This scenic valley here is a deep cut on the Alberta plains and space is at a premium. At one time East Coulee was home to about a dozens coal mines and one of the largest, and the very last to operate in the entire region, was the Atlas. It’s directly across the river from town and is now an historic site you can visit.

This bridge allowed the railway to access to the Atlas, a grain elevator, plus two other coal mines nearby. These were the Western Monarch, to the left (east) of the Atlas and the Murray, to the right or west.

Built in 1936, the bridge is built of wood and not of steel as one would expect for the time. This was likely an economic measure, but it’s not really stated in any records we found. Some of the beams are simply HUGE.

The structure is in the Howe Truss pattern and not the similar Pratt design, so common in railway use. The two look much alike with similar horizontal, vertical and sloped elements. In the Howe style the main diagonals slant outwards, towards the ends, vs inwards for the Pratt. That’s what separates them visually, but there’s other things in play, forces of tension and compression. In that they differ.

For wood construction, the Howe seems the favoured choice of the two by how these forces are applied. Huge bolts and many interconnecting steel rods hold together the jumble of timbers.

When built, the support piers were of wood (pilings surrounded by earth and rubble, with a wood-plank casing). Sone later replacement piers were of concrete.

The bridge received damage in the spring of 1948 due to ice build up, and the overzealous use of explosives used to clear the mess. Ooops! Photos from the time show one span leaning at a precarious angle. We suspect those concrete piers we spoke of in the previous paragraph were from the subsequent repair work. Research suggests ice flows damaged the structure in other years, but specific details are sketchy and perhaps did so in not such a dramatic fashion.

At some point, (1950s) the bridge had decking installed that allowed auto traffic to cross the structure. Prior to this only trains crossed, plus pedestrians accommodated on a side walkway, now mostly collapsed. Autos used a ferry before this.

The last trains to use the East Coulee bridge were sometime in the late 1970s or early 1980s period. Records show conflicting dates – an all too common occurrence when compiling histories. It appears autos continued to use it until that point and did so for a few years after at least. A replacement road bridge was later put in a short distance downstream and the wood bridge fell into disuse. To prevent cars from crossing, road barriers were put in at each end.

The small shack at the north end of the structure was for a traffic controller and their job was to stop autos from crossing when a train was due. Back when coal was still king, it was a busy spur line, so this was necessary.

The railway line in the area was joint operated by Canadian National and Canadian Pacific, but along this stretch (Rosedale to a point east of East Coulee) it was owned by the latter. The two firms were bitter enemies typically, but due to space constraints in the valley were forced to cooperated under a shared trackage agreement.

This arrangement meant you could see trains from either company on the line, but not necessarily at the same time. We understand one railway worked the local customers for half of the year and other for the rest. This arrangement may have ended at some point as traffic fell off.

In other parts of the valley towards Drumheller the roles were reversed and CN owned the track (Rosedale to Drumheller).

The line though East Coulee dates from the latter half of the 1920s and when the last mine shut down (the Atlas), it was pulled up soon after. Coal traffic from the East Coulee mines (and many others in the Red Deer River valley) could travel east or west to points in Southern or Central Alberta and into Saskatchewan. The coal mined here was a low value commodity and it usually didn’t travel too far.

East Coulee/Red Deer River Valley coal was of the domestic variety. It’s well suited for home heating and cooking, but that market started drying up as natural gas made serious inroads starting in the 1950s.

At the peak of coal usage many trains came and went from East Coulee each day. By the end of service, output was mostly seasonal and sometimes many weeks passed without anything being shipped out.

Before the Atlas and the other mines on this side of the valley opened up, others used to operate on the town or north side of the river.

Fast forward to today and bridge structure shows the ravages of time and the elements. The deck is rotting away, but the main beams appear solid enough. A top cross brace has detached and some settling has caused the spans to shift somewhat.

Our photos are from earlier visits when you could still venture out on the bridge without issue. It was wide open back then and we used the older photos because of this. We’ve visited the structure countless times since, but the view is no longer as good as it was. Now fencing at each end protects the structure from entry and sort make it hard to take photos like we’ve shared here.

Various agencies recognize the the structure as historically significant and for its endangered status. It’s unique in that it’s of wood, was dual road/rail, was an essential link for local coal mines and that it uses a rare for today truss design.

Everyone hopes it can be saved and perhaps incorporated into the Atlas Mine museum located nearby. The old Atlas workings are within sight of the bridge and are a bit to the east. Imagine a pathway, across the structure, connecting the Atlas with the nearby East Coulee School Museum in town. It would be quite an attraction and a great heritage walk. Doing this of course requires money, lots of it, and securing that is a tall, tall order. Things seem to stall when the subject of funding comes up.

For now there’s sort of a holding pattern. Progress for these things always moves slowly anyway, but at least people and various groups are talking about it. Dialog, hopefully, may yet turn to action.

In the meantime, the railway still holds title on the East Coulee bridge. That’s the CPR, although some sources suggest the ownership may be more complicated (and it very well could be). After all these years they have not fully let go of the property, even though the tracks have been gone for an eternity, and it sure seems odd.

The railway industry in Canada, based on our own personal observations, seems disinterested in matters of an historical nature such as this and lacks sentiment. They are a business after all and with that in mind, getting any kind of help from them kind of seems unlikely.

East Coulee dates to the late 1920s and was founded concurrent with the railway arriving and the beginning of coal mining here. A coal town for much of its history, today it’s home to around a hundred and fifty people. Compare that to the peak in the early days, when a couple thousand resided in town.

East Coulee is little changed in many ways and is sort of a time capsule from a bygone era. It’s now part of the extended municipality of Drumheller but still goes by the original name. If you stroll around town, be sure and take in the many old miner’s cottages.

Joining us this trip is our good friend and noted film photographer Robert Pohl. He shoots some vintage gear and we hang out a lot. Making this a theme, we felt it a good idea to bring our vintage Minolta along and shoot a few frames of film ourselves. For old times sake.

The comparison images used in this post are thanks to the late Larry Buchan, who worked for the Canadian Pacific Railway. We were friends and miss our little chit-chats. His knowledge of the railway proved boundless and his memory recall was amazing.

Larry’s images date to the 1970s (pretty sure the latter half) and were captured while he was working in the area. Taking photographs while an employee of the railway is presently a no-no, but back then it seemed to be accepted.

Know more (new tab): East Coulee Alberta Road/Rail Bridge.

They’re saying…

“The background information is just amazing (and) I love being able to travel with them as they share their fascinating sites.” Jo Tennant.

Random awesomeness…
Hermitage of Saint Elias.
A Downtown West End Alley (Calgary).
Forgotten Coal Town Cemetery.

Something to say and no one to say it to? Go here: Contact Us!

Date of adventure: 1992, 2012, 2015 and 2017.
Location: East Coulee, Alberta.
Article references and thanks: University of Calgary photo archives, Geoffrey Lester, Various CPR Employee Timetables, Author and Cartographer, Canadian Trackside Guides, Alberta Energy Regulator, Book: Hills of Home – Drumheller Valley and Larry Buchan.

The East Coulee Bridge in the 1970s and 2015.

Also the ’70s and 2015 – note the RR turntable in the then photo.

2015: built in 1936 and lasted used in the 1980s.

2015: the underside view.

2015: big wood beams tied together by metal rods.

2015 and riding atop boxcars 1970s.

2015: the collapsing walkway.

2015: the guard shack.

2015: Minolta X700 Film Camera (1).

2015: Minolta X700 Film Camera (2).

2015: Minolta X700 Film Camera (3).

2012: an elevated view – with landowner’s permission.

1992: the deck looked solid enough to drive across.

2017: the historic Atlas Coal Mine nearby.

The post Historic Road/Rail Bridge East Coulee AB first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

Our target is the Unity Cenotaph and its surroundings. We’ll seek it out and do our best to duplicate the original in angle and composition, for posting here and then we chat about it here. There’s two locations to visit in this case – the memorial has moved as we found out – plus we later discovered there’s a third connection we can share.

This day finds us down by the train tracks where the Cenotaph was back then. We’ll see what we can find that connects the two eras and then we’ll go where the memorial is today, in a park a few blocks away, and do the same. That should keep us busy and entertained for a while.

Then, there’s another connection with the town’s train station, which as it turns out we’ve photographed before. It’s not in Unity anymore and instead is some distance away in Alberta. It didn’t click right away, but now we can throw it in the mix too.

Unity dates to about 1909 and sprung to life with the coming of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. It quickly grew to be an important hub for the area and today is home to about twenty five hundred people. The main industries here are grain – lots of farms in the area – and natural resources are big too.

The railway, now Canadian National, is a busy stretch of track. Passenger trains go through a few times a week and will stop in Unity on request. Not that it happens very often, but the option is there.

The then photo is a postcard, in the public domain, and was sourced in-house. We don’t know the photographer nor the exact date of the shot. The image shows Unity’s Cenotaph sitting in a small park like setting in front of the train station. In behind, grain elevators are seen, along with boxcars on the elevator siding. It’s a pretty typical small prairie town scene from long ago.

Today, the scene is different, although it still sort of feels the same.

The circa 1909 train station is gone from town, but not demolished. It was saved and today resides out near Calgary, at Aspen Crossing in Mossleigh. They have a campground and do train tours there too. Our photo is from some years ago, when it was still in storage. The building now functions as the registration centre for campers and houses a camp convenience store.

The building to the right of the station in the old photo is a freight shed and today it’s at a museum in Saskatoon. I see a Then and Now in the making there, should find ourselves out that way.

The wood grain elevators are no more and that’s a sad thing we suppose. These buildings, marked for National Grain and Federal Grain, date back to the the 1910s and were gone by the 1980s. They had a multitude of owners over the years beside those two companies. Both National and Federal were decent sized players in the Canadian Grain Industry. Each had elevators in numerous small prairie towns, and both firms vanished in the 1970s.

Today, a late-1980s concrete “grain terminal” stands in their place and stored tank cars filled the old elevator siding on our visit. In the past there were other wood elevators in Unity, but they were off frame in the old photo. There’s other grain terminals just outside town and we had to stop by to check it out too.

There’s only one element connecting the two eras here and that’s the remains of that low concrete wall.

The Cenotaph resides in a park today and a short walk from where it originally stood. Otherwise it seems little changed. It’s a pastoral setting with lots of shady trees and grassy areas. It’s a nice, peaceful place for reflection and thought.

Connie notes the last name Biggart on the side of the memorial. That’s hers as well and it’s not the most common, but she’s certain there’s no connection.

The date of the then image is unknown, but there are some clues to help narrow it down. We know the National Grain Company didn’t acquire the one elevator until 1940 so minimally it’s from that date.

Something tell us it’s from later, however – so after World War Two. Based on a quick and dirty tally, not a lot of postcards were produced during the war. But, it also appears the Cenotaph is in its current form in that old photo, with names from the World War Two period appearing like they do today.

When the Cenotaph was first erected or moved is not known, but research suggests the 1920s and the 1970s to 1980s period, respectively. There’s not much info out there on this subject, so we’re basing these dates on photo evidence. The memorial stands out and by going through dated images where it appears, we can make an educated guess. But there’s big gaps in this methodology.

Our search for a local history book came up empty and it’s possible it holds the answers.

Interestingly, the memorial names locals that fought in World War Two, but not the war before. It just makes mention of them collectively, without saying who.

A list of names…

“In honour of all who died for the cause of freedom in the Great War 1938-1945.”

1st Side: Ballantyne, WB, Bell AF, Blanchard LW, Carson F, Dulham AM, File EK, Fleming D, Fogg ED, Hayard DI, Knoke J, Knowles D, McCallum W, McKinnon RG, Mullins FE, Orr RS, Postlethewaite GE, Reid WV, Taylor HB, Williams R, and Werry WE.

2nd Side: Anderson TR, Austin AW, Aldridge C, Akrigg J, Biggart A, Britter R, Bunce J, Byrnes I, Craig E, Cooley W, Delamere G, Delemere J, Davis E, Davies Rev WH, Jacobs A, Jarvis HJ, Johnson C, Knowles A, Knowles PP, and Keist A.

3rd Side: Laker F, Leckie N, MacDonald J, McCubbing W, McCullough G, Moorlend L, Pettypiece T, Rodgers P, Robertson J, Rose C, Skerry WH, Stewart A, Wilson T, Williams WJ, Williams WT, and Wickham AL.

4th Side: “In Honour of All who served for the cause of Freedom in the Great War 1914-1919. Somme, Ypres Mons, Arras Vimy and Passchendaele. Erected by the Citizens of Unity and District.”

It seems to us that folks on the prairies were quick to enlist during times of conflict and did so in proportionally higher numbers than elsewhere. Go to any small town in the grain belt and the Cenotaphs always seem larger than expected. Perhaps it’s just a passing observation or reflects on the get-things-done attitude of prairie folk.

A Cenotaph is a monument erected to those who served their country and there’s examples in most towns and cities. A moment of silence in remembrance of those who fought for our freedoms is a great way to show respect when visiting one.

Old photos used in these comparison posts are usually sourced in-house, but some are thanks to readers. If you have an old image from a family collection (for example – but they must be your copyright) you think would make a good starting point for a BIGDoer.com Then and Now, by all means send it our way. We’re always looking for fresh challenges and an excuse to visit new places!

This is an older piece brought back and it received a full rewrite, but uses the original images. It was a rather harsh day for photography, but when on the road, you sometimes have to take what you can get. If we ever find ourselves in Unity ands with a little time to spare, you know we’ll reshoot it.

Know more about the town (new tab): Unity Saskatchewan.

They’re saying…

“Well written and well researched. You feel part of the adventure!” David Fionn Clarke.

Random awesomeness…
Armitage Hotel – Lougheed Hotel Lougheed AB.
A Downtown West End Alley (Calgary).
Carbon Alberta 1946, 1992 & 2024.

Something to say and no one to say it to? Go here: Contact Us!

Date: Ca1940s and September, 2017.
Location: Unity, SK.
Article references and thanks: Town of Unity, Saskatchewan Wheat Pool Records and Canada Census.

The same spot in Unity Saskatchewan many years apart.

The Cenotaph is now at a park a couple blocks away.

The station is near Calgary now (2017 pic) – our shot is a reverse angle.

Parts of the concrete ring remain.

“In honour of all who died…”

Note the name Biggart.

At the edge of town – included because we have a thing for trains.

The post Unity Saskatchewan Cenotaph first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

There’s an impressive row of grain elevators, plus various stores and businesses in “downtown”. Of note is Sam’s Saloon – come for pizza AND cheer. One Saturday every month, less one, they hold a fundraising night and people come from all around to partake in the event. Yummy eats, a little music, good times and the town is an amazing backdrop. You can spend the night camping here and all of it benefits Rowley.

“Pizza Nite is a monthly fundraiser held in Rowley within the picnic table area to the east of the Community Hall and/or in Sam’s Saloon. We operate the last Saturday of every month, excluding December. The Rowley Community Hall Association (RCHA) hosts Pizza Nite to raise money for building maintenance, improvements and facility utilities.” – Rowley webpage.

The subject for this comparison is the old Canadian National Railways train station down by the tracks. We’ll be looking at it, first in the early 1990s as a freight passes by and again more recently in 2025. While not much in the scene has changed, one important element has. The trains are long gone, with the last one visiting a few years after the first capture.

Back then, Rowley was a little-visited backwater, but today is an established ghost town destination.

The station building dates from 1922 and was not the first depot here. It replaced an earlier temporary one put in place around 1911. Said to be a converted boxcar, era photos show a more shed like structure.

Rowley dates to the early 1910s and as you’ve probably noted, founded concurrently with the coming of the railway. Canadian Northern Railways built the line under the Alberta Midland charter. In the early 1920s (so coincidently around the time they constructed this station) Canadian National Railways acquired Canadian Northern’s network of lines.

The building is a CNoR class three design suitable for modest sized villages, so like Rowley was at the time. Second class versions were for larger towns and fourth, for the tiniest communities. All versions we’re similar in design, but differed in size.

Class two and three types had living quarters upstairs for the station agent and their family. This person’s job was to sell tickets, manage parcel or less than carload express shipments, send telegrams, print money orders, inspect passing trains, and sometimes even arrange car shipments to local consignees. It could get busy.

Sometime after the 1950s, exact date unconfirmed, the railway eliminated the agent’s position in Rowley. Business levels had dropped and this person was no longer needed. Train crew themselves would handle paperwork for tickets and a local business, acting on the railway’s behalf, would take care of express shipments.

The line here continued to see passenger trains all the way into the early 1980s. For the last few years the run was under the auspices of Via Rail Canada, which in the 1970s took over the passenger businesses of both the Canadian National and Canadian Pacific nationally. For the last decade or two of service, passenger trains comprised a single self propelled rail car.

By this point the station was little used. Rowley was pretty much a ghost town by the 1970s and the train didn’t stop often. Passengers used the station platform of the otherwise locked up building.

They could have torn down the station around this time, but thankfully didn’t. Was it that passenger run that saved it, or just a general lack of interest by the railway in spending the cash to demolish the building? Regardless, it managed to survive.

Even with the end of passenger service, the building, at various times, at least based on one report, functioned as storage (track materials mentioned). The CNR sold the line through Rowley in the mid-1980s. The new operator was the Central Western Railway and they operated out of Stettler to the north.

Even they could not make a go of it and the last freights to pass through town were later in the 1990s, so not terribly long after the “then” image capture.

From the late 1980s to about 1997, tourist trains from Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions visited Rowley. The station fit in perfectly. Sometimes a steam engine pulled these trains, but other times a vintage diesel did the job. Once that service ended, they pulled up the rails, although a section in front of the station and nearby grain elevators was purposely left behind. For appearances.

Fast forward to today and the Rowley Station is a display. They fixed it up to look as it did when built and sometimes it’s open for you to view. It wears traditional CNoR cream colours and looks much as it did back in the day. A speeder sits on the track out front, but it’s got nowhere to go.

Along the remains of the same railway line (last known as the CNR’s/CWR’s Stettler Subdivision) are a few other former CNoR stations that managed to survive. There’s one in nearby Big Valley – still used by those tourist trains spoken of earlier – and further north in a community called Meeting Creek. We know both pretty well and there’s another in nearby Camrose too.

The then photo is thanks to reader Bill Hooper, a long time railway photographer and train buff (thanks Bill). It shows a passing grain local pulled by a couple Central Western 1950s vintage General Motors locomotives. They’re bringing in some hoppers, perhaps for grain loading in Rowley or elsewhere on the line.

Beside the obvious, the scene here shows little change from then to now. The station is much as it was, although repainted. The trees sure have grown up. The stop sign and crossbuck, protecting the road crossing from trains that will never come, appears to have been placed after the then image was captured.

That boxcar on the right held materials for the local museum then and perhaps still does. The lettering on its side reads “Yesteryear Artifacts Museum 1983”.

Note the people milling about at the station in our photo and what you don’t see is the action going on off camera to the right. Pizza Night was in full swing and the town was rocking. We wandered about Rowley and enjoyed the ambiance. This is Rowley at its busiest, but other times we stopped in and had it to ourselves.

If you have an old photo you think would make a good BIGDoer.com Then and Now, please contact us. It can show an old street view, vintage buildings or like the one Bill sent, a train scene from the past. We’ll revisit the location, shoot a similarly composed image and then talk about it all on this website. Photos can be scans or original (we’ll send them back), but must be your copyright.

We’ve stopped in Rowley countless times and that includes on many on Pizza Nights. It’s wildly fun and entertaining time, with a frontier vibe. For your enjoyment we’ve included a few images from these visits.

Know more (new tab): Rowley Alberta Ghost Town.

They’re saying…

“Wonderful articles on small forgotten towns. Several that I knew very well. Thanks for doing this.” Jan Tooth.

Random awesomeness…
Liberty School (SD#1940) 1909 to 1939.
Empress Alberta at the 4th Meridian.
RCAF/CFS Alsask Radar Dome.

Something to say and no one to say it to? Go here: Contact Us!

Date of adventure: Early 1990s (Bill) and September 2025 (us).
Location: Rowley, Alberta.
Article references and thanks: Bill Hooper, UofC Photo Archives, the book Pioneer Days – Scollard, Rumsey, Rowley and Canadian Trackside Guides.

Then and Now in Rowley Alberta (early 1990s & 2025).

The train station is over a century old.

The town lovingly restored the building.

The last trains to visit Rowley were in the late 1990s.

Visited on a wonderful fall evening.

A Rowley state of mind – random shots from previous visits…

Seen wandering about town.

Along a forgotten street.

Track ends just beyond this speeder.

One of many town kitties.

It took some work, but we got them loaded on the wagon.

The post Rowley Alberta early 1990s & 2025 first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

This big old building is the target for today’s Then & Now, but we’re not comparing a broad historic view (though we might one day), and instead it’s just a wall. All this for a wall. Yes – we have a class photo from long ago and want see where it was shot. It may seem like an odd thing, but if we find the location, we’ll share an intimate connection with those people from the past. Plus it’s part treasure hunt and together, that to us is a thrill.

The results will be unmarkable, yet it’s still super interesting and that’s good enough for us.

The sandstone blocks at Sunalta School are textured and with no two the same, it’s very likely any unique patterns seen in 1917 are still there today. Even if the material is somewhat soft and prone to weathering, something should remain. Those ridges and valleys are like a fingerprint and all we have to do it find them.

We simply walk about and note any windows at ground level. Then we look to see if the blocks close by match up and if not, move on. It’s good sized building, but in a worse case scenario, we only have to circle it once. The only possible issue is if the location was along the outer wall where they added gymnasium. That’s not the case and the spot is right around the corner from the front entrance at the staff parking lot.

Check the pattern in the photo against the pattern on the wall…yes, this is it. If you pull in to park here, you’ll be looking right at it. Our photo from 108 years ago shows a group of students and it was captured right here! It happened right on this very spot (said while making an enthusiastic pointing motion you can’t see).

The blocks look the same, the windows are the same size, and the search is over. Frame the shot, snap the photo and it’s done.

Then…

When the photographer of old captured that shot of these students, Sunalta School was only a few years old and we’ve included a little history below.

The file that came with the image reads: “Mr Howard J Spicer, first principal with Grade VIII class, Sunalta School, Calgary, Alberta.” He’s a stern looking fellow, but back then, school staff often were. They were not here to be your friend, but to prepare you for a cruel and heartless world. Mr Spicer passed on in 1932 at the age of 52.

There’s no student names listed and it’s doubtful we’d ever know who’s who. But still we looked and probably wasted more time than we should. Just a thought…kids back then seemed smaller when compared to their modern contemporaries.

Those students grew up and perhaps went on to live full lives with kids of their own. Did their kids attend class here? Or grand kids? Without names, it’s all a mystery and we suspect it’ll remain so for all time.

Now…

The sandstone blocks have not really changed and we’ve marked a few to demonstrate that. There’s a downspout and gas meter here now, but it’s otherwise as it was. In 1917, incidentally, it’s likely the building was heated by coal.

A bit of history…

Sunalta School opened for class in 1912 or 1913 (reports differ). Back then it was on the western edge of Calgary, but today this location rates as inner-city. You have to travel some 8.5km directly west to hit the city-limits now. Such growth!

The location here is Scarboro (or Scarborough) and it’s just west of downtown.

The school shares a name with the Sunalta neighbourhood just down the hill. Interestingly, on many old maps what is present day Scarboro shows as part of that community then. Presumably the name Sunalta is a portmanteau of the words “Sunny and Alberta” – Alta itself being an abbreviation for the province at the time. Now it’s AB.

The builders of Sunalta School used locally sourced sandstone and it came from a quarry just a bit to the west. About where present day Crowchild Trail runs. There’s plenty of this sedimentary rock under Calgary, so many old structures in the city are of this material. That includes a good number of early schools too and we’ll touch on that more in a moment.

Easily accessed and well suited for large structures like this, there were many quarries active in the general area up until about World War One. You can still find scars from some of these operations in parks and along river valleys. Back then Calgary had the moniker “Sandstone City”.

There were nineteen sandstone schools built across the city between 1894 and 1914, with many still in use today. Most share a similar design with Sunalta, with massive and imposing forms.

Common to the time, there were two entrances to these schools, on opposite ends and each marked accordingly in the stonework above. One for girls and one for boys. Each gender also had its own playground too and they liked to keep them separated back then.

This gender splitting rule, it appears, was in place into the early 1970s, at least in this part of the country. We believe it was Canada wide at various times. I recall recall it being enforced back when attending grades one and maybe two. Pretty certain of it. Those currently attending Sunalta School must wonder about these odd anachronisms.

The gymnasium addition dates to the the latter half of the 1950s. A large mural adorns two sides and is visible to many passing motorists everyday on busy/noisy Crowchild Trail.

At various times they taught grades kindergarten through six here (including currently) and kindergarten through nine. And I swear only grades seven through nine at one point – more in a moment. Enrollment is about three hundred and fifty, which is slightly more than the traditional average over the last few decades. They have classes for students with special needs here as well.

A personal connection…

Back in 1977, Chris, forever your humble master of ceremonies here at BIGDoer.com, attended grade seven at Sunalta. For a few months anyway – the old man was always running from trouble and we rarely stayed in the same spot long. I swear it was a junior high only at that time.

I just don’t remember any little kids attending. But then again, it was long ago and memories are cloudy. Had a passionate hate-on for school then – dreadful, hellish, jail like and too structured. It was not my scene, the tall and lanky little trouble-making s**t that I was. I preferred the freedom of doing nothing and that’s it.

Still there was a pivotal moment at Sunalta School one day. While serving sentence, mundane day after mundane day passing at a snail’s pace, came an announcement. It seems a well known author and historian Pierre Burton* was due to speak at the school. It sounds kinda interesting. Mental note: don’t skip out that day.

And it begins. The subjects touched on were broad, but he spent much time speaking of his days as a youth in Dawson City Yukon. That’s waaaaay up in Canada’s far north and an historic town central to the Gold Rush of 1898. Since I was a kid, I dreamt of the place. So even long before hearing Burton sharing his tales of the Yukon, it occupied my thoughts.

So far I’ve yet to make the journey, but it’ll happen some time. Hearing him just drove the desire to go to insane levels, and the fever is still strong to this day.

I later ducked backstage and got the chance to chat one on one with Mr Burton. For a short time. I stood there spellbound, hanging on every word, as he spoke more about the history of the Yukon. I think it’s here I caught the bug for doing what we here at BIGDoer.com. It’s a fond memory from school, so class wasn’t a total wash.

More…

The school grounds were dead quiet on our visit in 2017, with only the noise from Crowchild Trail breaking the silence. Many planes passed overhead and you got to wonder where they’re going. On the grounds, there’s a boulder with the names of graduates from 2004 carved in. Rock on!

A couple fire escapes lead to the second floor and there’s good views of downtown up there. It’s a long way up for some who hates heights – and the see-through slotted tread doesn’t help in the least.

I hated Sunlata School and with a passion unequaled. But here, this night, I’ve come to appreciate it as a fine old structure. I made peace with it I suppose and there’s a realization that the building deserves no blame. We visit often now when walking about the community and always pause in its shadow to reminisce.

The community of Scarboro predates Sunalta School by a couple years and there’s many fine residential homes here. Big, old mansion type places. My family once lived down the hill a bit, in a more blue-collar neighbourhood off 14th Street. Where the working class lived.

We sure hope you’ve enjoyed this Then & Now compassion and the history that came of it.

The old image used in this historical comparison is thanks to the University of Calgary Archives and other than a little straightening, has not been altered. It had a tilt to it and this was a little distracting.

*The National Dream and The Last Spike, on the building and running of the Canadian Pacific Railway, are Burton’s most well known books.

Know more (new tab): Sunlata School Calgary.

They’re saying…

“Their photography is wonderful and I love to read the background stories to the images.” Peg Strankman.

Random awesomeness…
Parrish & Heimbecker Sharples Alberta.
Empress Subdivision Bridge (Abandoned).
Historic Hotels Cranbrook BC.

Something to say and no one to say it to? Go here: Contact Us!

Date of adventure: 1917, April 2025 + December, 2017.
Location: Scarboro neighbourhood, Calgary Alberta.
Article references and thanks: University of Calgary Archives, the City of Calgary and Calgary Board of Education.

The same wall at Sunalta School, 1917 and 2025.

For your enjoyment, from a 2017 visit…

Chris here and I was briefly a student at Sunalta in the ’70s.

Built early 1910s & one of many old sandstone schools in the city.

It’s 9pm on a snowless winter’s night and we’re all alone.

The gymnasium was a 1950s addition.

Views of downtown from one of the fire escapes.

Sunalta School Grads 2004 – Rock on!

From the pedestrian bridge over Crowchild Trail.

The post Sunalta School Calgary 1917 & 2025 first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

Our Now photo was captured while on a break from shooting an episode of the Beer Parlour Project at the Waldorf Hotel next door. We shot a few Then & Nows there as well, and we should get to them in a bit. Just like all the other BP events, it was crazy busy, but we always find time to step out and catch our breath. Grab some outside shots, enjoy the evening and prep for the next round of photos or interviews inside.

The Hotel Alexandra first shows up in local phone and business directories about 1925. The current owners of the structure state a build date that’s later by over a decade and we’re not sure the origins of this. The city when asked, didn’t seen to know for sure. There’s no solid photo evidence either, but directories are pretty reliable sources.

A late 1920s Henderson’s ad reads: “Alexandra Hotel, European Plan $1.50 and up. Fire Proof Hotel. With or without private bath.” Hotels in the old days seemed to go up in flames with alarming regularity, so that one point was good to mention. That usually meant the building was of brick, as is the case here. Shared bathrooms were common in those days and having you’re own was a luxury.

Old photos from the 1910s show these same lots were occupied by other buildings or were vacant depending on the year. Drumheller dates to the early 1910s, by the way.

In one early phone book entry they misspelled the name Alexander. For some entries it’s the Hotel Alexandra and in others the Alexandra Hotel. Van Swelm and Guterson were the proprietors in the early days and for many decades to come.

It’s not said who the hotel was named for, but it may have been Alexandra of Denmark, wife of King Edward VII. It was common practise to give hotels royal names in that era. Alexandra, who seemed well enough liked, incidentally, passed on about the same time the Hotel Alexandra first shows up. We know of several Alexandra Hotels who followed this naming convention, but it’s only a guess here.

The lower annex on the right side of the building was always part of the hotel. It might even be older than the hotel, but we can’t say for sure. This section burned in 1940 (Drumheller history book, Hills of Home) and was replaced by what we see today. Old photos show it as a two story structure in the old days. In photos from the late 1940s, it had a Art Moderne exterior with that streamlined look so popular at the time.

In earlier photos of the previous incarnation, there was various billboard advertisements up on the second level. One was for Turret Cigarettes. In the Then photo we used, we see a standing billboard above the east end of the building. The image is too small to make out, but in another photo from about the same era, it’s for Coca Cola.

In earlier times, this annex housed a number of business, with what appears to be rooms on the second floor. 1940s photos show a diner here at one point, and it’s said this was the location of the Hotel Alexandra Beer Parlour too.

In the 1940s and 1950s period, the hotel used the motto “Where the guest is King” in ads.

By the 1990s, the Alexandra Hotel ceased to offer traditional accommodations and went hostel style. They functioned as the Alexandra International Hostel for some years. Hostels offered basic accommodations – remember the shared bathrooms here – small rooms too – and catered to budget-minded travelers, rather than business people or families.

Around this time, the Hotel Alexandra bar became the “Zoo”. It sounds unabashedly rough and rowdy in nature…so a Beer Parlour Project kind of place.

In more recent times the east (single-level) section of the old Hotel Alexandra became the Vintage Tap House Pub & Grill and the main floor of the west (brick) section, the Vintage Kitchen and Bar. They’re owned by the same folks and the latter is family friendly. It appears they are (or were) making the upper floor of the old hotel section into the Alexandra Apartments, although how far along they are is not known. Nothing comes up in recent searches so they many have shelved the idea for now.

The Hotel Alexandra is in close company today with the still operating Waldorf Hotel just to the west. In years past, the White House Hotel once operated just a bit to the east. The three hotels were all grouped around the train station, which was a short distance away. This was a prime spot to have a hotel, back when everyone travelled by rail.

The Then photo was captured from the train station grounds, but today this spot is a parking lot. The tracks were behind the original photographer’s position and the station to their right, but out of view. Trains are a memory and the railway pulled out about 2010, but passenger service ended decades earlier.

This old image is thanks to the University of Calgary archives (Alberta Liquor Control Board fonds) and they’ve dated it ca1935. Based on the cars seen, which appear to be early 1930s models, that should be about right. Note a good number of people are seen on the right side of the photo, but the image is too small to clearly see their form of dress. It does seem consistent with the era stated.

We captured a few people ourselves by the the Vintage Tap House entrance and some are close in location to folks in the old photo.

“The Alberta Liquor Control Board was an agency of the Alberta Government that regulated the liquor industry in the province for over 70 years, including the sale of liquor in hotels. The fonds consists of photographs of hotels in Alberta.” – UofC.

The bottom right corner of the main building housed a barber shop in the old photo and you can see the striped spiral pole clearly.

The only really noticeable change to the larger brick section of the hotel is the windows. They’re smaller now. The sign up at the parapet has changed, but on the west wall there’s some painted signage that might be original. Or very old at the least.

The Waldorf calls and it’s time to get back to work. Be sure and check out the Beer Parlour Project webpage (new tab), and watch for the Waldorf appearing soon.

Know more (new tabs): Hotel Alexandra Drumheller Alberta.

They’re saying…

“I was recently doing some research on grain elevators and found write-ups about many of them on the BIGDoer website. The information was very helpful. Thank you Chris and Connie for all that you do!” Christine Kalauz Hanlon for the Chris Attrell book Grain Elevators: Beacons of the Prairies.

Random awesomeness…
Liberty School (SD#1940) 1909 to 1939.
Prairie Sentinels: Cadillac Sask.
Superman 1978: Cemetery Scenes.

Something to say and no one to say it to? Go here: Contact Us!

Date of adventure: Ca1935 and June 2025.
Location: Drumheller, Alberta.
Article references and thanks: University of Calgary Archives, Vintage Tap House/Vintage Kitchen & Bar, various Henderson directories, Medicine Hat & District Genealogical Society (vintage phone books) and the book “Hills of Home – Drumheller Valley”.

Hotel Alexandra in Drumheller Alberta ~90 years apart.

We were shooting at the Waldorf next door – note old signage.

The windows have changed and the sign up there is different – that’s all.

A break from the Beer Parlour Project on a fine evening in June.

The post Hotel Alexandra Drumheller Alberta first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

They called it quits. It was the last business of this sort, here in this town, and when the final day came, so ended a chapter in the book of Cadogan. They shut the doors, turned off the lights and now there’s nothing at all going on. It’s like countless little towns on the Canadian Prairies and often the hotel is one of the last to go. When it does, the community dies a little.

Cadogan is in the far central-eastern reaches of the province and is a quiet little backwater. Not that it’s bad and we for one, would kill for such solitude. It has a population of about a hundred but in the past it somewhat greater. A Henderson Directory from the 1910s lists it as 500, but that might be in error. We never seen it greater than about one hundred and fifty in any government records. However, old phone directories lists a large number of numbers in surrounding rural areas and this might be part of the Henderson tally.

The building which houses the Red Lion Hotel has an interesting backstory as former Canadian Bank of Commerce. The bank built it in the early days – we’ve not found the exact date of construction, but suspect sometime later the 1910s. That’s a few years after the founding of the town with the coming of the railway.

The first confirmed mention of it discovered during research was the early 1920s. It’s not visible in a very early photo of the town, showing the complete downtown, so it did come a bit later.

The Canadian Bank of Commerce had branch all over the prairies and in the 1960s merged with the Imperial Bank of Canada to form the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. The Cadogan CBC closed in the mid-1930s during the depression.

The Canadian Bank of Commerce used a Caduceus symbol (two snakes entwined around a winged staff) for its logo and that relief is still visible on the hotel. Up high and centred. Caduceus is a symbol of commerce, among other things, but sometimes is mistaken or even misused as a medical symbol. The similar Asclepius symbol (serpent-entwined rod) is correct for health related things. Honestly, it’s easy to confuse the two.

With that, a person might then believe this building had a medical function, like a hospital, but that’s not the case. We know of several former Canadian Bank of Commerce buildings in various prairie towns and on many the symbol remains in place.

The Red Lion Hotel first shows up in the late 1940s (SJ Capowski listed as manager) but what happened to the building in the interim is a bit of a mystery. Likely, it was empty the whole time. Cadogan lost a lot of businesses during the great depression and empty shops were nothing unusual.

There is a history book called “Prairie Echoes: Metiskow, Cadogan, Cairns, Precious Memories of the Former Hillcrest Municipality” that likely clarifies this, and other missing pieces in this article, but we’ve yet to track down a research copy. If we do, expect some updates here. In the meantime, we’ve pieced this together from other sources as best we could and there’s enough to build a story.

This is not the first bank made into a hotel we know of and there’s one in Clive Alberta (Prairie Fire Cafe & Lounge – Clive Hotel) that was a Union Bank. We shot an episode of the Beer Parlour Project there in March of 2025 – search for it online.

Later in the 1950s and early ’60s they list a PI Marshall as manager of the Red Lion Hotel in phone directories. Then it changes to J Schrettlinger for a time. By the late 1960s Chuck and Dot Eldridge hold that position. Certainly there were many others not listed.

In some years, the phone entries read “Cadogan Red Lion Hotel”. In the only ad we found for the business from this time, they tout modern rooms and a licensed beer parlour. Emphasis on booze!

The Red Lion Hotel remained in business until about 2017 or minimally, they had an online presence until then. From September that year: “Tonight’s Supper Special: Ukrainian Platter with homemade cabbage rolls, perogies and sausage”. As someone who grew up with that kind of food, that sounds delicious. They seem to post regularly into late that month (lots of great sounding meals) and then is abruptly stops. Good deals on drinks too.

Earlier in 2017, they advertised an Oiler watch party and state that every time the ref makes a bad call, there would be a round of shooters on the house. That’s what did them in! From a comment: “FREE SHOOTER every time the Ref’s make a Bad Call!! That’s a BRAVE Gamble for an establishment to make!”

“You have tried the rest, now come to Cadogan and try the best.” – from their Facebook page. Also: “We will be closed on December 15th until after Alex’s funeral so we can pay our respects to this wonderful young man. Rest easy Alex. You will be greatly missed by everyone.” – December 10th, 2016. Not sure who he was, but someone loved him.

Also: “Relief for victims of the Ft McMurray fires is being organized as we speak! We have secured an enclosed trailer to house goods until transport to Edmonton Emergency Relief Services, which will distribute items where needed. WE ARE NOT ACCEPTING HOUSEHOLD GOODS/TOYS/FOOD/RANDOM CLOTHING AT THIS TIME!!! We’re also are NOT accepting financial donations. Any financial contributions can be made to the Red Cross or on the Edmonton Emergency Relief Services website & a tax receipt will be issued. If you are able to provide any of the following please watch for further info on drop off locations! Items needed are:
Diapers
Formula
Baby wipes
Soap
Body wash
Shampoo & conditioner
New brushes/combs
Deodorant
Feminine Hygiene products
Bottled water
New socks and underwear (men & women)
Toothpaste
Toothbrushes
Pet food
Kitty litter
Toilet Paper
New pillows
New sheets/blankets/pillowcases
Kleenex
New sweat pants/track pants
New t-shirts
If anyone is interested in volunteering with me for this project please let me know. Any & all help is appreciated! Also, please SHARE, SHARE, SHARE this post Things listed can be dropped off at the Cadogan Red Lion will be picked up next week and taken to those in need!”

It looks like they were community minded but then again, rural folks tend to shine in this respect. That page first posted in 2013.

The old photo seen in the comparison is thanks to the University of Calgary Molson Brewery Archives and dates from the 1950s. The Molson company likely supplied the hotel at the time and had this image taken for that file. There’s huge number of hotels in the Molson Archives that they presumably used in the same way. Team Beer Parlour Project has visited some of those seen, while many others have closed or they’re gone.

From the front view at least, this building appears little changed over time, but we’re unsure exactly when they put in that back addition. It’s not visible in the Molson image due to the angle and that’s if it’s even there. That siding back there is not that old, but who knows the age of what lies underneath. It is visible in a 1960 dated aerial photo we found, but is half-width when compared to today. So one part is at least that old and the other somewhat newer.

There are several cars parked in front of the Red Lion in the old days and you can see someone entering the building. It appears there’s a second entryway to the right and this might be the “ladies and escorts” door. Back then the rules were different and ladies either had their own barroom or a section within the main bar that was theirs alone. As long as they came in with a male escort. A husband, brother, boyfriend, relative, or in a pinch some random guy you convinced to join you, would all do.

That nice old tree is gone.

The Red Lion Hotel building (back when it was still a bank) shows up in a detailed fire insurance map from the early 1930s. The legend shows it as the only brick building in the town. The list of businesses in downtown then is extensive and includes a couple garages, a couple general stores, an eatery or two, a post office, phone exchange, butcher shop, theatre and others. All are gone and there’s houses on these lots now.

A Cadogan Hotel also shows in this map and it was previously unbeknownst to us. Further research turned up photos of it very early on (early 1910s). The location was a block away and near the train station. It’s not known what happened to it and when, but presumably it was gone before the Red Lion came on the scene. There are no phone entries for it, but that might not have had one – early on in rural parts, you could get by without.

Or maybe the new one replaced the old one? This requires further research, so for now we’ll not speculate further.

The origins of the Red Lion name are as yet unknown. It’s a symbol of courage, strength, and determination, plus of British Royalty, so perhaps the answer is somewhere in there. Again, the local history book might shed some light on this.

We believe the Red Lion Hotel rented rooms into the 1990s, but we’re not sure beyond that date. Ads for the hotel are scarce and usually not very informative.

It’s time to go and after one last look we’re on the way. We’d love to go back in time and see it when it was open. It’s not that long ago! Let’s shoot an episode of the Beer Parlour Project, get to know the people and building. We can dream it. Something tells us we’ll return to photograph the building and we really like the character.

Know more about the town (new tab): Cadogan Alberta and medical looking symbol used by the bank (also new tab): Canadian Bank of Commerce Caduceus Symbol.

They’re saying…

“Chris and Connie’s posts are among the best of the blogs out there. In fact this is my go to guide for where to explore in the summer. I like how well organized it is which allows a person to select from epic hikes to nearly forgotten history.” Glen Bowe.

Random awesomeness…
Sibbald Gentleman’s Club (Closed).
The Lonely Laing House (1910s).
Balmoral School Calgary 1913-1914.

Something to say and no one to say it to? Go here: Contact Us!

Date of adventure: 1950s and June 2025.
Location: Cadogan, Alberta.
Article references and thanks: University of Calgary Archives, Alberta Government, Henderson Directories, Red Lion Hotel Facebook Page and the Medicine Hat & District Genealogical Society.

The Red Lion Hotel in Cadogan Alberta about 70 years apart.

The hotel closed a few years back.

The backside view shows the addition well.

From when it was a bank: Caduceus is a symbol of commerce.

The post Red Lion Hotel Cadogan Alberta first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

Strome is on lucky Highway #13, in the east/central part of the province and was founded about 1906. This was about the time the Canadian Pacific Railway arrived and with so many towns on the prairies it happened just like this. The community has a population of a 230 or so, but in the past was a bit larger. Shrinking populations is another story often repeated out in farming country.

The Selkirk Hotel, as it was originally called, dates to the late 1920s. It replaced two earlier hotels in town, the Lakeview and the Strome, both of which burned down. The location was strategically close to the railway station. That building was right across the street and at the time that’s where the action was.

The trains still run though town, but passenger service on this line ended long ago.

The Selkirk became the Strome Hotel during the second half of the 1970s. The origins of the Selkirk name are unknown to us and perhaps lost to time. The history book is silent on the subject and we found nothing else to explain it. The Strome Hotel name, of course, is self explanatory – Strome the town, incidentally, may be named after Stromeferry in Scotland.

The history book and old directories show there’s been a long list of owners. One thing we’ve found being hotel historians and being part of the Beer Parlour Project, is that turn overs in the business are high.

Owning and running a hotel is not an easy role to fill. You have to be astute with money, a bartender, dishwasher, MMA fighter, janitor, handyman, teamster, therapist, ringmaster and wear 100 other hats. The ROI is sometime good, sometimes bad and who’s the last person paid? You are! Hours are long and the pressures many. Often the owners simply burn out and then drop out.

Usually they sell, or try to sell, but sometimes there’s no takers or they don’t come right away. There might be a gap between owners and in the meantime, the building is likely to deteriorate some. These old hotels often date back a long, long time and need regular upkeep. They’re often cobbled together mechanically. With down time, it’s hard to win back customers and that’s a big hurdle too.

Incidentally, the oldest hotel visited by the Beer Parlour Project goes back to 1904 (Alix Alberta) and the newest, the late 1950s (Wildwood Alberta).

As you’ll see, the hotel looks much as it did seventy one years ago and presents a timeless scene. How many people have come and gone? How many business in downtown Strome have done the same? The world, the county, the province and Strome itself has changed in that time. All the while, this little watering hole is much as it was.

It’s not clear when rooms were last offered at the hotel, but it would seem a while ago.

A pizza place opened in the hotel soon after our brief visit to little Strome. We heard rumours of its pending arrival shortly before and looked around to see if any work was going inside, but couldn’t tell. Rob Pohl, who as you know if part of Beer Parlour Project, stopped by a couple months back, while the area and it was open then.

They hinted to Rob that it may reopen as a tavern and time will tell. We wish them luck and it’s good to see the business happening again, even if it’s on a reduced scale. It’s the only eatery in town, unless you count Slim-Jims washed down with a Dr Pepper as a meal, in which case, the gas station on the highway counts as a second.

In “downtown”, there’s really nothing much left and the hotel is now (again) a bright spot. In recent memory a grocery store up the block was once located within sight of the hotel, but it’s gone now.

The community needs a social place like this or it dies a little as a result.

The Then image comes thanks to the Molson Breweries file at the University of Calgary archives. It’s dated December 01, 1954. There’s no snow on the ground that we can see, so it must have been a mild winter to that point. One small building in downtown, in the background and on the left, appears in both images – look above the truck box in the Then image.

Molson kept a visual record of hotels they supplied and included them in their customer file. There’s hundreds of hotels in their archives, of ones long gone, and others still around. You can bet we’ll be shooting more Then & Now historic comparisons from photos pulled from that archive.

You’ll note an old wood grain elevator in the distance, in one of our photos. It’s something rare these days too and makes a good backdrop to that scene. It shouts this is the prairies. In years past, there would have been many more in close proximity to the Sekirk/Strome Hotel and no doubt some employees may have stopped in for a cold one at the hotel after work. Just one beer…

Know more about the community (new tab): Strome Alberta.

They’re saying…

“Criminally underrated and overlooked. A hidden gem.” Chris A.

Random awesomeness…
Planned Railway: Empress Alberta.
Ogden Road Calgary 1950 & 2016.
Legends of the Fall (1994) Family Cemetery.

Something to say and no one to say it to? Go here: Contact Us!

Date of adventure: December 1954 and May 2025.
Location: Strome, Alberta.
Article references and thanks: UofC Photo Archives, the book “Lanterns on the prairie – Strome Diamond Jubilee 1905-1980”, Medicine Hat & District Genealogical Society, and various old Henderson Directories.

The Selkirk Hotel/Strome Hotel Strome AB, 1954 & 2025.

A sign on the highway beckons travellers to stop in.

It closed a couple years ago…

However, someone is working to reopen it – read the post.

Strome has a population of about 230.

All quiet on our visit, but perhaps it’ll be busy again.

The post Strome Hotel – Selkirk Hotel Strome Alberta first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

There’s change, as you’d expect and some of it is dramatic, yet there’s a certain timelessness about the place. It’s as though the clock has stood still. Connecting both eras is the mighty Atlas Coal Mine. It was a working mine back then, but now an historic site. It’s the last of its kind and you can pay them a visit. The Atlas tipple appears much the same today as it did in the old photo.

The Then photo is thanks to a reader, Doris Blair, who captured it on film long ago. We appreciate her allowing us to use it and love the shot. It’s from the 1970s, but the exact date is unknown and ours is from 2017. If you have an old photo showing a scene something like this, begging for the BIGDoer.com Then and Now treatment, we’d love to hear from you. We’re always looking for new and exciting ways to compare locations across time.

The Alberta Pacific Grain Elevator is most prominent in the old photo. It dates to the late 1930s and this was when a railway spur was extended here across the river to serve the coal mines. The building replaced an earlier elevator on the East Coulee town side and it was a forced move due to the railway expanding its yard there.

The Alberta Pacific firm had a good sized network of grain elevators across the province. The company amalgamated with parent Federal Grain in the late 1960s. A few years later the Alberta Wheat Pool acquired Federal’s assets in this province.

The elevator was in use up until the late 1970s and torn down a couple years later. Never repainted, it wore AP colours and logos right to the very end.

Flanking the elevator are two annexes and these were generally later additions used to increase capacity. Most elevators at some point had one or more of these built.

The elevator office is that small silver shed jammed between the main structure and an annex. Usually, they sat out front, but space was at a premium here to they tucked it away as you see. The other shed to the right might be a fertilizer storage building. Elevator firms often had sideline businesses.

There would be a rail siding on the opposite side of the building for the loading of grain cars.

Today, there’s no sign the elevator was ever here.

To the right is the Atlas Mine and dates to the late 1930s. There was an earlier Atlas Mine across the river opposite the East Coulee townsite and it closed when this one opened.

Once one of dozens and dozens of major coal mines in the Red Deer River Valley, it was the very last by this point. The mine, as did all those in the region, produced domestic heating coal (used in home furnaces and stoves) and were underground operations.

The market for domestic coal trailed off in the 1960s and dried up almost completely a decade or so later. This was thanks to the wholesale change over to natural gas. Due to lessening demand the Atlas only operated sporadically in later years. Production ended completely in the late 1970s or early 1980s – lots of contradictory dates were found during research.

In the past they mined the slope in back but at this late time, the coal came from some distance away up a side valley. A small railway brought it down and you can see a string of coal cars at the top of the hill in the old picture (left). There was a dumper up there.

The Atlas offered mine tours to visitors in off season back then.

That large building is the tipple where they cleaned the coal, sorted it by size and usage, and then shipped it off. The could load trains or trucks.

Photo evidence shows they mostly loaded boxcars here. These were filled by a special movable conveyor and typically emptied by hand at the destination. What a hard and messy job! Most heating coal, at the end, went to rural places, where natural gas had not yet made inroads.

The angled structure heading into the hillside lead to the original main entry and later where the conveyor brought in coal from the car dump on the hillside above.

The Atlas became a designated historic site in the late 1980s and opened to the public some years later. It’s a fine representation of what coal mining in the valley was about. It maintains a lot of historic integrity and is little changed from when built. In terms of production the Atlas Mine was not the largest in the area, but certainly one of the top few.

Scattered about the grounds today, including where the grain elevator once stood, are various pieces of underground coal mining equipment. Some are from this mine and some from others that once operated in the valley.

There were once other coal mines right in this area. Seen above the Atlas Tipple, bottom picture, is a tramway tower connected to the Murray Mine. You have to look hard to see it, but it’s there. This operation lasted from the late 1930s to the late 1950s. The tower supported a cable and bucket system that transported waste material for dumping in a side-coulee. There’s a few odds and ends connected to that mine still on site, but nothing substantial.

To the left of the elevator and off scene was the Western Monarch Mine which operated from the 1940s-1960s. They trucked in coal to the loading spur here, from their mine a short distance away. There’s really nothing left from this operation.

Take the Atlas, add the Murray and Monarch, toss in the grain elevator, plus the tracks needed to serve them all, and this side of East Coulee was a crowded place. There were even some company houses on these flats. Today, with the only the Atlas remaining, it’s far less congested. Imagine the noise and dust in the old days.

Not seen, but just right off frame, is a wood bridge used by the railway to access the mines and the grain elevator from the East Coulee town side. It also carried road traffic and we’re going to reposted about it sometime down the road. We know it well and first visited it over thirty years ago. The bridge has been unused since the ’80s and is in rough shape.

In the 1940s, at the peak, trains would service the mines here several times per day and the elevator typically a few times per week. By the 1970s it was all on an as-needed basis.

We were unable to line up the two shots exactly, as we usually strive to do. The height of the land at the shooting position has changed a bit over time. In 2017, it’s a graded parking lot, but back then appears as a small grassy knoll a bit higher in elevation. The Red Deer River is a short distance behind this shooting position.

Thanks for taking the time to read this piece, for your interactions on our social media page, and to those of you who donate to this site. It’s a costly one to run and that help is appreciated. Look for the donate buttons if you want to take part.

Know more (new tab): Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site East Coulee Alberta.

They’re saying…

“The background information is just amazing – I love being able to travel with them…” Jo Tennant.

Random awesomeness…
Coleville Saskatchewan Wheat Pool “A”, Ogden Road Calgary 1950 & 2016 and Downtown Elk Point Alberta.

Something to say and no one to say it to? Go here: Contact Us!

Date of adventure: The 1970s and March, 2017.
Location: East Coulee, Alberta.
Article references and thanks: Book – Hills of Home – Drumheller Valley, Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site, the late Jim Pearson’s Vanishing Sentinels Books Volume 1, Alberta Energy Regulator and Doris Blair for the fantastic Then photo.

East Coulee Alberta, some forty years apart – original Doris Blair.

The Atlas was the last working coal mine in the valley & is now a museum.

Centrepiece of the exhibit, the tipple.

The post Atlas Mine East Coulee AB 40+ Years Apart first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

While the trains are long gone and it’s like they never existed here, the background looks the same.

The Then image is thanks to the University of Calgary and they’ve dated it ca1938. It comes from the Ray Matthews collection of train images, which is extensive. There’s thousand of railway shots there (heavy with roster photos) and browsing them is a real treat. We know not who captured this photo, but are thankful we could put it to use in an interesting way.

Not just a collector, Ray Matthew also co-authored a number of books published by the British Railway Modellers of North America. This includes Railways of Calgary and several volumes of Canadian National in the West. We’re so glad his images were saved and donated on his passing.

If you have an old photo that might work good as the starting point for a BIGDoer.com Then and Now, please reach out. Broad street scenes and landscapes work well. Railway themed ones like this are welcome too! We’re a bit train crazy and there’s not a twelve step program that can help.

East Coulee was founded in the late 1920s and this corresponded with the opening of several coal mines and the subsequent arrival of the railway. This was a joint Canadian Pacific/Canadian National line with each firm operating it for a portion of the year. There was lots of coal to move (East Coulee alone was home to a half dozen mines at one time) and no space here in the narrow valley for two competing railways.

So they shared trackage, which was not unheard of, but not terribly common either. Usually they harboured a deep, mutual hatred and were at each others throats, but if working together could turn a profit, they might begrudgingly cooperate.

In service of the mines, the railways built a yard on the north side of town. They hauled some grain out of the area too, but it’s coal that filled most trains. Some mines were right beside the yards, on that slope in back in fact, and a few others located across the Red Deer River and accessed via a bridge. That old structure is still there and we may have to write about it again sometime.

From East Coulee coal moved west to Drumheller and from there to many points of the compass. Coal was of the domestic variety, for heating and cooking. Calgary was a big market. Trains could also head east from here on a line serving Eastern Alberta and Western Saskatchewan.

They moved mountains of the stuff and at the peak many trains per day originated in East Coulee. Passengers came and went too. Many locals and through trains made it a busy place. A switch crew kept busy shunting cars at the mines and at times, and old photos shows the yard was sometimes full to bursting. There was a station at the south side of a yard and a small area for locomotive servicing area with turntable, not far away.

Today, it’s all gone.

With the wholesale change over to natural gas, the demand for domestic coal fell off precipitously by the end of the 1950s. Mine after mine closed. Still, two coal companies in the East Coulee area continued on into the 1960s and one, the Atlas Mine went on to be the last one in the entire Red Deer River Valley. It only closed in the late 1970s or early 1980s (data is a bit contradictory).

In later years the railway used the yard mostly for the storage of rail cars awaiting repair or scrapping. They closed the line to the east in the late 1970s, but the line west lasted a few more years. With the coal market in decline the joint operation ended at some point and the line became CP only. The shared track shows up in late 1960s maps and timetables, but by the next decade seems to vanish from the record.

With the rails and infrastructure removed, the property is just a big field-sized plot of empty land and is overgrown. Some sections at the far eastern edge have houses on them now. The current highway runs on the north side and the town of East Coulee is right behind our shooting position.

Canadian Pacific Railway #674, is a D10c class Ten-Wheeler built in 1906 by the Canadian Locomotive Company of Kingston Ontario. Canadian Pacific owned hundreds of similar engines and they proved themselves well suited for lighter duty, yeoman work. They were perfectly at home pulling local freights or passenger trains, branchline runs or doing switching duty.

As jacks of all trades, they found use all across the entire CP system. They proved perfect for all the low density grain branches the railway had out this way and handled rough track well.

The CPR scrapped #674 just as diesels were making inroads. How many miles did it travel from 1905, when built, to 1949, when stricken from the roster? What towns did it see? How often did it pass through East Coulee? We can speculate, but will never know. Here perhaps, it’s just brought in the local run from Calgary, or perhaps just finished switching the many mines in East Coulee.

The locomotive is rather haggard looking and the white-ish stains are from hard prairie water. It’s full of minerals and leaves a distinctive film behind anywhere water leaks or escapes.

The D10c class engines built by the Canadian Locomotive Company comprised fifteen units numbered #670 to #684. CLC built other subclasses, the CPR themselves also did for some, as did the Montreal Locomotives Works and an American builder. Across all subclasses (D10a through D10h) the railway acquired over five hundred in the years 1905 to 1913.

Management, crews and those who maintained the engines all seemed to like them.

“Their success lay in a dependable and uncomplicated design, which incorporated such technical improvements as piston valves and simplified valve gear.” – Canada’s Science & Technology Museum. They have one in their collection and it’s a D10g subclass.

All D10 classes were similar in design and abilities, but with subtle differences. They had six driving wheels and four leading, used to help the the locomotive negotiate curves and for stable tracking. Several of the class are preserved at various museums.

East Coulee is in the scenic Alberta Badlands and a bit east of Drumheller. It’s an area marked by stark landscapes of distinctive alternating bands or layers. These comprise mudstones, sandstones, shales, and of course, coal. Little vegetation grows on the slopes and this leads to erosion. Their shaping is always changing, yet remarkably from this view, it as though they’re static.

Some 80-90 years later and the land in back looks exactly as it did. People come and go and what they create is often here and then gone, yet this scene is timeless.

Know more about the town (new tab): East Coulee Alberta.

They’re saying…

“You guys are the absolute best.” Richard Graydon (thanks!).

Random awesomeness…
Planned Railway: Empress Alberta
Stampede Speedway Calgary (1982-1987)
Pilot Bay Smelter Remains.

Something to say and no one to say it to? Go here: Contact Us!

Date of adventure: Ca1930s and June 2025.
Location: East Coulee, Alberta.
Article references and thanks: UofC Photo Archives, the late Larry Buchan, the book “Constructed in Kingston”, Alberta Energy Regulator and Frank for letting us crash at his place.

CPR #674 at East Coulee Alberta & the same scene ~85 years later.

In the scenic Alberta Badlands.

The post Canadian Pacific #674 East Coulee Alberta first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

These were shipped to you as do-it-yourself kits and even with limited experience a reasonably proficient handyman could put it all together. Or you could hire a local contractor to do it for you. The Earlsfield design was the Eaton Company’s most common and with its distinctive double-gambrel roof, the most recognizable. It’s really pleasing aesthetically.

The majority of Eaton’s homes – any model and not just this one – can be found out in rural parts. Still, we know of some in towns and cities. It was just an easy way to become a home owner, especially in areas not yet well developed. Browse the catalogue, pick your design (they had many), add options, and arrange delivery to the nearest railway siding.

Eaton’s produced this design from 1912 to 1920, but the Earlsfield name did not come until late in production. Even so, it soon became the blanket name for all of this design, even the earlier built ones. Sort of a retroactive renaming, if you will.

In the past, it was listed as plans #68 or #668 in the catalogue, depending on the year, or in some issues also known as the “Modern Home”. To everyone today, they’re an Earlsfield and always will be.

The Eaton’s company offered homes from 1910 to 1932, but none left a mark like this model.

There were several other players in the catalogue home market in Canada – United Grain Growers and Aladdin come to mind. Eaton’s was by far the largest and most well known. Sears, an American firm, offered kit homes down south, but did not have a Canadian presence at the time. Everyone knows of the firm, so it’s understandable there’s some confusion. If you see a catalogue home in Canada and someone says it’s from Sears, it probably isn’t.

Eaton’s catalogue homes were often given fanciful names in later years, all beginning with an E. There’s an Eastcourt, Eastholm, Eadwin, Earlswood and so on. This replaced that less exciting numbering scheme used early on.

We have a access to a few Eaton’s Home Catalogues and share the following…

In 1913, the cost was $696.50 for the base home. That’s FOB or Freight on Board (or Free on Board) Origin, meaning the consumer paid the cost of shipping.

An Earlsfield in the 1916 plan book cost $887.50 delivered to the nearest railway siding and from there it was up to you to get to the final location. That’s for the lumber and any extras incurred additional shipping costs, but still, it was cheap. Heating and plumbing added an extra $240.

By 1918 the base cost had risen to $1192.73, with heat an additional $155 and plumbing $200 more. Inflation hit Canada as World War One wound down and it’s reflected in the cost of the house.

Once on site, a foundation was needed, but otherwise the kit had everything you needed to finish it to completion. Then all you had to do was move in and put your feet up.

Many rural catalogue houses did not receive wiring for electricity at the start and that would come later. It’s hard to imagine that things we take for granted as every day, were a luxury at one time.

This Earlsfield received some modifications, with an enclosed porch – useful during cold Saskatchewan winters – and an upper deck, also enclosed. It’s not clear if they customized it during construction (not unheard of) or if they added it later during renovations.

The house is sheathed in that fake-brick siding so popular in the 1940s and 1950s period. Insulbrick, as the industry called it, was an inexpensive, and low-maintenance alternative to traditional siding and usually applied over what ever sheathing was already in place.

Insulbrick had some insulating properties and eliminated the need for painting. It’s not the prettiest thing, but it was functional.

For a long, long time this house has been empty. It seems pretty solid, however, and this is a testament to Eaton’s choice of materials and presumably, the care taken in building it. Considering it’s open to the elements, it looked pretty tidy inside too. Some windows, a good sweeping and you could move right in.

Don’t tempt us.

The late Les Henry, a Catalogue Home expert, mentioned knowing of several dozen confirmed Earlsfields out in the wild. We can think of at least a dozen or so that we know of, but we’ve hardly been everywhere and nor have we kept a proper tally. There were some copies made, so not everyone we’ve seen is necessarily an Eaton’s, but probably is.

Of the ones we know of there’s a mix of occupied houses and like this Earlsfield, some that are empty.

In spite of looking far and wide for the total Earlsfield production numbers, we not found anything concrete. Hundreds? Thousands? Somewhere in between? We chatted with Les before his passing and while he didn’t know himself, he was working on an estimate. We never heard what it was, if he got that far.

The comparison image used in this post comes from the 1919 Eaton’s Home Catalogue. It seems they printed these separate from the main catalogue, but we’ve also seen them as an addendum. Eaton’s distributed their catalogues far and wide, and the company proved especially popular on the prairies. While they had outlets in major centres, they’d also ship anywhere and that was the appeal. Not matter how out of the way or remote, it would get to you.

Interestingly, most Eaton’s Catalogue homes were sold in Western Canada and are especially common on the prairies. Ditto for catalogue homes from other firms. The west was going through a growth spurt at the time and housing was in demand, especially in out of the way places.

Time eventually caught up with the Eaton’s firm and they closed in 1999 after 130 years in business. It seems they lost their way in later decades and went from being a budget friendly department store that sold everything, no matter how everyday, to offering higher-end merchandise alone.

Know more (new tab): Eaton’s Earlsfield Catalogue Home.

They’re saying…

“You guys are the absolute best.” Richard Graydon (thanks!).

Random awesomeness…
Planned Railway: Empress Alberta.
Molly Hughes by the Lake (Ag-Pb-Zn-Au).
Murray’s Camera.

Something to say and no one to say it to? Go here: Contact Us!

Date of adventure: 1916 and May 2025.
Location: Western Saskatchewan.
Article references and thanks: University of Calgary archives, Les Henry and his book Catalogue Houses – Eaton’s & Others and Eaton’s Catalogues at various sources.

An Eaton’s Earlsfield Home, catalogue view and out in the wild.

The post Eaton’s Earlsfield Catalogue Home first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

How unique is that?

Built to tap the vast mineral resources and timber riches of the area, this line, incredibly, remained in use well into modern times. It was no doubt a headache operationally, a costly endeavour, and an amazing curiosity for those of us into trains. Or anyone witnessing the operation and wondering just what was going on. By the time this service ended, there was nothing else like it anywhere.

It’s then and Now time, so read on. This is a BIGDoer Classic from early 2019, using the original photos but with updates and a rewrite.

In the then photo, circa 1960s, we see a laden barge either just arriving or in the process of leaving the Rosebery transfer slip. Without knowing, it’s hard to tell the direction of travel, but the wake in back (far right, above the action) and lack of one ahead of the barge suggests arriving. They were probably just creeping along.

In any case, this is where trains transitioned from water to land or land to water.

On visiting the same spot in 2018, we see what differs – most obvious the railway is long gone – and what’s remained the same – those majestic mountains. They stand fast for all time. Come back in a couple centuries and no doubt they’d cut the same profile. If the world lasts that long.

The CPR invaded Southern British Columbia in the 1890s and did so with reckless abandon. They built lines this way and that, servicing mines and lumber operations. They also served a huge smelter where they processed all the minerals produced in the area. A map showed a spider-web of branchlines, but they’re gone now.

The section of track served by the train barge ran from Rosebery to Nakusp to the north and by way of a second line south. That one headed to New Denver before trending east to the mines of the Silvery Slocan near Sandon. Construction of these spanned the years 1892 to 1895. The line to Nakusp ran right below the shooting position for these images and in the old photo is marked by that leaning line-pole. Look for it bottom left.

From Rosebery the barge travelled south down Slocan Lake, where trains would offload. That’s a journey of some thirty kilometres on the water. Once back on land, they would head further south again and make connections to the CPR’s Southern Mainline using the Slocan (City) branch.

It was a rather time consuming and complicated way to get a train from A to B, but the rugged nature of the area precluded building a railway connection between the two points. The CPR and its customers accepted this, even in spite of the cost or inconvenience. There was after all, freight to move, and lots of it in the early days.

The old Nakusp and Slocan into Sandon lasted into the 1950s and the track into New Denver followed suit in the 1970s (or thereabouts). The Rosebery to Nakusp section, amazingly, lasted into 1988 or 1989 (depending on the source). The railway worked to rid itself of this money losing operation for some time, before finally given approval.

No doubt at the CPR there was a collective sigh of relief when the okay to end it all was finally granted. As a highly regulated industry back then, you needed to jump through hoops before shutting down a line. Surely, it was a money loser for decades.

By the end service was sporadic, with trains visiting only as needed. Sometimes it’d be weeks between runs or even more. The only freight moved at that time was some outbound lumber and utility poles, with some inbound fuel shipments. The mineral traffic dried up decades earlier.

Before Team BIGDoer, it was just Chris and he visited Rosebery in the summer of 1989 to see the transfer site. That’s less than a year after the last train, but before they removed everything. Come take a look here: Railway Barge Slip Rosebery BC (1989).

About six or seven cars, plus the then mandatory caboose, and the locomotive was about all they could haul per barge, per run. It’s not much really and at busier times they might haul two barges. We’ve seen evidence of this in older photos. Or they might just run more often. In the then photo traffic looks light that day.

The locomotive for this train is a Montreal Locomotive Works model S4 and we think it’s #7110. It’s a bit hard to make out in the photo, but all the data points to it. When this same photo was posted online, old timers seemed in agreement with this.

The CPR owned twenty of these locomotives, built in the years 1949-1953 and they were well suited for switching work or pulling short branchline freights like this. If it’s #7110, then it dates from 1952. Most of these locomotives lasted into the 1980s.

The locomotive wears the old colours of the CPR, so Tuscan Red and Grey. The caboose (or van) was pretty typical of the era, as was the boxcar.

The tug powering the barge is out of view to the right. One closer examination, we can see two at least men left of the caboose, and perhaps one back on land.

The slip is a frail looking Rube Goldberg contraption, mounted on rail wheels which allowed it to be repositioned (with the help of a locomotive) in relation to varying lake levels. The slip rides atop the same tracks used by the train and these continue down into the water. Once where it needed to be, you anchored it in place somehow.

Once off the barge, trains entered a small yard out of sight to the left.

We don’t know the date of the then photo, but the 1960s seems a good bet. We base that on a number of factors, one being that the photographer, who we’ll touch on in a bit, seemed most active then. Plus we know that style of locomotive was assigned to the area in around that time and #7110 is sometimes mentioned specifically.

There is zero evidence of the barge slip in the Now photo, nor of the tracks leading to it. Still, if one wanders about the area where the yards once were, bits and pieces connected back to the railway can be found there. The tracks are gone and there’s new buildings and the trees have grown in.

The most notable remains is steel bridge over crystal clear Wilson Creek. The structure is now incorporated into the Nakusp and Slocan Railway Trail, that you can hike or bike.

You can see this same bridge some thirty five years ago in this article (the same post shared earlier): Railway Barge Slip Rosebery BC (1989).

There’s also some small sheds that look suspiciously railways related.

The Selkirk Mountains in back are timeless. There’s some big hills out this way! The spit of land in front has changed profile, but otherwise it looks much as it did. Minus the train stuff, that is.

There is a sunken barge just beyond the former slip location and at low water, some of it can be seen. The tip of it is showing in our photo – on the shoreline about a quarter of the way in from the left. Kind of in the distance, but it’s there. We might just to have to go back and look into it. We didn’t know of it at the time of our photo and were only made aware of it during research.

This was not the only lake barge service on the Canadian Pacific. To the east and the next mountain range over, there were several isolated branchlines and spurs similarly served along Kootenay Lake. More rail barges plied the Upper Arrow Lakes (out of Nakusp) and some lakes of the Okanagan. A number of these operations lasted into the 1970s.

The then photo comes from fine folks at the Lost Kootenays Facebook Page and is part of the Ellis Anderson Collection. It worked out so nice! Ellis was a busy photographer back in the 1960s and 1970s. He captured day to day life in the area and lots of train stuff. We looked through more from his collection and it left us mesmerized. He took his camera everywhere it seems.

If you have an old photo you think should get the BIGDoer Then and Now treatment, please let us know. It needs be your copyright (so from a family collection, for example) or in the public domain showing a scene from days past. It need not be train themed, and can show a street, building or something scenic, where a comparison like this can applied. When they work, and not all do, the results can be incredible.

We hope you liked this post as much as we did presenting it. It was so cool to match it up, delve into the scene and revel in the history of it all. That’s why we do it.

Know more about the little town (new tab): Rosebery British Columbia and this unique floating railway (also new tab): Railway Barge Slocan Lake British Columbia

They’re saying…

Love seeing your posts…love the stories that go with it…heck I am travelling with you. Daryl Tucker.

Random awesomeness…
Gravitas by Keith Harder
Crossley Slides: A Corner in Erlton.
Grain Elevators of Consort Alberta.

Something to say and no one to say it to? Go here: Contact Us!

Date of adventure: Ca 1960s and September 2018.
Location: Rosebery, British Columbia.
Article references and thanks: Ellis Anderson via the Lost Kootenays Facebook Page, Book – The Skyline Limited: The Kaslo and Slocan Railway by Turner & Wilkie. Also, the Arrow Lakes Historical Society, our friends in nearby Sandon BC who let us crash there for free, the Internet Brain Trust in general and Canadian Trackside Guides.

Rosebery BC, Then and Now. (Then pic: Ellis Anderson).

Bridge hunting…target acquired.

Wilson Creek.

Along the Nakusp and Slocan Rail Trail.

A little cabin marked Rosebery.

About where the yards were – an old railway shed?

Beautiful Slocan Lake on a hazy September 2018 day.

Zoomed in – the sunken barge.

The post Rosebery BC Trains & Barges first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

Built in the early 1910s (1912 seems most likely), it more than doubled in size just a couple years later. You can readily see evidence of this addition where the colours of brick differ from one side to the other. It’s most dramatic if you head around and look at the back wall. At the same time, they added some school space upstairs.

This post is an old one and has not seen the light of day for many years. We’ve published so many pieces over the years (thousands, here and elsewhere) and we’ll bring back select ones like this from time to time. The good stuff, for your enjoyment, and not the stinkers. There’s lots of those and they’ll remain locked away – haha. We’ll keep the original photos in this case, but the rest has been updated.

Initially they taught all grades here but later on it was elementary classes only. This change seems concurrent with the roads in the area improving, although the date is not clear. The older kids were then bussed to Kindersley, which is not far away and the next town west. It’s a much bigger place and more centralized.

Netherhill School closed in the mid-1960s and then all local kids had to travel further afield to attend class.

Not long afterwards the building was acquired by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) and they used it for meetings or to host community events. You can still see their iconic chain-link logo above front door.

When the group last used it is not entirely clear. We spoke with locals (phone interviews, after our visit) and while no one agreed on an exact date, all seemed to think sometime in the late 1970s/early 1980s era was probable. Further research, with the republishing of this piece, has not turned up anything new. Frustrating stuff, but that’s how research goes.

The Odd Fellows were founded almost two hundred years ago. With chapters all over the world, this benevolent organization works for the betterment of mankind through charitable and social work. Their motto is “Friendship, Love and Truth”. Nethehill is a pretty small town for a chapter, but then again, maybe they made up for it by being enthusiastic. Perhaps a few farm boys got together and needing an excuse to get out of the house, came up with the idea.

There’s also a sign listing the school district (#2659) above the door and the township coordinates (S11, T29, R21). The building has a stone foundation.

The structure sits in a field bordered by high hedges and it’s a quiet setting today. One can easily imagine it a noisy chaotic place back then, come recess or lunch. At one time, there was likely some play equipment on the grounds and maybe some biffies out back. Netherhill is a few blocks square, and the school is at the north edge of town.

You’ll find Netherhill in Western Saskatchewan. It’s off the main highway and few people stop in. There’s not much reason, we suppose. Today it’s home to a few dozen people and Main Street is mostly empty. There’s an old hotel made into a residence and it’s all that remains of the business district. The stories it must hold and being old hotel aficionados, we’d do anything to take a peek inside.

The town dates to about 1910 and that’s just before the Canadian Northern Railway came through. It’s now a Canadian National line, a secondary track that runs west from Saskatoon to Oyen Alberta, and formerly all the way into Calgary.

We’ve not be back to Netherhill since this visit, but long to return to the area. We have lots of unfinished business out that way and getting there is long overdue.

Recent Google Streetviews and posts from other adventurers shows the former school looking about the same as when we stopped by a decade back. At least from a cursory glance it looks the same. It’s a strong old structure, but all it needs to hold now is memories. It’s mostly boarded up, but a few windows with missing/broken glass were open to the elements.

Sections of the wall above the front entryway show buckling from anchored cables and these are from when the building was used for grain storage by the local farmer. It’s not the first school turned granary that we know of and frugal farmers (are there any other kind?) have been known to do this any old building they can find. We’re not sure how long it was used in this capacity after the Odd Fellows moved out.

One thing we missed and hope to see if can make it back is some old scratched-in graffiti in the brick and stonework. So the names of students and the year they attended. That sort of thing. How they were overlooked is beyond us, but then we can get so focused on one thing that we miss others. It’s a curse and it’s been there for a long time.

The then image is a scan of an old postcard and is thanks to the reader – appreciate it Larry Stroobandt (2015). The postmark reads 1912, so we know it’s from very early on for both the town and the school. The building may have been brand new at the time and certainly looks it.

If you have an old family photo or old postcard (most are in the public domain) you think could be used this way, please reach out. We always love making these historic connections and sharing the results here with you all.

Know more about the community (new tab): Netherhill Saskatchewan.

They’re saying…

“Love the variety and always look forward to seeing the places they visit.” Brian Brandon – River City Classics and Eamon’s Garage High River Alberta.

Random awesomeness…
Anastasia Lords of Anastasia Village.
Dominion Bridge Calgary (Ramsay) ca1960-2014.
Superman 1978: Cemetery Scenes.

Something to say and no one to say it to? Go here: Contact Us!

Date of adventure: ca1912 and June 2015.
Location: Netherhill, Saskatchewan.
Article references and thanks: The book Memoirs of Hillsburgh (an incomplete copy), Provincial School Records, and Larry Stroobandt.

Netherhill School was smaller when built in the early 1910s.

The school district, township coordinates, IOOF logo & a buckling wall.

It later became an Odd Fellows hall.

We really want to return to the area and will be sure to stop in here.

That they added to the original building is clear in this backside view.

Netherhill Saskatchewan, population about 25.

The post Netherhill SK School ~100 Years Apart first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

Image one shows it back in the 1910s and the other is from 2024. All those years have passed and while subject to the ravages of time, it still looks much as it did. The original image is from close to when the mine opened and the photo shared by us comes from a capture during a walkabout of the property last year. We’ve explored this fascinating place many times, and it’s always a thrill.

This likely won’t be the only Then and Now Historic Comparison to come from these Brazeau Collieries adventures. There’s another possibly waiting in the wings and we’ll show it as soon as we can. Also, we’ve been digging around the archives since this visit, and recently found a bunch more photos unknown to us earlier, showing the mine industrial complex. We hope to use some of them as fodder for more posts like this and a have a bit of fun in the process.

The coal fields in the area were first worked in the early 1910s by the firm Brazeau Collieries. Concurrent with this mine opening, they established a company town just below the operation. They called it Nordegg, after Martin Nordegg, the founder and driving force behind the mine.

The Canadian Northern Railway arrived soon after and historically this firm (later amalgamated into Canadian National Railways) functioned as the mine’s biggest customer. This coal was prime for this purpose and helped fuel the company’s fleet of steam locomotives.

Production at Brazeau Collieries continued into 1955, when changing markets forced a closure. The railway was phasing out steam engines and with this, a large portion of their market dried up. On closing, the company did not demolish the property, as you might expect, but rather simply closed up shop and walked away.

Fast forward to today and it’s a literal time capsule from long ago and you can pay it a visit. Everything, for the most part, is as they left it and because of this there’s a special feeling awaiting visitors. You can just imagine it – it’s lunch time and any moment now, the whistle will blow and everyone will return to work. It’s been seven decades since that happened, but it looks and feels like they only just left.

There’s several coal seams in the Brazeau/Nordegg coal fields, and the firm worked numbers two and three of five. They were the thickest of the group. The number three seam (Nordegg #3) averaged about 15 feet (4.5-ish metres) and the number two seam was in comparison about half that. That’s some pretty decent diggings and to boot, the coal has good burning qualities.

A layer of rock separated the two seams, with the Nordegg #3 level being the deeper of the two.

From opening to close, the Brazeau Mine extracted over nine million tonnes of low to medium volatile bituminous coal from those hills in back. Some came from later surface pits, but the majority originated underground. A lot of it passed though the Nordegg #3 portal seen right here, one mine car after another. At a few tonnes per (give or take), it doesn’t take long for the numbers to add up.

What is that…let’s see…hundreds of thousands of coal cars…close to a million? We’re just using sloppy math and it just keeps adding up. Then consider they needed an equal number heading back into the depths for loading. Wow..,simply wow! Most posts suggest the daily output was some fifteen hundred tonnes per day, at times of peak output. When business was slow, it could be much less.

The Brazeau Collieries used the trade name “Brazeau Bituminous Steam Coal” for their commercial products. Steam (or Thermal) coal, as implied, was best suited for raising steam, in locomotives, but also in industrial plants. In later years, the Brazeau Mine also made briquets from fine coal into less volatile stuff, for domestic home heating use. Out in rural areas especially, coal heating was common at the time.

On October 31st 1941 an underground explosion in the Nordegg #3 level killed twenty-nine miners. “An inquest held in November 1941 found the causes of death to be carbon monoxide gas.” – Provincial Archives of Alberta. This gas accumulation was proceeded by an explosion. So the blast didn’t kill them, but the afterdamp, as it’s called, which was a product of the explosion, did.

Work resumed a month and half later and this went down as the worst disaster at the Brazeau Mine. There were other fatalities over the years, but nothing where more than one or two workers were involved. Underground mining was and is inherently dangerous, but doubly so in the old days. Safety rules were sometimes questionable, attitudes of management and workers were often indifferent or even reckless. The risks overall were many, yet they were almost downplayed by everyone.

A rescue crew of other miners entered the portal soon as the fumes cleared. Thirty more workers underground in Nordegg #3 survived and were evacuated safely. The explosion did not cause extensive damage, but still some time passed before production resumed. The bodies of the deceased would have left the mine from this very opening and that’s a sobering thought.

They had a life of hard labour and it all ended here in the dark depths of the Alberta front ranges.

The portal of Nordegg #3 is of cast concrete and reads “Brazeau Collieries Ltd, Nordegg No 3”. It’s a bit more chipped and rough today, but in remarkable shape otherwise. The entry goes in a short distance and then is blocked off. The underground workings continue on many kilometres from there and they didn’t get it all. Had markets not collapsed, they had enough coal to continue on from some time after.

A mine car was placed to be part of the display and is in roughly the same location as the one appearing in the Then photo. A coincidence perhaps or something deliberate? Maybe they saw this old photo and placed it based on that image? It’s possible.

Notice the lack of trees above the portal in the old photo and how different it is today. Nature returns and with a vengeance.

The portal of Nordegg #2 is not far away and we’ve included a photo of it in the comments. We shot a Then and Now with it too at the same time, but we’ve not yet gotten to it. We have hundreds of already-shot comparisons in the can, and there’s a big backlog processing them. If it works, expect us to post it on our social media pages, and/or here.

The community of Nordegg is sometimes called Brazeau, after the mine, but they are one and the same.

The Then photo is thanks to the University of Calgary archives and while not specifically dated (1914 is suggested), it appears it was very early on in the mine. The concrete and the painted lettering looks new and the lack of foliage suggests this as well. The first commercial production at the mine was about 1912, so we’d guess about this time or shortly after.

The photo comes from the Canadian Pacific Railway Land Settlement and Development collection, which is odd. The CPR had no presence in Nordegg, but perhaps early on they had aspirations to do so. Who knows? They did make it to Rocky Mountain House, some ninety clicks away, but that’s it.

The image reads “No 129” in the lower left corner and perhaps this marks it within a series. There are other photos from this collection showing Nordegg and they seem to be of the same era.

We hope you enjoyed this Then and Now Historic Comparison and stay tuned for many more to come.

The Nordegg #3 portal is part of the (new tab): Brazeau Collieries Mine National Heritage Site.

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“They present well researched articles that do a lot to preserve our history and heritage which is very important. We are losing many of our landmarks such as old grain elevators, rural churches and commercial buildings in many of our small towns. Chris and Connie have done a lot to highlight these passings and to keep us informed.” Lynn Bardsley Redekopp.

Random awesomeness…
Brokeback Mountain – Brokeback Meadows (x3).
Westmount School Edmonton 100 Years Apart.
Historic Hotels Cranbrook BC.

Something to say and no one to say it to? Go here: Contact Us!

Date of adventure: Ca 1914 and August 2024.
Location: Nordegg #3 is at the Brazeau Collieries Site, Nordegg Alberta.
Article references and thanks: Alberta Energy Regulator, University of Calgary archives, Brazeau Collieries Mine National Heritage Site, the pamphlet Report on the Nordegg Coal Claims, Hermis.Alberta.ca (Heritage Resources Management Information System), book – Annual Report of the Mines Division of the Dept of Mines and Minerals of the Province of Alberta 1951, book – Days Before Yesterday – History of Rocky Mountain House district, Edmonton Journal 31/10/2012 and finally Rob Pohl for hosting us. Now catch your breath…

~110 years apart at the Nordegg #3 portal, Brazeau Mine.

The Brazeau Collieries complex is now an historic site (Nordegg Alberta).

The mine operated from the early 1910s to 1955.

The site is huge – this is the processing plant.

The Nordegg #2 portal is not far away – our friend Rob Pohl in back.

The post Brazeau Collieries Nordegg #3 1910s & 2024 first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

Our home base was a rental unit in town that was once a mechanics garage and service station. It’s that red-roof structure to the left. While in this part of Saskatchewan we visited several other hotels and spent the rest of the time just exploring.

Over one hundred years separates the images and as you can see, the little community has been witness to much change. Only a single building present in the original photo remains and it’s the closest one to the right. That’s it and everything else that once stood back in the 1910s, when the town was new, is gone.

The Now image is from an old postcard and comes from our friends at Prairie-Towns.com. It’s in the public domain. They told us it has a 1916 postmark and based on what we know of the buildings seen, it shows Cadillac no earlier than 1914. The photo displays some blurry text and presumably this was the mark of the photographer and/or publisher. The image reflects the tattered nature of the original, from which it was scanned.

It’s certainly from a very early point in the town and when it was perhaps only a year or two old. There’s a distinctive air of newness. The street is a cart track in the grass, everything looks freshly built and many buildings have yet to receive paint or signage.

At its peak in the 1920s Cadillac had a population approaching three hundred, but today it’s about a third that. Agricultural is big of course. Named after Cadillac, Michigan, many settlers came from that area.

The town held much promise in early days and prospered. It’s certainly reflected in the old photo. Look at downtown and you can see it was goin’ places, even if it had a real frontier feel at the time.

There was every imaginable business in Cadillac back then. This included a hotel, a bank, grocery and hardware stores, farm equipment dealers, salons, lumber yards, a number of restaurants. And many more…you name it!

In the original picture the Cadillac Hotel is the most prominent building seen, there in back. It’s huge. Opened in 1914, it burned down in 1946. The current hotel replaced it soon after and is of more modest proportions. Other buildings in close proximity went up in flames too or received significant damage due to this event. Many buildings or entire blocks were lost to fire with alarming regularity in this town.

There’s a former bank building (ex-Royal Bank) on the lot north of the hotel today and it dates to 1918. Made of brick, it survived many town-fires and is now a residence.

Other notable buildings seen in the old image included the Gunn and Buckwald general store, just up from the hotel (burned in the early 1930s) and the CR McKeen Hardware the next block up. It’s small but you can sort of see the sign for that business.

A big fire in the late 1930s destroyed much on the west side (right side) of downtown, and anything still standing here from the early days was presumably lost at this time. McKeen’s or what was McKeen’s included, we suppose.

While this wasn’t the last fire, it did have a big impact on the community. It seems they never fully rebuilt that side of downtown

The little building that’s the only thing left from the old photo, interestingly, is the former fire hall. All those blazes in Cadillac and it managed to survive. The irony. A newer fire hall is located right behind it, but is somewhat set back and not really visible from this angle, except for a sliver. That pickup is parked out front.

The old fire hall is a true survivor and must be one of the oldest buildings from Cadillac’s early days.

The closest building on the left (east side) of town might be the George Salloum bakery/Moncrieff Store listed in the history book. We’re not sure as the exact position can’t be confirmed in the photo and neither can that of the other buildings in back. Later Begin’s Garage was built about here and recall, this was our home for this trip. The owners made a rental suite out of some of the former store front.

Old photos show the building looking much the same today as when it functioned as a service station.

It might be hard to see given the small size of the photo, but there’s horse drawn wagon in the original. It’s almost about centre of the old scene. There is what appears to be a person standing close by (in front of McKeen’s), but otherwise there are no other people about. A quiet Sunday morning? These pioneer towns were often a beehive of activity most days, so this shot might be from some odd hour. Early AM, a holiday, or with everyone in church.

There is also a car on the left side of the street, but far in the distance.

Notice the lack of trees in the old photo, but remember, the town emerged from the bald prairie not long before. They only grow well out this way when protected by either some natural feature or man-made structures.

Where there was once a vibrant downtown, now there’s not a single open business in the scene. Except for the hotel on our visit, but as we mentioned, it’s now closed. There is a garage and store a few block over on the highway, but downtown is a shell of its former self. This type of extreme contrast is not unique to Cadillac and we see this all the time when shooting these historic comparisons in small prairie communities.

There’s a boom period soon after founding and then they settle in to a long, slow quiet time. It mimics life itself. We shoot these pieces not to lament or disparage, but rather celebrate what was and what is. Change is a normal everyday thing, and it’s interesting to see how it plays out.

We’ve heard there’s a chance of new owners taking over the hotel, but there’s no recent news. It was busy the night we shot there for the Beer Parlour Project and the staff said overall business was steady. We hold out hope – it is a fine old building too with lots of improvements – but until someone sees the potential, it’s empty and quiet. As a fan of old, small town hotels, it really needs to happen. They a social centre.

Fingers crossed.

While we source many of the Then photos used in these historic comparisons in-house, we also accept contributions from readers. If you have an old family photo showing a street scene like this, we’d love to talk. Reach out via our contact page.

Know more about the town (new tab): Town of Cadillac Saskatchewan.

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To read about our visit to the Cadillac Hotel, go here (new tab): The Beer Parlour Project – Cadillac Hotel.

Random awesomeness…
Sibbald Gentleman’s Club (Closed).
Coleman Alberta (Sam’s Service Station).
Craigellachie Kid.

Something to say and no one to say it to? Go here: Contact Us!

Date of adventure: 1910s and June, 2024.
Location: Cadillac, Saskatchewan.
Article references and thanks: University of Calgary archives, Prairie-Towns.com, the town of Cadillac, and the book Cadillac – Prairie Heritage.

Cadillac Saskatchewan roughly 110 years apart.

This old fire hall is the only building to appear in both shots.

A reverse angle view looking back to first shooting position.

The Cadillac Hotel (presently closed) and the old bank, now a home.

Formerly Begin’s Garage and it was our place for a few days.

The post Downtown Cadillac SK ~110 Years Apart first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

2) Next, we visit the place and shoot a Now photo, while doing our best to duplicate the angle, composition and content of the original. If we can and it’s not always possible. We’ll even match seasons, when possible. 3) Finally, and this where it really starts to get interesting, we dig up some history and babble on about the experience here on this website. That’s what we’re doing right now.

This fine home dates to 1915ish (reports differ slightly – a common problem when researching history) and sits on a wedge-shaped lot where two streets at a traffic circle diverge. The left route, when facing the house, is one of the few ways out of the neighbourhood and when leaving Scarboro via that way, the majestic home is in clear view. Straight ahead and unmissable, there it is.

The Scarboro community dates to the early 1910s and the location is a little west of and sort of overlooking downtown. It’s an exclusive kind of place (meaning, even if we won ten-million in the lotto, they’d never permit us to live there) and has many historic homes. With its tree-lined streets and beautifully tended properties, most of them with classic old homes, it’s picture perfect.

Into the 1920s, the neighbourhood had as many empty lots as it did those with homes.

Chris here and I know Scarboro well from my childhood and walked these streets on the way to school. That’s back in the 1970s and often I passed the Venini House. Being from a “lesser” neighbourhood to the east, it admittedly felt foreign and odd. Not that it was bad, but it was just so nice that it was hard to comprehend. There’s no police tape…or cars on blocks…how weird!

The first residents of the house were the Veninis and it suggested descents still own it today. Mr Venini (George Demetrio Venini) was once a big-wheel at the Mason & Reich Piano Company (piano shops were a thing back in the day) and lived at this residence for about sixty years. He only passed in the mid-1970s and at the ripe old age of 92.

Venini came from Italy to Calgary, by way of Ontario and Manitoba. While at the piano store, he commissioned the building of this house and with his wife, raised some kids here. Three of them in fact. Venini was very active in the church and his daughter Marie Bernice penned a book the subject in the 1970s. The title is “From the Buffalo to the Cross: A History of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Calgary”.

Now let’s talk about what’s changed after almost 100 years…(the sound of crickets). Ummm, let’s see…(more crickets). It looks much as is it did and goes down as one of the least changed subjects used in a BIGDoer.com Then & Now. It’s now in contention with this one…The Greenhill Hotel Blairmore AB is Timeless.

It’s like time has stood still here and in a dynamic city such as this, that’s almost unheard of. When Venini built the house, Calgary had a population of just under 75 thousand. Today it’s over 1.5 million and that’s 1900%-ish increase according to the old calculator here at the desk.

Okay, we found something that differs…the gate at the front has changed…but that’s it. Even the fire hydrant out there on the street is in the same spot. Thinking…the hedge is bigger…he said while grasping for something to talk about, to help round out this post. Now we’re out of things compare, so let’s just appreciate how gorgeous the home was and is.

We’re unsure what the thing is left of the fire hydrant in the old photo – a postal box? A police call box? Given its position, neither seems to make sense, so we’ll say something we hate stating…”we don’t know”. We zoomed into the photo as best we could, but it’s not clear enough to see.

Downtown Calgary is not far away in back, but the Venini House obscures some of it from this angle in the modern view. Back in 1928 there wasn’t much anything tall out that way.

Even if the exterior is the same, we understand the inside may not be as it was. From that time we posted the house on social media: “They did a major renovation of the interior about 15 years ago…” – Jolanda Slagmolen-Flores. Unless we get an invite to come in (we’ll bring the beer – top self stuff too), we can only imagine how it looks. I’m sure it’s almost as nicely decorated as our place.

Mason & Reich not only manufactured pianos but also phonographs. The Calgary outlet was located in the 500 block of 8th Avenue Southwest back when Mr Venini worked there. That building is long gone, but if you stand there in front of the Barcelona Tavern, close to Cucina Market Bistro, but after hours when it’s less noisy downtown, and you listen carefully, perhaps you can hear someone playing softly on the keys. It comes on the breeze.

Venini was the provincial manager for Mason and Risch and retired in the early 1930s. Apparently, it was good endeavour and got you a nice big house in an exclusive part of town.

The Then photo is thanks to the University of Calgary and came with the date 02/03/1928. Our shot was late in December 2024, in case you’re curious. While we source many of the photos used in this ongoing series, we also accept images sent by readers. If you have an old family photo showing some kind of street scene like this, that you think we might successfully duplicate, we encourage you to send it our way.

Broad scenes work best and of course, it’s important that something from the old days remains. Images that show great change – that is there’s only one or two things left from then are still present, or ones that in contrast show minimal change (like the Venini House), are usually the most dramatic. We love doing these and always look forward to new challenges.

Know more about the area (new tab): Scarboro Neighbourhood Calgary.

They’re saying…

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Random awesomeness…
The Tug SS Hosmer (1909).
Main Street Beiseker Alberta 110 Years Apart.
Chinook Motel Crowsnest Pass ~50 Years Apart.

Something to say and no one to say it to? Go here: Contact Us!

Date of adventure: 1928 and 2024.
Location: Calgary, Scarboro.
Article references and thanks: City of Calgary, the University of Calgary photo archives (including the Venini family fonds), old Henderson Directories (at various locations) and the Medicine Hat & District Genealogical Society.

1928 and 2024 – almost 100 years apart at the Venini House Calgary.

Built in the mid-1910s and little changed in that time.

The post Venini House Scarboro Calgary 1928 & 2024 first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

The original is scan was sent to us by a reader and collector of worldwide transit images. They hail from France…thanks Stéphane! We’re not completely sure how they made the connection to us, but we’re glad they did. This person mentioned purchasing it on eBay, as a slide, and knows nothing about it other than the date (it’s written on the photo) and that it’s from Calgary (ditto). The photographer of the original? That person is a mystery, but who ever you are, we thank you.

Do you have an old photo like this, transit related, or just showing an old street scene, that you think would make a good comparison post? If so, we’d love to hear from you! Actual photos are welcome – we’ll return them – or scans can be used as well. It’s all good.

The original shows a Calgary Transit Electric Trolleybus heading east and in our now image we captured a CTS diesel powered bus on the same heading. Both are on route #2, known then and today as the Mount Pleasant – Killarney 17th Ave SW run. At this point, both buses have just left the Glenside Drive Loop, a couple blocks there in the back, and are downtown bound. Back there down the hill is where they turn around after reaching the end of the run.

This section of the route runs east/west and was extended out this way in the early 1960s. It passes through the neighbourhood of Killarney on the trip (among others) and keeps to 17th Ave almost all the way to and from downtown.

Once in city centre, the route turns north and runs along 4th Street NW (mostly). It passes through the community of Mount Pleasant and others. This second leg runs on north/south heading. Buses then spin around and do it all again in the opposite direction. Other than some extensions on the north end of the Mount Pleasant section, and some minor changes downtown, the bus from the 1970s and the ones today follow remarkably the same route.

When south and westbound the destination sign normally reads Killarney 17th Ave SW. When east and northbound it should say Mount Pleasant. In the old photo the bus is heading east and it appears the driver did not change the sign. It says 17th Ave SW, but should red Mount Pleasant (as the bus in the now photo does).

The location of these two photos is close to BIGDoer HQ (look for us under the big flashing neon sign) and it’s the closest Then and Now to home we’ve done. A short walk on a fine evening, and it was in the can. Had to do it twice though to get it right.

The trolleybus (or trolley coach) seen in that old photo, #474, is a Canadian Car and Foundry model T44. How it works: T for Trolley and 44 is the number of seats. This example dates to 1950 and was one of seventy seven on the roster, built in the years 1947-1950. Similar in appearance were eight slightly larger T48 models, from 1950-1953, plus a small number of US built trolley buses bought second hand. These last ones differed in appearance and didn’t seem to get out much.

This trolleybus carried a special experimental paint scheme and it’s believed to be the only one on the entire roster done this way. Trolley or diesel, we’ve never seen another so painted. Photo evidence suggests this was added a few years before.

There are flags on the trolley pole retriever wires and that’s something we’ve never seen before. To make them more visible…maybe?

Canadian Car and Foundry was a builder of railway cars, and for a time aircraft. They also produced transit and highway buses from 1945 to 1962 (trolleybuses 1946-1954). Many of their designs were built under license from the Brill division of American Car and Foundry in the USA. The two firms had similar sounding names but were otherwise not related.

CC&F buses came from their factory in Fort William (now Thunder Bay) Ontario. It still exists today and makes rail transit vehicles and passenger cars. Industry giant Alstom is the current owner and before them it was another big player, Bombardier Transportation.

Trolleybuses were fashionable for a short time just after World War Two in North America, but quickly fell from favour. They did and still do offer some specific advantages, if applied correctly. In the end, they lost out to diesels, which are more flexible and didn’t require any form of expensive overhead infrastructure. Even so, many trolleybus networks lasted for a long time in Canada, with many still functioning well into the 1970s.

In Europe and elsewhere (former Soviet countries especially), they were and are more common.

By the time of the “Then” image, the trolleybus network in Calgary was near done. It would close down early in 1975 and soon after was nothing more than a memory. Route #2, along with #3 Centre Street/Elbow Drive and #7 South Calgary were the last electric trolleybus lines in Calgary.

This trolleybus, along with many others, were later sold to Vancouver Transit. Mostly they were used as part’s buses to help keep the rest of that fleet running.

Vancouver BC has the only trolleybus system left in Canada today and it managed to survive when others didn’t. It’s quite modern now and well utilized. At the peak there were about a dozen cities that operated trolleybuses in Canada and now it’s only that one. Edmonton operated them until 2009 and they were the second last holdout.

The bus in the Now image, Calgary Transit #8293, is a New Flyer model XD40 diesel bus built in Winnipeg Manitoba. X = Xcelsior line, D = diesel, 40 = forty feet long. It’s from 2013 and one of a hundred and forty nine such buses on the CTS roster (built 2013 & 2014).

New Flyer, founded in the 1930s, is one of the big producers of transit buses in North America and has supplied many coaches to Calgary Transit. This, however, was the last order CTS made with the firm (as of the writing of this piece) and they currently favour another maker (NovaBus).

On an earlier attempt at this Then and Now, in June, coincidentally bus #8292 (so one number lower) was the one we captured. None of the photos from that first outing lined up well enough to be used, but the skies were nicer. You can’t have everything. This highlights one aspect we rarely speak of, that it usually takes many tries to get it where we’re happy. In case of this one, we photographed five buses over two visits, before we got the one used here.

Notice all the changes since the first photo capture, but still the neighbourhood mostly feels the same. 17th Ave is much as it was and that’s amazing in this dynamic, always-changing city. There’s still lots of single family dwellings in the neighbourhood, as there was back then. As the city grows upwards and outwards, it may not stay this way forever. In fact, just to the left of our position, a big condo unit is going up.

That arched structure to the right, in the Now photo, is a Light Rail Transit (C-Train) station. Back when CTS trolleybus #474 was captured, a Drive-in Movie Theatre stood here on 17th Ave SW, and they were in business from the early 1950s until the late 1970s. The screen burned down in spectacular fashion one Halloween night, a suspicious fire we might add, and just as the place was winding down operations forever.

The theatre was at the fringes of town when built, but was soon encroached upon by residential housing. You have to wonder how the neighbours coped with all that noise, lights and traffic? Townhouses and a commercial block now occupy the former drive-in lands, but there are plans to level the latter (the former Alberta Motor Association building) and built some high density mixed commercial/residential properties there. Time will tell.

The entrance to the Drive-in is to the left of the bus and just in front of that white fence.

One of the houses seen in the background of the old photo, behind the white fence, is still there, but now obscured by trees.

That’s Signal Hill in back. In 1974 it was all pastures and fields, with a few scattered houses, but today it’s a dense residential neighbourhood. Notice how much greenery there is now verses the 1970s. This was the western edge of town, but now it’s kilometres more in that direction. In 1974 the city had population of about 430 000 and today it’s over a million more.

So ends another BIGDoer.com Then & Now and it’s time to stroll home. What a nice evening…both times…thanks all.

Know more about Calgary’s trolleybus network (new tabs): Calgary Alberta Trolleybuses and of the system: Calgary Transit History.

They’re saying…

“Chris & Connie research & share the details of their subjects & share their awesome photography! Thank you!” Sandra Beaudoin.

Random awesomeness…
Baby Boom in Didsbury Alberta.
A Corner in North Glenmore ~50 Years Apart. (similar to this post in subject and time).
A Few (Frigid) Minutes in Trochu Alberta.

Something to say and no one to say it to? Go here: Contact Us!

Date of adventure: 1974, June 2025 and with an update in September 2025 (from a piece published in 2015)
Location: 17th Ave SW, Calgary, Alberta.
Article references and thanks: The Canadian Public Transit Discussion Board & Wiki, Calgary Transit, Stéphane who shared the original image, and the City of Calgary.

Then and Now, Calgary Transit along 17th Ave SW.

On Route #2 and an earlier attempt that didn’t work out.

The post Calgary Transit Route #2 17th Ave SW first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

In the Then photo we’re witness to a house being moved and another (stationary) dwelling is fairly prominent right behind it. Those two are today’s targets. We know the avenue where it’s taking place – that’s in the photo description – but not the exact address. Still, it should be easy enough to find the first one, if it still exists and it does.

We only had to travel a block or two to find it. It’s still standing strong and looks pretty much the same as it did. What a nice, well kept home. Both the city and private Henderson directories say it’s from 1935. Henderson’s is the defacto-guide to residential and business addresses back then and this data combined must date the old image from that year, or sometime close.

We don’t know where the house is going, but something that large probably wouldn’t travel too far. Especially so given horses are doing the work. Bankview is a bit hilly and that likely further limited the distance it could go. That said, it’s probably nearby, assuming it too still exists. It turns out it does.

However, it’s aligned completely different from the view in the old photo and is a bit altered appearance, so initially we missed it. Walked right on past, oblivious to it all. At the end of the day, we covered some eight or ten square blocks in the neighbourhood. We suspect this is far beyond where it could have travelled, but who knows, so we did it to make sure.

We knew it had to be within that area and either we missed it or it was gone. After some online help and a second more thorough walkabout, we confirmed the location. Thanks to Jay who did some of the detective work for us.

This house is approximately one block south of the location seen in the old photo. It’s off beyond the left side of the frame and a bit more uphill.

Seeing it in motion must have been amazing to watch. They’ll have to make the corner shortly, and somehow duck under those power lines, but surely they carefully planned out the trip beforehand.

The city says this house is from 1910 and it must represent the date when originally built. Where ever that was. There’s no information on where it came from and why they moved it, but it’s must be an interesting story.

This probably made the local newspapers, but in any copies available to us from the target era, we found nothing. However, the archives are incomplete. We’d sure like to know and it’s a good bet all you do too. It appears there was a house on this same lot as early as the 1910s (again Henderson’s), but it must have been gone by this point. Burned down or removed?

The moved house today differs some and has lost that overhang on the right side (facing side in the old photo). Windows on that wall differ today too. The side seen in the old photo is actually a reverse angle compared to the present day street view. They spun it around, if you will. It would appear in its earlier incarnation, the right wall was the street side.

The alley view shows the upper dormer is still there and that window placement is the same as in the old photo.

And to think we walked right past it.

Back to the old photo. On closer examination, it appears the team of horses comprises six or eight animals. That doesn’t seem like much given the sloped terrain, but in searching out similar photos of houses moved by horse, it doesn’t look out of the ordinary. That animal power was still used at this late date, and not some kind of heavy machinery, does seem a bit odd. It was the depression, however, and economy was the order of the day.

This might explain why the UofC applied the ca1920 date to the photo.

We note one fellow leading the horses and various others around the house presumably keeping an eye on things as it moves. Several sets of wheels are visible under the building.

There’s a horse on the left side of the frame and presumably someone is watching the action from this mount. There are no other arm-chair foremen about, which seems kind of odd. This was a free show and these always seems to attract curious locals.

Many of the other houses seen in back still exist and any we found data for date from the 1920s period. Bankview is one of Calgary’s mature neighbourhoods, but even so there were empty lots here into the 1940s. The land where the photographer stood back when shooting the original photo has houses on it now.

In the 1930s this wasn’t far from the western edge of town, but now it’s now inner-city and the edge is some 9km on that same direction. To say Calgary has grown is an understatement.

We found the Then image by accident while researching another subject at the archives. There it was and we just had to do something with it. The search would be fun.

We also accept Then & Now fodder from readers and if you have a old family photo showing some kind of street scene like this, send it our way. We’ll shoot something similar and post it on our various sites. Select ones appear with write-ups on BIGDoer.com…we do love to babble on.

Thanks for stopping by and watch for more content like this coming soon.

Know more about the community (new tab): Calgary Bankview.

They’re saying…

“Your site is brilliant and showcases your talent well, but to me it’s the passion that makes OTBPwC&C a game-changer. You set the bar so damn high.” Pauline West (we’re humbled).

Random awesomeness…
Radio Shack Westbrook Mall (Calgary).
JB Fletcher’s Ainsworth BC ~45 Years Apart.
Nakusp Rail Society.

Something to say and no one to say it to? Go here: Contact Us!

Date of adventure: ca1935 and March 2025.
Location: Bankview, Calgary.
Article references and thanks: UofC Photo Archives, old Henderson Directories, the City of Calgary and help from Facebook friends (Jay Red Sky in particular).

In search of two houses Calgary Bankview – here’s one.

Here’s the other…the moved house.

The post Bankview Calgary: They Moved a House first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

The hamlet of Holmstown was founded in anticipation of the railway arriving in the area in the early 1900s. This was the Canadian Pacific’s Wetaskawin Alberta to Saskatchewan line and the steel arrived here in 1906. About this time the community became Lougheed. It’s named after Senator James Lougheed and he served from the 1880s to the 1920s. He’s grandfather of Peter Lougheed, Premier of Alberta in the 1970s and 1980s.

Lougheed achieved village status in 1911 and presently has a population of about two hundred and change. It’s been pretty steady over the years.

Today downtown is along McLeod Avenue and there’s still a few open shops there. In the past just as many businesses were along Railway Avenue (aka Highway #13). The Lougheed Hotel is at the corner of McLeod and Railway. This put it in close proximity to the railway station at the time. For a hotel back then, this was where the action was, so it became an advantageous and coveted location.

Many hotels in other small towns are located similarly. So at the head of downtown and close to the tracks.

The hotel opened in late 1924 as the Arimitage Hotel, but used that name only briefly, before it changed to the Lougheed Hotel. A year or two tops. The Lougheed Hotel was not built here, but rather brought in from just down the road, From Sedgewick to the west. The building dates to 1907 or 1910, depending on the entry in the local history book, and once operated as the Armitage Hotel in that community.

From Sedgewick Sentinel: a History of Sedgewick and Surrounding District…

“John and Marcella Armitage built a hotel in Sedgewick in 1910, known as the Armitage. This was a temperance hotel, no booze being on tap there. The hotel was moved to Lougheed in 1920.”

The 1920 date is in conflict with what the Lougheed History Book says, so make of it what you will. But, the year 1924 also makes mention in old directories, which seems to corroborate that later date. By the numbers it’s more likely.

Temperance hotels were not unheard of, but beer was a good profit centre, so they generally didn’t last long. Interestingly Alberta prohibition ended in 1924 (it began 1916), so this hotel opened up at just the right time to cash in on the coming boom. The Beer Parlour, no doubt, did a solid business once the taps reopened.

If we were to guess, it would appear they moved the hotel here in anticipation of the liquor ban ending. By this point, it seems, any other hotels in Lougheed had already shuttered, so they’d have the market to themselves. It’s perhaps a case of opportunity knocking and I had better answer. What stood on this corner in Lougheed prior to the hotel is not known.

Why the Armitage in Sedgewick closed remains similarly unknown, but it was in competition with a couple other hotels in that community. Perhaps there was not enough business to go around?

Old photos of the Armitage Hotel back in Sedgewick show it to be much larger than the section moved. They only took the front half it seems, and most talk suggests the other section stayed in Sedgewick. We don’t know in what capacity, but there are no later listings for the Armitage Hotel, so it ceased to be at the time.

“As far as I know the Armitage Hotel was cut in half. One part stayed in Sedgewick and the other part was moved to Lougheed.” – Micha Hentschel.

The Sedgewick History Book mentions the move took many months. Presumably they spent a lot of time prepping it for the roadtrip and then putting it in place once in Lougheed. Distances are not far, but back then roads were primitive dirt (or mud) affairs and slow going was the norm. Especially considering the size and mass of the structure.

They first attempted to move it with horses, but later called in some machinery. In the old photo, the lead tractor appears to be steam powered and the distinctive front end of the second suggest a Twin Cities gas tractor. They connected the two by some kind of drawbar (we guess) to the dolly or trailer on which the hotel rode. What ever is supporting the hotel down there is not clear in the photo.

You’ll note there’s a car ahead of the hotel and it’s off to the right side. Given the width of the road (narrow) there appears to be insufficient room for it to pass. A number of people appear in the photo and the one beside the hotel (left) is presumably keeping an eye on the building as it progresses.

We can only assume the nature of the movement and the challenging roads of the day, meant they went real slow. It must have been in transit for a couple days at least.

Present day you can drive the highway doing 100 clicks, or more, and get from one town to the other in ten minutes or so. With a hotel in tow, it might take a wee bit longer…

At some point (late 1940s suggested) that addition on the right side was put in to expand the beer parlour and add more rooms above. It was a busy period and we see 1940s additions to old hotels all the time. It clearly shows up in a 1950s photo in the Molson Breweries archives. The hotel looked the same back then as it does today. That’s another Then & Now when we’re in the area!

The Lougheed Hotel has had many owners over the years (we lost count) and that’s not all that odd. It’s a tough business. They last offered rooms some time ago (1990s suggested) and it’s noted that some owners at various times lived in a suite on one of the upper floors.

The Lougheed Hotel/Lougheed Bar & Grill seemed to close about seven years ago and it’ been silent ever since. Here’s one of the last reviews before they shut down…

“For burgers, it is top notch. Even though it is a bar, it is nice and quiet. It is family friendly until 8 PM and the kids love the shuffleboard and juke box, I am told. It is solely owner operated so if a surprise rush happens you may need to have some patience but only because there is one cook and one server…but I have not experienced any problem on that front. Great job Lee and Adella.” – Denise B.

Now we know the names of the last people to operated the business.

It would appear the Lougheed Hotel was for sale at one point, but we’re not sure the current status or if anything came of this. It did not look like anyone has touched it for some time when we visited, but who knows what’s going on inside. Time will tell.

Small towns need places like this and it’d be nice to see it reborn. They’re not just watering holes, but social centres. It’d be a good subject for a Beer Parlour Project to visit and if it ever does reopen, we’ll be knocking on their door. This Then & Now historic comparison, incidentally, was shot while on the road to some Beer Parlour Project shoots in Western Saskatchewan. Keep up with this on (new tab): The Beer Parlour Project.

Interestingly there were other hotels in (small) Lougheed Alberta long ago, but they didn’t seem to last long and they only make brief mention early on. There was the Union, the Grand View and the Boston Hotel, but by the time the Lougheed/Armitage came on the scene, they were all history.

The old grain elevator seen in back is a former Pioneer Grain facility, but now belongs to the Iron Creek Museum. It dates back to the 1910s and was once in the company of many other grain elevators on the same siding. The train tracks spoken of earlier, are still in use and run right behind the structure.

The Then photos is thanks to the University of Calgary and they date it ca1926. We keep going back to 1924, however, since the majority of the references state that year.

We sourced the old image this time, but you might be interested to know we also accept ones from readers as Then & Now fodder. If you have an old family photo (for example) showing something we can historically compare like this, send it our way. Ones we can duplicate exactly are nice, but as long as there is the potential some kind of connection, we can do something with it. So a street scene or one showing a building, it’s all good.

We love doing these, but you already knew that.

A history write up like this should take up few minutes of your time. It’s a nice, quick and easy to digest read. Just as an FYI: we have a strict deadline of a day or less to research, compile and write these pieces (sounds easy, right?) and that’s due to limited resources. It’s not a complaint but an accepted condition.

Thanks for stopping by and reading this piece!

Know more about each community (new tabs): Village of Lougheed Alberta and Town of Sedgewick Alberta.

They’re saying…

“They have no fear when it comes to searching in remote areas, and they have an artistic eye for picture taking. It’s a very enjoyable site.” James Robinson.

Random awesomeness…
The Grist Mill / Blacksmith Shop (2015).
The Greenhill Hotel Blairmore AB is Timeless.
Highway History (BC): the Garbage Gobbler.

Something to say and no one to say it to? Go here: Contact Us!

Date of adventure: 1920s & May, 2025.
Location: Loughheed Alberta.
Article references and thanks: UofCalgary Photo Archives, the book Verdant Valleys – In and Around Lougheed, the Book Sedgewick Sentinel : a History of Sedgewick and Surrounding District, the late Jim Pearson’s Vanishing Sentinels book, old Henderson Directories, plus the Medicine Hat & District Genealogical Society.

From Sedgewick to Lougheed, some 12km apart.

Last the Lougheed Bar & Grill.

The hotel closed a few years back and has an uncertain future.

The post Armitage Hotel – Lougheed Hotel Lougheed AB first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

This is an old post from 2014, long forgotten, but brought back from the archives and dusted off. It uses the original photos (explained below), but the write up is new. We don’t know the date of the Then photo, but it’s most likely from the late 1960s or early 1970s…maybe. A car seen in back behind the trolleybus hints at the year, but otherwise, there’s no solid visual clues to help us along.

Then: a trolleybus on the South Calgary (#7) route turns north onto 14th Street Southwest off 33rd Avenue and that house in back is white. It’s what connects the two eras. 2014: the scene is similar (it’s a green house now, however), the route is the same, but it’s no longer under wire. The electric trolleybus system is history, but lives on in memories like in this post.

Bus #447 dates to 1948 and was retired in 1975, with the closing of Calgary’s trolleybus network. At the end date it was listed as out of service, but for how long is unknown, and later sold for parts to Vancouver (BC) Transit to keep their fleet of similar buses in service.

It’s a model T44 and the most common trolleybus on the CTS roster. It’s one of 77, built in the years 1947 to 1950. They acquired an additional eight, otherwise similar looking but slightly larger T48A models in the years 1950-53. These came from the Canadian Car and Foundry plant in Fort William (now Thunder Bay) Ontario. CTS also rostered some electric buses bought second-hand from US transit agencies.

The trolleybus network was an offshoot of the city’s streetcar system and followed many of the same routes. After World War Two, the whole thing was worn out and Calgary Transit (named the Calgary Municipal Railway at the time), needed a solution.

Upgrade or replace?

A trolleybus network would allow them reuse of some in-place infrastructure – lines, poles, substations – while getting rid of higher-maintenance parts. So the streetcars themselves and the track. This was the option chosen and it worked well. Streetcars were old-fashioned anyway, and this gave the transit system a modern look with an economical approach.

The technology was familiar and understood by everyone involved. It just made good sense…at least in the 1940s when many cities in Canada, some dozen, adopted trolleybuses just like Calgary. It was a big thing, for a time.

There are and were many more trolleybus networks in US, plus more across the world (former Soviet-block countries in particular).

In Canada most trolleybus networks closed by the 1970s, and since many were never upgraded, they became odd anachronisms at the end. Today, in Canada, only Vancouver’s remains, but it’s modern and efficient, so it appears to have a solid future. Edmonton’s lasted until 2009 and it became the second last system in use in this country.

With the advancement of diesel technology in the early 1950s, trolleys soon fell out of favour. Still, most cities typically kept them running until they wore out. Near the end, many system were in rough shape, and beyond saving. The trolley bus boom in Canada was brief.

You might hear trolleybuses referred to as trolley coaches or trackless trolleys. A couple former Calgary Transit trolleybuses are on display in the ghost town of Sandon BC – a great place to visit if you love history.

The bus in our now photo, #7750, is from 2001 and was made in Winnipeg Manitoba by New Flyer Industries. It’s a model D40LF and one of hundreds of this type on the roster at the time. They were the most commonly seen bus model in Calgary not that long ago and were hugely popular with many other North American transit agencies.

Calgary Transit is retiring the older DL40Fs and this one has been gone for a few years now. Newer ones soldier on, but time for them is ticking too. The last were delivered in 2008 and they’ve accumulated a gazillion miles.

Both buses are on the #7 route (often called the South Calgary run in the old days, or Marda Loop run now) and presently, it’s much the same today as it was back then. Streetcars on the South Calgary run earlier used a slightly different route.

One house in back helps connect the two eras. It dates to 1920 and we’re sure it has some stories to tell. Otherwise, most of what’s seen has changed, even if the street kind of feels the same. Lots of greenery and a nice little place to call home.

The South Calgary neighbourhood dates to around 1910, although for many decades it remained largely undeveloped. Today, they’re demolishing many old houses to make way for newer, larger, digs. The yellow house seen in the older photos behind the white/green one has vanished since 2014.

Notice how much the spruce trees in back have grown in the ensuing years.

The bushes in front of our target house have grown up a lot since our first visit, and views are more limited now. Even in winter, without leaves, they still partly obscure the place. As such, any attempts to reshoot this piece (and we’ve tried) have not produced results as good as ten years ago.

Oh, and the car turning in front of the bus…an accident about to happen? No, both vehicles were turning left from their respective directions, so it just looks like a close call.

The Then image was sourced by us and appears in the public domain. Some images used in this series are thanks to readers and if you have an old family photo showing a street scene like this, please reach out. We’ll shoot something like it, chat about it and give you credit too.

Know more about Calgary’s trolleybus network (new tab): Calgary Alberta Trolleybuses and of the system: Calgary Transit History.

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“Can we all take a moment to appreciate how great this website is?” Monica & Leslie (awww shucks).

Random stuff you’ll love…
A Downtown West End Alley (Calgary).
Medicine Hat Vintage Trailer Rally 2023.
Bird’s Eye View Three Hills Alberta.

Something to say and no one to say it to? Go here: Contact Us!

Date of adventure: 1960s/1970s and April 2014.
Location: South Calgary (neighbourhood).
Article references and thanks: The Canadian Public Transit Discussion Board & Wiki and the City of Calgary.

Calgary Transit: on the same corner in the 1960s/1970s & 2014.

Not a close call – both were turning left.

White in the Then photo.

The post Calgary Transit South Calgary #7 33rd Ave SW first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

The house is on private property but a person can easily view it from the road.

Settlers arrived in the area starting in the early 1900s and many came from German speaking regions of Prussia and Russia. Prussia comprises parts of Germany, Poland and Russia today. Romania also makes mention as the home country of some and that includes Mr Nagel. The map of Europe and neighbouring countries was a lot different back then and it’s hard to keep track of it all.

Things really took off in this area with the arrival of the railway in the early 1910s. The Nagel house is from around the time of this accelerated settlement period and we’ve found build dates of both 1914 and 1916 mentioned. It was occupied until the 1970s, so it’s stood empty nearly as long as someone lived here.

We suspect it may be a catalogue home (a classic four-square style), but have yet to find a definitive copy in any plans available to us. The T Eaton company (remember them?) functioned as the biggest player in Canada and most of their design specs are easily found. There were other suppliers, however, and records for them are not always so readily available. It’s of the right era, so that fits.

The building has all the hallmarks of the catalogue home and comments received when we posted photos of the Nagel House on social media seem to reflect this possibility. “That house has an Eaton mail order look to it. It’d be interesting if it matched any of the blueprints that were available back in the day.” – Stacey B. So far no, but we’ll keep looking.

Also, some folks modified catalogue homes and depending on the extent of these changes, this can make identification difficult. No matter, imagine viewing a Saskatchewan sunset from the upper deck. The province is the land of living skies and rarely does it disappoint.

The Then photo comes from a reader and we think it’s from the local history book. We have a copy of this volume, but it’s haggard and with many missing pages, including presumably an entry for this place. This book doesn’t seem easy to find, but we’ll keep looking and post updates if need be.

We did find a caption for the photo and let’s see what it says (paraphrased)…

“The Jacob (or Jakob) Johann Nagel Farm 1917. Standing (Left to Right): Paul, Mary, Jacob Johann, Henry and Eddie Nagel (a cousin). Standing On Running Board: Frieda, Carl, another cousin, Emil (son of Fred). Sitting in back seat: Ella, Rose, Mary, Diana (Fred’s wife holding Martha). Front Seat: John and Fred Nagel. Riding Horses: Jack Nagel and Adolf Laube. The car is a 1917 Maclaughlin owned by Fred Nagel.”

So there’s good who’s who of the Nagels here and others too. People seemed to have a really strong family dynamic back then and more so than today, or so it feels. Mary was Jacob’s wife. The name Nagel comes up often in the area, and no doubt they had much extended family nearby. Even today it appears in these parts, but we’re not sure if all are connected to these folks in some way.

We know for certain John, Fred (Frederick) and Ella listed in the caption, were the Nagel’s kids, but other siblings appear in the photos. Only we don’t know who is who for certain. They had eleven children according to Mr Nagel’s death records, but we don’t know all of them by name. Presumably some, but not all, are in the old photo. Couples had big broods back then and the size of the house reflects this. With that many, even it must have been cramped and chaotic at times.

The Nagels lived in the area starting in the early 1910s and likely in this house since it was built. The family moved out in 1927 and the folks who lived here afterwards, unfortunately, is not presently known. We need the local history book more and more.

You’ll note there was a barn on the property in the old photo. It was a farm after all, and no doubt there were other outbuildings there too. Then as today, cultivated fields surround the grounds and these extend to the horizon in every direction. The general region is semi-arid, but still seems quite productive for growing grain.

McLaughlin of Ontario, formerly McLaughlin Carriage Company, late in the 1910s became a component of General Motors of Canada. Starting in the 1920s they used the name McLaughlin-Buick, but a couple decades later it fell from use. Their cars, mostly Buick-based (and some Chevrolet) seemed well regarded and they sold well as a result.

The RM of Happyland originally used the name RM of Prussia but anti-German sentiment during World War One forced a change. Lots of folks in the area weren’t even from Germany, and just spoke the language, but that was enough of an association. As for the RM of Happyland? A cheery, positive and upbeat settler, it’s said, suggested the name and the rest is history.

Know more about the area (new tab): Rural Municipality of Happyland Saskatchewan and the Nagel’s car: McLaughlin Motor Car Company.

They’re saying…

“Chris and Connie have a unique way of documenting the places they visit, not copying the style or technique of others, but making it their own.” Alex Craig, Filmmaker.

SK fun…
Prairie Sentinels: Coderre Saskatchewan.
RCAF/CFS Alsask Radar Dome.
CNR #1158 at the Western Development Museum.

Something to say and no one to say it to? Go here: Contact Us!

Date of adventure: 1917 and August 2024.
Location: Rural Municipality of Happyland Saskatchewan.
Article references and thanks: UofC Photo Archives, FindAGrave.com, RMOfHappyland.ca, Leader Weekly News January 9th 1947 (Jacob’s obituary) the local history book (incomplete) and all the area-knowledgeable readers on our Facebook page.

The Nagel House, RM of Happyland SK over 100 years apart.

The post Nagel House RM of Happyland Saskatchewan first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

This locomotive represents one the CPR’s earliest diesel acquisitions and at the time, looked upon as somewhat experimental. Perhaps with a touch of scepticism by old timers as well. The success or failure of this unit, and its kin, would influence the CPR’s motive power purchasing decisions for years to come.

It’s safe to say that steamers would continue to dominate (for a time anyway) if these early diesels proved a failure, but if a hit, it’d open up the floodgates for further orders. They quickly won over the railway, but the transition didn’t happen overnight and steam locomotives weren’t eliminated from the CPR system until 1960.

Our subject is an Alco (American Locomotive Company, Schenectady NY) model S2, a rugged and basic switcher. Offered from 1940 to 1950, this S2 dates from September 1944 (as serial #72830). At this date the CPR had only a handful of diesels and this makes it a very early example. The CPR’s oldest S2s were from 1943, with the out-shopping of 7010-7014 and 7019 is from a second order (units 7015-7024).

These early diesels were of riveted steel and that’s much like the steam engines they’d replace. Not until the 1950s would Alco switch to using modern welds.

The engine carries an early version of the CPR’s Tuscan red and black scheme used on steam engines. It later received other paint schemes including later in its service life, the CPR’s “Action Red” scheme.

This engine was classed DES-3b when built and the plate for this, along with one from builder are visible on the cab.

Interestingly, these engines were more expensive to purchase than an equivalent steam locomotive, but their reliability and efficiency made up for the extra costs. This price difference was several tens of thousands at the time. In the end the CPR would roster close to ninety S2s (built 1943-1948) and many other Alco S series switchers that came later. They were a success.

Alco diesels used GE electrical gear – traction motors and generators for example – you can see their name on the builder’s plate. This gear was well regarded for ruggedness and reliability. Alco and GE worked closely for a time before having a falling-out of sorts in the 1950s. GE, who also built locomotives (mostly small industrial ones at the time), continued to supply electrical gear to Alco afterwards, but they otherwise ceased to cooperate together.

Later GE would expand their sales efforts and entered the larger road locomotive market. This was Alco’s bread and butter and would eventfully drive the former out of business in 1969. Today GE is the dominate locomotive supplier for US and Canadian railways. Those elsewhere in the world too.

Alco had a Canadian subsidiary, the Montreal Locomotive Works, but they didn’t begin diesel production until 1948. In 1944 the technology was still too new and the orders here in Canada too small to worry about setting up production just yet. In the interim MLW continued to build steam engines for Canadian and foreign railways, and was content to let the parent company supply diesel orders that came in.

MLW would give up building steam by the late 1940s, when it became clear that diesels would take over completely. At first, many railways thought them only useful in switching roles and approached the subject cautiously. Then sales took off, especially in the 1950s.

Montreal Locomotive Works outlasted its parent company and remained in business until the mid 1980s. During WW2, they built tanks and at other times, various other products.

Switchers often hide away in yards and inaccessible industrial areas out of the public eye. Gritty, well hidden places. As such they don’t always evoke the same romantic notions as mainline power (or steamers especially).

At the start, 7019 stayed close to Calgary so management could keep a close eye on it. The technology had yet to fully prove itself and they also didn’t want it straying too far from a service facility. Diesels turned out to be more reliable than anticipated and far above that of an equivalent stream locomotive. They were also economical to operate and service.

In later years, this engine also found work in Saskatchewan (other places too). Reader Jim Lanigan (of the Locomotive & Railway Historical Society of Western Canada) had a big hand in its preservation and sent information where it operated.

“It was assigned to Calgary from October 1944-October 1955, and Regina (sometimes Moose Jaw in later years) from October 1955 until it was retired in October 1984.”

A photo dated 1984 found during research shows it in the deadline in Winnipeg Manitoba. The always frugal railway kept locomotives in service for thirty or forty years when they could, and got every last mile out of them. Case in point here.

Shorty after retirement it was restored to its current appearance and mounted here at the entrance to the park.

Jim added this interesting tidbit…

“The Alco S2s were initially acquired on an “experimental” basis to verify the diesel-electric’s performance relative to steam locomotives in yard switching service for, in the minds of most early-1940s CPR motive power officials, diesel locomotives were unlikely to challenge steam power in passenger and freight train services.” That’s conservative thinking and it’s a pretty typical mindset for the railway.

Tagging along with this engine is CPR caboose 437358. This “van” (as crews often called them) was built in 1949 at the company’s huge Angus Shop complex in Montreal. Also destined to work in obscurity, it could likely be seen trailing behind local and long distance freights across the west. It arrived here about the same time as S2 7019.

While one can still find the occasional caboose in railway service – they use them for special back up moves for example – most were scrapped in the 1980s and 1990s. As a kid you could always remember getting a friendly wave from the tail end crew in the caboose as the train passed. These trailed every train and are still an iconic symbol of the railways.

The other locomotive at the entrance of Heritage Park is Selkirk 5931. It’s from a group of the biggest, heaviest and most powerful steam engines on the CP roster. It and five others (of thirty-six built in total), were the last steam locomotives made for the railway (in 1949).

We’ve found some nice old photos of it to use much as we did here, and we’re planning a return visit to the entrance to Heritage Park to do just that. Stay tuned…but give us some time…we’re slow as molasses due to a heavy workload.

The Then image comes thanks to our pals at the University of Calgary and for this we’re forever in their debt. It’s from the Floyd Yeats collection and is dated October 1944. The caption reads Alyth and that’s the CPR’s big yard in town.

Floyd was a lifelong employee of the CPR (as a member of a train crew) and fortunately for us, he took his camera along on many of his trips. His collection is a behind-the-scenes look at railway operations of the day and are hugely fascinating.

A second photo from Floyd, dated specifically October 10th, 1944, shows 7019 elsewhere in the Alyth yard and has the caption: “First day of service for diesel locomotives in Calgary”. This image also appear on the information plaque on the fence seen out front of 7019 today (scroll down to the photos).

It’s assumed the photo used by us dates from about the same time and perhaps it was even captured on the same day. The locomotive still appears clean and in railroading, equipment doesn’t stay that way for long. That being said, it’s seen in the old photo as brand new or almost so. It must have been quite the curiosity at the time and a glimpse into the future.

We don’t know who the people are in the old photo, but they seemed mostly focused on 7019. All appear to be crew, except for one person in a suit and maybe they were management. Perhaps they’re briefing crews about these recent acquisitions, but it’s only a guess. Sister locomotive 7018 also appears in the photo.

Know more (new tab): Canadian Pacific Railway Alco S2 #7019.

They’re saying…

“Thank you so much for your fantastic articles and photos. Alberta and BC are dear to my heart. I could spend 24/7 here with you! I especially love the before and after articles. Keep up the great work guys!! I was born and raised in Calgary in the 50’s so this history is my passion.” Joanne Winchester Honer.

Train themed…
Moose Jaw SK Train Station (~90 Yrs Apart).
Carbon Alberta 1946, 1992 & 2024 (also using a Floyd Yeats Then photo).
27 Years Apart with Alberta Prairie Ry #41.

Something to say and no one to say it to? Go here: Contact Us!

Date of adventure: October 1944 (Floyd Yeats) and June 2025.
Location: Calgary, Alberta.
Article references and thanks: Canadian Trackside Guides, UofC Photo Archives (Floyd Yeats collection), Heritage Park, Larry Buchan (deceased – a friend who also knew Floyd), and Jim Lanigan of the Locomotive & Railway Historical Society of Western Canada.

CPR #7019 in Calgary 1944 (brand new) and 2025.

It’s now at the entrance to Heritage Park in Calgary’s SW.

A brief history of the locomotive and caboose.

It spent most its working life in the west, Calgary included.

#7019 was retired and put on display in the 1980s.

Built by the American Locomotive Company 1944.

A caboose always brought up the rear.

Seen at the last light of day.

So many years, so many miles and now the work is done.

The post CPR 7019 Calgary 1944 & 2025 first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

It’s an absolute thrill to do and when the shots line up well, it feels pretty nice.

In this post you’ll see just how much has changed in this once bustling coal mining town. It’s like night and day. Back then, Centre Street in downtown was full of buildings and alive with people, but now there’s almost nothing left. The old bank, a shell of a building today, is all that remains from the old photo. Every other building you see from back then is gone and relegated to the history books.

Where people once shopped, banked and or watched a movie, is now mostly empty lots. They are all for sale (look at all those reality signs) and soon enough someone will snap them up. Expect homes and get-away cabins here in the future. Almost the entire area, once comprising the company town for the Brazeau Collieries in Nordegg, is up for grabs this way. The this section of upper Nordegg sometimes shows as a Brazeau on maps.

All those new sidewalks too, but no reason to use them…yet.

Side streets, once the site of company houses for the miners, radiate out in half-circular pattern, and on some newer dwellings are already in place. What was formerly a model coal-town will be seasonal retreats, mostly for people from elsewhere. Now the area is for outdoor recreation enthusiasts.

If we revisit this comparison a few years hence, and what we suspect comes true, the change is likely to be equally dramatic.

Nordegg is in a “Garden City” plan, an urban design philosophy popular long ago which features a central business district, surrounded by streets laid out in concentric circles. Or half-circles, like Nordegg.

There were one or two buildings from the old days on Centre Street in recent memory that are now gone. They were holdovers from the time the coal mine operated, but were in poor condition and as a hazard they were demolished.

This resonated poorly with some folks: “What they did to that town is a crime against history.” – Dan O. “They’ve destroyed the history of Nordegg…” – Sandra B. It would appear that any of those buildings were post the 1937 photo, but still old.

But then there’s this to consider…

“I worked on many of the buildings that WERE in the picture and the cost of restoration and upkeep was getting out of hand, so most of them were torn down” – Laary McDonald.

The Brazeau Coal Mine operated to the south of this shooting position (so behind us) and was in business from the 1910s to 1955. When it closed, the town all but died. Many of the buildings in the community, residential and in the business district, remained in place for some time after, however. Over the years they were demolished or removed, till almost nothing remained.

The company did not remove the processing plant in 1955 it’s now an historic site you can visit. They kept it intact for a time in case demand for Brazeau coal returned, but that never happened. The site is an amazing time capsule and absolutely huge, so be sure to book a tour when in the area.

For the buildings in the old photo we know the following…

On the left side of the street and working down, there’s the Brazeau Hotel (partial view), the Nordegg Theatre & Community Hall, the Miner’s Club and the Lakeview Hotel furthest in back.

On the right side, there’s the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and recall, it’s last building left in downtown from the old photo. It lost the little entry porch and appears to be nothing more than a hollow box. That’s a pharmacy beside it and the Big Horn Trading, a company store, is up next, followed by the Post Office. A boarding house is the furthest down.

There’s meat market listed for downtown, of that era, but it’s lost behind the Miner’s Club.

There you have it, a well rounded number of services and shops downtown. And now there’s nothing, although in other parts of the community closer to the highway, there are stores, gas stations and eateries.

The Then photo is thanks to the University of Calgary archives (Harold Kidd collection) and it’s dated Wednesday May 12th, 1937. Kidd’s name appears on many Nordegg area images that extensive library of photos. We know Kidd lived in the town for some time and seemed to be an avid photographer.

“The fonds consists of…photographs from Nordegg, Alberta of trains, the train station, buildings, stores, street scenes, a dogsled, religious services, Indigenous peoples and ceremonies, Harold Kidd and Harold’s brother, Stuart Kidd.” – Archives Society of Alberta/Alberta on Record. We may use other of his images in these historic comparisons next time we’re in the area.

The date of the Then photo corresponds with the coronation of King George VI and Elizabeth. The flags seem in the old image and the number of people milling about suggests some sort of celebration in honour of this event. People seemed to admire and celebrate the monarchy more back then.

A number of vehicles appear in the old image, in front of Big Horn Trading, but they’re too small to identify reliably.

The modern building on the left in the Now photo is for town use (we think). There is more to Nordegg, only it’s not really visible from this view. Especially with the fog, it seems like a completely different place.

Behind our shooting position is the 1940s built Nordegg Community Church (former Catholic Church). It was not there when Kidd captured his image, but it is the only other building historic in nature remaining in old downtown Nordegg. It still sees use and looks gorgeous there in the morning fog. That fog made for a magical experience, but was fleeting and soon gone.

Shunda Mountain (left) and Coliseum Mountain (right) are prominent in back. The view of downtown of Nordegg has changed considerably, but those big hunks of rock in back are timeless.

Know more about the town (new tab): Nordegg Alberta History.

They’re saying…

“The wonderful out-of-the way locations and the photos of them are pure gold…Keep up the good work!” William Gibbons.

Random awesomeness…
Berte George’s William’s Grocery Lethbridge.
Ioco Port Moody BC (Ghost Town).
The Lost LAV: Which Way to Wainwright?.
Calgary Transit #7632.

Something to say and no one to say it to? Go here: Contact Us!

Date of adventure: May 1937 and August, 2024.
Location: Nordegg Alberta.
Article reference and thanks: Town of Nordegg, UofC Photo Archives, Nordegg Museum, Book – To the Town That Bears Your Name and all the Nordegg-knowledgeable followers on our Facebook page (Pat Callies especially).

Centre Street in Nordegg Alberta 87 years apart.

This reverse angle shows the church behind the shooting position.

The former bank is just a shell.

There was once so much here…

The post Centre Street Nordegg Alberta 87 Years Apart first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

Completed in 1913 as the Moravian Church, it served that group until 1945 when a Lutheran congregation moved in. The Moravian Church had a declining membership and needed something smaller. Meanwhile, the Lutheran Church was seeing the opposite, and so the two groups traded locations. A datestone on St Matthew Church today commemorates the change over.

Not long before the 1940s exchange a serious fire damaged the sanctuary of the Moravian Church and this became the tipping point for the congregation. Repairs were a financial impossibility. The new owners fixed it up and at the same time changed the name to Jehovah Lutheran Church (sometimes shown as Jehovah Evangelical Lutheran Church). It became St Matthew (sometimes St Matthew’s) Lutheran in 1960.

The original Lutheran Church, only a block away, now became the Moravian Church. In later years it was sometimes called the Moravian Mennonite Church or Central Moravian Church (old Calgary phonebooks). The “little white church” (as it was also called), still exists as a home and we’ve shared a photo of it below.

St Matthew Church is in the Gothic Revival style and popular at the time of its construction. Especially so for places of faith. Typical elements include distinctive arched windows, often of varying size, steeply pitched roofs and prominent spires or steeples. The building is historically recognized and as you can see, nicely kept up.

“With its gothic design, this red brick structure was intended to emulate the religious edifices of eastern Germany.” – Hermis.ca. Moravians were were typically German speaking and most hailed from Eastern Europe.

The little bungalow on the left similarly appears to have changed little over the years and according to the city it dates to 1937. It’s covered in that crushed glass stucco so popular in the mid-century era. A small house by any standards, it’s on prime piece of land on a dead-end street, and has a view over the city. It’s amazing no one has bought and redeveloped the property. That’s the Calgary way after all.

One day someone will show up with a dump-truck load of cash and it’ll be gone.

The old Calgary General Hospital (with the curved façade) is seen in the background of the then photo. That sprawling complex dated back to the the 1940s-’50s and was demolished in the 1990s. A steeple belonging to Pentecostal Holiness Church (also listed as Zion Chapel) is seen there in back. That church last makes mention about 1970-ish and the property now functions as a parking lot for St Matthew.

The community of Bridgeland goes back to around 1910 and is just across the Bow River, plus a little northeast of Calgary’s downtown core. They called it German Town early on and that’s due to the many people that spoke the language living in the neighbourhood. There was and is a surprising number of churches in the immediate area and a quick map count shows something close to a dozen nearby today.

The original photo dates to 1955, and ours is from April 2025. Seventy years separate the images but unless you look close it’s not obvious. The city of Calgary is so dynamic and seems to change day to day, yet the view from this alley belies the fact. The cross atop the steeple is different, but otherwise that’s the only distinct change to the church.

Two old late ’40s or early ’50s era cars seen in the then image, but they’re too far back and the original photo too small to reliably identify.

The Moravian Faith is a branch of Protestantism and dates from the 1700s. It was founded and therefor most heavily practiced, in Eastern Europe. Lutheranism, also an offshoot of Protestant Christianity, dates form the 1500s and has origins in central Europe. Of the two Lutheranism has a larger member base, but ideology wise and very broadly speaking, they seem similar in more ways than not.

The Then photo is thanks to the Calgary Public Library and is from the Alison Jackson collection. Alison, an advocate for preserving Calgary’s history, was a prolific photographer and documented many old building in the city. She was active during the 1950s to 1970s period and her collection is huge. So much she documented has vanished and browsing the images is doorway to another time.

St Matthew, or Matthew the Apostle was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus and Jehovah is one of the many names given God. They offer services at St Matthew Church today in both German and English.

Know more (new tab): St Matthew Lutheran Church Calgary Bridgeland and Photographer Alison Jackson Calgary.

They’re saying…

“Chris and Connie delve into the nooks & crannies of the Canadian Prairies. They detail interesting histories, accompanied with revealing photos…the results are fantastic. Naomi Kikoak.

Random history…
Sibbald Gentleman’s Club (Closed).
Manyberries AB Train Station (Blt 1917).
Polish Hall Coleman Alberta (1927).

Something to say and no one to say it to? Go here: Contact Us!

Date of adventure: 1955 (Alison) + April and May 2025 (us).
Location: Calgary, Bridgeland.
Article references and thanks: Alison Jackson Collection @ Calgary Library, Alberta Heritage Survey Program (Hermis.ca), Henderson Directories, Medicine Hat & District Genealogical Society, the City of Calgary and St Matthew Lutheran Church Bridgeland.

St Matthew Church Bridgeland Calgary 1955 and 2025.

70 years later and the scene appears much as it was.

Built in 1913.

First the Moravian Church, then Jehovah Lutheran and now St Matthew Lutheran.

They moved from here in the 1940s – it’s now a home.

Services are held in German and English.

Marking the date the congregation acquired the building.

The post St Matthew Lutheran Calgary 70 Years Apart first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

The first image shows a view towards West Lawn Building (originally Male Chronic Building) and it’s the oldest structure in Riverview (built 1913). It’s been closed for some time now, but it and all the others here are watched over and kept up. The vegetation has grown up since the original capture and blocks the view from this angle, but everything is still there. The sidewalks, the stairs and the building itself. It’s hard to get a full shot of the latter, given all the growth.

This Then image is from the Royal BC Museum and for allowing use, we send our thanks.

The second image is not a direct angle and composition comparison, but still pretty close. We only found it after we shot there and remarkably it almost lined up exactly. This one shows a nurses’ graduating class of 1932 at the Centre Lawn Building (formerly Acute Psychopathic Unit). The structure is from 1924 and architecturally similar to West Lawn. Essondale/Riverview also functioned at as a training centre for nurses.

To know and see more about these two buildings, plus others in the Riverview complex, go here: Riverview Hospital Coquitlam BC.

This image comes from the the City of Coquitlam archives and once again, we’re appreciate it they allowed us use. There’s actually many more images in the two respective archives that we didn’t know of, and if we’re ever in the area again (fingers crossed), we’ll plan to shoot more comparisons there. We were unaware of many at the time of this visit (late 2023) and anyway with more it would have been overwhelming that pass. Now that we know the place, we relish the thought. This visit, we accompanied a couple friends, and had a grand time.

From that same trip…
Union Bay (Vancouver Island) Coal Wharf.
Royston Wrecks (Vancouver Island BC).
Alexandra Bridge Fraser Canyon BC.

Short Subjects: Reports a few paragraphs in length and brief in nature. Think silly little snippets, vignettes and things of that sort. You’ll be in and out in no time.

To reach out or to say hi, go here: contact us!

Date of adventure: 1932, 1940s (originals) and October 2023.
Location: Coquitlam, British Columbia.

West Lawn

The same view at Riverview Hospital Coquitlam BC, 1940s & 2023.

Up the stairs, and the West Lawn building comes into view.

Film photographer Rob Pohl left.

Centre Lawn

A nurses’ graduating class of 1932 and 91 years later.

One of many disused buildings in this former metal health facility complex.

The post Essondale/Riverview 2 Views first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

The original image is from a postcard and shows people’s belongings pilled up next to the tracks during a flood. The background area appears partially underwater and there’s flow ice visible as well. The railway line is slightly higher than surrounding land and this afforded these temporary refuges a little respite. Unless the waters rose more…

Rosedale was founded with the coming of the railway about a hundred and ten years ago. Coal mines drove the local economy for many decades but they’re relegated to history. Today, the community is home to several hundred people and was amalgamated into the town of Drumheller in the 1990s.

A group of houses and businesses are close by, but unseen in either photo. Some sections of town are behind that hill in the back and there’s more a bit to the west and northwest, all off frame. It looks as though there is nothing here, but we’re only looking in the wrong direction.

The Rosebud River is just to the left of the tracks, but similarly unseen in the photos. At this point it’s very close to where it joins the Red Deer River (also just behind that hill) and it’s that latter waterway which cut the wide valley here.

The 1948 flood is thanks to to an ice jam several kilometres to the east and down stream on the Red Deer River. This caused it and any rivers/creeks feeding it, in the immediate area, to back up and spill their banks. We found numerous documents that spoke of the Red Deer River flood that year and it affected a lot of people in low lying areas.

It’s not clear who the people are in the old photo. There are two if you look close, a man in a hat with trench coat and a lady in a kerchief plus long coat. Nor is it clear where they and their belongings came from. Presumably they resided in a house nearby, but today the nearest one is a couple hundred metres from this shooting position. At the base of the hill in back, but it’s not there in the old photo.

Various boxes, furniture and possessions are piled by the tracks. It all looks hastily placed and that’s understandable since floods don’t make appointments. Notice they stacked it all just far enough off to the side so as not to place them in the way of a passing train. Not that they were necessarily running at the time. The flood probably affected the tracks in many places and undermined roadbeds were a distinct possibility.

Research suggests it was days before the waters receded. What happened to these people’s lives as a result of this flood? It was tough time and you know this for sure. Did they recover and get on with life? Just another day in the Red Deer River Valley? Or did it impact them in a way that saw them forever changed? Did they move, for example? It’s not the first flood here, but perhaps one of the most damaging.

Vogue Studio of Drumheller produced the postcard and it seems they were quite active in the 1930s to 1940s period. Most, if not all their work showcases the local area, and while a few colour examples were produced, much of it is black and white. Despite spending much time researching this firm, not many details of the company, outside the little tidbits shared here, are known. Still, their work lives on via posts post like this.

The copy reads: Rosedale Flood April 21st, 1948 (hey, it’s April 21st today), Vogue Studio, 41. It comes from Peel’s Prairie Provinces and it’s a resource of the University of Alberta in Edmonton. Team BIGDoer sourced the Then image for this particular post, but readers also contribute many.

If you have an old photo showing a scene that would be a good starting point for this kind of treatment, please reach out. So ones taken by yourself or someone in your family. We’ll revisit the site, shoot something similar and write about it in a article. You’ll get credit and big thank you from us, plus we’ll all (likely) learn something in the process.

Finding the exact location of the Then photo was pretty simple and ditto for lining things up. This was one of the easiest Then and Nows we’ve done and most are far more difficult. We find the locations through research (if not told, and we always request minimal info) and by simple footwork. It’s more fun and challenging that way.

These tracks were part of a Canadian National Railway line running between Saskatoon Saskatchewan and Calgary Alberta. Put down in the 1910s, by the Canadian Northern Railway (Alberta Midland charter), it closed in the 2000s. They only pulled it up a year or so before our Now photo. That the rails are gone is pretty much the only significant change over time, and the rest of the scene today looks much as it did.

You might notice a mighty BIGDoermobile in our photo and they tend to sneak into these posts without us even noticing. All incarnations of this legendary vehicle are noteworthy for their ability to go anywhere, in spite of being lowly econo-boxes.

This is a repost of an old article and we brought it back with updated info, but using the original photos. We have hundred of posts that we should resurrect and will do that over time.

We hope you enjoyed this little visit to Rosedale Alberta and stay tuned for more Then and Nows down the road. We’re always shooting new ones and have quite a backlog.

Know more about the town (new tab): Town of Rosedale Alberta.

They’re saying…

Thank you so much for your fantastic articles and photos. Alberta and BC are dear to my heart. I could spend 24/7 here with you! I especially love the before and after articles. Keep up the great work guys!! I was born and raised in Calgary in the 50’s so this history is my passion. Joanne Winchester Honer.

Random awesomeness…
Commander Mine 1935-1956 In the same area.
The Greenhill Hotel Blairmore AB is Timeless.
Two Churches Trochu Alberta.

Something to say and no one to say it to? Go here: Contact Us!

Date of adventure: April 21st 1948 (Vogue Studios) and January, 2016 (us) – reposted April 21st, 2025!
Location: Rosedale, Alberta.
Article references and thanks: University of Alberta Archives, Canadian Trackide Guides, University of Calgary Archives and Medicine Hat & District Genealogical Society.

Rosedale Alberta 1948 and 2016.

The post Rosedale Alberta 1948 & 2016 first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

In the scenes used here we’re about thirty minutes into the picture. We see the main players, Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar (Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger respectively) tending to sheep. It’s a hopelessly mundane and thankless job if there ever was one, even if the setting is gorgeous. There’s bursts of hard work interspersed with looooong periods of utter boredom. It’s here that a relationship hatches between the two men.

This post was lost to a horrible database crash some months back and with some reworking is presented here as new. It’s from 2016. It needed some updating anyway and doing this was preferable over simply restoring from a back up. Many older articles were affected by this event and over time those still relevant will get a similar treatment as this one.

For this Then and Now, we simply picked random samples from that chapter of the movie to use as fodder. Notice that little has changed since they shot here but then again, in the mountains time tends to move differently. The producers had to make sure they left nothing behind so it was like they were never even here, but that’s standard practice these days.

The movie premiered in 2005 and filming occurred the year earlier. They shot all over Southern Alberta and Moose Mountain was just one location in used in the production. Others include Calgary, various parts of Kananaskis, Cowley, Fort Macleod and Beiseker.

The setting in the story is Wyoming and Alberta does a good job of doubling for the state. The general topography and even that “cowboy feel” is pretty similar between the two.

While Moose Mountain is said to be the namesake Brokeback Mountain, in some scenes a different peak, Mount Lougheed further west, doubles for it. The odd things they do in movies and one looks nothing like the other.

If you wish to visit Brokeback Meadows, hike the Moose Mountain Fire Lookout Trail, accessible off Highway #66 in Kananaskis and west of Bragg Creek. It’s a popular route and is easy to find. Refer to any number of hiking guides. We’ve visited it a couple times. Come for Brokeback, stay for the views. The latter are stupendous and get even better as you climb above Brokeback Meadows.

You might as well continue on the fire lookout at that point, which is further west on Brokeback/Moose Mountain.

We’re often asked how we line up the Now shots. When first starting we weren’t so good, but years of practise has helped a lot. It’s all done in-camera using a grid system that’s hard to describe really, that allows us reproduce the angle of the original with great deal of accuracy. It’s also dreadfully simple and almost old-fashioned in execution.

We review an original on paper, plot specifics point(s) and move around until things seem to match up. Then we’re done. Click! Usually we need only take three or four Now photos, each from a slightly spot, to get it right. It’s not done in post production, which would be far easier, but zero fun. Might as well challenge one’s self.

In hindsight, we should have posed ourselves in the same positions as the actors in the duplicated scenes. It didn’t click until afterwards and would have made the photos all the more interesting (more fun too). We’ll set a reminder should we ever revisit Moose Mountain and reshoot the piece.

Images from the movie are thanks to Focus Features.

Know more (new tab): Brokeback Mountain Movie 2005.

They’re saying…

“Thank you so much for your fantastic articles and photos. Alberta and BC are dear to my heart. I could spend 24/7 here with you!” Joanne Winchester Honer (Thanks! We visit SK too).

Random awesomeness…
Ghosts of the Crowsnest Subdivision.
JB Fletcher’s Ainsworth BC ~45 Years Apart.
CC Snowdon Building Calgary.

Something to say and no one to say it to? Go here: Contact Us!

Date of adventure: 2004 (the movie) and June 2016 (our shots).
Location: Moose Mountain, Kananaskis Alberta.

Looking down at Brokeback Meadows on Brokeback Mountain.

The scenes were actually filmed on Moose Mountain Kananaskis.

Turn a little more right and Calgary would be in view on a clear day.

This location doubles as one in Wyoming for the story.

The fire lookout at the summit of Moose Mountain.

Brokeback Meadows are just over that hump.

The post Brokeback Mountain – Brokeback Meadows (x3) first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

The Then image dates to 1911 and shows a group of ladies with baby carriages out front of the William George Liesemer House. How curious and it’s all the more puzzling given the town’s modest population at the time. Just under a thousand according to the local history book. Crunching the numbers tells us a higher than normal percentage of eligible ladies all had a babies around the same time.

A connection is suggested. Was this baby boom the result of weather event a year or so earlier. You know, one that forced everyone home for an extended period? Maybe break the monotony after being snowed-in (wink, wink)? Was there some magic properties in the local diet? Perhaps it’s something purely coincidental? Read on.

The WG Liesemer House is still here today, as you’ll see, and it’s a gorgeous place. It’s not that old in the original photo (heck the town was fairly new) and is one of many fine historical dwellings in Didsbury. We approve of that colour. In 1911 it was located very near the edge of the community, but that’s not the case any more. It’s grown several-fold in the 100+ years since.

The Liesemers built the house, and occupied for a few decades or so (missing and conflicting data). Since then it’s had many owners.

Mr Liesemer ran the local hardware store for a number of years and was active politically. “He was one of the first Commissioners of the town and served two years.” – Echos of an Era.

The Then image is thanks to the University of Calgary Archives and titled “Women and Baby Carriages, Didsbury, Alberta.” Some information about the people in the photo accompanied the file, but the context or reason(s) for it are not explained. Why so many babies…why the gathering? Why this house?

The names of most of the adults, plus some of the children are presented below.

Left to right front row: Miss Jackson with Mrs O Hembling’s children – Mrs Finkle – Mrs Louis Kalbfliesh (ed: possibly Kaulbfleisch or Kalbfleisch) – Mrs Liesemer with Laura, Evelyn and Ongeha (ed: spelled Orpha in the history book) Liesemer – Mrs Jack Findlay with George Finaly – Unknown – Mrs Bob Martin with Donald Martin – Unknown – Mrs Geiger with George Gieger – Mrs Amelia Perrin with Margaret Perrin – Mrs Chambers with Edith Chambers – Mrs Studer with Winnie Studer – Mrs Harbottle – Mrs Murray – Mrs J Hallman – Mrs H Siebert – Mrs Weigand with David Weigand – Mrs Huget with Aleda and Melvin Huget.

Left to right in the background: Mrs WG Liesemer – Mrs Ballard.

The local history book used this same photo and captioned the image. It reads: “1911 – A year celebrated for the fact that every woman in Didsbury was wheeling a baby buggy.” We’re not sure if that’s a completely accurate statement, and maybe it’s said jokingly or as an exaggeration. Still, an oddly curious number gave birth within a short span of each other.

The caption adds a little to the story, but doesn’t explain it all. I guess we’ll never know why all the kids and perhaps it’s chalked up to random chance. After all, people did have way more children back then compared to today.

Let’s run some names and see if we get any hits to help further explain the image. Many names didn’t show up at all, and others were mere footnotes, but a few came with some interesting tidbits. Even so, none offered any solid insights into the photo.

The first Liesemer: She’s called Martha and was an inlaw to Mr and Mrs WG. So WG’s brother’s wife. Martha was very active in the Temperance Union movement, so it’s possible the photo was organized by her and done in support of the cause. As part of a meeting? The Temperance movement was in full swing in the early 1910s, so it’s plausible.

Chambers: Interestingly, one Edith Chambers wrote the family entry in the local history book and presumably she’s the Chambers baby mentioned in the old photo. Studer: Mr Studer and WG Liesemer were in business together for a time and they lived only a few houses apart.

The second Liesemer:: It’s Annie and she’s wife to William George. Arnold, their son, was the the first boy born in the then village of Didsbury. Interestingly, the name Liesemer also appears many times as Leisemer (i and e switched) in the town history book.

A further search of Echos of an Era offers up nothing more about the old photo. Perhaps circumstances brought them all together and they decided a photo was in order? A support group maybe? A Temperance meeting as suggested earlier? Or maybe just for fun? Even a search of old Didsbury Pioneer Newspapers of the era offered up nothing definite.

So some the questions remain unanswered, but at least we sort of know the players and have some educated guesses at the reason for their gathering. Birds of a feather flock together and perhaps this includes ladies with young ones in Didsbury Alberta in the early 1910s. That’s good enough I guess, but being haters of open files, we’ll continue to search when time permits.

The Then image is a bit on the small side, so some details are hard to see. One thing is certain – hats were a big thing back in 1911. It appears all but one or two of the ladies are sans a head covering. They’re rather big, elaborate hats too and some appear adorned with flowers or feathers. Any children clearly seen also appear to be wearing chapeaus.

Didsbury boasted two millinery shops back then, including one belong to Miss Bowers (“what lovely hats she sold!”). Man, woman, rich or poor, it was normal to don a hat when outside and old photos prove this time and again.

Heavy full-coverage dresses were the fashion then and don’t look all that comfortable. Then add in all the layers underneath and it’d be a hot time on a summer’s day.

As you can see, the WG Liesemer House is little changed from then to now, so we don’t have much to babble on about on that front. The building itself is nearly exactly as it was, but other old photos found show this wasn’t always the case. In about the 1970s-80s period it’s seen with a modified upper floor, which eliminated the dormer above the front door, and there was no porch or picket fence either. These modifications rather ruined the aesthetic but interestingly, it was the same yellow back then.

At some point, someone (bless their souls) restored it to an as-built appearance and the WG Liesemer House looks great. Those obvious marks on the roof in the Now photo are not damaged shingles, but on closer examination they’re newer ones not yet weathered.

Didsbury was founded with the coming of the railway in the 1890s and that’s a story shared by many small prairie towns. With one came the other. It quickly grew, becoming a village in 1901 and then a town five years later. The railway still runs (right through the middle of town in fact) and it’s the Canadian Pacific Kansas City’s Edmonton to Calgary line.

The town present day has a population of about five thousand and surely some of those folks are descendants of the very people seen in the old photo. That’s a rabbit hole we’d surely go down had we the time and resources. However, we did a quick search and several of the last names shared in this post show up in local directories.

Most of the Then images used in these direct comparisons are sourced by the Team, but we also accept contributions from readers. If you have an old photo from a personal or family collection showing a scene like this, please reach out and we’ll guide you in. Broad street views and landscapes work best.

Then we’ll visit the location, shoot something similar, build a backstory and post it all on our various sites. You’ll get credit of course. If a direct comparison is not possible for what ever reason, we can still work with them and create something interesting. It’s about connecting places, or even things, across time. If we can match it up exactly, all the better, but it’s not the only goal.

Know more about the town (new tab): Didsbury Alberta.

They’re saying…

“Great tidbits of history, all in our own backyard!” David W Brandenburg.

Random awesomeness…
Empress Alberta at the 4th Meridian.
The Lonely Laing House (1910s).
CPR #4090, #4469 & Elko Station.

Something to say and no one to say it to? Go here: Contact Us!

Date of adventure: 1911 and March 2025.
Location: Didsbury, Alberta.
Article references and thanks: Book – Echos of an Era, History of Didsbury & District, Didsbury Museum, Government of Alberta, Didsbury Pioneer Newspapers of the time, Medicine Hat & District Genealogical Society and the UofC Photo Archives.

Baby-boom Dibsbury Alberta 1911 and the same house today.

It’s called the Liesemer House after the first owners.

The post Baby Boom in Didsbury Alberta first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

Coming by way of Fort William/Port Arthur Ontario (now collectively Thunder Bay) and later Yorkton Saskatchewan, its home today is the rolling foothills of west-central Alberta. The location is a real working ranch that doubles as an outdoor educational venue and youth camp. It’s called Aspen Ranch Outdoor Education Centre.

This article was earlier lost to a database crash, given a make-over and reposted here as new. While it would be a simple matter to restore straight from backups, many of the older posts (the ones effected) are outdated. A lot need a do-over anyway and this one begged for it. This piece received a full rewrite, but still uses the original images.

Canadian Locomotive Co #3043 new at the factory 1963 & in 2015.

We lost hundreds to the little “incident” and any still relevant will get a similar treatment before reposting. We’ll purge the rest and much of the older stuff is horrible anyway. Posts affected were from 2012-2016 and this one’s from 2015. The old photos are not the greatest but we had harsh light that day and our skills were not up the challenge.

We’ve haven’t been back to Aspen Ranch since, but have chatted with them over the years and they told us little has changed since our visit. Still, maybe it’s time we hit them up again?

Now back to the subject at hand…

Aspen Ranch set up a circular track with a siding, brought in a number of rail cars and this locomotive. At the time of our visit, they intended to use the rolling stock as part of an exhibit, where children can learn about railway history and safety. There’s no mention of this on their current website, so it’s possible plans are on hold.

Canadian Locomotive Company #3043 was fully operational and fired up occasionally back then. Presumably, that’s not changed.

It’s a small switcher (a model 40-H4-A1) with two axles and weighs in at 40 tons. The drive is diesel-hydraulic and this is perfectly fine for smaller locomotives, albeit not widely used in this part of the world. Diesel-electric is the standard.

One axle is driven and then connects to the other via side-rods, with an action very similar to that of a steam engine. Many of CLC’s final locomotives were diesel-hydraulic and in looking at old ads for the firm, it’s appears they hoped to cash in on that market. But it didn’t happen.

The Searle Grain company bought CLC #3043 new and used it to switch their grain terminal in Fort William Ontario. The Searle company had a network of prairie elevators and funneled grain here for loading onto to ships. Fort William and Port Arthur were side by side and would join to form Thunder Bay in 1970.

The Saskatchewan Wheat Pool later acquired the Searle terminal, but closed the facility later in the 1980s. The Pool then transferred the locomotive to their other terminal on the Port Arthur side of town, where it stayed until the mid-1990s. It appeared little used as this time.

The Pool later sold the locomotive to the grain firm Parrish and Heimbecker. It worked that company’s big terminal in Yorkton Saskatchewan up and until around 2009. After retirement P&H donated it to Aspen Ranch and the associate Little Creek Historical Society. A trucking firm offered their services gratis and the moved it to this site.

P&H had the locomotive rebuilt shortly before they disposed of it. Sadly, it suffered an engine fire not long after arriving at the ranch and this complicated matters. The compressor, generator and starter all received damage. Painted in a bright red, a P&H ghost logo is still visible on back of the cab.

The diamond-shaped builder’s plate located on the radiator grill went missing at some point. In old photos found during research, it’s clearly seen in many shots, even ones as late as the 2000s.

We’re sharing a photo showing the locomotive just as it emerged from the Canadian Locomotive Company factory and as you can see, it’s little changed.

The Canadian Locomotive Company was a long time builder and supplied motive power to Canadian carriers (Canadian National and Canadian Pacific among other) and railways around the world. Founded in the 1850s, they lasted until the late 1960s. They made other things, but even that could not save them in the end.

Steam ruled until the late 1940s, when the Canadian Locomotive Company made the transition to diesel and the changeover ultimately proved unsuccessful. Sales slowed after a few years and for the last decade the few locomotives produced were small and for industrial use.

The locomotive market ebbs and flows, so a shortage of work in that field is nothing new to the firm. Companies like it learned early on to exploit other avenues, so slow periods of locomotive sales could be weathered. The had done it in the past, but even diversification could not keep them going forever. The big railways for the most part abandoned the firm after 1957 and that lost business later proved their undoing.

Over the years, the Canadian Locomotive Company built mining and industrial equipment, fabricated steelwork and made large diesel engines for ships or industrial use. They made rock crushing plants, scrap yard car crushers and even golf carts are mentioned. The list goes on and on. The locomotive market is cyclical and smaller firms had find additional work in other areas.

CLC #3043 was one of two locomotives the company made in 1963 (business was that slow) and became the the very last produced for use in Canada. The firm would go one to make twenty one more locomotives (all exported, mostly to India) and produced the last in 1968.

The factory closed the following year, but not completely due to falling sales (which were troubling), but to a labour dispute. It would have closed eventually, anyway. The highest locomotive serial number turned out to be #3064 and with that the company ended 114 years of production.

From the early 1950s on Fairbanks Morse in the US owned this formerly independent company. FM was a large industrial concern and had their fingers in a lot of pies. CLC made FM designed locomotives in the 1950s, for the big carriers, but they proved unpopular compared to other makes.

There were other locomotive firms in Canada over the years but they’re all history now. The Canadian Locomotive Company held title as both the longest in business and the smallest in terms of output. They made just over three thousand locomotives in the hundred plus years they operated. In in contrast a larger factory (like those in the US) might have a yearly production of many hundreds or even approaching a thousand.

There’s an interesting mix of rail cars at Aspen Ranch, but we’ll only touch on them briefly here. A couple are near the locomotive and include a 1920s passenger car (ex-CNR) and 1950s era flat car (ex-CPR). These two are on that loop mentioned earlier and maybe one day for fun, they can hook them up to the locomotive and go round and round and round…and round…and… It’s just a circle.

A snow plow (ex-CNR 1930s) sits on a small length of track nearby. Elsewhere on the property there’s a box car (ex-CPR 1960s), ore car (ex-CPR 1950s) in one location, plus a caboose (ex-CPR 1970s) and a maintenance of way speeder in another. There’s also railway memorabilia on display too.

The ghost logo from the previous owner, P&H Grain, is still visible.

Cows roam sections of the property and they seemed to take great interest in the two of us. At times we were surrounded, mostly by calves, and they just kept coming. These animals are learning aids for agriculture awareness and stewardship programs.

We’d like to thank Aspen Ranch and the Little Creek Historical Society, who allowed us access everything seen in this report. We had a hoot. Hope you enjoyed this post as much as we did making it. We’re looking at the last of its kind here, a tiny little locomotive, in a remote corner of the property. Those who built it would surely be amazed that it’s survived.

The Then image is thanks to the Queen’s University Archives.

Know more about the firm that built #3043 (new tabs): Canadian Locomotive Company Kingston Ontario and the company that originally purchased it: Searle Grain Company.

They’re saying…

“The wonderful out-of-the way locations and the photos of them are pure gold…Keep up the good work!” William Gibbons.

Random railway awesomeness…
Ghost Railways: Fort Macleod Alberta.
Railway Barge Slip Rosebery BC (1989).
CPR Crowsnest Railyard (Summit Lake).
Camrose Heritage Railway Station & Park.

Something to say and no one to say it to? Go here: Contact Us!

Date of adventure: June, 2015.
Location: Near Sundre Alberta.
Article references and thanks: Aspen Ranch/Little Creek Historical Society, Canadian Trackside Guides and the book – Constructed in Kingston – A history of the Canadian Locomotive Company 1854-1968.

It holds title as CLC’s last locomotive for a Canadian customer.

A closer look…

CLC built their first locomotive in 1854.

They only built a few more locomotives after this one & then closed.

At an educational ranch in west-central Alberta.

The builders plate was located here.

From the 1920s.

They’re on a big circle of track.

It worked for a number of grain firms before coming here.

“This car too high to pass through Winnipeg train shed.”

Take a bite – a former CN Snowplow.

There’s other railcars scattered about the property.

Don’t tell the car rental company…

Underfoot.

Exploring is our happy place.

A former CP Rail Caboose.

The post Class of ’63 – Canadian Locomotive Co #3043 first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

Afterwards it found other uses and starting in the 1930s and for many, many decades after, it housed the unemployed or those of limited income. That’s after being empty for a time. Today it’s a church run housing facility and is also home to The Neighbourhood Victory Outreach.

The Ogden Hotel dates to 1912 and is in the neighbourhood of (you guessed it) Ogden, established that same year. That puts it in the southeast quadrant of the city. The building is right beside the entrance to the Canadian Pacific Railway’s Ogden Shops, built in the early 1910s. It’s a big industrial complex and many Ogden-ites found employment here. A streetcar brought in more from elsewhere in Calgary and stopped right out front of the hotel.

The shops were a busy place, with a steady stream of workers coming and going at all hours. This assured the Ogden Hotel a good business….mostly Beer Parlour business we suspect. It was the only drinking establishment in the area and railway workers being railway workers…well…the beer flowed. Maybe a little blood too, if the mood turned heated. No, railway guys back then didn’t like a good liquor-fueled brawl

The Calgary Brewing and Malting Company built the Ogden Hotel and saw it as a grand opportunity. Ogden, then a fast growing community, had no hotels or saloons, and with the completion of the railway shops (the second largest across the CPR system), this assured them a big customer base. They would have a virtual monopoly and the next nearest watering holes or lodging was kilometres away in downtown Calgary.

It was a gold mine waiting to be tapped…tapped…get it? Beer…tap? We’re here all night folks.

Of course, it was the sale of beer which motivated the breweries’ decision, but one could not (at the time) operate a Beer Parlour, without also offering accommodations. Jumping into the hotel business would give them a volume outlet, selling in-house products, plus a little side money renting rooms and operating the attached restaurant. Win/win!

However, not long after opening two things happened that changed the course. First, war broke out in 1914 and with men signing up to fight in Europe, the volume of customers dropped. Not the biggest problem. Alberta declared prohibition shortly afterwards and that would kill the business. That wonderful, beautiful, crisp golden liquid made the money.

Given that bleak outlook, the Calgary Brewing Company donated the building to the Red Cross, who used it as a convalescence centre for soldiers returning from World War One. It served that purpose from 1916 and until at least 1919.

Incidentally, it was common practice for breweries to be in the hotel business in the old days.

After its stint as a hospital, the building remained vacant for more a time. The province repealed prohibition in 1924, by the way, but by this point the brewery was out of the picture.

The city of Calgary purchased the building in the mid-1930s and used it to house the unemployed. Even after the Great Depression (ha – great), it continued to serve in that capacity into the late 1960s. In about 1970 the name changed to Alyth Lodge (was it still called the Ogden Hotel up until then?) and it became a low cost apartment complex. It would function as such for the next few decades.

We’re unsure if it remained a city property during these later times or became privately owned. Or privately owned and subsidized.

In 2007 Alyth Lodge became Victory Manor, run by the Victory Outreach Foundation, a church group, and it’s a home for folks in need. The old Ogden Hotel received renovations at this time. Interestingly, for the majority of its existence, it’s been a shelter for the broken or downtrodden.

The three story structure is the Classic Revival style. Typical elements include front columns, angled facades and verandas. The hotel is fairly simple in form, yet striking in its own right. The use of the brick gives it a wonderful deep red colouring.

The building does have a rather distorted appearance when viewed from certain positions. The front bends to correspond with a curve in Ogden Road, and meets the south facing wall at an odd-looking angle.

At one time the balconies in front had railings and were accessible from side doors. The doors remain, but presumably they don’t open anymore.

Chris here and in the 1990s I drove a delivery truck, with my daily route often taking me past the Ogden Hotel. It became a familiar sight and seen on an almost daily basis. A co-worker lived in the building and after a hard day’s work you might find a few of the drivers there (our HQ was not far away). Everyone would drop by for a bee…I mean…milk, cookies and bible readings. At that time, the place was the mother of all dives, but we understand it’s nicer now.

When built, there were over sixty rooms at the Ogden Hotel, a large bar (of course – it’s the profit centre ), a billiard hall, bowling alley and a big dining room. The latter was said to be one of the biggest in the city at the time. These all contributed to the bottom line, but make no bones about, it’s lagers and ales that make the money.

Ogden Hotel/Alyth Lodge/Victory Manor is one of only a handful of pre-World War One hotels remaining in Calgary. Its appearance changed little over time and the future looks decent.

Ogden, back in the old days, outside of the shops complex, was a sleepy backwater and well away from the city. The hotel was the centre of a small business area and social hub. Today there’s a liquor store, gas station and a couple eateries nearby, but otherwise it’s a pretty quiet area. Except for the trains and these come often.

The streetcar line closed in 1950 but buses still zip past. The Ogden Shops are no longer as important as they were in the past, with sections closed or downsized. The Canadian Pacific (sorry Canadian Pacific Kansas City) has an office complex here now, but overall, they’re a shadow of their former self. It’s still a huge complex, though

The Ogden Shops repaired and maintained company locomotives and railcars and during World War Two produced naval guns.

Depending on business levels, anywhere from several hundred to several thousand people worked here. Most were men, and what man doesn’t like beer after a day’s labour? It was these hard working, hard drinking types that were hotel customers in the early years.

A hobby store occupies part of the main floor and has for some time. I recall seeing it in the 1990s. Also a lingerie store back then.

The Then photos dates to when the Ogden Hotel functioned as a recovery hospital for war veterans (as the Ogden Military Hospital or Ogden Convalescent Home). It shows a group of military personnel in uniform, along with what are presumably hospital staff (in white). So nurses, orderlies and housekeepers, presumably. One of the soldiers has an eye-patch, but no obvious injuries are noted on any others. The image is small, however, so they might not be clear.

There was no other accompanying info with the photo, so we’re not sure the occasion or circumstance for it. It’s from the University of Calgary and for allowing use, we send thanks.

Let’s pay homage to the former Ogden Hotel. To the railway workers of long ago, those broken by war and all the folks down on their luck that once called it home…let’s all raise a cheer in their honour. It was a hoot writing about this historic structure and we’ve got other Then & Nows in the works where it’s the backdrop (if they work out). It has quite a storied history and we’re surely not the only ones to find it fascinating.

We appreciate you stopping by and stay tuned for more.

Know more (new tab): Ogden Hotel – Alyth Lodge – Victory Manor Calgary.

They’re saying…

“Chris and Connie have a unique way of documenting the places they visit, not copying the style or technique of others, but making it their own.” Alex Craig, Filmmaker.

Nearby…
Ogden Block – Hong Lee Laundry Calgary.

Random awesomeness…
Union Bay (Vancouver Island) Coal Wharf.
Farmer Jones Carz – Closed 2012.
Pilot Bay Smelter Remains.
Lost Lemon Mine.

Something to say and no one to say it to? Go here: Contact Us!

Date of adventure: Cicra 1916 (original) and September 2024 (us).
Location: Ogden, Calgary Alberta.
Article references and thanks: Alberta Register of Historic Places, City of Calgary and Victory Foundation.

At the old Ogden Hotel, over 100 years apart.

During WW1 it functioned as the Ogden Military Hospital.

It later became Alyth Lodge (low cost housing).

It’s now Victory Manor (social housing).

The building has an interesting and very storied history.

The post Ogden Hotel Calgary 100+ Years Apart first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

This series is about chronicling the changes to a scene, or lack there off, over a period of time. In the case of this one, most everything appears much as it did and and while dramatic differences are often the norm, here it’s subtleties. There were no trains seen on our visit (a maintenance rail-truck did pass), but they’re just one element in a very broad scene.

This in an older post that vanished in the great BIGDoer.com database crash of a few months ago. There’s backups, so it’s not gone forever, but we thought it’d be a good chance to redo the piece anyway, rather than simply restore. It needed some tidying up and reedits, as do most the older ones. This event took out hundreds of articles from 2012-2016 and those still relevant will get a do-over of some kind, just like this, before reposting.

The Then image comes thanks to well-noted railway photographer Greg McDonnell and is under his copyright. Let’s all thank him for allowing us to include it in this post, and we thank him for the the fun that came of it. We love doing these.

Greg’s shot dates to June 1974 and our capture, late October 2015. We always thought of reshooting this piece, but it was so much fun that time that we didn’t want to destroys fond memories. So we kept the older images, even if they’re not the greatest – back-lit subjects often look harsh, but it’s sometimes necessary.

You’ll see not a great deal has changed between the two eras. The track is the same, the mountains in back, ditto, the trees, the haze, it’s all as it was. Some things are gone now, so the telegraph lines for example, but that’s nothing much.

There’s lots of water in the old picture. The nearby Kootenay River (in behind, at the base of that low ridge) was in flood stage back when Greg was here, but on our visit, at more normal levels. The floodplains were dry. The waters rise and fall with the seasons, but in the old photo they’re unusually high.

We hoped a train would show for us, but of course, that didn’t happen. A couple freights passed before we arrived – the rail line and Kootenay Highway #93 parallel each other in the area – but once at the location, the old Kootenay Central went quiet. We waited for hours and hours, but were denied once again. We swear, as soon as we break out a camera, the trains all go into hiding.

A hi-rail maintenance truck passed, however, so it wasn’t a total loss. For the quiet moments, we bring a good book, some snacks and we’ll chat a lot, so even if things don’t work out, it’s still an enjoyable experience. In our busy, busy lives, a break like this is gold.

The train seen in the Then photo, according to Greg’s notes, was a detour and rerouted due to a nearby track washout. Given the water levels in the Kootenay River, it must have been a wet spring and perhaps this had something to do with it. Instead of heading east to the Crowsnest Pass using a different route, this train had to go north on the Kootenay Central and then turn west up by Golden. It’s perhaps the long way around, but necessary given the circumstances.

Leading the mixed freight are two Canadian Locomotive Company, Kingston Ontario, Fairbanks Morse (USA) designed H16-44 engines. That’s #8728 and #8555. A Montreal Locomotive Works (an American Locomotive Company USA affiliate) model RS-18, #8760 is in the trailing position. They date from 1957, 1955 and 1958 respectively.

The leading and second unit were retired about a year after the original capture. The CPR was the last major railway to roster “FM” locomotives anywhere and this was a huge draw to railway buffs. No doubt this was a motivator for Greg visiting one of their haunts, the the Kootenay Central line.

By this point the area was the only place to find these locomotives and other railways had long since disposed of this make. They were orphans on most railways and by the numbers had a less than stellar reputation for reliability. Still, the CPR coaxed every last mile out of those they owned.

The Canadian Pacific based their CLC/FM locomotives out of southeastern BC and southwestern Alberta. About mid-1975, and in one fell swoop, they were stricken off the roster. One week they were everywhere and the next there were none. The railfan community knew the days were numbered for this fleet and in anticipation of their demise, flocked to the region to say their goodbyes.

The last unit in that consist was fairly common by the numbers, but would a rarity out west. Typically MLW locomotives stayed in Ontario, Quebec and points east. That this one made it so far into enemy territory is quite odd.

The CPR retained this engine until around 1998, after a good rebuilding some years earlier. It later went on to be a lease unit and about a decade later was scrapped. MLW locomotives were better received than those of rival CLC, of the era, but those from General Motors proved most popular.

The Canadian Locomotive Company was the country’s oldest locomotive firm and it dated back to the 1850s. MLW started in the early 1900s and in the steam era were the largest firm in Canada, with CLC second. In the diesel era, each dropped a position after GM came on the scene. CLC closed down the late 1960s and MLW in the mid-1980s. GM left in the early 2010s and now this country has no locomotive builders.

Now all Canadian Locomotives come from the US, so Caterpillar’s Progress Rail (formerly GM USA) and General Electric (mostly the latter).

The track along here is the former Kootenay Central line, built over a century ago and now the CPR’s Windermere Subdivision. It’s a conduit for coal from the Sparwood area heading to the west coast for export. There’s other mixed freight too. While it can be a fairly active line, perhaps there was a traffic slump in play (the coal business can be volatile), or we just caught them at an odd time.

All we saw was a truck…a truck and nothing more. This could indicate a maintenance window and it’s possible they had to attend to some right of way work.

The exact location of the Then photo was not shared with us and that’s by request. We like not knowing too much and it makes finding the exact spot part of the fun.

In closing out this post, we once again have to thanks Greg McDonnell. He’s a noted train photographer, an author of many books on the subject and allowing us use of this image was a great honour.

If you have an old photograph, yours or in the public domain, train themed, showing a street scene or something similar that you think would make a good starting point for a BIGDoer.com comparison, please contact us. We’ll revisit the location to note any change and post the results here. You’ll get a shout-out too. It’s what we absolutely LOVE doing and new challenges are always welcome.

Know more (new tabs): Canadian Pacific Railway Kootenay Central and Railway Photographer Greg McDonnell.

They’re saying…

“Wonderful out-of-the way locations and the photos of them are pure gold…Keep up the good work!” William Gibbons.

Another made with Greg’s help…
Along the Crowsnest Sub (w Greg McDonnell).

Sister to #8555, #8554 is seen this post and survived into recent years before being scrapped…
Gas Plant Collection.

Random awesomeness and with a train theme…
Carbon Alberta 1946, 1992 & 2024.
Ghosts of the Crowsnest Subdivision.
Locomotives of 40 Mile Rail (Amazing Skies).

Something to say and no one to say it to? Go here: Contact Us!

Date of adventure: June 1974 (Greg) and October 2015 (us).
Location: Between Fort Steele and Wasa British Columbia.
Article references and thanks: Greg McDonnell, CPR Timetables, Canadian Trackside Guides and the Book – Constructed in Kingston.

Along the Kootenay Central, 1974 and 2015.

Waited for hours and all we saw was a maintenance truck.

The post Along the Kootenay Central w’ Greg McDonnell first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.