Small town known for the fur trade named one of the nicest in Alberta
A small town in Alberta can be filled with plenty of charm and hidden gems, and one known for its historic past was just named one of the nicest in the province.
World Atlas, one of the largest publishing resources in geography, released its list of the seven nicest small towns in Alberta, and one spot that is often overlooked made the cut.
Naturally, spots like Jasper and Canmore landed on the list, but the one small town that stood out to us was one tucked away in western Alberta.
With a population of just under 8,000 people as of last year, the Town of Rocky Mountain House was selected as one of the nicest in the province by the Montreal-based publisher.
Town of Rocky Mountain House, Alberta/Facebook
The town has a storied past, with the Hudson’s Bay Company and the North West Company managing fur trade posts in the area for much of the 19th century. David Thompson, a celebrated explorer, trader and surveyor, also used it as a base for his explorations through the Rocky Mountains.
Rocky Mountain House was established by the Northwest Company in 1799 on a site frequented by the Blackfoot people, and close to Acton House, established nearby by the Hudson’s Bay Company at the same time.
Parks Canada says it served initially as a post on the transcontinental route, then as a fur trade and provisioning post and boat-building operation, then as the focal point of the Hudson’s Bay Company’s strategy towards the American competitors on the Missouri River.
Its occupation was not continuous during the fur trade, and posts were rebuilt and replaced over the years using at least four different sites (1799-1821, 1835-1861, 1868-1875 and the site of Acton House, 1799-1835, respectively). After 1875, there was no permanent occupation of the site.
According to the Town, in 1909, the first Post Office was opened, situated two miles south of the present town’s site. In 1909 and 1910, the Alberta Centre Railway survey passed through Red Deer, 60 miles east, to a point 60 miles west of Rocky Mountain House, to tap the coal at a point called the Brazeau Coalfields, now called Nordegg.
As soon as it was certain the railway was coming, the town started to expand, and in August of 1912, the first Rocky Mountain House post office was opened. In the same summer, the railway started to create a bridge over the North Saskatchewan River. It took two years to freight in the cement for the pillars from the surrounding town sites. Their material was hauled over twisted trails, through thick bush, muskeg and dangerous fords across the rivers.
In 1912, the present town site was bought from J. F. Bertrand and surveyed. Stores, a bank, and the first newspaper were started.
In 1939, Rocky was given the status of a town with a population of approximately 800.
Town of Rocky Mountain House/Facebook
The publication added that the town primarily serves as a gateway to the eastern slopes of the Rockies and its densely forested foothills, with easy access to local trailheads, fishing holes, and campgrounds along the David Thompson Highway.
Nearby Crimson Lake Provincial Park received some attention, along with the famed Abraham Lake.
The Rocky Mountain House area got some serious attention earlier this year, with one prestigious magazine tapping a nearby historic site as a must-visit in Canada.
You can view the full World Atlas ranking online.