Downtown Viking Alberta (w Harry Palmer)

Here’s a comparison look at one little corner of downtown Viking Alberta thirty four years apart. The expression “some things change and some stay the same” truly applies here. Certainly many things have vanished since the original image was captured in 1988, but the scene still feels the same. This post features a “then” photo from noted photographer, the late Harry Palmer (used with permission) and it’s an honour to finally put it to use.

Finally? Yes, and there’s a back story. We’ve been trying to shoot this one for the better part of five years and every time we passed through Viking, made an attempt but never liked the results. It’s a tough one and in rather tight-quarters, as these go, and they never really seemed to line up properly. Even this one’s hardly perfect, but it’s likely the closest we’ll get, so we begrudgingly accept it.

Harry’s thing was just travelling around and photographing street scenes much like this. He did it for countless years and the resultant photos a great record of the wholesale change that’s taken place since he started. His shot here is a multi-frame exposure and this accounts for the ghosting seen. Love the creativity! Due to the frame size, his photo has been cropped slightly to fit, but that’s the only change we ever do. Even then, it’s done only as a last resort.

Then: the story plays out in the corner of present day 50th Street (the business district) and 51st Avenue (paralleling the railway). These were earlier, for a time anyway, Main Street and First Avenue respectively.

In Harry’s photo we see a small brick building which was once the telephone exchange (more in a moment), a couple grain elevators off in the distance and between them all, a service station. It’s a scene that could be from any small prairie community of the era but today, it’s happening in Viking. The water tower features prominent on both photos and the least photogenic aspect of the two images.

The telephone exchange housed switchgear and an office for the local operator. Alberta Government Telephones, mostly in the 1920s, built countless structures just like this, in many small towns, and they’re instantly recognizable in form. In 1988, an insurance and travel firm called it home. The automated telephone gear is housed present day in a newer structure behind this building and unseen from this angle.

The service station was known as Viking Texaco Service at the time and not just a place to fuel up, but as was common then, a vehicle repair shop. In the early 1990s, they were flying the Esso flag (while keeping the same name otherwise) and a few years later shut down. The building appears similar to others we’ve seen like it built in the 1950s-1960s period.

The grain elevators were two of several in Viking at the time – others were off frame to the left. The blue/green example belonged to the Alberta Wheat Pool and dates from the 1920s. The Pool had several elevators in town over the years and all others were acquired second hand from other companies, but this one purpose built (and the newest).

The Pioneer Elevator, we believe, is a few years newer than its neighbour, but the local history book is a bit sparse in details. Like many grain elevators, it had several owners over the years and the lineage sometimes almost impossible to follow. The Pool and Pioneer were both big players in the grain industry at the time with each boasting huge networks of rural elevators. The Pool is history but Pioneer lives on and remains in business, but just not in Viking.

By around 2000, give or take, these elevators were gone and now but a memory. There’s still huge amounts of grain shipped out of the Viking area, but it’s handled by monstrous inland terminals. The smallest is just off frame to the left in our photo (and stood on the site of other wood elevators) and two others located just a bit outside town to the right.

Now: The telephone exchange and that big tube-thing are much as they were. The former houses a realty firm now and the water tower is just as blue and ultilitarian as ever. It seems to be leaning more in our photo but it could be lens distortion or other factors.

The phone booth has changed colours, and we noted it was scheduled to be removed sometime soon after our visit (spring 2022). It might even be gone now and a sign inside mentioned it’s available for donation to local museums on request. Since everyone has a cell phone, pay phones are little needed and these a rare breed.

With the elevators and gas station gone, the scene in back is a little sparse in comparison, but little changed up close.

The edge of the train station is seen in both images and you can read about the building here: Train Stations: Viking Alberta. It got moved back from the tracks when restored in recent times, and so doesn’t seem to line up as it did.

The vehicles seen in the old photo were likely sent to the scrap yard long ago and includes one in the foreground one that would be relatively new at the time. An old beater is seen in back and another across the road (both 1970s era) plus of course there’s a a pickup in the scene. A ghostly pickup at that.

The BIGDoer-mobile manages to make an appearance in the now photo, but we often sneak it in. Yes, it’s missing a hubcap and you’ll also note it’s the only car on the street. We shot on a quiet Sunday morning and with no one around. They unrolled the streets just as we showed up.

And what about Purple Pants there? One can’t help be curious who they were and if they were a co-conspirator with Harry in the making of his photo or were unaware of the goings on. We think the former is more likely.

Know more (new windows): Photographer Harry Palmer and Viking Alberta.

They’re saying…

“The photos made by Chris and Connie are exceptionally good. Their research is very well done and they are happy to share their work with others. They are preserving our visual history. I highly recommend “Off the Beaten Path” and encourage others to use their services and help this fine couple along.” Marion Kelch.

In Viking…
Train Stations: Viking Alberta.
Museum Tour: Viking Alberta.

Small Town Then & Nows…
Downtown Bawlf Alberta.
Downtown Elk Point Alberta.
Rosedale Alberta then and now.

If you wish more information on what’s seen here, don’t hesitate to: contact us!

Date of Adventure: 1988 (Harry Palmer) and May, 2022 (Team BIGDoer).
Location(s): Viking, AB.
Article references and thanks: Harry Palmer, book: “Viking in Profile”, Medicine Hat & District Genealogical Society, the Town of Viking and UofC archives.

Downtown Viking Alberta, in 1988 and 2022.

The old telephone exchange features prominent.

The phone booth is now blue.

Its days were numbered and might be gone now.