Tucked into the prairies just north of Drumheller, within Starland County, the hamlet of Rowley carries a remarkable story of community-driven revival. Once home to roughly 500 residents during its peak years in the 1920s, the settlement had dwindled to only a handful of hardy souls by the mid-1970s, with empty homes and shuttered businesses lining its quiet streets. The turnaround began unexpectedly one evening when a group of locals, running low on supplies, broke into a boarded-up old saloon and decided to restore it. That bar became Sam’s Saloon, named in honour of a former owner who had been well regarded in the community, and it sparked a broader effort to rehabilitate the entire townsite as a heritage destination for visitors.
Over the following 25 years, residents invested time and money restoring homes and commercial buildings to reflect Rowley’s pioneer character, while deliberately leaving other structures in their original weathered state to appeal to ghost town enthusiasts and photographers. The community gained wider recognition in 1988 when it served as a filming location for the beloved Canadian film Bye Bye Blues, and it later appeared in productions including Legends of the Fall and The Magic of Ordinary Days. At its tourism peak, as many as 900 train visitors per week disembarked at Rowley Station, which also functions as the community’s museum. That rail service ended in 1999, raising concerns among locals about future visitor numbers. According to the 2013 Starland County municipal census, Rowley’s population stands at just 8 permanent residents, though the community hall continues to draw people together throughout the year.