Alberta Register of Historic Places

Rev. George McDougall Memorial

Calgary

Other Names:

Rev. George McDougall Cairn

Statement of Significance

Description of Historic Place
The Reverend George McDougall Memorial is a commemorative cairn located on 0.46 acres approximately six kilometres north of Calgary, several kilometres west of the Queen Elizabeth II Highway.

Heritage Value
The heritage value of the Reverend George McDougall Memorial lies in its indication of the place at which the legendary Methodist missionary is believed to have died.

Reverend George McDougall was one of the pre-eminent early missionaries in Alberta and a key figure in the development of early civil life in the province. Born in Kingston, Ontario in 1821, McDougall converted to the Methodist faith at the age of 19 and began a trial candidacy for the ministry a decade later. Between 1851 and 1860, he served the Native peoples of central Canada before being appointed to the Rossville mission at Norway House and assuming the responsibilities of superintendent of Methodist missions in western Canada. From the early 1860s until 1876, McDougall conducted most of his work from present-day Alberta, establishing new missions at Victoria and Morleyville and overseeing Methodist efforts at Whitefish Lake, Pigeon Lake, and Fort Edmonton. McDougall served both Native and Euro-Canadian populations in his role as evangelist and spiritual guide. He was also a strong advocate for Native peoples in their struggles to adapt to the rapidly changing circumstances of the 1860s and 1870s. With his large family - particularly his famed son John - McDougall pioneered some of the earliest settlements and agricultural efforts in Alberta. As missionary, advocate, and pioneer, McDougall had a profound impact upon Euro-Canadian and Native relations in western Canada and on the development of early settlement in present-day Alberta.

George McDougall died in January 1876 after becoming lost during a buffalo hunt. At the time, the Morleyville Mission's food supplies were dwindling and McDougall had brought word that the buffalo were moving westward over the plains. A small hunting party was organized that included both George McDougall and his son John. After successfully killing several of the animals, George McDougall rode ahead of his son toward their camp. He never arrived. A snowstorm impeded search efforts and his frozen body was not discovered until days later. It is believed he died of a heart attack at the site now marked by the commemorative cairn; his body was taken to Morleyville and buried.

Source: Alberta Culture and Community Spirit, Historic Resources Management Branch (File: Des. 659)

Character-Defining Elements
The character-defining elements of Reverend George McDougall Memorial include such features as:
- location where George McDougall is believed to have died;
- environment of native prairie grasses;
- cairn.

Location

Street Address:
Community:	Calgary
Boundaries:	Lot 42, Block 93, Plan 0813798
Contributing Resources:	Structures: Provincial cairn

ATS Legal Description:

Mer	Rge	Twp	Sec	LSD
5	1	25	33	4 (ptn.)

PBL Legal Description (Cadastral Reference):

Plan	Block	Lot	Parcel
0813798 735 JK	93	42 N/A	A

Latitude/Longitude:

Latitude	Longitude	CDT	Datum Type
51.170752	-114.092793	GPS	NAD 83

UTM Reference:

Northing	Easting	Zone	CDT	Datum Type

Recognition

Recognition Authority:	Province of Alberta
Designation Status:	Provincial Historic Resource
Date of Designation:	1976/06/15

Historical Information

Built:	N/A
Period of Significance:	N/A
Theme(s):	Expressing Intellectual and Cultural Life : Philosophy and Spirituality Peopling the Land : Settlement
Historic Function(s):	Community : Commemorative Monument
Current Function(s):	Community : Commemorative Monument
Architect:
Builder:
Context:	HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE 'A Provincial cairn four miles north of Calgary marks the place where Rev. George McDougall died on the prairies in 1876. A Methodist missionary who had been in the west since 1860, he had devoted his life to Indians. At the time of his death he had been out buffalo hunting and is believed to have suffered a heart attack.' Born in 1821, Rev. McDougall attended Victoria College in Toronto and established a mission at Garden River. In 1860 he moved to Norway House, Manitoba. In 1863 he went up the Saskatchewan River to Fort Edmonton and selected a site for a new mission. It was located near present-day Pakan, Alberta and was called Victoria Mission. In 1871 he took charge of the work at Fort Edmonton and two years later completed the church which is now preserved as a museum. During the years he worked tirelessly among the Cree and Stony Indians…" from Historic Sites of Alberta, Alberta Travel Bureau. (Site Information Summary)

Additional Information

Object Number:	4665-0193
Designation File:	DES 0659
Related Listing(s):
Heritage Survey File:	HS 22470
Website Link:
Data Source:	Alberta Culture and Community Spirit, Historic Resources Management Branch, Old St. Stephen's College, 8820 - 112 Street, Edmonton, AB T6G 2P8 (File: Des. 659)