Monthly Archive: June 2014

Cadillac Saskatchewan elevator

Prairie Sentinels – Cadillac Saskatchewan

In May 2014, Connie and I were on a grain elevator tour of southwest Saskatchewan. We took in so many “prairie sentinels” that we still have not tallied up the number we saw. I thought it would be best to write the reports on them in the order they were...

Zion United Moose Jaw

Moose Jaw SK then and now – Zion United Church

This report we’ll be looking at the Zion United Church in historic downtown Moose Jaw Saskatchewan. The building is just over a century old and is architecturally quite impressive. Stunning and beautiful are but a couple words that could describe it. Still used for services today, it’s in fine shape...

Seventeen foot Boler

Millarville Boler

While heading home from an amazing hike in the Sheep River area of Kananaskis (Missinglink Mountain), we spotted this 17 foot Boler trailer near the small community of Millarville Alberta. As with all we come across, we are bound by the rules of the game to stop, turn around and...

Cat Creek Hills views

Cat Creek Hills

This is one trip where we ask you NOT to follow our ascent route. Please, for the love of God, do not do it. Simply, it’s hell. Kilometre after kilometre of bush bashing, the trail so overgrown that at times it felt like we were in a jungle. Passage was...

Pennant SK grain elevator

Prairie Sentinels – Pennant Saskatchewan

The small town of Pennant is another stop on our spring 2014 grain elevator tour of southwest Saskatchewan. We spend five glorious and wonderfully chaotic days exploring back roads in the area taking in as many “Wheat Kings” as we can in that time. I still haven’t added up just...

Railcar Saskatchewan

Champion Park

This adventure we’re at Champion Park, near Okotoks. No doubt if you’ve travelled the #2 highway south of Calgary you’ve seen it. You know the place, the yard with the full size “train set”, located on the east side of the highway? That’s it! We’ve passed by it countless times...

Top of Powderface Ridge

Powderface Ridge

I’ve been told the views from Powderface Ridge are amazing. We’ve heard nothing but good things about the place. So why the in the world did we pick a cloudy day to tackle this trail? Are we crazy? Well maybe…yes, a bit…but that’s another story. We heard that the clouds...

Green and white Boler

Dandelion Boler

It’s spring and Boler sightings are sure to be on the rise! Leading off what we hope to be a flurry of Boler-related activity is this cute little green and white trailer, found in Calgary in May 2014, sitting in a field of dandelions (also a sign of spring). I...

CNR bridge Ogden Road

Bridge hunting – CNR Ogden

The train bridge that is the subject of this report is located in the Calgary community of Ogden and carries the CNR railway line over a canal, bike path, more train tracks, and finally a busy road. At just over a century old, the fine structure look ready to serve...

Battrum Saskatchewan elevator

Prairie Sentinels – Battrum Saskatchewan

About the only thing left in Battrum Saskatchewan is the lonely grain elevator that is the subject of this report. A former Saskatchewan Wheat Pool facility, it stands vigil alongside a sleepy railway line as it has for decade after decade. Once a busy place and the economic lifeblood of...

Eriba Triton

Honourary Boler – Eriba Triton

The tiny trailer seen here, an Eriba Triton, shares little in common with a Boler outside its compact size and cute appearance. I’d say that’s just enough to give it honourary status (see “*” footnote below). Common in Europe, they are not often seen in this part of the world,...

Lamborghini bull

Old trucks and vehicles – May 2014

All the vehicles seen in this article, numerous old tractors, lots of pickups, a few heavy duty trucks, along with one classic car, were found in the tiny community of Rockyford Alberta. In the mix is a disproportionate number of International Harvester vehicles. Also noteworthy are some Lamborghini tractors (yes,...

Dominion Bridge Ramasy

Calgary then and now – Dominion Bridge

These then and now posts are becoming a BIGDoer.com trademark. In this one, we look at the old Dominion Bridge complex in the Calgary neighbourhood of Ramsay. The first photo is from 1950s, or perhaps the early 1960s at the latest. There are many buildings in the factory but in...

Homemade RV motorhome

Mystery Machine – Green Machine – Strange homemade RV

In this post we look at a van made up as the Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine, a funky 1970s Champion motorhome (painted green no less) and lastly, a strange and wonderful homemade RV. All these were found in Calgary, completely by chance, as we walked or drove about town. We find...

Old building Rockyford AB

Brokeback Mountain then and now – Riverton WY Post Office

In film Brokeback Mountain, the village of Rockyford Alberta doubles as Riverton Wyoming (and other towns – read on). In this brief scene, an old building in town is made up to appear as the local US Post Office. A beat-up pickup truck is parked out front. The date is...

Abbey Saskatchewan elevator

Prairie Sentinels – Abbey Saskatchewan

Join us as we explore the last grain elevator in Abbey Saskatchewan, a small town on the open prairie, a tiny dot on the map, in the proverbial middle of nowhere. We’ve only been in the province for half a day and this is already the forth prairie sentinel we’ve...

Missinglink Mtn cliffs

Missinglink Mountain

Our objective this day is the oddly named Missinglink Mountain, located in the rolling foothills of Kananaskis Country west of Turner Valley and near the Sheep River. It’s a long undulating ridge with stunning views of the front range peaks to the west. It’s a bit of a trudge at...

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