” central and would have been a fine gathering place. For many years I witnessed its weathered remains lingering on the prairie; slowly fading, like history itself, back into nature. Even today, while I’m riding, I will stop in what I imagine is the center of that corral and listen for the distant voices of the cowboys from another time.

Picnics and swimming in the river were a constant thread all through the decades. Even the cowboys in the rodeo and roundups previously mentioned would have partook. Being a smaller river with a very wide river valley afforded easy access to the river where the banks weren’t too steep and there were flat sandy beaches. The water became a natural gathering place when the heat settled in. Long before air conditioning and backyard pools were common, rivers like “ours” (if I may I claim it) were where families cooled off, neighbours met, and children learned the rhythms of the seasons. We, and those who came before us, have always found our way down to the river to cool off and enjoy long, hot summer days.

For hundreds of years, the Battle River was navigated with canoes or boats for work related to the fur trade, transportation and survival. The river was a crucial artery for travel between trading posts. (Google) In the last 50 years, my observation has been agricultural, but in some cases, recreational. In our area, you are sure to see canoes, kayaks, rafts, and/or dinghy’s several times in the summer heading down the river. The more dedicated adventurers often camp along the river bank as they make their way to their destination. Many are drawn to the sport itself, while others, like me, cherish the peace and quiet the river offers, whether floating or paddling. My party goes for shorter trips, and we arrange for someone to pick us up in the valley along our route.

I even tried snowmobiling with our neighbours in the 1970s, winding along the river valley when the river froze and the long winter settled in. It wasn’t for me, I like horses way better, but it was a perfect winter pastime for many, especially as snow machines became more common and informal trail networks stitched farms together. Even now, we still hear folks zipping along the trails; the sound carries up the river hill and reminds us how the valley has always offered its own kind of seasonal freedom.

It might surprise you to know that between 1940 and 1942, low flying military trainer planes flew just above the treetops in our valley startling any unsuspecting resident just going about their daily routine. (Oxen Tails to Jet Trails) For as long as we’ve lived here, military planes and helicopters have performed training exercises in the valley. We are pleased with military presence here.

A small company plane from Edmonton crashed in our valley in 2008. An alert was sent out for search and rescue and the RCMP, military personnel, and local residents participated. The plane was found. We mourned the tragic loss together as the community of our Battle River Valley.