Memories of Verdant Valley

Northwestern Alberta’s Verdant Valley is a region rich in history and natural beauty. It is home to several communities, each with its unique charm and historical significance. Here is some brief information that could be found on some of these communities.

Livingston is named after Samuel Henry Harkwood Livingston, a prospector, trader, and farmer. Born in Ireland in 1831, Livingston came to Canada after a failed endeavor with the California gold rush in 1849. He settled first at Jumping Pound in 1873, opening a trading post in the area, but came to Calgary soon after, looking to establish his home at the confluence of the Bow and Elbow Rivers. Livingston was a pioneer in many ways. In 1882, he brought the first threshing machine into the region, the following year he introduced the first binder, and in 1886 he imported 350 fruit trees from Minnesota. Livingston is also credited with pioneering the cultivation of different types of grass and the raising of cattle.

The nearby community of Rainbow is named after the nearby lake formed on the Hay River. The town carries the name of the nearby lake, formed on the Hay River, that was so called due to its curved shape. Home to about 700 residents, Rainbow Lake is located on Highway 58 about an hour and a half west of High Level. A year-round hub of recreation, the town is one of Alberta’s newest communities and boasts a state-of-the-art, multi-use recreational facility that is the envy of towns many times its size.