Rumsey

About Rumsey

Rumsey Natural Area protects the largest remaining undisturbed tract of aspen parkland in Canada. The area features distinctive hummocky moraine topography with knob and kettle formations. During wet years, kettles fill with water, creating some of the most productive waterfowl habitat in North America. The natural area safeguards plant and animal species at both southern and northern range limits. The site has a complex history including Indigenous use of controlled burning, European homesteading, the 1895 Imperial Ranching Company's open-range operations, and oil and gas development since the 1950s with over 200 well sites. The area is named for Reginald Rumsey, a senior official with the Canadian Bank of Commerce and key backer of the Canadian Northern Railway.