Mcdougall Stoney Mission Society

The McDougall Stoney Mission Society is a not-for-profit society incorporated in the Province of Alberta in 1971 and a CRA registered charity. We are a 100% volunteer run organization with a dedicated membership and are funded through membership fees grants and donations. Our 43.9-acre historical site borders the Stoney Nakoda Nation and our relationship with the Stoney people dates back to the beginning of the Morleyville Settlement in 1875 . The site has been cited as a symbol of the collaborative relationship between the Stoney Nation and the settler community during the dramatic era of transition in the Canadian west. In May 2017 the McDougall Memorial Church the oldest church in Southern Alberta that was located on our site was damaged by fire. Recognized as a historical resource by the MD of Bighorn No. 8 the site is visited by local and international guests. The Mission site on which the church was located was the nucleus of the Morleyville Settlement that extended along the Bow River to the Ghost River. It was the earliest pioneer settlement in southern Alberta exceeding the size of all settlements including Fort Calgary until the CPR was built in 1882-83. The foundation of the mission house and other archaeological features remain at the site to remind us of the former community including trails privies teepee circles corrals barns and other structures. The restoration of the building gave us the opportunity to work on restoring the relationship with the Stoney Nation. Since then we have had Indigenous led ceremonies to mark important milestones during the restoration and have strengthened our relationship through discussions at events gatherings meetings and sharing circles with a generous group of individual Stoney Elders knowledge keepers and members helping us on the path toward understanding and reconciliation. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission discusses the importance of 'learning to be good neighbours' and 'taking conc