Ruth wanted a group, referred to in her will as The Friendship Group, to own and operate the Park for High River residents. The friendship group declined so High River Rotary took the challenge under the direction of Gordon Barker who formed the Sheppard Family Park Society in 1996 and set about preserving and developing the park.

The Park celebrates High River history, especially the 1880's to 1920's.

Location and Open Season

Sheppard Family Park is located at the corner of 12th Ave. and 5th St. SE, High River.

The park is open for day use only from May 1st to October 31st.

Park Features

• The Log Cabin. Originally built by Alex Bell in 1883, the cabin was Ruth's home for 70 years.
• Little Bow School House. Used as a one room school from 1904 to 1939, this building was donated to the park in 1999. It is used for school programs giving local children a chance to experience a old fashioned day at school.
• MacDougall House. This home was built in 1899 and was moved from downtown High River to the park in 2001. It is available for day use rentals.
• The Munroe Barn. This barn was built near Milo in 1913 and was moved to the park in 2005. Renovations have just been completed. The barn can accommodate up to 100 people for events.
• The Community Garden and Root Cellar. An community garden flourishes on site. Gardeners grow produce during the summer and can store some of that produce in the root cellar.
• The Picnic Area and Playground. The grounds feature a serene rural setting where anyone can enjoy a picnic. If larger groups want to use the area there is a fee.

Special Events

Old Time Threshing Bee - Saturday August 28,2010.

Every fall Sheppard Family Park holds the famous Old Time Threshing Bee. It's a chance to show off our collection of antique farm machinery and demonstrate how grain was cut, stooked and threshed in the early 1900's.

Our Volunteers

The Park is run and maintained by volunteers. Any day you visit the Park you're liable to see one or other of the people doing odd jobs and generally keeping track of things at the park.

Volunteers also run our school programs and give tours of the buildings on site.

High Finance

The Sheppard Family Park Society is a registered charity so your donations are tax deductible.

Tours and park use by individuals and families is free. However leaving a donations will be very helpful to our ongoing success.

Fees are charged for renting the buildings. Go here for a list of current fees and contact information to arrange rentals and tours.

All fees and donations are put toward maintaining and developing the Park.

We are also looking for donations of certain equipment and are currently on the lookout for a church that might be suitable for the Park.

Contact us at (403) 652 1128