Historic Markerville: A Walking and Driving Tour
The Alberta government created a two-hour historical walking and driving tour that includes sites in and around Markerville, located southwest of Red Deer, AB. For more details and stories, the PDF document is available to download. 1
Let’s go on a tour!
We start our tour just outside of Markerville. The first stop is, of course, the Stephansson House where Stephan G. Stephansson (1853–1927) wrote most of his published poetry. His home remains a “snapshot in time.” Visitors might feel as if Stephan himself will greet them as they tour the house.
The next stop on our tour is the Hola School that was opened in 1892. The school also functioned as a local social centre before the community hall was built. It remains unchanged, and school groups visit the one-room schoolhouse.
Stroll along the Medicine River, which meanders through the Markerville area. It was important to the survival of the Icelandic settlers, who benefited from the wood, fuel, and freshwater fish.
Next up is the Christinsson Cemetery, a private burial plot for the Christinsson and Stephansson families. Look for the stone cenotaph that marks the grave of Stephan G. Stephansson. Follow the walking paths and look for some familiar names.
Stephanson Memorial Park is a designated historical place. In 1950, the Historic Sites & Monuments Board unveiled a monument to Stephan west of the Markerville walking bridge.
By now you might be a bit peckish, just in time for a stop at the Markerville Creamery Museum & Kaffistofa. Start with a tour of the historic 1930’s Butter Creamery, which Icelandic farmers maintained over many years. Don’t skip a visit to the Kaffistofa for coffee and a light lunch. Finish with ponnukokur, vinartera, or an ice cream.
Burn off that sweet treat with a walk around the Markerville Business District. The success of the creamery encouraged entrepreneurs to establish businesses nearby. It has changed a lot since the early days, but try to imagine shoppers crowded in the stores while the streets were jammed first with wagons and then cars. Icelanders exchanged their books at the Idunn Reading Club, located in a small wood-frame building behind the stores.
A group of Icelandic ladies formed a ladies’ aid society called Vonin, which means “hope.” They worked towards building a community centre called Fensala Hall. Fensala is still a centre for the community today.
Stop by the Markerville Lutheran Church, which is used mainly for weddings and special events today. Regular services, which ended in the 1960s, used to have distinctly Icelandic characteristics.
As you drive out of town, look for our last stops at the Tindastoll Cemetery and the Tindastoll Post Office. In 2017, the Stephan G. Stephansson Icelandic Society and the cemetery committee undertook a huge restoration project.
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Sources
Alberta Culture and Multiculturalism; Historic Sites and Archives Section. (1991). Historical Walking and Driving Tour: Markerville. [PDF document]. Retrieved from: https://open.alberta.ca/publications/historical-walking-and-driving-tour-markerville : 17 Sep 2026.
Note: The map is from this PDF document and used in accordance with the Open Government Licence—Alberta. https://open.alberta.ca/licence
“Destination: Markerville.” (03 Jun 2005). Special insert in Lögberg-Heimskringla p 5–10. [online database]. Retrieved from: https://timarit.is/page/2244001#page/n3/mode/2up :17 Sep 2026.
Government of Alberta. Stephanson House. [website]. Retrieved from: https://www.stephanssonhouse.ca/
Stephan G. Stephansson Icelandic Society. Historic Markerville. [website]. Retrieved from: https://www.historicmarkerville.com/
