Downtown Hilda

It’s not a true ghost town, but in many ways looks the part. A handful of people live here, but the near-empty main street has all the traits of a forgotten place. There’s a number of former commercial buildings flanking the wide boulevard, all closed and boarded up, most prominent the old hotel. And there’s others, a long ago hardware store and farm equipment dealership among them. Many empty lots separate the stuff still standing. At the end of Main, is the little burg’s last grain elevator, the tallest thing around, holding vigil along an abandoned rail line waiting for a train that will never come.

This, my friends, is downtown Hilda Alberta. It’s lonely, silent and visited by few.

Located at the far eastern edge of the province, southeast quadrant, Saskatchewan is but a short distance away. A heavy hitter with a Big Bertha could almost make the border. The region here is gently rolling plains. There’s two types of work out this way, farming, at best a hit or miss affair if you ask anyone who’s done it, or working in the oil and gas industries. That’s it.

Hilda Alberta: walking around its sleepy little downtown. Trademark long winded writing by Chris Doering. Photographed by Chris Doering and Connie Biggart. Researched by Jason Sailer with a little help from (just enough to get credit) Chris Doering. (BIGDoer/Synd)

The town dates from around 1923/24. This is not the first Hilda, an earlier incarnation once existed a number of clicks to the west beginning in the 1910s. When the railway came through the region and bypassed this fledgling community, they moved everything to the current location so as not to miss out on the action. You see, a town without a railway back then, didn’t stand a chance.

Scroll down for photos and to comment.

Today the community is home to a few dozen people. Back when, it was many, many times that. Old photos from the day show it a vibrant place, quite the contrast to now. The town was full of life with countless businesses lining both sides of Main Street in downtown. Photos prove it. A few of those buildings seen survive which we’ll now touch on.

The hotel, built in the late 1920s, is one of the most noteworthy. A place to spend the night, and more importantly the local watering hole, it closed down not all that long ago. In small prairie towns, the hotel is often the last to go. Did it die due to a lack of business? There seems no answer here but it was said to be a busy place. What’s suggested is that the building became too run-down and a bit of a money pit for the owners. It doesn’t look in great shape. No matter the reason, it’s as though they just up and left.

Now where do we get a cold one?

Beside the hotel, in an empty lot, we find a bright purple 1940s International Pickup, all done up. Preeeety sure this wasn’t a factory colour. But yeah, we like it. A modern Peterbilt keeps it company.

Opposite the hotel on Main Street is the former Hilda Motors building, the sign still proudly displayed for the world to see. The business operated from the early 1950s to about 1990, functioning, variously, as a farm equipment dealership, car sales outlet and service station. It replaced an earlier garage on the same plot of land. Today, it’s used by a private individual for storage (the fate of many old buildings in these small towns). An old tractor is parked out front. Looks like it’s been there a while.

Just down from the hotel is the “Border Hardware” store. This building, it’s said, was rebuilt from an earlier structure that came in from “Old” Hilda that was later destroyed or partially destroyed, by fire, in the 1940s. How much of the old, if anything, was incorporated into what’s seen today is not known. The structure was later acquired by the Revelstoke Lumber chain (‘member them?) and then for a time was a store of some kind (but what type is not mentioned). Today, it’s used for storage.

Just down Main and the sort of alone and by itself is a small structure (see the photo captioned “The near-empty main street.”). This building over the years was a barber shop and hair salon, and later an agricultural equipment dealer’s office. Surprise, today it’s unused.

The most impressive thing in town, heck in the whole region, stands tall at the end of Main Street. This is Hilda’s last grain elevator – there used to be many here. It was built in the 1920s, so shortly after arrival of the railway, for the NM Paterson & Sons Grain Company. Their logo can still be seen on its sides. The structure has been upgraded over the years, changing it’s as-built appearance. It has that distinctive extra tall, false-fronted “Paterson” cupola modification, which seems was only used only by that firm.

The annex, that second building beside it, came in from another elevator in town. In times past other annexes would have been here – added as additional capacity was needed, and taken away as they wore out or storage demand waned. The elevator was lasted used to fill rail cars around 2000-ish and closed completely later that same decade. Today it’s owned by a local farmer who uses it for grain storage. It was in use the day of our visit with a large trailer mounted generator providing power. At one time, the town’s train station stood directly opposite the structure across the tracks.

The Paterson firm is still around. Not a huge player in the Canadian grain industry the company, none the less, has a long and storied history and dates back over a century. They’re mostly active in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

In times past there was other elevators in Hilda dating from the 1920s-1980s period, five others in total. Firms represented, variously over the years, include the Alberta Wheat Pool, Federal Grain, Alberta Pacific Grain, Ogilvie Mills and Lakes of the Woods Milling. Hilda’s elevator is one of a couple hundred plus wood elevators extant in the province now. At the peak it was one of almost eighteen hundred! Needless to say, they’re a dying breed!

The rail line here dates from the 1920s and was closed in the early 2000s. This section was the CPR’s Burstall Subdivision and was one of a huge number of grain gathering branches the firm once operated across the prairies. This line, like most others, closed due sweeping changes within the industry that took place in the latter part of the last century, which made small town elevators and the resultant branch lines serving them horribly uneconomical.

A section of line further north is still in used and is owned by a smaller regional railway, to serve some petroleum related plants up that way.

This trip had us exploring a section of Alberta and far Western Saskatchewan north of Medicine Hat. Lots of good stuff was seen out this way, old farms churches and so on. Some reports have already been posted, others are yet to come. You’ll love them all! Our guides here were Jason and Becky Sailer. It’s always more fun to explore with friends. What a blast! Want to host us? You know what to do.

Walking about town…
Ymir, Friday Nights.
Bents.
Dorothy Alberta.
Carmangay Alberta.

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

Date: October, 2016.
Location: Hilda, AB.
Article references (and thanks): Hilda’s Heritage Third Edition (Book), Paterson Grain records, Jason Sailer.
All the places seen in this report can be viewed from public roads.

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Hilda AB Elevator

Where there were many, now there’s one…

Hilda Alberta Elevator

…The last grain elevator in Hilda Alberta.

Grain Elevator Hilda Alberta

Just a quick peek inside.

Hilda Grain Elevator

The rail line used to pass right in front.

Grain Elevator Hilda AB

As the Friendly Giant would say, look up, look waaaay up…

Hilda AB Grain Elevator

The building dates from the 1920s and has been heavily modified.

Boler Trailer

There’s a Boler in Hilda!

Hilda Hotel

The last round has been served at the Hilda Hotel.

Hilda Alberta Hotel

In operation since the 1920s it closed not all that long ago.

Trucks Hilda Alberta

A pair of fine trucks from different eras.

Hilda Motors

Long closed Hilda Motors.

Downtown Hilda Alberta

The near-empty main street.

Old Buildings Hilda Alberta

A former hardware store and the current BIGDoer-mobile.

32 responses

  1. Jeff Sullivan says:

    I went the school from 1969 until 1974, another before my grade 6 ended. A great way to spend the elementary years…. I ( as of 2020 ) would sincerely like to acknowledge Mrs Alice Kissinger and Mrs Ruth Hauser for putting up with me during those formative years. In today’s world, more teachers such as yourselves are sorely needed.
    I had the good fortune of going back in 1980 and got to talk with Mrs. Kissinger in her home. I will carry that memory for the rest of my life as well. I had gone through those years with her youngest child ( Nadine). I often wonder what ever happened to her….. I would not trade being there at the time for anything. There was certainly more to the town back then.

    • Love your comments. Such interesting memories and thanks for sharing. Hearing from folks connected to the places we’ve documented adds a whole new dimension to the story. Teachers deserve a pat on the back.

  2. Edwin Haney says:

    Thank you for the interesting history of Hilda!
    Well I have never been through Hilda, but will be soon. As my Grand father “John Maier “built many buildings in this town way back when. He farmed in the Hilda area and my mom and her siblings where raised there. Grandpa build the hardware store the blacksmith shop the general store, possibly the hotel too and others as I remember from family stories as a young boy. My Mom, Ann later moving to the Barrhill area with the family. My Grandma Kay Maier was the Principle at Barrhill school and my mother Ann along with my Aunt Velva Noble at the time and Ann(mom) where teachers there. Velva and my mom married the two Haney brothers. Uncle Len married Velva and Howard (Dad) married Ann.Grandpa and Gamma later retired and moved to Lethbridge where they lived until their passing.
    Its kinda cool to go through these prairie towns that have been around since the early pioneer days. I am not sure if anyone is still there that has family from the early days that may of known of my grandpa? Probably not as hes been gone many years and died at the good age of 90.
    Google is a n amazing thing as it allows one to see things that otherwise other than physically driving there one would never see. Thank you for your page and pictures, and thank you google maps lol

    • Thanks for sharing these amazing memories! We love it when that happens. And we’re so pleased you like the piece. A compliment is always welcome here and inspires us to continue doing what we do.

  3. Val Good says:

    I went to school at New Hilda School back in the late sixties when the town was still a lively place to be. Have only been back once since I left in 1971, was sad to see how it does look and feel like a ghost town. Your pictures were great . Have the best memories of this great little hamlet.

    • It so pleases us to hear we helped rekindle something inside you. We’ve done our job. Thanks for commenting and sharing your Hilda memories.

  4. BobbyBelle Smith says:

    I had forgotten Hilda but when I saw the elevator it brought back a 30 year memory of me asking my parents “Who’s Hilda?”. We were in a restaurant (hotel maybe?) and someone in the room told us about the postmaster’s baby girl.
    Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

    • Thank you for commenting. Interesting! And glad you liked the piece. Do drop by often and comment when the urge hits you. It helps keep new content coming.

  5. Jason Schreiber says:

    Our nephew and his wife purchased the Hilda Motors building last year. They live in his great grandfathers house in Hilda still. They love Hilda, and plan on raising their family there the same as he was raised in Hilda. Great pictures by the way!

  6. Cyril Anderst says:

    (via Facebook)
    Good photos. Thank you, Chris & Connie, for including our little town on your photo tour of western Canada. You’re welcome back any time.

  7. Brad Kinchen says:

    Used to be elevators with the Diamond “P” all along this line. Hilda, Fox Valley, Richmound, Mendham, Prelate. Before that at Leader, Sceptre, Horsham.

  8. Frank McCracken says:

    Another good one. Thanks Bigdoers!

  9. Linda Cassidy says:

    Damn, your pics, EVERTHING you do, is EPIC! Congrats to a great talent.

  10. Great writeup and photos! A fun day – was great to collaborate!

  11. Scott Christensen says:

    The people who live in the proximity of Hilda have more heart and spirit than your post would suggest. Nice pictures though.

  12. Jen Plett Driediger says:

    (via Facebook)
    My family and I are a few of the people still living here and we love it!

  13. Elke Janhsen says:

    (via Facebook)
    Thanks for the history as always. Definitely a stop for me this summer.

  14. Great post on a fun day! Glad to have hosted and contributed to the article!

  15. The elevator has fall arrestors! A clear sign that it wasn’t that long ago that the railway was here.

    • Yes, not all that long ago. The last rail cars were around 2000-ish. I heard the elevator was still used commercially after the rail line was pulled up and it was suggested they loaded trucks off the spout where grain cars were once loaded.

      • Reg Greenfield says:

        We lived in Hilda from around 1865 to 1969. The school only went to grade nine so we moved once I hit grade 10. My mother Lena Rosa owned the cafe right across the street from the hotel. My step father John Rosa worked for CPR

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