Monthly Archive: February 2014

Scotia Bank Saddledome

Calgary then and now – the Saddledome

A dome is an architectural element. Simply, think of it as the hollow upper half of a sphere or ball. Often used as the topping of a building or as a roof, many sports stadiums the world over have been built with this feature. Such an application requires large open...

Scalzo Collection Elbow Drive (4)

Calgary Transit then and now – Elbow Drive part 2

It’s time for another Calgary Transit then and now. We so love doing them, they’re a ton a fun! For this one we look at two photos from 1969, taken along Elbow Drive and we visit the area to see if we can find the locations shown in those pictures....

Victory Manor Calgary

Ogden Hotel – Alyth Lodge – Victory Manor

The Ogden Hotel, aka Alyth Lodge, now Victory Manor, celebrated its 100th year recently and with some recent renovations it will hopefully be around for a long, long time to come. Once lodging for visitors to the community it was also a watering hole for those working at the nearby...

Scalzo Collection Elbow Drive

Calgary Transit then and now – Elbow Drive part 1

In this Calgary Transit then and now report, we first look at some decades old pictures showing buses travelling along Elbow Drive and we visit those same locations to see what remains today. The originals are from 1969 and our visit takes place early this year. The trolley buses seen...

St Paul's Church Calgary

St Paul’s and St Pat’s

Built in 1885 and 1904 respectively, St Paul’s and St Patrick’s are some of the oldest churches in Calgary, and some of the oldest buildings in town period. When constructed they were not even with the city limits, not even close, and were located in the independent community of Midnapore....

MCI Classic Calgary Transit

MCI Classic

The transit buses that are the subject of this report are known as “Classics”. The ones seen here were built in the early 1990s and are the oldest such vehicles currently on the Calgary Transit roster. These old warriors will likely continue to serve for some time however, even in...

Brokeback Mexico alley

Brokeback Mountain then and now – Mexican alley

In this Brokeback Mountain then and now, the character Jack Twist has just travelled to Mexico to hook up with a prostitute, a scene that was actually shot in Calgary. Mexico…Calgary…who’s to know? All they needed to complete this chapter in the story was a suitably seedy alley, which they...

Trillium Jubilee Trailer

Not a Boler – a Trillium Jubilee

This Trillium Trailer was spotted parked in the storage yard of a large trucking firm. This brand is by far the most common of the Boler-like trailers and confusing one with the other is an easy mistake, especially if seen from a distance. This example however is the square-shaped Jubilee...

Mission Bridge 4th St SW

Calgary then and now – 4th St (Mission) Bridge

The Elbow River is a watercourse with multiple personalities, that at times can be calm and serene or a hellish raging torrent. Spanning it, just south of downtown Calgary, is the 4th St SW (or Mission) Bridge, the subject of this then and now report. Built almost a hundred years...

Scalzo Collection 115th Ave Edm

Edmonton Transit then and now – 115th Ave

In this then and now report, we look at two old photos showing Edmonton Transit trolley buses travelling along 115th Avenue and visit those same locations to see how things appear today. Like many from this series, we go in not knowing what if anything from the old photos remains....

Winter Fish Creek Park

Fish Creek Park western trails

This report has us visiting Fish Creek Provincial Park, an urban green space nestled in a valley at the south end of Calgary. One of the biggest parks in town, it’s home to a huge network of hiking trails, some of which we’ll explore this day. Our route, a combination...

Coleman Collieries downtown Coleman

Coleman Collieries plant (part 2)…going…going…

In part two of this report on the Coleman Collieries processing plant, we discuss the loss of the historic loadout complex and what might be in store for the rest of the buildings left standing at the site. They are, supposedly, recognized as historically significant, but it appears that might...

Coleman Collieries old building

Coleman Collieries plant (part 1)…going…going…

I’ve been holding off writing this article for well over a month. I just wasn’t ready, I was not prepared. Thinking about the subject made me upset and writing about it would only make things worse. They did it and I’m set aback. What were they thinking? Why did it...

West Canadian Collieries Locomotive

West Canadian Collieries #1 – then and now

A century old in 2014 and certainly looking its age, the steam locomotive seen in this report, West Canadian Collieries #1, came to the Crowsnest Pass in 1920 and was put on display in the 1960s. Looking neglected and forgotten, and hidden away behind some trees, it sits on a...

Sleepee Teepee Motel Blairmore

Blairmore then and now – Sleepee Teepee Motel

This post has been updated and can be found here: Sleepee Teepee Blairmore Alberta. If you like the Crowsnest Pass (we sure do), check out these reports… Frank then and now. One Mine Ridge. A little more Lille and a flat car. If you’d like to know more about what...

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