Village of Big Valley
The village of Big Valley is a proud member of the Canadian
Badlands Ltd. (this cache may not be located near the community
represented.) Big Valley is a village in central Alberta south east
of Red Deer. It is located 32 km (20 miles) south of Stettler and
64 km (40 miles) north of Drumheller in the County of Stettler. Big
Valley Alberta began to be settled even before 1910; people
realized the value of the rich soil and natural grass known as
"Prairie Wool". Settlers began cattle farming operations and the
town expanded.
In 1911 the Canadian Northern Railway (CNR) began to lay track
through Big Valley. In 1912 Big Valley built a thriving terminal
with a big "roundhouse," stockyards, rail yards, water tower,
coal-dock, general railway maintenance and repair facilities. After
the merger of Canadian Northern Railway and Grand Trunk Pacific
railways to create Canadian National Railway (CNR) they believed
there was no need of a railway to go through Big Valley. There are
still the remains of the railway you can see with a walking
self-tour.
This cache is part of the Legacy Trail produced by the Canadian
Badlands Geocaching Association for the Best of the Bad Mega
Event.
The Legacy Trail
The Legacy Trail is a collection of geocaches that circles its
way over 100 miles on country roads traversing some of the most
scenic and spectacular landscape in this part of the Canadian
Badlands. A large number of caches in a variety of types, sizes and
difficulty are placed on the Trail. Every town, village and hamlet
in the Canadian Badlands has its own cache. Some caches were named
after local historic events and people, as well as celebrities who
grew up in this area. Some caches were sponsored by geocachers who
attended the Best of the Bad Mega Event. The Legacy Trail was
produced by the Canadian Badlands Geocaching Association for the
Best of the Bad Mega Event.
The Canadian Badlands
The Canadian Badlands in Alberta are home to the world's most
extensive dinosaur bone beds, badlands and hoodoos, and a
world-class museum that shelters a 75 million-year-old legacy. The
region is rich in culturally and historically significant sites
that tell the story of the First Nations people and early settlers,
and a complex and diverse modern society that is still deeply
rooted in the spirit of the frontier.
