Twenty-five kilometres north and 2 km west of Cochrane you’ll find yourself walking back in time with a visit to Bottrel.
The store, which opened in 1901, was designated as one of Alberta’s greatest landmarks, proudly celebrating its centennial in 2001.
Much detailed information has been lost throughout the years, such as exact dates, which substantiates the importance of this historical area.
You may wonder how Bottrel got its name.
Brothers A.E. and E.H. Botterell purchased the land from the Canadian Pacific Railway. The Botterells were wealthy furriers from Montreal in the 1880s. At first it was a homestead and a cattle ranch.
Sometime later when the ranch was sold, the new owners changed the name to Dog Pound Horse Ranch. When Harry Cook bought it in the early 1900s he changed the name back to Bottrel in honour of the original owners, however, changed the spelling to make it easier.
In researching this story, I estimate that this property has had a total of 18 different owners.
While Frank and Terry Gathercole owned the store from 1958 to 1971, the County of Rocky View straightened the road passing Bottrel and changed the course of Dog Pound Creek, followed by the creation of the Bottrel Park Campground. It is currently owned by the county and operated by the present owner, Duane Needham.
Rosa Prcic owned the Bottrel store from 1984-1999, sold it to Mark and Betty Flamen, who in turn sold it to Duane Needham in 2003.
Duane says, “I am a born and bred Albertan.” He comes from a farming background, raised in Spruce View, west of Red Deer. Prior to purchasing this property, Duane operated the Shell service station in Airdrie. When he decided to leave Shell, he was planning to buy a small business on Vancouver Island. His sister, who lives northwest of Cochrane, had heard that the Bottrel store and house on the property was for sale, so he decided to have a look.
Duane said, “I fell in love with the ambiance and history of the place. I moved ahead with emotion.” Duane’s brother Tim works for him and lives on the property. Duane has a son in Ontario; however his daughter lives in Calgary. He has seven grandchildren and one great grandchild, so he is close to family. Duane resides on a ranch he is managing, located 7 km west of Bottrel.
The store still holds the annual Dog Pound Rodeo Stampede Breakfast, a tradition Rosa Prcic started many years ago. They usually expect about 300 to 400 guests.
There has been a liquor store on the property since the 1990s, which was moved inside the store about three years ago.
“I will not sell the antiques and memorabilia,” stated Duane. “They must stay with the store.”
It is an experience walking into the Bottrel store. Be prepared to stay a while.
