At the time of its removal a year or so ago it was the oldest such structure in Calgary and without a doubt the most challenging to navigate. With steep stairs and a narrow walkway, it was not for the timid. We’re speaking of the 14th St Pedestrian Bridge, now gone and relegated to history, that once rusted hunk of metal (some might add eyesore) in Calgary’s Hillhurst Neighbourhood. It’s doubtful anyone lamented the loss.
Dating from 1959, it was constructed so students attending Hillhurst School could avoid a dangerous at-grade crosswalk. The steep hill on 14th Street has cars breaking the speed of sound by the time they pass by and even with crossing guards it was disaster waiting to happen.
Taking on the the structure required steadfast nerves and you could feel it wobble side to side as you crossed. Heaven help you if you tripped and with that would surely come a chipped-tooth and a trip to the dentist. It certainly was no use if you we’re pushing a baby carriage or some such wheeled conveyance or had mobility issues and come winter was doubly a nightmare. They didn’t think about those things back then.
The crossmembers show scars of having been hit more than a few times. With low clearances some truck drivers must have been caught by surprise on smacking into it. Road salt had taken it’s toll on the paint and eaten deep into the metal in places. It was well past its prime.
The city mentions several hundred people per day used the bridge, mostly we presume kids heading to and from school. It’s be safe to say few old ladies with walkers would be in that mix. In it’s place, a street level crosswalk with lights was put in a block to the south (so a bit further away from the hill). Still, cars fly past due to the grade and don’t slow till further on, so we wonder how long before there’s a close call. Some parents whose kids attend Hillhurst School and use the crosswalk have voiced a similar concern.
From that same card dump… Vandervalk Collection – can you say massive military equipment!
Short Subjects: reports that for any number of reasons are brief in nature. They might be updates to older articles, previews of posts planned or not yet published, brief snippets of things that don’t fit in anywhere else or subjects that are so obscure that information on them can’t be found. Or sometimes we just ramble on about Lord knows what.
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Date of adventure: October, 2018. Location: Calgary, AB.
We lived on the corner of 14th and 8th Ave until about 1979. Me and my brother use to cross the street going Hillhurst Elementary on the green overpass every day. Although I don’t live in Calgary anymore, every time I drove on 14th and saw that overpass I always smiled. As silly as it sounds I think next time I am in Calgary and I it see it gone I will probably miss it.
I witnessed a guy in a big old station wagon lose control while going down the hill and crash into that thing in the early 1970’s. I’ll never forget his moans and screams as the fire crew extricated him from the wreckage.
My brother, Jim Rankin, was hit by a car in that location in the fall of 1958 which was the impetus for building that overpass. Kind of sorry to see that it’s gone but the reasoning is sound. Brother Jim survived, by the way.
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.
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Lived in Cedarbrae Apartments 2 blocks away. Never trusted that bridge; would deter down to 5th.
Haha, it scared a lot of people.
Remember it as a kid.
Everyone who lived north of the river remembers!
I used to walk that bridge daily when I was in elementary school.
Cool!
We lived on the corner of 14th and 8th Ave until about 1979. Me and my brother use to cross the street going Hillhurst Elementary on the green overpass every day. Although I don’t live in Calgary anymore, every time I drove on 14th and saw that overpass I always smiled. As silly as it sounds I think next time I am in Calgary and I it see it gone I will probably miss it.
Strange how that is…
What a brute!
You could see it had taken a couple good hits from overheight trucks and survived, so yes to that.
Looks creepy!
The thought of tripping down those stairs was the most worrisome for us.
Calgary is a little less exciting now.
I know they take all the fun away!
That thing was a nightmare. I was scared ****less the last time I used that thing.
Crossing it in January was to know sheer terror! Okay, I’m exaggerating a little.
I witnessed a guy in a big old station wagon lose control while going down the hill and crash into that thing in the early 1970’s.
I’ll never forget his moans and screams as the fire crew extricated him from the wreckage.
Yikes!
My brother, Jim Rankin, was hit by a car in that location in the fall of 1958 which was the impetus for building that overpass. Kind of sorry to see that it’s gone but the reasoning is sound. Brother Jim survived, by the way.
Oh wow!
I can agree, I had some appointments at the old Grace Hospital a few years ago and I took transit to get there and back and I remember that bridge.
Everyone who’s crossed it remembers!