Here’s a fine city trek, a loop of sorts taking in the entire length of Edmonton Trail in Calgary’s (shallow) Northeast and on the return leg quieter residential streets off to the east. It’s like going back in time, the closer one gets to downtown, the older things become. There’s plenty to see including many interesting old houses and churches and other stuff. If you get growlies there’s plenty of places that can fill the void. Not a bad little stroll if we do say so.
Begin at the far northern reaches of Edmonton Trail where it dead-ends at a bus gate. There’s some on-street parking here. Head south passing commercial strip malls, residential areas and numerous businesses. To your left, an old hotel is seen. Closed up for a few years now, the former Quality Inn (nee: Airliner Motor Inn, built 1960s), is today being turned into housing for the working poor.
Edmonton Trail: there ‘n’ back and a homage to “The King”. A Chris & Connie Adventure!
No surprisingly this project has been met with lots of resistance from local homeowners. “It’ll bring down property values or some such thing” – that tired old song.
Scroll down for photos and to comment
By the way, Edmonton Trail, long ago, was the main route north out of Calgary.
Pass beside the neighbourhood of Highland Park, houses here dating from the 1940s-1960s. Pass through an industrial/commercial area for a time. Long ago there was a drive-in theatre here. Now it’s all autobody shops and things like that.
Across the road, the oddly named “Deer Head” Cafe, an old school diner if there ever was one. Your author stopped in here in the 1990s – might have to make a return some time.
Edmonton Trail bends a bit here and there. Block after block of houses, with occasional strip malls or businesses. There’s a church here and there. Have a thing for them, strangely. Never attended but love to photograph and explore places of worship of any denomination or faith.
Edmonton Trail separates the communities of Tuxedo Park/Balmoral and Winston Heights/Mountview. The former dates from the 1920s, the latter the 1930s. Lots of nice old homes here, simple and unassuming, quaint and charming and rather tiny where compared to the McMansions of today, which look like hotels in comparison. Pass the Italian Market – lots of yummy here! You have been warned.
Cross busy 16th Avenue, the Trans-Canada Highway through Calgary. Try not to get mowed down. You’re now in Crescent Heights (left, from the 1910s) and Renfrew (right, from the 1910s-1950s era), which at one time was home to the city’s earliest airport. More home and businesses.
Drop down to river level, hit Memorial Drive, where Edmonton Trail ends and loop back. Many old commercial blocks here from the 1910s. Downtown is just across the river and here we’re in Bridgeland. A grilled-cheese/beer/wine restaurant? Okay…trying to be trendy I guess.
Heading back up…if you’re hungry at this point the top of the escapement is where most of your dining options will be. We picked a burger joint. The “Fat Elvis” (peanut butter, banana, bacon) at “Boogies” is the best milkshake ever! All the hail the King! Paired with a heart attack burger, it’s pure bliss.
There’s some old arcade games here. No time for pinball this day, sadly…
Back to the hike loop around Boogies and hit 8th Ave NE. Soon on, in the community of Renfrew now, come to Stanley Jones School, an imposing century old structure made of sandstone and one of many in town built to a similar design. Across the street, Stanley Jones Grocery is equally as old. Lotto stop! Afraid we came up empty though. BIGDoer rules for inner-city hiking…see a corner store (independent, not a chain) and one must stop and buy a couple scratchies. We do. And one day it’ll make us rich!
Take the time to head south a block or so to view the…deep breath…”Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church”. Now there’s a title! It’s from the 1950s and follows the Orthodox (sometimes called Byzantine) style of architecture. Those domes are a sure fire spotting feature.
Head north on 6th Street, cross 16th Avenue again. Left on 17th Avenue, soft right on 5th Street, left on 18th Avenue and finally right on 4th Street. Pass by Mount View Elementary (Winston Heights/Mountview Community). Interestingly this building was used for “Civil Defence” exercises in the 1950s. It’s hinted the building has a bunker in the basement, but requests to check this out have gone unanswered. Oddly, we didn’t take a photo of the place. Silly us!
Right on 25th Avenue a charming tree lined street. Lots like it around. Back on 6th Street again, turn left. That’s Winston Golf Course on your right. Off in the east one can see super-busy Deerfoot Trail down there in the Nose Creek Valley. Even from this distance, one can hear the traffic. Drop down and soon on enter an industrial area. Left at 25th Avenue and right on Edmonton Trail, the adventure near an end.
Before that, a quick stop at a corner store to gamble some more. It’s a rule you know! One day, damn, we’re going to win…I can sense it! Alas, this scratchy ticket was a dud. Had we won, of course, we’d have shared it with you all. Cross our hearts…
If you wish more information about this trail, by all means contact us!
Date of adventure: November, 2017. Location: Calgary, AB. Distance: 14km loop. Height gain maximum: 40m-ish. Height gain cumulative: 60m-ish. NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate.
That coffee sign! I’d love to see it lit up. Been thinking it’s time we stopped in the Dear Head. Just by name alone, it’s a cool place. Thanks Jenn for being a serial commenter – we appreciate it and there’s a beer in it for you next time we meet.
(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.
Great day out with my best friend!
Connie, you’re so kind.
Great trek though town! I stopped for that coffee sign at Christmas. The Deer Head is always interesting!
That coffee sign! I’d love to see it lit up. Been thinking it’s time we stopped in the Dear Head. Just by name alone, it’s a cool place. Thanks Jenn for being a serial commenter – we appreciate it and there’s a beer in it for you next time we meet.