Wandering Cranbrook

We love to roam the streets of a small city or town. And usually come evening. There, in the ever softening light, that orange/yellow glow at the end of day, exploration becomes something magical. Stuff that seems ordinary at 2pm transforms into things amazing and photogenic. It’s not just inspiring too, but a fantastic way to unwind from the troubles of the day there in the still and quiet with no one about, the streets all ours and the sky above alive with colour. This is what memories are made of and looking at the photos to follow…we’re instantly taken back there again.

It’s the summer of 2018, we’re in on of our most favourite places to visit ever, Cranbrook British Columbia, and we’re putting feet to pavement (over two nights). Come tag along! We’ll visit the other side of the tracks, the downtown core, and many random places. By no means did we see all the sights – no sir – but still we got to capture that “they roll up the streets come 6pm” vibe we so love to document. And it’s though the show was just for us – outside a few passing cars we saw almost no one.

1) At an auto wreckers, a row of buses become a protective wall. This here bright blue beast comes from a manufacturer called Blue Bird. Maybe you rode in a school bus just like this as a kid? Except yellow like those others in back. Unseen, but making their presence clearly known, a couple junk yard dogs bark loudly. No sneaking up on them.

2) Some real interesting stuff here. In front a Wayne, a firm mostly known for its school buses. And the dogs remind us to keep our distance.

1) A blue Blue Bird.

3) Here’s a rare bus, in front, from a maker called FitzJohn. In addition to US operations, they had a small factory in Ontario that produced only about a couple hundred buses give or take in the 1950s, before they called it quits. We’ve never seen one from this make before. It’s a first. The bus carries the markings of “City Bus Service”, who ever they might be. With such an ambiguous name there’s nothing to connect it to a specific place or operator. But we suspect it’s from back east, where FitzJohn buses in Canada were most common. Anyone know? This is a model “Cityliner”.

In back’s what we think is a Leyland double decker from the UK. Still, we’re a bit unsure given we could not match it up exactly with any one specific model. But it’s close to one we found. Experts?

4) Golden Arms Moving got into a fender-bender. Hope grandma’s dishes made it out okay.

5-6) Across form the scrap yard, a couple big engines at a rebuild place, perhaps waiting to be worked on or maybe parts supplies to keep others running.

7) Red’s Auto Repair is no more. Tough business to be in. Peering inside the building it looks like a party place for misguided youth. Graffiti penises were a nice touch – now we know what’s on their minds. A train passes in back – it’s the little things that make life interesting.

8) Back at our dive motel (we use it as a term of fondness, by the way). The night is warm and the pool inviting. A quick swim and it’d nighty-night. Tomorrow, we explore old abandoned stuff up in the hills.

9-11) Cranbrook has a fantastic railway museum and just down the road from the venue, and at the edge of downtown, a display inviting those driving past to pay the place a visit. Here a Montreal Locomotive Works (American Locomotive Company or Alco – licensee) FA2/FB2 pair that once worked for the CPR. And right beside, the old Elko BC train station, all nice and fixed up. Looks like the Rotarians had a part in this. To know more about the locomotives and station, go here: Canadian Pacific Railway #4090 and #4469. And do visit the Canadian Museum of Rail Travel if you’re in town.

12) Repairing TVs – not a growth business. Just buy a new one – the mindset of most.

13-14) Beside some of the foundation, all that remains of the old Tudor House Hotel in “Slaterville”, these here sign posts. The building was formerly St. Eugene’s Hospital (early 1900s), but in the late 1960s became a hotel, which burned spectacularly in the early part of this century, standing in ruin for some years after before being torn down. It was a rather stately place made of brick if not at the end a bit creepy and run down. Visited it once or twice in the ’80s and there was this blocked off floor – unneeded by the hotel and so walled off – that was said to be haunted. Heck the whole place would have been – it was a hospital once – you know where people often died! Recall the one empty sign advertised the “2010 nightclub”, a (then) future themed dance type place.

15) Right next door to the Tudor House/St Eugene Hospital, this here building that was the St Eugene School of Nursing. It operated concurrently with the hospital. Later it became a hall for a fraternal organization (the Knights), but today functions as an apartment building. Old photos show it’s little changed over the years. A resident came out to chat and it seems he was born right next door so long ago. Incredible.

16) In downtown, this empty store front. In the 1980s, when you author lived in Cranbrook, it was a SuperValu. Remember that chain?

2) Scrap yard treasures.

17) Cranbrook has so many old school hotels. Here’s the Sam Steele Inn, named after the famous lawman who for a time resided in the Cranbrook area. The nearby town of Fort Steele is named in his honour. The Steele or the Sammy (as it was often times called in the 1980s at least) dates back to the 1910s period we’re told. It’s home to a peeler bar (“exotic dancers”) and has been for decades and always was a bit notorious in reputation. Business was slow this evening, a single motorcycle parked out front belonging perhaps to the only customer, all the while the open sign beckons passer’s by. If there were any passers by that is, and there was none but us. We strolled about alone.

18-19) Across the road, the city’s namesake accommodations and watering hole, the Cranbrook Hotel. Looks like it’s pretty quiet in there too. In the distance, the second photo, the CPR water tower. Read about it here: Canadian Pacific Railway octagonal water tower. So in front a watering hole for people, and in back where steamer’s quenched their thirsts. The Cranbrook Hotel goes back to the 1890s. In the 1980s the place had a pool hall/arcade which your author frequented.

20) The well faded “Welcome to Downtown Cranbrook” sign. The Crowsbnest Highway, Route #3, runs past in back there but has little traffic this evening. Did the world end? It’s just too quiet. The Elko Station can be seen too.

21) At the King Edward. They got a drive through liquor store – convenient! This place is all old school and given the single car parked out front, is not doing a killer business either. Monarch Edward ruled the (then) British Empire, which of course Canada was part of, from 1902-1910. The hotel dates from his period. Many towns across the west once had an “Eddy” named in his honour. Calgary’s is now a music venue.

22) RCMP on patrol – slow shutter speed to blur the motion – and a place wash your sheets. The strange things that fascinate. For the cops – all quiet at the Steele, all quiet at the Eddy, all quiet at the Byng (not photographed – a favourite hang out of my folks back when) and all quiet at the Baker (not photographed – next time)…nothing to do but cruise.

23) Next door to St Mary’s Parish, this old house (both circa 1890s). We believe it was the residence for the serving priest but are not sure if it serves in that capacity today.

24) The York Hotel (told you lots of hotels)…back there to the left of the parking meters. In the 1980s it housed stripper bar…so I’m told…by ne’re-do-well friends who frequented it. It’s said it was called the Canadian Hotel in the past and we can only guess at the date it was built (1920s maybe?). York is a popular name for old school hotels. Business looks slow for them too – perhaps it’s just a bad day for all. Old photos (circa 1960s) show it looking quite a bit different than today.

25) Across the road, the closed Armond Theatre, a tree blocking view of the marquee, in businesses from the early 1950s to the late 1990s. It was a popular hang out for your author in the ’80s – oh the memories! The balcony seats were always a favourite. It’s future in currently uncertain and it’s said to be suffering some structural issues. Time will tell.

26) Footie-prints from critters captured for all time. A deer. And big dog? Or something more wild?

27) Used to sell placer gold to this place in the 1980s (recall about $300 per oz). And Connie can’t resist shiny sparkly things. She’s that type of girl you know. He says grinning.

28) The old Kos (Cosmopolitan?) Hotel. This was a rough place back when and has been closed for some time now.

29) Looking in windows…

30) One business found in this heritage building is a camera shop, Cranbrook Photo. In the 1980s they repaired my old Yashica FRII. Good to see they’re still in business and in the same place.

31) Woodland Grocery dates back to 1949. Your author used to live not far away and they were kind enough to give me a line of credit at times when money was hard. You don’t see things like that any more. We stop in every time we can, for a cold pop and maybe some lotto tickets, for old times sake. So much more charm than a chain store.

3) This rare FitzJohn and a double deck Leyland (we think).

32) One of the oldest buildings in Cranbrook, this was Colonel Baker’s House, circa 1880s. It has a storied history and in more modern times was converted to offices. Today is home to some medical related businesses but in the 1980s, my probation officer worked out of here (full disclosure: I was a bad boy back then). Around that time, I acquired an old Kodak Box Brownie, shot the Baker House one night and imagine my surprise when the photo turned out well enough that it got published in a local paper. It was the first. Colonel James Baker was a big wheel businessman and politician in this part of BC back in the 1880s-1900 period.

And with that, the camera’s are put away. Oh we could have photographed so much more, but no, we’ll leave some for next time. We’ll be back.

Stay tuned for more posts like this. We’re really getting into this series and they seem quite popular with readers. If you know a small town that we should “wander about”, please speak up!

In the area…
Fisherville BC Cemetery.
The Little Cemetery Moyie BC.
Upper workings of the St Eugene.

If you wish more information on what you’ve seen here, by all means contact us!

Date: July, 2018.
Location: Cranbrook, BC.
Article references and thanks: City of Cranbrook records, Bus Expert Peter McLaughlin.

4) Crunch!

5) A little horsepower.

6) And a touch more…

7) Red’s is kaput.

8) Winding down the night.

9) Cranbrook has an amazing train museum.

10) From the tiny town of Elko.

11) Here, at the edge of downtown.

12) See could use a new van.

13) Reminders of the Tudor House.

14) And on this corner.

15) Once a nursing school, now apartments.

16) It used to be a SuperValu.

17) Lots of old school hotels here – this is the Steele.

18) The Cranbrook.

19) Thirst quenchers.

20) A weather beaten welcome.

21) The Eddy.

22) Laundry and RCs on patrol.

23) St Mary’s Parish.

24) The York.

25) The Armond is closed.

26) From two different critters.

27) Connie’s can’t resist a jeweller.

28) The old Kos.

29) Window shopping.

30) Photo of a photo place.

31) Since 1949.

32) The Colonel’s place.