Every Sunday, J.R. Twoyoungmen’s grandmother had attended service at McDougall Memorial United Church.
He would offer his ear as she told many stories that circled around the “old church.”
The Stoney Nakoda Elder fondly shared memories of his family’s history on Sunday (June 11) about 100 feet away from the church which was destroyed by fire.
On the morning Twoyoungmen heard the news that the old church was no more, he thought of his grandmother.
“The thought that came to my mind was there goes a picture of my grandmother, going down in flames. I felt at that particular moment very sad,” said Twoyoungmen. “I hated to see that history go down – burn down the way it did.”
The church was a piece of southern Albertan history that left its mark on the area and meant many things to many people – positive and negatively.
Often labeled a symbol of hope, the historic church also brought a residential school to Morley, which throughout Canada are well-documented as institutes where Indigenous children were forced to assimilate white culture, and where they were extremely vulnerable to cruelties.
In a way, residential schools were a symbol of the Indigenous people’s history being erased.
“The McDougall Church represented both prosperity and oppression,” wrote Trent Fox, a Stoney Nakoda member, in a column for the Cochrane Eagle. “Prosperity was represented in the acquisition of valuable prime land for pioneering families east of the church. West of the church, the Stoney people faced oppression, hopelessness and despair.
“As a historic church, it served to remind many people in our community, many of whom identify as Christian, that religion was misused to advance Canadian settlement. Survivors of the residential school are reminded how they were beaten or abused in the name of religion.”
But now, said Twoyoungmen, perhaps a new day has started for southern Alberta.
“I thought again that maybe perhaps that’s OK, though, it’ll bring about a new era. Maybe, perhaps, we have entered a new one,” said Twoyoungmen.
On May 22, fire destroyed McDougall Church on Highway 1A, just east Morley, which was built a 142 years ago by George and son John McDougall and members of the Stoney Nakoda community – comprised of three bands: Bearspaw, Chiniki and Wesley.
The cause of the fire has been declared “likely accidental” by the fire investigator.
John McDougall, the great-great grandson of the man he was named after, will be donating in an effort to try to rebuild the church.
“I hope we can reconstruct and build something out here that again will be a lasting memory for this great place where men of God have come and met for 140 years,” said McDougall.
McDougall added that his father Gerald, who died in 2015 at the age of 81, would have been heartbroken to see the fire-blackened structure today.
Gerald had been president of the McDougall Stoney Missionary Society (MSMS), and caretaker of the quaint little white church in his day.
“Really, it’s just a story of my forefathers coming here and, one in particular, who spent a great deal of time here and would be very, very sad is my father Gerald,” said McDougall.
He added Gerald worked tirelessly to make sure the church and its history and its meaning to southern Alberta had stayed alive.
The old church will be remembered, but remains just a piece of the history of the area with the rolling hills that lead to the glassy Bow River and grasslands.
Just a stone’s throw away is the old mission site.
Although McDougall, and the current MSMS are optimistic that a new building would be constructed there, plans for the future are still hazy.
Due to its significance in Western Canadian heritage, McDougall Memorial United Church was designated a provincial historical site in 1959 and, in 2014, the MD of Bighorn chose it to become a Municipal Heritage Resource.
“The Province is still doing their investigation and are sending students out to do an analysis on the building,” said Sarah Harvey, a 10-year MSMS volunteer.
“There are all sorts of ideas to rebuild like it was or build an interpretive centre. Next week we’ll hear back from the province and meet with everyone and see what they can offer.”
The church was insured for $100,000, but Harvey can’t imagine what the costs will be to actually rebuild.
Additionally, a GoFundMe page, an online fundraising website, called Rebuild Historic McDougall Church, has emerged in support of the remake by a community member.
Donations can also be made through any ATB Financial by mentioning the McDougall Church.
