Attractions

Situated at the end of Main Street, the station is the centerpiece of the collection of historic buildings within the village. It was built in 1912 by the Canadian Northern Railway to its Second Class depot plan, and has served three railways: The Canadian Northern, Canadian National, and presently the Central Western Railway.

This wonderful example of prairie railway architecture still houses a railway office. The ground floor of the station features an extensive photo and artifact gallery featuring the village and area's railway heritage. Washrooms are located in the waiting room.

The station garden is available as a rest area and is often used for picnics. There are also several pieces of railway equipment in Big Valley, notably a wooden caboose and a CPR horse-express car dating from the 1930s. Next to the station is a 1950s era section bunkhouse that was used for the accommodation of the dedicated railroaders who maintained the track and the right-of-way over the years.

Open 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., July 1 to August 31. For off season appointments phone Kathy Evans at (403) 876-2033

This building, is one of many that owned and maintained by the Canadian Northern Society.

	Big Valley's "Blue Church" - 245 Main Street, West
	Inside view of St. Edmunds

In late 1914, the Anglican Diocese of Calgary received a letter and the sum of $500.00 from a Mrs. Caroline Leffler, an English lady, who raised the money by making and selling children's clothing. The letter indicated her wish that the money be used to establish a "Church of England" anywhere in western Canada that they saw fit.

By 1915 Big Valley was booming and was a well established ranching community, an important divisional point on the Canadian Northern Railway, and a prosperous coal mining center. The Town's population seemed certain to exceed the 2,000 mark. The Diocese soon decided that Big Valley was the logical choice for the new church. They chose a site on top of the valley edge overlooking main street and contacted a local craftsman, Mr. Walter Dennis, to build it.

The church, named St. Edmund's, was virtually completed by the end of 1916 and, in fact, the first church service was held in the nearly-finished building on November of that year. For the first six years the entry doorway was on the west side but strong, prevailing, north west winds provided a problem so the present bell tower was added in 1923 to provide an east facing doorway. The exterior finish, which had originally been stucco, was also changed to siding at that time and painted the traditional cream color.

After many years of serving the community, the church gradually saw less and less use and the last regular service was held in the 1060's. The building soon began to show signs of neglect. A community Homecoming was organized for 1974. The very conspicuous, but very shabby, church was in need of paint. The organizers had no money but the local lumber yard offered a large quantity of blue paint that they had "been stuck with." The offer was eagerly accepted and the church became blue! The furor of the local Anglicans was something else indeed but the unusual blue color has been gradually accepted and has become a trademark of the town.

In 1997 the quaintness of the "Blue Church" was further enhanced by the addition of an automatic bell ringing device donated by Harry Stuber and designed by his son, Lionel. The huge bell now rings out the hour, much like a grandfather's clock. It's rather like the "Big Ben of Big Valley."

Each year many couples choose the beautiful old church as a unique setting for their wedding.

Located in Memorial Park, this unit, donated by Gulf Canada, is an example of the machinery used for oil production in the area since the boom when discoveries were made just north of the village in the 1950s.

The discovery well Big Valley, 7-10-35-20-W4, is located four miles south of Big Valley was completed in September, 1950.

Once the Fenn - Big Valley Oil Field was developed, the field covered an area of 78.2 hectares (30.2 square miles). This field produced over 51 million cubic metres (321 million barrels) of oil and over 2.4 billion cubic metres (85 billion cubic feet) of solution gas. Small amounts of oil and gas remain to be produced from this field.

The remains of the railway locomotive shops and servicing area are located across the railway main line and to the south of the station site. This area has now been reclaimed through the efforts of our local volunteer organizations and features interpretive signage describing the one-time important role of this facility.

The roundhouse, originally constructed in 1912, looms like colossal "ruins" and is a must-see for all visitors to the village. An effort has been made to keep the "undiscovered look" by the Canadian Northern Society.

The Roundhouse is located at 148 Railway Avenue, South.

One of the main tourist attractions is the Jimmy Jock Boardwalk which was named after a local Chinese restaurateur who operated a restaurant on the same site in the earlier days. Today a "U" shaped boardwalk has been built similar to a frontier town with wooden signs and a large mural.

The boardwalk features six businesses that are currently operating as well as some others like the local undertaker and the house of ill-repute (which have long since been closed). Visitors can visit a unique collection of businesses - an art galleries, a fudge factory, a tea room, a hats shop, barber shop, and a saloon. 40 Main Street, East.

From about 1914 through the 40s, this jail cell was part of the Big Valley scene. Many a young cowboy, miner, or railroader cooled their heels in this small lock-up.

The jail was sold to a local rancher who used it as an out-building and then as a well house. An inside view will confirm that some of the comforts in jails today were not available when this was in use.

The rehabilitation work has been a project of the Big Valley Communities in Bloom committee, with donations from local organizations and citizens. 21 Main Street, East.


 

Memorial Park is a beautiful spot to sit and relax or enjoy a picnic lunch. There is a War Memorial in the park where respect is paid to the significant number of boys who fought for Canada in war time. 121 Main Street, West.

Big Valley is the #1 destination of the Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions. Departing from Stettler, visitors board the train and have a scenic and relaxing trip down the line. Entertainment is often on board and once they roll into Big Valley, they are greeted by our hosts. There is never a shortage of residents or visitors on hand whenever the train pulls into town, which is over 70 times during the year. After checking out the local sights they disappear into the Jubilee Hall where a hot meal (prepared by Bill's Catering) awaits them and once again enjoy the flavour and sights that we have to offer.

Railway Avenue & Main Street. See more photos in our gallery.

Contact Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions at (403) 742-2811 to see when you might plan your visit.
 

The Big Valley Golf Course is just on the western edge of the village. It's a challenging nine hole course with lots of hills on sand greens.  The view from the course and the club house is spectacular. It overlooks the village and the valley and there is still plenty of land to expand to 18 holes in the future. They are open from dawn till dusk and it costs. Power carts are not available.  The course may be rented for $50 for 1/2 day or $100 for a full day. For more information, call 876-2269. 

• 9 holes: $5.00
• Play all day: $10.00
• Under 10 golf free
• One-year membership: $60.00
  
• Student Yearly Membership (ages 10-17): $10.00

The Canadian Railway Hall of Fame is a project that will honour Canadian achievement in the railway business - specifically related to the development of Canada's vibrant railway industry. It is unique in that it will be accessible to all Canadians through the medium of internet technology. This "Virtual Hall of Fame" concept allows the Hall of Fame to be truly National in scope.

A secondary physical component of the Hall of Fame will be a pavilion to be established in the historic community of Big Valley in central Alberta. Using the medium of interpretive signage, visitors to the village will be able to take a self-guided tour through the outdoor pavilion facility that will honour the inductees to the Canadian Railway Hall of Fame. This pavilion is planned to be constructed directly south of the historic 1912 Canadian Northern Railway depot.

The specific objectives of the Canadian Railway Hall of Fame are as follows:

1. Education of Canadians, especially our youth, on the importance of the railway industry in developing this great country.
2. Honoring those individuals whose contribution to the development of the railway industry has assisted the development of the Canadian economy, and have played a vital role in the shaping of Canada.
3. Promotion of our rich Canadian heritage, enhancing the quality of life in our communities, our province, and our country.

The Hall of Fame will initially select four honorees in each of the four categories of members. These are:

1. Leaders
2. Heroes
3. Communities
4. Equipment and Facilities

The senior committee will perform the annual selection of honorees. Thereafter, one member will be inducted per category per year.

The project is co-sponsored by the Railway Association of Canada and the Canadian Northern Society. Federal charitable tax receipts can be issued to those who make financial contributions. For information on the Canadian Railway Hall of Fame, or to help out, please contact the Canadian Northern Society, Big Valley, Alberta TOJ OGO, or visit www.canadiannorthern.ca.