A Few (Frigid) Minutes in Trochu Alberta

The mission assigned us this day is to explore Trochu Alberta and we’ve got no other goal than to get to know this little prairie community. That’s all and nothing more. Our little soirée just happened to take place on what must be the coldest day of the year, so no fun in that regard, but you make due.

Still, we broke a few speed records documenting this piece.

Trochu was founded in the early 1910s and it’s roughly concurrent with the arrival of the railway. That’s how it played out, time after time, out here on the flatlands. The track was laid into some otherwise sparsely settled area and like magic, the towns sprang up at about the same time.

This aforementioned ribbon of steel was part of the Grand Trunk Pacific back then, but since the 1920s has been a Canadian National Railways property. Track runs from Edmonton and south to Calgary. It’s not super busy, but if you catch a freight, it’s likely to be a long one (based on our own experience).

Trochu has a population somewhere just over a thousand (add two more the day of our visit) and like many farming communities has settled into a sort of malaise period when compared to the early days. The cycle goes like this: a boom for the first decade or two, an extended settling in and then that quiet time on reaching maturity.

There’s shops, stores and eateries, but also more than a few buildings that are empty.

This is by no means a drawn out history report, but just a rambling presentation, casual and definitely lacking focus. I like pie! There’s time to dig deep but here an easy-going approach seemed best.

Not just deeply cold, it was a bit of a gloomy afternoon and while this should have sapped enthusiasm, it didn’t. Always look on the bright side of life…

Still, we got so cold at some point that we had to call it day or risk a horrible frozen death (or something close to that). In our rush to keep warm and due to a quick retreat we no doubt missed some stuff but we’ll be back.

Now on with it…

1) Out of the toasty warm car, and dreading that first icy blast, it’s our first view. Welcome to Trochu Alberta and keep warm! As we’re typing this in late April 2023, it’s a balmy 15c outside (good by local standards this time of year) but it was about thirty degrees less on the wintry visit seen here.

This old building has seen better days and that bike has not moved in a while.

2-3) It’s the Trochu Hotel, but the old Yale sign is still quite visible. Dating back to the early days, it’s certainly the most imposing structure in downtown. The local history book is a bit silent on the subject, and nothing came up elsewhere in public records, but we believe it’s from around 1920. That’s when it first makes mention in phone directories.

Closed for many years recently, then reopened for a stretch, and as of the writing of this post closed once again, temporarily, pending some new people taking over. Or so the handwritten sign out front said.

4) This old Chrysler and farm equipment dealership dates to the early 1940s. It’s been empty for some time and on a recent visit it appears as though it’s being prepped for demolition. A construction fence now surrounds the structure and an alley-side wall was either pulled down, or maybe it simply collapsed. Either way, it’s not long for this world.

5-6) As wood grain elevators go, it’s a fairly modern one and dates from the 1970s. There used to be many others here, going back to the early days, but they’re long gone. Grain elevators of this type are no longer of use commercially and present day they industry relies on giant terminals, many, many fold larger and usually outside town. Where as an elevator like this might load a few cars at a time, or maybe in pinch a dozen or two, the new ones often fill an entire train’s worth. Sometimes in a single pass.

When closed in early 2000s, it was acquired by a local farmer and used for grain storage. That’s the fate of many wood grain elevators.

7 & 11) Here’s two buildings a couple blocks apart and belonging to Trochu Motors. They’re an equipment dealer and still very much in business, but these structures look as though only used for storage. The firm’s main outlet is now a modern structure on the road out of town. Again, there’s not anything definite in the history books but by the numbers these two buildings probably date from later in the 1940s which is when Trochu Motors was founded.

It appears the first building (#7) was more in service of farm machinery and the other, right in downtown, for the auto end of business. They sold both tractors and cars, in the old days plus had a fuel business. Now it’s just farming stuff.

8) The creatively named “Store”, for convenience stuff and munchies. Burger, fries and those kinds of eats. At least that was the case on the visit documented here, and since then, it appears they’re changing to a liquor outlet. That’s where the money is.

9) OMG Oriental Market was a Home Hardware outlet until recently. That’s big store for grocery use.

10) This phone booth in front of the Telus building has since been removed. The phone has neither a coin slot nor card reader (or even a display) so maybe it was for emergency use only. No matter, it’s gone now, anyway. Payphones – when’s the last time you used one?

12) Looking down Main Street and there’s not a lot going on as you can see.

13) This building does not make mention in the old history book (that we could find) but does show up in early photos of the town. So it’s well over a century old…and empty.

It’s getting hard to function in the cold. You can’t work the camera with gloves on, and finger’s refuse to move when uncovered, so it’s a standoff. Who’d have thought pressing a shutter could be a chore but it is when it’s minus twenty, the digits just don’t function. Time to head back…quickly now.

14) This former bank is now someone’s home and maybe the most secure one in town. The building dates from the 1910s (so very early in Trochu’s history) and housed a bank until the 1970s. Those old bank buildings are stately structures and many of the era were built to a similar design across the prairies. It’s talked about more here: Main Street in Trochu Alberta (a Then & Now shot at the same time).

15) A mural memorializing old St Mary’s Hospital dating back to around the time Trochu was founded and replaced by the newer structure in the 1970s. St Mary’s also functioned as a convent and has always been located at the southeast edge of town.

By this point we’re moving at a brisk pace. Look, there’s the car! Salvation! Why didn’t we get a remote start? Oh yeah, it’s was the cheapest one on the lot and we’re lucky it has a steering wheel. Hurry up and get warm!

Our little adventures comes to an end, but this was just a sampling and I’m sure on day we’ll come back to Trochu and take a closer look (on a warmer day) at some of the things seen in this post. Thanks for stopping by and joining us on this outing.

Know more (new window): Trochu Alberta.

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Also in Trochu…
Two Churches Trochu Alberta.

A few more “Few Minutes in…” posts…
A Few Minutes in Stavely Alberta, A Few Minutes in Ogden and A Few Minutes in Loverna.

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

Date of Adventure: February, 2022.
Location(s): Trochu, Alberta.
Article references and thanks: Book – Remember When, The History of Trochu & District, Medicine Hate & District Genealogical Society, Town of Trochu, The Trochu & District Museum and UofC photo archives.

1) Spend a few frigid minutes exploring Trochu Alberta.

2) The hotel has been open sporadically the last few years.

3) It’s the Trochu now but once called the Yale.

4) A former Chrysler dealer.

5) The last grain elevator in town.

6) It’s relatively modern (1970s) as wood elevators go.

7) Looking at the old Trochu Motors building here.

8) The creatively named “Store”.

9) A former building supply place but now OMG Market.

10) A real honest to goodness phone booth.

11) Trochu Motors 2nd outlet.

12) To say it was a bit of a gloomy day is an understatement.

13) Some buildings in town were vacant like this one.

14) The former bank is now a home.

15) A mural depicting Old St Mary’s Hospital.