The Bert Sheppard Stockmen's Foundation
Library And Archives
New home of the Stockmen's Memorial Foundation Library
The Bert Sheppard Stockmen's Foundation Library And Archives is located in the Cochrane RancheHouse, 1/2 km north of Cochrane, Alberta on Highway 22. The Library is open from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon and from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm Monday through Friday.

This Reference Library was established in 1980 by the Stockmen's Memorial Foundation as a unique Non-Lending Library. You are encouraged to come and browse in our comfortable surroundings, to research, or simply enjoy looking through the materials.


You can find:
  • over 13,000 books related to western culture from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, including a complete collection of Brand Books for Alberta from 1888 to 2000 as well as some from the other provinces.
  • 6,000 magazines on such areas as Ranching, Rodeo, Horsemanship, Veterinary Science, History, Royal Canadian Mounted Police and many more...
    • Included are the "Canadian Cattlemen", from its first issue June 1938 to the current edition, indexed by Subject, Title and Author
    • and in addition "The Canadian Rodeo News" and 29,000 other periodical subject headings are available.
  • Rodeo programs, 1906 and up covering many small town rodeos and the Calgary Stampede.
  • Pamphlets - the latest publications as well as historical ones.
  • Maps, mainly of Alberta's Municipal Districts.
  • Videos: "Heritage Voices" This is a collection of over one hundred early pioneers who were videotaped by Stockmen's volunteers. Such pioneers as Bill Henry, Nettie Ware and Ed McKinnon are but three representative of this once-in-a-lifetime collection.
  • Extensive Cowboy Poetry Collection, both on video and in books.
  • Poster Collection: Alberta Auctioneers, Calgary Stampede and other Rodeo events and Family Heritage Posters.
  • Sheet music from 1880s to 1960. You can play these on the electric organ which is provided for your enjoyment.
  • Photo File: this consists of Rodeo and Western related topics.
  • 100 audio tape cassettes of interviews and tales of the West as told to the noted author Sherm Ewing. The entire transcripts of these tapes have been deposited in the library.
  • Cancelled brand files. This Project came to the Stockmen's Memorial Foundation in the late 1980s - It involves numerous boxes containing the original files of brand requests from 1888 to 1980. This information has been catalogued and the data entered into the computer. All files are now available.

NOTE: only cancelled brands are in this collection. This information is especially of interest to those tracing family history.
IMPORTANT: This information cannot be faxed or sent by E-mail.

A fee is charged for services and photocopies.


For additional information or to book research time call and ask for the librarian at the Bert Sheppard Stockmen's Foundation Library and Archives.

Stockmen's Memorial Foundation
PO Box 459
Cochrane, Alberta
T4C 1A7
Phone: (403) 932-3782
Fax: (403) 851-1324
E-mail: library@smflibrary.ca