The annual Labour Day Parade is a way for the people of Cochrane to get out and enjoy both the history and future of the town.
The parade has all sorts of acts and floats this year, but one in particular has close to 140 years of history behind it. An 1880s Concord stagecoach – a four-wheeled vehicle pulled by horses – will be featured in this year’s parade.
“It’s really part of the history of the west and Cochrane itself historically is a Western town ... It is quite exciting that a piece of history from the west is right here in town,” owner Stan Cowley said. “If you’re interested in history at all, it’s a very special unit. It’s not just another wagon, it actually has some of the history of Alberta.”
The stagecoach was originally used to go between Fort Benton in Montana and Fort Edmonton to transport goods. After the railway came in, the stagecoach line went out of service and a Lethbridge brewery purchased it to be used as a marketing vehicle for their beer. After Molson bought the brewery, the stagecoach was found when the company knocked down a wall in the basement. That’s how it fell into Cowley’s hands nearly 40 years ago.
“I went down to the Lethbridge brewery to bid on it, got down there and saw Don Remington from Remington Carriages.” Cowley recalled. “He had told all the people who were looking to buy it that I had more money than God, so they never showed up. So I ended up with it and at that time, now 40 years ago, it cost us about $10,000 to put it back into shape and to get it running again.”
The carriage is suspended on buffalo hide, but the other leather on the front and the boot had to be replaced. The roof also had to be repaired after it hit a bump and a shotgun went off and put a hole through it.
The stagecoach has also seen its fair share of parades.
It’s been featured in the Calgary Stampede on more than one occasion; it’s been to parades in Banff and Canmore and also here in Cochrane for the Labour Day parade a couple of years ago.
Cowley is very excited and hopes the people of Cochrane will be too.
“The history of it is really exciting, so it’s going to be interesting to bring it in and show people from the area, the history of the area.”
The Labour Day Parade kicks off Sept. 4 at 10:30 a.m.
