MOUNTAIN VIEW COUNTY – Although there's very little remaining physical evidence today that the historical Glenbow quarry and townsite ever existed, its story that had been all but lost to the passage of time was meticulously uncovered and recorded for posterity by a Bergen-area author whose book on the subject was named among the recipients of the 2024 Alberta Heritage Awards.
Now the site of the Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park located between Calgary and Cochrane, stone hewn from the quarry that operated in that area in the early 1900s was used to construct government buildings in Alberta and was also the inspiration behind the book written by Shari Peyerl, who is also an archaeologist, archivist, and oral historian.
When asked by the Albertan how she’d come to learn her book earned her the award, Peyerl said she was enjoying a day off earlier in September in an attempt to temporarily liberate herself from digital distractions by sitting back on her porch and indulging in a book on a warm, late-summer day.
“It was the first time I'd had a chance to sit down in forever so I was relishing that, and my phone rang,” Peyerl said.
On the other end was Dr. Frits Pannekoek, a professor at Athabasca University who had nominated her.
While Peyerl had been aware that she’d been nominated, along with support letters submitted by the Historical Society of Alberta, the Chinook Country Historical Society, the Glenbow Ranch Park Foundation as well as Tim Harvie, she had not heard the news as she hadn’t yet gotten around to checking emails that day.
“The first words out of his mouth were, ‘Congratulations, Shari!’” she said, adding she asked what for.
“And he said, ‘For winning the award!’” she said with a laugh. “That was kind of an added bonus I guess; you always want to be surprised.”
The awards ceremony was held on Sept. 26 at the Queen Elizabeth II building at the legislative grounds in Edmonton.
Her historical book, Alberta’s Cornerstone: Archaeological Adventures in Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park, was named a recipient of a Heritage Awareness award in recognition of her promoting provincial heritage.
“From metal fragments and dusty artifacts, she pieces together a story about a settlement situated in today’s picturesque Glenbow Provincial Park. As Peyerl dispels archaeological myths, explains scientific techniques, and shares the excitement of unearthing lost histories, she introduces readers to a colourful array of characters who once lived at Glenbow,” reads part of a press release.
The other two categories are for Heritage Conservation and Outstanding Achievement awards. Altogether, there including Peyerl were 15 awards presented this year to individuals as well as groups for a variety of endeavours, but hers was the only book recognized.
“It was kind of intimidating, because they all seemed so amazing,” she said about being recognized alongside all of the other recipients who also invested so much time and effort into their own initiatives and projects.
“It was definitely an honour and, you know, exciting and nerve wracking,” she said, adding that while she’s no stranger to standing in front of a crowd to offer a historical presentation, being put under the spotlight at an awards ceremony is a different experience.
Since her book already contains pages of acknowledgements for those who helped make it all possible, Peyerl said she focused her address recognizing Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park stewards, volunteers and the general public who also contributed.
But there was double the reason to be in a good mood after winning the award as news had also just been announced that the park would be spared from destruction after being considered by the provincial government as a potential site to expand reservoir capacity as part of a project intended to mitigate flooding in Calgary.
“I kind of concluded by saying that we’re all celebrating because the government announced the previous day that they had chosen to pursue the Ghost Dam reservoir, not the Glenbow East reservoir, which meant that they would not be flooding the park,” she said.
“It was very concerning that they were even considering to be flooding Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park,” she said, later adding the Harvie family had donated that land.
“So that was pretty exciting to find out the news that the park was safe, and then the next day to have to go and get an award, was pretty amazing.”
Visit www.alberta.ca/heritage-awards to find the complete list of award recipients, and check out www.sharipeyerl.ca for more about the author and her endeavours.
“There’s always stuff going on in my little corner of the universe,” she said when asked whether she planned to pursue another project or was perhaps taking a break.
More immediately, she referred to Indigenous archeological sites that were being investigated as well as some presentations she had planned with different groups, but Peyerl also cited a couple of bigger projects that she is currently contemplating.
“I’m working on two new (non-fiction) books simultaneously on completely different topics,” she said.
Although still considering how to approach them, Peyerl hopes to eventually complete a children’s history book about the Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park as well as a more personal and closer-to-home look into her father-in-law and his family’s involvement in the Second World War.
“He’s now approaching 80. So I want to get as much help from my father-in-law as I can ahead of time,” she said. “It’s his family history. It’s pretty amazing; I’m excited to be working on that.”