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Alongside a highway in southern Alberta sits a limber pine known as the Burmis Tree, named after the mining town of Burmis that thrived in this area of the Crowsnest Pass in the early 1900s.
The Burmis Tree is dead. It has been dead since the 1970s, but it had lived for hundreds of years. Wind in this region is fierce and it toppled the Burmis Tree to the ground in the 90s. The people who loved this tree, even in death, refused to let it stay fallen. With help from businesses, community groups and the provincial and federal governments they propped the tree up. They inserted steel rod in the trunk, and stabilized it with brackets. The wind blows, but the dead tree stays up.
My photo is one of hundreds, maybe even thousands taken of the Burmis Tree. It is thought to be the most photographed tree in Alberta.In writing this I was curious to see what the Burmis Tree looked like when it was alive, but I couldn’t find anything. Maybe there is a photo of this tree alive somewhere; I didn’t go as far to check the provincial archives. Online however there is nothing but how the tree stands now.
The Burmis Tree tree is dead, yet is hauntingly beautiful. It has been elevated onto a sandstone pedestal, revered even in death. Its branches twist against the open skies with the mountains of the Crowsnest pass in the background.
Things To Know
The Burmis Tree is located along Highway 3 (commonly known as the Crowsnest Highway). There are signs and a pullout area with an Alberta Historic marker to see this tree. It’s easier to access the Burmis Tree when heading west into the Crowsnest Pass region as it will be on the right side of the highway. There are no fees or entrance restrictions to see the Burmis Tree.
During my road trip where I saw the Burmis Tree I stayed in the Bluebird Motel in town of Claresholm, which is about 162km away. If you want to stay in Sparwood you could book a hotel here or stay in the Crowsnest Pass region of Alberta with accommodations you can book here.