McDougall Memorial Church, Morley, Alberta

I was saddened to learn that the historic McDougall Memorial United Church near Morley, Alberta was destroyed in a fire this past weekend.  During the time I lived in the Calgary area, I spent many early mornings at this site attempting to photograph the church.

McDougall Memorial Church, Morley, Alberta

The McDougall Memorial United Church was a one-storey building located on the north bank of the Bow River, roughly two kilometres east of Morley. The church was constructed in 1875 in the Carpenter's Gothic style and features pointed arch windows and front door, shingled front-gabled roof, and a central steeple crowned by a pinnacle. The designation also includes the archaeological remains of mission structures at the site.  

The heritage value of the McDougall Memorial United Church lies in its association with early missionary efforts and pioneering settlement in southern Alberta at the Morleyville Mission, its association with the famed McDougall family, and its architectural significance as the first Carpenter's Gothic building still standing in Alberta on its original site.

Links:

McDougall Stoney Mission Society

Canada's Historic Places Registry

Crag & Canyon News Article

Rhododendron in Bloom

Last week our Camellia was out in bloom; this week our Rhododendrons have started flowering.

Rhododendron, Gabriola Island BC

Stormy Evening at the Majorville Medicine Wheel

A stormy fall evening at the Majorville Medicine Wheel in southern Alberta.  I took this photo many years ago, using a Pentax 645 medium-format camera with a 45mm lens and Fuji Velvia transparency film.  The wind was blowing so hard, I literally had to hold down my tripod with both hands so it would not blow over in the wind.  Even though this was not a really long exposure, the grass in the foreground was still blurred.  

The thing that really makes this photo stand out is the intense, vivid colours in the sky as the sun was setting below the edge of a chinook arch.  I've been back to the medicine wheel site many times over the years, but I have never seen conditions like repeated - definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

This image was recently selected by Ducks Unlimited Canada to accompany an article on the great conservation work they have been doing in the area of the Majorville Medicine Wheel.

Majorville Medicine Wheel, Alberta