Manyberries

History

Indigenous groups sourced berries from the area before European contact, including saskatoons and choke cherries. 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. 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. 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. By 1911, a settlement stood in the area today known as Manyberries. In Manyberries' early years, the townsite contained services including a general store, blacksmith, and hotel. 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. Manyberries' population halved to 200 residents by 1921, and by 1927, only one grain elevator remained operational. In 1949, the federal government established a station in Manyberries to experiment with cross-breeding cattle and buffalo. The 'cattalo' project continued into the 1950s. The Manyberries School absorbed students from nearby hamlets as their schools closed due to low enrolment numbers. A new schoolhouse was constructed in 1956, followed by expansions in 1959 and 1968. In the fall of 1954, the federal government assessed Manyberries to be one of the "driest" places surveyed for precipitation in Canada, alongside Summerland. By 1970, only one grain elevator remained active in Manyberries. The society hosted a homecoming event for early settlers in 1979, then published a local history, Manyberries Chinook, in…

Geography

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.

Most-observed species

• Western Meadowlark

  Sturnella neglecta Audubon, 1844 · Aves
  305
• Ferruginous Hawk

  Buteo regalis (G.R.Gray, 1844) · Aves
  304
• Swainson's Hawk

  Buteo swainsoni Bonaparte, 1838 · Aves
  252
• Horned Lark

  Eremophila alpestris (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  226
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  209
• Vesper Sparrow

  Pooecetes gramineus (J.F.Gmelin, 1789) · Aves
  200
• Black-billed Magpie

  Pica hudsonia (Sabine, 1823) · Aves
  196
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  182