We bought the book “Calgary’s Best Walks” by Lori Beattie. Love it. If you’re into urban trekking, it’s a recommended addition to your library too. It’s BIGDoer approved! Like that means something. Chuckle…so, inside the covers are a multitude of possible routes covering all quadrants of the city. For one who views the pathways as only routes to hoof it about town (so me), these well thought out forays out into the street are something new and fresh.
This adventure today has us following Route #20 in the book, not to the letter however, but pretty close. I’m sure the author won’t mind that we mixed it up. We’ll take in some older neighbourhoods – Ramsay, Mission, Roxboro and others, and spend time hanging with dead and gone in historic Union Cemetery.
Calgary’s Best Walks #20 (sorta): another from Lori Beattie’s Book. A Chris & Connie Adventure!
This route makes a nice loop so where you begin matters little. We started in Ramsay, so we’d hit a restaurant district further on about lunch time. There’s non-permit parking not far from Ramsay School. This stately building is one of a good number in Calgary made of sandstone and built to a similar design. Your author attended one like it in the 1970s, Sunalta, west of downtown.
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Head north on Spiller Road, in years past, the original MacLeod Trail (since moved west). Almost immediately, turn right on 23rd Avenue SE. Frozen bike! Frozen us – it was cold. Pass many old homes. This section of town was once rough and tumble, but it went through a renaissance of sorts, the old homes being fixed up and loved instead of neglected. Left on 8th Street, right on 21st Avenue, passing St Anne’s Parish, a fine old building (doh, no picture), then left on 9th Street.
Soon on come to the Alberta Corner Store, an old school grocery. Be sure and buy something. Doh, our scratchy tickets didn’t win! Kitty-corner is the historic “Beers House”. We knocked – they had none. Across in the alley, the “Love Ramsay” Garage. Post something profound on the chalkboard or just say “Hi!” to everyone. Continue (north) along 9th Street. Lots more vintage houses, most from the 1910s-1920s era. That’s old for here.
Left on 17th Avenue. Pass the closed Black & White Grocery – this one didn’t make it. Head up on concrete stairs. This has to be one of the steeper roads in Calgary. Top out on “Scotchman’s Hill”. The escarpment overlooks Stampede Park and is so named as here one can take in the chuckwagon races or fireworks displays come Stampede Week for free. Suggesting Scots are cheap-ass bastards – hmmm. A tad derogatory, no?
There’s also a good view of downtown from here too. In fact we’ll be able to see the core most of this day. And the Saddledome too.
That “hawg” ain’t going anywhere soon. Now I can’t get that Dumb and Dumber scene out of my head.
Drop down to river level on wood stairs. Say high to the Elbow, all frozen on our visit. We’ll see it many times as we travel about. Turn left on the paved pathway. You’re surrounded by Stampede Park here.
Meet up with 25th Avenue, cross the LRT tracks then busy MacLeod Trail. We caught a train coming out of the tunnel under Union Cemetery – which we’ll visit on the return leg. The cemetery that is not the tunnel. We’re in Erlton now, formerly rail yards mostly, but now residential.
Cross the Elbow – downtown skyline to the right – and enter Mission. Lots more old houses and a B&B still celebrating Canada’s 150th. Westways – back when we ran our clothing firm we used to do photo shoots here, the historic building acting as a backdrop. Had one of the best dinners of my life here too.
Hit 4th Street – lots of places to chow down along this stretch. We typically bring picnic lunches, but once in while, especially of there’s lots of snow about (and there was), we eat out. Pub lunch!
The Yorkshires and Guinness done, the world’s a better place with a buzz. Head south on 4th Street and cross the Elbow again. In Roxboro now, the most well-to-do neighbourhood seen this day, left on Roxboro Drive. Lots of fine old mansions here…and one made from shipping containers. It looks that way you know! Sorry, but even tolerant of everything/live and let live me, threw up in my mouth on seeing it. Even our early 1960s era (not a high-point in home architecture BTW) totally imaginative shoe-box abomination of a home, in comparison, looks inspired in design.
Come to Roxboro Park and take the marked path heading up through the trees. Stairs help when it gets too steep. Top out and look around. There’s downtown again. Continue south in behind a cemetery – lots of cemeteries this day.
Drop down to Mission Road and take a soft left at Erlton Terrace/34th Street. Lot of tiny houses here – got a thing for them now. At MacLeod Trail take the short path connecting to an access road which runs between St Mary’s and the Chinese Cemeteries. On coming to 31st Avenue, take the foot bridge crossing over busy MacLeod Trail. There’s downtown. Again.
Welcome to Union Cemetery. Head left passing row after row of graves. Some of these date back a century or more. Old headstones can be elaborate and even show-off-ish. Lots of bunnies here! Union is surely Calgary’s most historic and scenic cemetery. Many “big wheels” from the city’s past are buried here.
Take in the old Chapel. In days past, those that perished in the winter were kept in cold storage here until the ground thawed enough that a grave could be dug. Now it’s empty I understand. In behind is the Reader House, well a replica of the Reader House, built on the same plot and to the same design as the original which was demolished in the 1940s. Both of these buildings deserve a revisit once the snow’s gone. Nice views out over, your guessed it, downtown. And there’s the Saddledome again.
Drop down to street level, leaving the deceased behind, and follow Spiller Road (it jogs) back to your ride. To the left…yup, downtown and the Saddledome. At and end, it hits you, this was one fine walk. Thanks Lori! Stay tuned for more from the book.
If you wish more information about this trail, by all means contact us!
Date of adventure: January, 2018. Location: Calgary, AB. Distance: 9km loop. Height gain maximum: 100m-ish. Height gain cumulative: 180m-ish. NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate. Technical bits: Attack Bunnies!
This walk was just amazingly fun and beautiful. We saw an astonishing number, many dozens at least, of bunnies beginning at the Chinese cemetery. Some of them were curious, and I touched a few soft rabbit ears. The view of the Fall colors from the rough park overlooking downtown was breathtaking, and the city was sparkling in the background. We saw dinosaur animatronics in the park near the climb up into Ramsey, and they bellowed and groaned. Exhausted, we sat on a bench and took in the dramatic sky, the amazing view, and watched a happy dog get his zoomies out. Caught the 17 bus a few blocks away in front of someone’s house. We are from California, and this walk was an unforgettable jewel of our vacation. Thanks!
HI Chris and Connie! Interesting route you chose for this walk. It kind of ran through a few places that brought me back to a time before we had kids and living over in the 4th street area was the best place to be. I used to stop off on the way home from work in the summer to swim in the Elbow on the very hot days by parking south of 26th in Erlton and accessing the river through a pocket park. One time, i was joined by a beaver not 10 feet away! Scared the heck out of me when it surfaced and slapped its tail! When i met my wife, she lived in an old house either right next door or maybe 2 doors down from the B and B. The houses are long gone in lieu of the monstrosity of a condo building. I used to go up on the ridge of Roxboro park to walk our dog and enjoy the views from there. More recently, i had the opportunity to go inside the old chapel at the cemetary for work reasons. It had suffered a break in and some vandalism which included a fire. Somewhere, i have photos of the interior which was somewhat spooky given the location and the use of the building. I saw the upper floor as well as the basement. Apparently, they used to have the chapel ceremony on the main floor and then ceremoniously lower the deceased through the floor into the basement for the next phase of their journey. Anyway, apologies for rambling, but i thought i would share. Keep up the great work!
These are such amazing memories! Glad we could help stir them up. I recall swimming in the Elbow, at the rope-swing tree not too far away. The chapel is an interesting building for sure…and spooky. Thanks, and do drop by again and comment when it hits you.
We’re open minded…but damn that one takes the prize. I get that architecture is subjective. This home is sure to polarize – no middle ground here – love it or hate it. I hate.
I went here last year to find my Great Great grandparents and my husband’s grandparents. Imagine my surprise to find them about 20 feet from one another in that HUUUUUUUGE cemetery! The whole place left me in awe. Quite the hike up those hills though!
We used to do something called the "pointless challenge" 🤪 and miss those days. It was so much silly fun and often frustrating as heck. In these we'd invite people to send in random photos of obscure locations, but not give any information, and then we'd track where it was and shoot something similar.
Most of these came from old family collections, as was the case here. Anyone up to resurrecting the series?
In hindsight, why didn't we pose someone in our shot?
Pointless: “Devoid of meaning (or) senseless” Merriam-Webster.
If you like what we do and want to support this ongoing project (12 years now), go here: https://www.BIGDoer.com/help-the-society/ Thanks to Connie for making this post possible.
Exploring history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie. Photo: ca1970 and 2014. Posted by Connie.
Captured on a cold, cold day many years ago. We've been passing this old house for decades and it's little changed in that time. At some point we expect to drive by and it'll be gone.
Exploring history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie. Photo: 2017. Posted by Connie.
When retired old railway cars usually get cut up for scrap. Sometimes, however, they find their way into the hands of the general public or whomever. Flat cars make good bridges, and boxcars can be transformed into storage buildings and the like. Case in point here. We see them used like this often enough and in this case, it's part of a corral.
Incidentally, this boxcar dates from 1950 and this was found by tracing the old road number, which is still visible.
Exploring history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie. Photo: 2017. Posted by Connie.
This central Alberta racetrack was never a commercial operation but instead just a fun place for car enthusiasts in the area to get together. Early '70s or thereabouts and it only lasted a few years. Even thought it's been abandoned for that long, there is no doubt what was here.
You know we like the the obscure stuff and this one fits the bill perfectly. Found by accident while backroad cruising and the history comes thanks to local car guy Mike.
Exploring history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie. Photo: 2022. Posted by Connie.
On top of little Myrtle Mountain in the Kimberley (BC) Nature Park.
There's some good wilderness fun to be had here and nice views as you can see, but the real reason we came is mining history. The whole area near the ski hill was extensively worked over a century ago and we were looking for evidence of this. We didn't find much in the area searched, but it's a big chunk of property and we hope to return to cover more ground again soon. Of all the subjects we cover, mining related is a favourite.
Still, it was a good hike and that can't be bad. Look to the comments for more info 👇.
Exploring nature and history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie. Photo: 2022. Posted by Connie.
It's a strange curiosity in south Kananaskis, there on a hillside and we have no idea who created it. We asked around and no one's completely sure about its history. In the past it showed the Canada 100 logo from 1967 but in 2017 someone changed it to reflect the country's 150th.
That's our friend Emily from DanOCan.com having a look.
Exploring history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie. Photo: 2017. Posted by Connie.
This walk was just amazingly fun and beautiful. We saw an astonishing number, many dozens at least, of bunnies beginning at the Chinese cemetery. Some of them were curious, and I touched a few soft rabbit ears. The view of the Fall colors from the rough park overlooking downtown was breathtaking, and the city was sparkling in the background. We saw dinosaur animatronics in the park near the climb up into Ramsey, and they bellowed and groaned. Exhausted, we sat on a bench and took in the dramatic sky, the amazing view, and watched a happy dog get his zoomies out. Caught the 17 bus a few blocks away in front of someone’s house. We are from California, and this walk was an unforgettable jewel of our vacation. Thanks!
This is awesome and what a gorgeous photo. Glad we could inspire something enjoyable.
HI Chris and Connie! Interesting route you chose for this walk. It kind of ran through a few places that brought me back to a time before we had kids and living over in the 4th street area was the best place to be. I used to stop off on the way home from work in the summer to swim in the Elbow on the very hot days by parking south of 26th in Erlton and accessing the river through a pocket park. One time, i was joined by a beaver not 10 feet away! Scared the heck out of me when it surfaced and slapped its tail! When i met my wife, she lived in an old house either right next door or maybe 2 doors down from the B and B. The houses are long gone in lieu of the monstrosity of a condo building. I used to go up on the ridge of Roxboro park to walk our dog and enjoy the views from there. More recently, i had the opportunity to go inside the old chapel at the cemetary for work reasons. It had suffered a break in and some vandalism which included a fire. Somewhere, i have photos of the interior which was somewhat spooky given the location and the use of the building. I saw the upper floor as well as the basement. Apparently, they used to have the chapel ceremony on the main floor and then ceremoniously lower the deceased through the floor into the basement for the next phase of their journey.
Anyway, apologies for rambling, but i thought i would share. Keep up the great work!
These are such amazing memories! Glad we could help stir them up. I recall swimming in the Elbow, at the rope-swing tree not too far away. The chapel is an interesting building for sure…and spooky. Thanks, and do drop by again and comment when it hits you.
I wanna join you sometime again.
When you get back from that trip – love those street shots I’ve been seeing in my feed, by the way – we’ll get together. Promise.
Shipping containers? Priceless! That is one ugly home.
We’re open minded…but damn that one takes the prize. I get that architecture is subjective. This home is sure to polarize – no middle ground here – love it or hate it. I hate.
Some great pictures along the walk.
That day was made for photography. It worked. Well.
I went here last year to find my Great Great grandparents and my husband’s grandparents. Imagine my surprise to find them about 20 feet from one another in that HUUUUUUUGE cemetery! The whole place left me in awe. Quite the hike up those hills though!
It sure is huge. And hilly. What an amazing coincidence!
Beautiful !!
The while day had this magical vibe. Can’t fully explain it, but it was cool.
Peaceful place ….
The cemetery was quiet as can be. Eerie in a way, but as you say peaceful.
May have some ghosts inside.
If you mean the Chapel, oh yeah! Tons of them.
You always have the best articles. Thanks Chris & Connie!
A big thanks and know it’s you we do it for!