The subject of this report is the massive CPR Bassano train station, moved from its namesake town to Beiseker for eventual display at the Alberta 2005 Centennial Railway Museum. It currently sits, boarded up and in rough shape, not far from the foundation which it is to eventually to be...
The tracks are still in place, but it’s been a good number of years since a train passed over the CNR Midland bridge that spans the Red Deer River near Drumheller Alberta. An imposing structure, many large concrete blocks can be seen in its deck, leftovers from the spring 2013...
What an awful sky. It’s just so grey and hazy and the colours are so flat. It’s not a great day for photography. It is however, a great day to explore – every day is – and on this urban adventure, we take in the west trail in Edworthy Park....
Here’s Boler #47 for the year – this one was posted out of order and we have already found #48 and #49. It’s the larger 17′ models and was found on the prairies near the picturesque town of Big Valley Alberta, in September 2013. Spotted by chance, as it often...
The charming town of Big Valley is like Disneyland for the history buff. There are so many things to explore including a traditional wooden grain elevator, a picturesque Canadian Northern railway station, lots of old and interesting buildings, including the lovely (and blue) St. Edmund’s church on a hill overlooking...
Located up the Sheep River Valley, Windy Point Ridge is a modest sized mound in an area of Kananaskis comprised of low rolling hills and ridges – the big mountains are still a good way off. Surprisingly rugged near the top, with drop-offs, cliffs and loose scree, it’s a short...
The High Noon Hills hiking trail is short, easy and quite pleasant. The trail follows a low undulating ridge through lovely meadows and forests, to a nice viewpoint on a grassy bluff overlooking the Long Prairie Creek valley. Located not far from the Kananaskis Country boundary, it’s one the first...
While travelling about we’ll often discover old and interesting vehicles hidden away in fields, back lots and industrial properties. We rarely search them out and stumble across most by accident. Often we’ll be heading to a neat historical site, or a scenic hiking trail, and in the process come away...
The CPR’s famous Spiral Tunnels were an important and costly project that allowed the railway to finally abandon its troublesome Big Hill. The latter was a steep and dangerous stretch of track and was a major bottleneck. The new bypass helped alleviate, but not totally solve, the congestion issues the...
The picturesque village of Big Valley Alberta is rich in history – railway history in particular. There is a beautifully restored train station, remains of a once busy railway divisional point with roundhouse, and the subject of this report, an iconic wooden grain elevator that for decades loaded rail cars....
This post has been updated and can be found here: CPR Water Tower Cranbrook BC. In our travels we’ve come across a few octagonal water tank foundations… Bridge hunting – Bullpound Alberta. Yahk then and now. If you’d like to know more about what you’ve seen here, by all means...
Located in a gorgeous setting on the shores of Moyie Lake, the town of Moyie BC was once famous for the huge St. Eugene Mine, the remains of which can still be seen today. Gone is the hustle and bustle of days past and all that’s left is a sleepy...
What a great day to explore the restored ghost town of Rowley Alberta. We are blessed with glorious blue skies with wispy white clouds, beautiful fall foliage and lovely browns, tans, greys and whites of the various buildings in town. It’s a wonderful autumn day and we have all of...
We spotted not one but two Boler trailers in the quaint mountain village of Field BC. Just blocks apart (the town is only a few blocks square), both are the less common and less cute (IMO) 17 foot models. While you’ll often see the original 13 foot Boler in a...
The remains of the Kootenay King Mine concentrator, cement walls and machinery support pads, a large wooden ore bin, and other bits are still visible a few kilometres up the Wildhorse River road. In production for only a brief time in the early 1950s, there many things to explore, surprising...
Small, egg-shaped and of course, cute as a button, one has to see the Scamp logo on this lightweight fibreglass trailer to confirm in fact that it’s not a Boler. Of all the Boler look-a-likes we’ve seen, this one stands out as the most similar in appearance – it’s like...
An editorial… If you are regular reader of this blog, you know we like to explore and study history. That’s our hobby. For this report, we enter a different realm and to pay the bills, we do historical research, for companies and societies and the like (plus Chris repairs vintage...
The hike up to Grotto Canyon is quite an easy trek, a stroll almost, yet there are rewarding views along the way. Travel is through a deep winding gorge before one emerges into a rocky valley surrounded by tall peaks. The creek bed is your trail much of the way...
Located in High River Alberta, almost downtown in fact, the old CPR railway bridge across the Highwood River has not seen a train in years. In spite of that the tracks are still in place, as though waiting for one to pass. This massive structure has stood fast for what...
Spotted while documenting The Great Beater Challenge, 2021 edition! Here, it's a little diversion into the near ghost town of Orkney Saskatchewan to look at a disused Patterson Grain Elevator. The structure dates from the 1970s and was built with features foreshadowing those used in high throughput grain terminals of today. Fast load systems and the like.
Check out that vintage yield sign and we doubt it's really needed any more. There's no traffic on these streets.
BTW, we got to chase the Beater Challenge 2023 and we'll post about it soon.
Exploring history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie. Photo: 2021. Posted by Connie.
After we drop off a couple rolls for processing, we'll call home! A little corner pharmacy, in a nondescript Calgary strip mall, and it's sort of lost in time. Shot in 2016 and we find anachronisms like this fascinating!
Exploring history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie. Posted by Connie.
Kaslo BC is home to many gorgeous buildings dating back to the mining boom of the 1890s. The Kaslo Hotel is a standout and from that period. It's stunning but far too classy for ragged wanderers like us!
Seen while passing through town on the road to adventure.
Exploring history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie. Photo: 2023. Posted by Connie.
St Francis in the Woods out in BC's East Kootenay region dates back over a century. It's sort of hidden away down a little backroad and is far removed from the modern world. While no longer used in a spiritual capacity, it still hosts community functions from time to time. Otherwise, silence rules.
Know more about this subject in a link posted to the comments.
Exploring history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie. Photo: 2023. Posted by Connie.
The same stone house about a century apart and from almost the same angle. It came close to being a proper Then & Now, but interestingly, we didn't know of the old photo when we captured ours.
The house was only lived in for a few decades, starting about 1910 and abandoned on account of arid conditions.
A family of twelve (yes, two parents plus TEN kids) lived in this modest-sized dwelling. Those early pioneers were hardcore. A house in the middle of nowhere, farming conditions that at best were marginal, brutal winters, few neighbours, little of anything and a bus load of children to raise in a house the size of a garage. Give them credit!
Know more via a link in the comments.
Exploring history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie. Photo: 2015. Posted by Connie.
The Fort Motel in Fort MacLeod Alberta, seen in an old postcard circa 1960 and again on a quiet evening late in 2023. It's one of many old style motor-court motels in this historic town and as you can see it's little changed over time. Too bad about that sign, though. The Fort Motel first makes mention in phone directories in the early fifties.
To know about our subject scroll down to a link in the comments. Hey Lethbridge Historical Society, thought you'd like this!
Exploring history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie. Posted by Connie.
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