by Shari Peyerl, Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park
If there are such things as spirits who haunt the location of their tragic demise, an ideal Glenbow candidate would be Alexander McBeth, a Scottish stonecutter. Alex met his fate on June 9, 1911 at Glenbow Quarry.
Poor Alex seems to have been either inherently careless or unlucky. On his previous arrival at Glenbow in 1908, he had fallen and injured his shoulder when jumping from the train as it slowed on the quarry curve. Unfortunately, his next accident at Glenbow was catastrophic.
In 1911, when Alex was about 30 years old, he was in Calgary when he was rehired by the Glenbow Quarry company. While out drinking on that Monday in June, he lost his grip and kit bag. He retrieved them from the police station the next day and caught the train to Glenbow on Wednesday to begin work.
At 9:30 on Friday morning, he was struck by either a falling rock or the chain that had suspended it. The impact crushed his face and the base of his skull. A nearby quarry worker carried him down the slope to the bunkhouse and did is best to keep Alex’s throat clear of blood. However, when the doctor arrived, he recognized that nothing could be done to save the injured man.
Flowers were sent to Alex’s funeral by the quarry company and his fellow workers. But Alex had no family in Canada to mourn him and he lies in an unmarked grave at Calgary’s Union Cemetery.
So, if you are out on the trails of Glenbow Ranch early on Halloween morning, remember Alex McBeth and watch for his wraith shrouded in the dawn mist.
- Connection to Haskayne is open.
- Parking along Glenbow Road is now prohibited.
- Please help us protect these grasslands by staying on paths and picking up your garbage. Check out the trails before you visit to check out our virtual map.
- Did you know Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park is NOT an off-leash dog park? Please keep your dogs on a leash when you visit Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park.
