Monthly Archive: December 2013

Jubilee Auditorium Calgary

Calgary then and now – Jubilee Auditorium

The Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium in Calgary is a centre for performing arts, built in celebration of the province’s 50th anniversary (or “Jubilee” year) in 1955. Now close to sixty years old, the building is still a busy place and hosts many events throughout the year, and in in fact...

Heritage Hall Sait

Calgary then and now – Normal School – Institute of Technology and Arts – Heritage Hall SAIT

This post has been retired and an updated version can be found here: SAIT Heritage Hall (Built Early 1920s). See you there! They’re saying… “Great people and great articles! I am honored to know both Chris & Connie and to also have collaborated on photo trips or helped with research....

Calgary AB Cenotaph

Calgary then and now – Cenotaph and Memorial Park Library

For this “then and now” post, a two-parter, we visit Central Memorial Park to look at Calgary’s Cenotaph, the Boer War Statue and Memorial Park Library in behind. The originals that we’ll try to duplicate are from a couple old postcards provided to us by a reader of this blog...

Kelowna rail yard

Kelowna BC rail yards – 1989

It’s the spring of 1989 (I think) and after working for months on end without break, I take a couple days off from my job in Vancouver BC to visit the sunny Okanagan. I spend one afternoon in Kelowna where I explore the railway in town. What, no relaxing on...

CPR Beiseker train station

Canadian Pacific Railway Station, Beiseker Alberta

In this report we take a look at the CPR’s former Beiseker Alberta train station which now houses that town’s offices along with a library and museum. Celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2013, the building is in fine shape and sits only metres from where it was built. The railway...

Device To Root Out Evil

Riverside Iron Works

The former Riverside Iron Works site in the historic neighbourhood of Ramsay has found a new lease on life and some of the old buildings are being converted into offices and studios. Once a ratty old factory, gritty and dirty, parts have been cleaned up and remodelled and look as...

Bawlf Company grain elevator

The last Bawlf

The elevator seen here, the tallest thing for kilometres around, sits at a farm north of Fort MacLeod Alberta. An old building, some says it dates from the 1910s, the current owners think the 1920s, the structure was moved here, from a nearby town, way back in the 1970s. What...

Buffalo Jump Arts and Crafts

Buffalo Jump Arts and Crafts – with Jon Dirks

Located close to the historic site for which its named, the Buffalo Jump Arts and Crafts store not far from Gleichen is abandoned and forgotten and close to collapse. Empty and open to the elements, it’s only a matter of time before it’s gone. This structure is located along the...

Louise and Bell Blocks Calgary

Calgary then and now – Louise Block and Bell Block

For this Calgary then and now report, we take a look at the circa 1910 Louise Block and 1909 Bell Block located just south of downtown near the old warehouse district. Sitting alongside northbound MacLeod Trail, a busy artery into the core, thousands of cars a day pass by the...

1st St SW Calgary

Calgary then and now – 1st Street SW

In this report we look at a vintage postcard that shows 1st St SW in Calgary (undated – probably 1910s), and we return to that spot to see how it looks today. Of those buildings seen in the original image only one remains intact, although a second, the church at...

Boler camping trailer

Driveway Boler

Being so tiny, Boler trailers can fit nearly anywhere and when not being used they can often be found tucked away in back yards or in alley parking spots. Or as we see here, you can put it in an out of the way area at the the end of...

Enoch Sales House Calgary

The (Big Yellow) Enoch Sales house

To the motorists driving by on busy MacLeod Trail, it’s the Big Yellow house in Victoria Park just off downtown Calgary. Surrounded by parking lots and condo towers, it sits alone and looks terribly out of place and in fact it’s the only house left in the immediate area. It’s...

Buffalo Jump Gleichen

Gleichen Buffalo Jump – with Jon Dirks

For this adventure we’re accompanied by fellow history explorer Jon Dirks and together we examine an old forgotten Buffalo Jump not far from Gleichen Alberta. Know as a Pishkun (or Piskun) this was once a place of great importance to the Blackfoot People. Today it’s quiet, save for the noise...

Inglewood Alexandra School

Calgary then and now – Alexandra School

Alexandra School is located just east of downtown Calgary in the historic neighbourhood of Inglewood. Just over a century old, the building looks good, in spite of some ugly additions, and today is used as a community centre. The “then” image is from an old post card dated 1908 and...

Mewata Armoury Sherman Tank

Calgary then and now – Mewata Armoury

This post has been updated and can be found here: Mewata Armoury Downtown Calgary. To see other Calgary then and now series we’ve created, click these links… Waiting on the Queen (Calgary 1973). Calgary Then & Now: Ogden Bus Loop. Calgary Then & Now: From Tom Campbell Hill. If you’d...

Boler camping trailer

Shades of grey Boler

It’s been an amazing record year for Boler spotting and as of the writing of this report, we’ve seen fifty two so far. Included in that is out latest find, the “shades of grey” Boler found in Calgary in December of of 2013. They just keep coming and and we...

Devenish Apartments Calgary

Calgary then and now – Devenish Apartments

The Devenish Apartments are an amazing piece of architecture and they have been a well known Calgary landmark for just over a century now. Made of stunning deep-red brick and contrasting grey sandstone, the building stands proud and looks just as good as it did when it was built in...

Irricana AB grain elevators

Prairie Sentinels – Irricana Alberta

The two pictures seen here, taken in 1992 and 1997 (or maybe 1998), show a rare and unusual arrangement – a duplicate set of grain elevators serving two parallel rail lines. The track passing by, belongs to the CNR and CPR and is located in the tiny town of Irricana...

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