Rowley Raspberry

Pioneers were originally drawn to Rowley, Alberta because of it’s location. The abundant prairies offered opportunity for farmers to thrive and in the early 1900s Rowley was a leading contributor to the Wheat Pool collective.

The town saw quick growth and then a slow decline as our province and it’s industry changed. By the mid 1970s, the dying town was primarily composed of empty houses and shuttered businesses. The small but determined community rallied together and in a spirit-fuelled night, they broke into the old, boarded-up saloon to come up with a plan. The liquor supply was dwindling fast so the first order of business was to fix up Sam’s Saloon.

For the next 25 years, the locals worked hard and poured a lot of their own money into restoring the buildings and refreshing the businesses leaving just enough to maintain Rowley’s charming “ghost-town” appeal. Rowley became a heritage site and brought in tourists from all over. Rowley also became the site of several films and tv shows.