On the 1A Highway between Cochrane and Banff, there stands a Church surrounded by natural grassland. This is the site of Southern Alberta’s first pioneer settlement, Morleyville. The Church was the heart of that settlement and Morleyville was the center for over 200 people. A powerful reminder of their Western heritage and values, the church tragically burned down in May 2017. The Provincial Government approved the restoration of this historic site, and the anticipated completion date is September 2020. The Mission was the forerunner of Morleyville Settlement. In 1875, there were twenty-three residents of European descent. By 1881, sixty settlers were collecting their mail from the post office inside the trading post. By contrast, in the same year, only 30 people were collecting mail-in Fort Calgary. In 1891, 100 families totaling 388 people were listed as living at Morleyville. Today, an interpretive walk winds through the site inviting you to walk back in time while enjoying unspoiled vistas of the Rocky Mountains and Foothills. Keep an eye out in the next couple of years for an enhanced interpretive walk. Entitled "Through the Eyes of the Stoneys", their vision is to enable the Stoney Nakoda people to tell their stories of the land, the people, and colonization in their language, without censorship.
