Here’s a pleasant city hike. Inspiration for it comes from the book Calgary’s Best Walks (Lori Beattie, 2015) and for the most part follows route ten as laid out in its pages. The trek takes in a nice mix of green spaces (well, white in the depths of winter) and parks, older well established neighbourhoods with tree-lined streets, and busy commercial strips. The going is flat as a pancake, save for the dip down to get in and out of the Nose Creek Valley. On our visit temperatures hovered in the mid -20s. Hopefully it’s not so frigid when you do it.
Start at Vista Street NE, at Airways Park and follow the paved pathway as it heads roughly northwest-ish behind a ball diamond. There’s nice views of the downtown skyline and the Alberta Rockies here. A parade of planes on approach to Calgary International can be seen, and heard, passing overhead. Look up! Moving on, drop down a bit and at a pedestrian bridge cross Deerfoot. The din! What’d you say? WHAT?!
Calgary’s Best Walks #10: a fun urban trek from that book. A Chris and Connie Adventure! (BIGDoer/Synd/CityOfCalgaryED)
Trend south-ish keeping next to a golf course. Cars noisily zip by just beyond the fence to the left. Cross Nose Creek, frozen solid on this arctic-themed day, hop over the CPR’s tracks (Calgary to Edmonton Line – sadly, no trains were seen) then turn left immediately. Head under 16th Ave and take the path that switchbacks upwards. Top out at a nice view point then hit the streets in the Renfrew Neighbourhood. Head north on Renfrew Street then turn left on 15th Avenue and follow it for a time.
Scroll down for photos and to comment
Left on Russel Road where 15th ends. Then in a short distance it’s right on Regal Crescent. The neighbourhood dates from just after World War Two. For a time the land here was home to Calgary’s airport. There’s lots of nice post-War houses to see in the area. Ones from then are always so small when compared to the giant McMansions of today. A few caught our eye…but then we’re suckers for old dwellings, even ones still lived in. And you thought we’re only after the abandoned stuff.
At 4th Street turn right and in a couple blocks go left on 14th Avenue. At 1st Street turn right, then almost immediately left on hitting 16th Avenue. Here’s where we deviate from the guidebook (they’ll have our hides!). We’re looking for lunch and head a couple blocks west to where the restaurants are. A Pho places fits the bill – warm soup on a cold day can’t be beat and anyway we’re cheap buggers and these places are always budget friendly.
Next door is the Central Landmark Building, home to an Asian Grocery store. In years past the notorious “Beacon Hotel” was located here. In the 1970s it was a rough and tumble place, with dive accommodations where no one in their right mind would stay, a couple dive bars, one for fans of cheap booze, another for fans of booze and boobs. Getting sloshed at the Beacon was right of passage for everyone fresh out of high school. Let’s go Freakin’ at the Beacon, they’d say (alternately “Get Peakin’ at the Beacon”). There was always trouble there. Drunks, drugs, fights, crime…you get the picture.
The place closed in the 1990s (I think it had another name them) and no one but the booze-hounds lamented its passing. The cops, well, they breathed a collective sigh of relief. The ghosts of scantily clad entertainers, near-naked lost souls roaming aimlessly about the halls of Central Landmark, are reported from time to time.
Head north up Centre Street in the Tuxedo Park neighbourhood. It’s an older community and dates back to the 1910s-1920s. A place of note seen along this section is Lina’s Italian Market. Lots of yummy stuff there, if you can afford it. At 22nd Avenue turn right passing many fine old homes as you go. On crossing Edmonton Trail (almost got mowed down there) enter the Winston Heights/Mountview neighbourhood (1930s-1950s era).
At 6th Street head left, then 24th Avenue a right, right again at 7th Street, then left once again back on 6th Avenue. At Victory Park, on a paved path, head towards the Fire Hall, then behind, the trailer park. This is no Sunnyvale, quite the opposite. It’s nice, tidy and orderly. One can’t help chuckle however thinking of Ricky, Lahey and Cyrus types causing trouble here. No matter what, trailer parks always come with this seedy reputation as is satirized in the show, even when it’s undeserved.
Head east-ish on a high escapement. Soon on, drop down to the main pathway where you came in and retrace your steps back to the car. There’s an easy dozen clicks behind you. Felt (to us) like a lot less.
We had some fun here. Suspect we’ll follow more routes outlines in the Calgary’s Best Walks book which we’ll share here over time. The author seems to have picked some fine routes taking in all manner of interesting things.
If you wish more information about this trail, by all means contact us!
Date of adventure: December, 2016. Location: Calgary, AB. Distance: 11.5km loop. Height gain maximum: Maybe 50-ish. Height gain cumulative: Maybe 100-ish. NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate. Technical bits and notes: The usual urban hazards. Reference: Calgary’s Best Walks by Lori Beattie.
Great memories (at the Beason), seen lots of great bands there Godo,Helix and many many more and not to mention lots of dancers and dancing Doug Johnson who would enter amateur days on Sat afternoon and then share his winnings in beer with his buddies LOL!
I drank a beer or two at the Beacon. Don’t ever remember a fight or drugs. Lots of old cowboys nursing their beer. Round tables with the red terry cloth covering. ALCB glasses with the line. Somebody doing a rendition of Dave Dudley’s “Six days on the road”. Early ’70’s
I recall a rougher place, but I knew it in the early 80s and perhaps attitudes different then. Oh yeah, brawls were common then. The strip club, it seemed, was particularly rowdy. Every bar had those glasses with the fill line. I remember them!
I remember the Brick being on that corner, at some point when I was kid it had an animated neon sign of some kind of character tipping his cowboy hat. We used to call him the Howdy Man. This is a vague memory lol I hope it was actually real!?
(A long read) After twelve years it's time to put a face to the name and come clean on something. That's rarely-seen Chris in the photo, one half of Team BIGDoer, my best friend for almost thirty years and orchestrator of everything you see here. For his entire adult life, he's battled a deep depression.
Mostly it's manageable, but there are extended bouts where it's crippling and his life comes to a grinding halt. Sometimes there are days or weeks where he's lost. Sleep does not come easy at this time and further aggravates the issue. As he ages, it's worsening and seems intent on destroying him from the inside.
If you see a lack of posts here, or ones poorly worded, confusing or simply off, it's from one of these periods.
Through all this, he remains as kind, thoughtful and loving as ever, but is somewhere else. To the family, it's just Chris and accepted as it should be. The kids and grandkids adore him no less. Until today, however, this has been hidden from the outside world, although closer friends and some readers were probably already suspect of his condition. I hope admitting this does not break the site.
He finds clarity when we're out and doing things, hiking or documenting something historic and it's only THE reason this page and our website exists. It's therapy. Then he's a new and passionate person, but the monster as he calls it always returns. The Beer Parlour Project has brought out a side I've never seen and when out in the field he's never been so on point and confident.
This post is not for sympathy but to inform. Just so you know where he is and here's what you can do to help (a last ditch request)...
If you see a missed comma or oddly worded sentence in a post, please be kind. You'll probably see his uncertainty when he's off and be nice there too. But if you like what you see, even if the write up could be presented better, post your encouragement. Say something and say it loud...it's important and will keep him sharing. Help Chris get better by cheering him on.
Other than some photos that are mine, everything else comes from him. All the tiring research and the writing (he admits he's NOT a writer), are his.
Chris puts every dollar he makes into this "project of a lifetime", and it's supplemented by donations from readers who enjoy the content. If you want to help...
Admittedly he was not thrilled with the idea of posting this but agrees it probably should be said, even if it makes him uneasy. He doesn't like appearing in photos either. He's so shy, thinks he looks goofy and hates his husky eyes. I love them and they're windows into a wonderful, complex and quiet, but tortured soul. It breaks my heart when he's in a bad space.
This image comes thanks to photographer Arturo Pianzola and was captured while exploring the historic Riverview Mental Hospital in Coquitlam BC. Chris thought since he was in the area last year, he'd stop by to visit with a grandfather he never really knew, who spent his last years at the facility and is buried on the grounds.
Thanks for listening and your understanding. Hopefully we'll see you next week. Johanna (Connie).
Journey of Natty Gann (Disney 1985) and the same location in the Crowsnest Pass 2014. We're visiting the Pass over the new year, as we often do, and this time we'll be staying at a house that appears (briefly) in the film. How cool, eh? Chris has decided it's time on this visit to reshoot this and other Natty Gann comparison shots we did from ten years ago. Stay tuned!
This scene was shot in historic downtown Coleman and shows the former Holyk's Grocery. It was built in the early 1900s and the store closed in the '60s. _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Johanna (Connie).
From 2015. Rob Pohl and his strange old-style view camera joined us in documenting the Laing House (with permission). Head down to the comments to see an amazing coincidence with something I found inside.
From the Crossley slides, it's an undated view of Towers School, out near Cluny Alberta. It was originally called Swastika School but that's before the word and symbol were ruined by negative connotations. Built 1922. Gone? _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Chris.
The same alley in downtown Calgary's west end, in the 1970s & today. You have to look hard to see the connection! The area was quite run down back then and is in stark contrast to all the shiny condo towers seen present day. Calgary Place West, an apartment block, appears in both images although it's barely a sliver in ours. Check the comments for more info.
Photo credit: James Tworow collection. _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Chris.
Lost highways (2022): a section of old #93 in Southeastern BC. That BIGDoer-mobile is gone now but quite famous and had a following of its own. Old mine roads, cow paths, 4x4ing across fields - no problem and people would recognize us out in remote areas just by this car. _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Chris.
Saw Mitzy (ping pong queen) Dupree there (at the Beacon).
I’ve opened a can of worms. Let’s not go there!
(via Facebook)
We loved freakin at the beacon!! Especially on Halloween!
Out what a fun time!
Great memories (at the Beason), seen lots of great bands there Godo,Helix and many many more and not to mention lots of dancers and dancing Doug Johnson who would enter amateur days on Sat afternoon and then share his winnings in beer with his buddies LOL!
Great bands, great times!
Spent a few Friday nights “Freakin at the Beacon” back in the day!! Had a lot of fun there!!
Everyone speaks highly of it. One for Freakin’.
Beacon was not just a name. They had a revolving beacon light that could be seen from Hwy 2 south as you approached Calgary.
Wow, it really was the “Beacon”. Thanks for commenting!
(via Facebook)
Peekin at the Beacon was a blast.
Peakin’, freakin’, the jury is still split.
Amazing how you capture ordinary places and through your photos and writings and a bit of subtle humor make them something special and interesting.
Comment of the day! Thanks. A lot of of people don’t get that type of humour.
I drank a beer or two at the Beacon. Don’t ever remember a fight or drugs. Lots of old cowboys nursing their beer. Round tables with the red terry cloth covering. ALCB glasses with the line. Somebody doing a rendition of Dave Dudley’s “Six days on the road”. Early ’70’s
I recall a rougher place, but I knew it in the early 80s and perhaps attitudes different then. Oh yeah, brawls were common then. The strip club, it seemed, was particularly rowdy. Every bar had those glasses with the fill line. I remember them!
I remember the Brick being on that corner, at some point when I was kid it had an animated neon sign of some kind of character tipping his cowboy hat. We used to call him the Howdy Man. This is a vague memory lol I hope it was actually real!?
Yes, the Brick! I remember. That sign though, don’t recall it. It sounded cool.