Another day another announcement from the federal government.

Today's beneficiary is the Bar U Ranch National Historic site on Highway 22 south of Longview.

MacLeod M.P. John Barlow announced the iconic symbol of the early west is going to get $4 million to refurbish four buildings.

"Twenty thousand visitors last year, we're ahead of that pace this year, this truly is a foundation park for Canada," he says. "We're seeing visitors from around the world coming here to see the history of the west and the history of the ranching industry in Alberta."

Barlow says the volunteers and the Friends of the Bar U have done a tremendous job preserving the buildings but they need some help and that's where this funding comes in.

The field superintendent of parks for Waterton and the Bar U, Ifan Thomas says four buildings have been identified for restoration and repair.

Parks Canada Field Superintendent for Waterton and the Bar U Ifan Thomas

"The machine shed, the workhorse barn, the slaughterhouse and also rehabilitation and re-location of the bunkhouse that some years ago was converted to a self feeder, and and now we want to restore it to playing a role that it used to play as a bunkhouse," Thomas says.

Barlow says the Bar U truly is one of his favourite spots.

"I've been here since it started and just to see how it's grown and survived floods, it is truly one of the most beautiful places in southern Alberta," Barlow says. "I brought some friends here from Saskatchewan a couple of weeks ago who've never been here before and their families and they just loved it, they though it was better than the (Calgary) Stampede."

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