Crowsnest Pass then and now – Back to God Chapel

If you’ve driven the Crowsnest Highway, also known as Highway #3, through the Crowsnest Pass, you’ve perhaps noticed the “Little Church” in Bellevue on the north side of the road. Or maybe you missed it, it is after all quite small. This is the Back to God Chapel, aka Wayside Chapel, a roadside attraction that draws in more camera toting tourists and travelers, people curious to take in the charms of this tiny building, then those in need of a spiritual recharge.

Constructed in the early 1960s, the building has not always sat at this same location. The exact spot where it was prior, before it was placed here in the early 1980s, has not been determined as of yet but we’re pretty sure it was close by. If you know, please message us. NOTE, both the then photos we have show it BEFORE the move and therefore we were not able to duplicate our shots exactly. But we still tried to keep the same angles at least (you know we like to get as close as possible, we’re just that way).

↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ Scroll down for photos or to comment ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓

I understand there is seating for fourteen inside. If you’re all relatively small and all good friends that is, and don’t mind close quarters. I could barely fit in one pew designed for two. The ceiling is low, so duck on entry.

The church is simply decorated, but then it’s not about that anyway. I guess at one time the windows in the church were green – a rudimentary stained glass look maybe – check out that one old picture to see. Inside there is a guest book you can sign.

The first old image is from a postcard found on Ebay. There is no date on it but the seller believes it was from the 1960s. Works for me.

The second then photo, that lovely GREEN one, is from Weston Langford and is used with permission. He’s a well known train photographer, although he shot other stuff too as evidenced by this photo. Sadly he passed away recently.

If you have an old photo or postcard, your copyright or in the public domain (most postcards are) that shows a street scene or building of historical interest and would like us to use it as fodder for one of our trademark “then and now” posts, by all means send it to us. We’ll visit the site seen and document how it looks today. Real photos/card or scans are both acceptable.

Recall, the church has been moved between the time the old shots were captured and now. Since then it’s been resided (a HERCULEAN project I bet) and the formerly arched windows have been modified with a peak style.

Seen from the church window is a “little hill” we’ve climbed, the legendary Turtle Mountain. It was the site of a disastrous landslide in 1903 that nearly wiped out the town of Frank, that sat below the peak. The huge scar from that event can be clearly seen on the mountain’s north facing flanks.

The town of Bellevue was founded over a hundred years ago. Like many other communities in the Pass, it was coal that brought about its existence. There is no more mining in the area, although it may return, and instead the local economy relies on tourism and such to pay the bills. Bellevue and all the other towns in the Pass (lots of them) were amalgamated into the Municipality of the Crowsnest Pass in the 1970s.

Not terribly far away is this old ruin…
Crowsnest River walk and Hillcrest-Mohawk Collieries plant.

Recommended posts…
Coleman Collieries plant (part 1)…going…going- .
Crowsnest Lake cave.

If you wish more information on what you’ve seen here, by all means contact us!

Date: September, 2014.
Location: Crowsnest Pass (Bellevue), AB.

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Back to God Chapel

An old postcard showing the Back to God Chapel in the Crowsnest Pass.

Little Church Crowsnest Pass

The tiny building has been moved since the old image was captured.

 

Little Church Bellevue

Duck your head, the ceiling is low.

Bellevue AB Little Church

A plaque says there is room for 14 people…

 

Weston Langford Little Church

A 1970 image from Weston Langford.

Back to God Chapel Crowsnest

Turtle Mountain in back.

20 responses

  1. Carol says:

    I took this picture in 1966 but have no information of the street it is on .

  2. T0L 2B0 says:

    I have very fond memories about visiting this little church with my family as a kid in the mid-eighties. 🙂 My dad was a pastor at the time and we all had our turn at the pulpit that day. 🙂 Thank you for the memories. 🙂

    • That such awesome memories! You might find it interesting, we has passed by that very church the same day your comment came in. What timing!

  3. Annette says:

    Thank you for your interesting blog on the wayside chapel. The most accurate piece about the chapel is the one from Mrs. Van Donk. I remember her well, she lived in Coleman. My father was one of the church members that helped build the chapel. When it was completed various newspapers from the area, including one from Calgary came for the grand opening and wanted a “model” to stand on the step by the door in order to show how miniature the chapel was. I was 3 years old at the time and was picked as the “model”. My 15 minutes of fame! I was born in 1958, the chapel was opened in 1961. I live in Vancouver now but stand on the same spot for a photo every time we visit Bellevue. The post card you have is old and is either discolored or there is a light reflection as the chapel has always been white, never green. The original picket fence was also all white but some pickets were painted green when the building was moved to its present spot by the Information Center. It originally had a beautiful large, brass bell, donated by the railway I believe, but it was stolen at some point. On the postcard the building behind the chapel was a Bible museum. My father has photographs of the building of both buildings. Once the church in Bellevue disbanded the chapel was taken care of by the sister church in Granum and then a long-time resident of Bellevue and his family took care of it. I will check with my father if I missed any details and if so, will share them another time. Again, thanks for blog, it touched me as this chapel means a lot to me and my family. Annette

    • Annette, so nice to hear from you and what a simply amazing connection to the little church! Might have to search some newspaper archives to look up that opening event. Any colour changes in the old photo is due to age. Never knew the church had a bell. Interesting! Thanks, glad you like what we do, and please drop by often! This is the comment of the week.

  4. Penny says:

    We got married outside that beautiful little Chapel in June 2015. We lived in The Pass for 2 years before settling on that spot. It was a windless day too! Very rare for here.

  5. valerie volest says:

    Exceptionally well written! Thanks. I’ve passed that church many times and wondered about it.

  6. Melanie says:

    As a kid I remember looking for it every time we passed through Bellevue on our visits to Blairemore. My brother said it was haunted but I was enchanted by how tiny it was. I picture it off to the right and on a bit of a hill (originally) but I was a child and that was a very long time ago.

    • It couldn’t be haunted, there no room for ghosts! It’s not in the same place it was when built. It used to be on a small rise down the highway a bit to the east.

  7. 1985baby says:

    I remember this little church from my childhood, passing it on family trips. It’s so cute.

    All the best.
    John

  8. Pat Hurd Gordon says:

    Yes, it was about 1/4 mile east from where it is now.

  9. Crowsnest Museum says:

    Hi Chris and Connie.

    The Back to God church was out at Passburg originally. The article below was submitted by one of the Crowsnest Historical Society’s members.

    “Wayside Chapel
    submitted by Mrs. VanDonk [1999]

    The Wayside Chapel was built in 1960 on the initiative of members of the Christian Reformed Church and named it after its radio and TV program. “Back to God-Hour”.
    Withage Construction of Lethbridge donated the labour.
    Originally located three miles east of Bellevue, it was a traveller’s rest area. Recorded music and a Bible message could be listened to. Tracts were available and Bibles were sent on request. There were at one time as many as 16000 visitors’ signatures in a year. A few marriages were performed there.
    For some years during the summer season there also was a Bible museum near it, open to all.
    The church disbanded through lack of members and only recorded music and tracts are provided now.
    In May of 1985 or better, supervision of the chapel was moved to it’s present location in the Bellevue roadside park.”

    Hope that helps fill in some of the history. For any other heritage inquires you can contact the Crowsnest Museum & Archives (403-563-5434 or cnmuseum@shaw.ca)

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