Manyberries

Pre-settlement

Indigenous groups sourced berries from the area before European contact, including saskatoons and choke cherries.^[4] These fruits were used as pemmican ingredients.^[4] Manyberries was frequented for this purpose by members of the Blackfoot Confederacy, in particular the Piikani Nation.^[4][5]

A 1965 excavation identified a cairn and stone circle in Manyberries, dated to around the 3rd century, that was originally believed to be the remnants of a medicine wheel built by Indigenous peoples.^[6] It was also posited to be a burial site due to phalanx bones found between rocks, and the presence of a pit containing human remains.^[6]

A later examination by soil scientist John Dormaar advanced that the Manyberries Cairn instead resembled sites used for vision quest rituals.^[6][7][8] He suggested the bones found there had been the result of self-sacrifices by participants, as some groups believed this practice would help induce visions.^[6][8] Dormaar further posited the area was likely used for spiritual purposes by Piegan Blackfeet groups.^[8]

Settlement and early development: 1883-1915

Manyberries Creek was recognized by its English-language name as early as 1883, in maps produced by the Dominion Lands Survey.^[4] Ranches operated near the creek as early as 1892, but no town developed in the area until 1909, when the Government of Alberta began to sell plots for agricultural use.^[9][10]

By 1911, a settlement stood in the area today known as Manyberries.^[3][10] A post office launched operations in February of that year under the name Manyberries, derived from the nearby creek, as did a school.^[3][11][12] In Manyberries' early years, the townsite contained services including a general store, blacksmith, and hotel.^[10] However, poor crop yields in the early 1910s drove farmers away from the area, and by 1914, Manyberries was nearly deserted.^[10]

Railway and Dust Bowl years: 1916-1939

The Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) established a divisional point in Manyberries in 1916, directly after building through the nearby locality of Orion.^[3][10] The arrival of the railway revitalized the town, which grew to accommodate 400 residents by 1918.^[13] Five grain elevators were built in Manyberries shortly after the establishment of its train station, and a young Wilfrid Eggleston briefly worked in one of Manyberries' stores.^[9][12] A community association was founded to coordinate social events for the town, such as dances.^[9]

However, farms in the area were plagued by grasshopper and rabbit infestations that damaged their crop yields in the 1920s.^[9][14] Manyberries' population halved to 200 residents by 1921,^[15] and by 1927, only one grain elevator remained operational.^[9] Manyberries enjoyed a brief reversal of its declining crop yields between 1928 and 1931; another grain elevator was installed during the period.^[9] Nonetheless, successive droughts throughout the Dust Bowl years ended Manyberries' growth, although the hamlet was recognized as a locality by the Government of Canada in 1939.^[3][9][16]

Later 20th century: 1940-1999

In 1949, the federal government established a station in Manyberries to experiment with cross-breeding cattle and buffalo.^[17] The 'cattalo' project continued into the 1950s.^[17] The decade also saw the end of passenger rail services to Manyberries, though freight services continued.^[18]

The Manyberries School absorbed students from nearby hamlets as their schools closed due to low enrolment numbers.^[19] A new schoolhouse was constructed in 1956, followed by expansions in 1959 and 1968.^[20] In the fall of 1954, the federal government assessed Manyberries to be one of the "driest" places surveyed for precipitation in Canada, alongside Summerland.^[21]

By 1970, only one grain elevator remained active in Manyberries.^[19] The Manyberries Historical Society formed in the 1970s to compile and preserve the hamlet's history.^[22] The society hosted a homecoming event for early settlers in 1979, then published a local history, Manyberries Chinook, in 1985.^[22][23] Around the mid-1980s, the hamlet began to host an annual Manyberries Rodeo, which went on hiatus in 2000.^[24]

CPR services ended to Manyberries by 1983, and the railroad was removed in the 1990s.^[25][26] The Manyberries Railway Station was converted into a residential dwelling and bed and breakfast until around 2014, when it became solely private property.^[27][18]

21st century: 2000-present

Manyberries School closed in June 2009, following a decline in student enrolment numbers throughout the decade.^[37][38] Prior to voting upon its closure, the Prairie Rose School Division heard that some grades had just one student.^[38]

In 2016, Manyberries and the neighbouring locality of Orion celebrated their joint centennial.^[39] The Manyberries Community Association revived the Manyberries Rodeo in 2025, hosting live music and pancake breakfasts to accompany the exhibition.^[24][40] Organizers described attendance as having "greatly" exceeded expectations.^[41]

Climate

Manyberries experiences a semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSk). Winters are long, cold and dry, while summers are relatively short but very warm. Precipitation is low, with an annual average of 353 mm, and is concentrated in the warmer months. Manyberries is the sunniest spot in Canada, receiving an average of 2,567 hours of sunshine per year.

Population

According to a 1941 study by the University of Alberta, Manyberries' population peaked in 1918, with around 400 residents.^[13] Manyberries recorded a population of 96 in the 1991 Census of Population by Statistics Canada.^[1]

In a 2003 publication, writer Johnnie Bachusky described Manyberries' population as "below 50."^[15]

Religion

Between 1916 and 1936, places of worship for Presbyterian, German Evangelical, and Evangelical Lutheran congregations were established in or around Manyberries.^[55][56] Two additional churches, Catholic and Lutheran, were established in 1958.^[55] By 2009, no churches remained operational in Manyberries.^[57]

Recreation

As of 2025, Manyberries Community Hall is maintained by the Manyberries Community Association.^[58] The association further organizes events of recreational and tourist interest, including a revival of the Manyberries Rodeo in 2025.^[24][41][58] As of 2020, the association also maintains a curling rink.^[59]

Cemeteries

First opened in October 1917, the non-denominational Manyberries Cemetery remains open to the public and interments as of the 2010s.^[60][57] The cemeteries of Manyberries' former Evangelical Lutheran and Finnish Lutheran churches also remain accessible to visitors, with the latter receiving interments in the 21st century.^[61][62]