Here’s another in our series of Brokeback Mountain then and now reports, and in this set we see Jack and Ennis heading to a bar – a common theme throughout the movie and as the pair travel about, they visit any and every watering hole they can find. Played out in the fictional town of Signal Wyoming, they visit what is in reality the Carseland Alberta Hotel.
In this scene the characters portrayed by Jake Gyllenhaal (Jask Twist) and Heath Ledger (Ennis Del Mar) have together been hired on as sheep herders. After finding employment they drop by the town’s bar to get better antiquated and what better way to do this then with liquor. Of course as we all know, this first meeting will lead to a forbidden romance between the two.
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While this part of the movie was filmed in Carseland, it was the community of Cowley Alberta that filled in for the town of Signal Wyoming in other scenes. The latter does not have a suitable hotel and bar and so for those shots a different location had to found, and when it comes to capturing that small town rough-and-tumble cowboy bar feel, the Carseland Hotel fits the bill perfectly. They even used the inside for filming.
The hotel is painted a bright blue, but for the movie the colours were toned down. Afterwards, the garish exterior was restored.
It’s not clear how old the hotel is – I’ve been told variously that it was built in 1908, 1913 or 1914. We plan on researching this further and at the same time, we’ll find out what we can about the buildings next door, which appear equally as old. Outside of those just mentioned, Carseland does not seem to have many heritage buildings left. In any case, stay tuned for further reports.
Carseland is a small village located just southeast of Calgary.
Images from the movie are copyright Focus Features.
Have been on the same trek as you. Carseland was a great place to visit. And the T-intersection is where Ennis was dropped off in the beginning of the movie.
Thanks, we have fun figuring out where the scenes were shot. We are aware of Findingbrokeback.com but don’t use it (that’d be too easy) and instead we put our detective skills to work to find the locations shown in the movie.
Cowley, the other Signal WY, does not have a hotel and bar and this is the only reason I can think of why they used Carseland, over 200km away, for this specific scene.
The Legion Hall and Monarch Garage, Loverna Saskatchewan, early 1990s (not 1970s as shown) and the same view in 2017. There's not much going on in Loverna these days, but long ago it was a very active and vibrant community. This was shot between takes while working on the Telus Documentary "Forgotten Prairie" by Rueben Tschetter.
Check the comments for more information. Original image thanks to and copyright Philip Brown.
Exploring history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie. Posted by Connie.
It's no secret Team BIGDoer is Boler obsessed but we're actually not owners, funny as it sounds. We can only dream and you know if we could, we would. The only thing holding us back from buying one, like the nice example seen here, is the cash to actually make the purchase and a proper vehicle to haul it around. Other than that, we're good to go!
Exploring history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie. Photo: 2021. Posted by Connie.
When exploring old farm properties, we always check out any nearby low lying areas or coulees. In case they hold any treasures. Jackpot! This is usually where farmers dumped retired old cars and equipment no longer needed. Out of sight, out of mind.
This car's a little more special than usual and is an uncommon post-WW2 Nash. A 600 we believe, but we're not the greatest at this. Scroll down to the comments to see a closer look and a comparison shot of a restored example.
Exploring history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie. Photo: 2014. Posted by Connie.
While on the subject of old Hotels and the Beer Parlour Project, here's Len, proprietor of the Elk River Inn (aka the Hoz) in Hosmer BC back in 2022. It's one of the first places visited by our group and sadly, we just found out the fellow passed away a few months back. This image was shot on film with an old-fashioned view camera.
During the interview Chris mistakenly called it the Elk Valley Inn and got an earful from Len. He was such a character and with an infectious dry wit! With his passing the business closed and we're not sure what the future holds in store. Look for a bonus photo of him in the comments.
Exploring history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie. Photo: 2022. Posted by Connie.
The Beer Parlour Project will be on the road this coming weekend and up by Edmonton. Team BIGDoer and photographer Rob Pohl, with his big view camera, are visiting the Warspite Hotel, Warspite Alberta the evening of April 12th and the Viking Hotel in Viking Alberta on the 13th.
We'll get to know some history, interview local characters and old timers, down a few chicken wings and with our cameras capture a little slice of Canadiana. These businesses are a throwback to another time and we're chronicling as many as we can while they're still here. It's 12 down with maybe a 100 to go.
If you're in the area, drop by and chat! Watch for the Beer Parlour Project Website coming soon.
Exploring history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie. Photos: 2023 (Coleman Grand Union Coleman AB & traditional Beer Parlour glasses). Posted by Connie.
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We celebrated the Carseland Hotels 100th year July 15, 2015 I’m a waitress there
Darn, and I missed it. We’ll drop by sometime for a cold one and a chat!
Have been on the same trek as you. Carseland was a great place to visit. And the T-intersection is where Ennis was dropped off in the beginning of the movie.
Thanks, we have fun figuring out where the scenes were shot. We are aware of Findingbrokeback.com but don’t use it (that’d be too easy) and instead we put our detective skills to work to find the locations shown in the movie.
I find it funny they needed two small towns to double as Signal Wy.
Cowley, the other Signal WY, does not have a hotel and bar and this is the only reason I can think of why they used Carseland, over 200km away, for this specific scene.