Chefprefers BLOG

If you’ve ever wanted to step back in time without giving up Wi-Fi forever, Longview is the place.

After a few days in Calgary, we headed to the historic Bar U Ranch, established in 1882 in the rolling foothills near Longview. As one of the first large corporate cattle ranches in Western Canada, it’s a fascinating glimpse into the days when horsepower wasn’t a figure of speech.

The highlight for me was the horse-drawn buggy ride and the coffee camp. Imagine sitting around a crackling campfire, sipping fresh coffee while a Québécois storyteller spins tales of life on Alberta’s open range. No traffic noise. No notifications. Just smoke in the air, birds overhead, and stories from a time when surviving the week was considered a successful life plan.

The ranch itself is packed with beautifully preserved buildings, including the bunkhouse, cookhouse, blacksmith shop, saddlery, stables and even the old post office. I also had a go at roping a calf.

Let’s just say the calf would have escaped… repeatedly.

I blame the technique. Definitely not the talent.

Walking around the ranch really puts modern life into perspective. It’s easy to romanticise the cowboy era until you remember that every journey began with catching a horse before you could even think about travelling anywhere. Then came feeding it, brushing it, cleaning the stable, repairing worn leather straps, and hoping it didn’t decide today was the day to ignore you completely.

Today we grab the car keys, sink into an air-conditioned seat, enjoy heated seats in winter, press the accelerator and we’re off. When we get home, we switch off the engine, shut the door and walk inside.

Back then, getting home was only the beginning.

The horse still needed feeding. The stable needed cleaning. Hay had to be raked. Leather gear repaired. Boots scrubbed. The fire kept alive. And all of it was done while standing in mud, dust, snow, or whatever the Alberta weather decided to throw at you that day.

Entertainment wasn’t much easier either. There were no phones to scroll, no television, no radio and certainly no streaming services. Your choices were reading a book, doing another chore, listening to stories, or going to bed because tomorrow’s workload wasn’t going to get any lighter.

As charming as the Old West looks from the comfort of a buggy ride and a cup of coffee, I have to admit one thing.

Modern farming definitely got the better deal.