Downtown Bassano

There’s something magic about wandering a small town come evening and on road trips we do it every chance we get. Late in the day, the community’s charm and character is at its best and it’s a peaceful way to wind down. We lead such busy lives – go-go-go – but here we can just explore at our leisure. We’re in historic downtown Bassano Alberta and it’s amazing!

The writing of this piece was made super simple thanks to the town publishing a walking tour pamphlet which gives the history of the buildings seen (there’s also informative plaques on many). Usually the research phase is time consuming, but here it took hardly any effort. This is a highlight reel if you will and I’m sure there’s a lot in town we missed, but we’ll be back.

Bassano dates back to the early 1900s and sits along both the Trans-Canada Highway and the Canadian Pacific Railway’s western mainline. Once a division point for the railway, the trains don’t play such an important role any more even if countless freights pass through each day. The current highway sort of skirts the town completely, so does not bring in many visitors. The population present day is about twelve hundred but over the years it’s yo-yoed and has been both slightly higher (early on) and sometimes much lower (1930s Depression).

1) Looking towards the tracks – Imperial Hunter Hotel left.

It’s a typical prairie town, tied to farming and named after one Marquis de Bassano of Bassano Italy, a railway promoter. It sits roughly at the halfway point between Calgary and Medicine Hat, but that’s enough of that and now let’s explore!

1) The Imperial Hunter Hotel, built in 1911, is the most prominent building in town and you’ll see and hear more about it soon enough. In back it’s the railway line and the yard is jam-packed full with old “Trudeau” grain cars*, which we’ll also take a closer look at later in this post. Their days are numbered.

2) The light is always nicest at sunset and an added bonus, it’s usually quiet this time of day. With everyone gone home and little traffic, the evening scene is usually uncluttered and so shoots wonderfully.

3-4) Since the early 1960s this building has housed a laundromat. Dating back to 1908 it’s the oldest structure documented here and in the past it was a hardware store and for a time housed the Legion. It’s a small town Saturday night and we love it.

5-7) The sight of disused buildings is a sign of the of the times, unfortunately. This group of three includes a small structure (right) that for much of its history was a meat market. Built about 1910 it was more recently a flower shop and last a liquor store.

Stiles “The Druggist” once occupied the building in the middle. Look up there! “DRUGS – Stationary – Photo Supplies.” The firm operated out of here since the building was new in 1912 and into the 1970s. Since then a number of other businesses have called it home, a flower shop, fabric store and a couple footwear repair firms, but for many years now it’s been empty.

For a time the phone exchange was based here and at various points the upper floor was used for offices or as a residence. Broken windows have allowed birds to get in up there and you know what kind of mess they can make. There’s Connie in her element and the photo she captured from that angle is shown in this post as #7.

The leftmost building, called the Webster Block, dates from 1913 and built from bricks salvaged from a hotel in town demolished about that time. From the early days and into the 1960s it housed various grocery stores. Later it was a hardware store, ceramic’s studio and clothing store but for the last few year it’s been vacant. The upstairs was once rented out as office space, but later turned into an apartment. If there ever a group of buildings that say small town, these are it.

8) You know it was a bank just by looking. Built in 1910 to a common design used by the Canadian Bank of Commerce, that firm occupied the structure up to about 1930 (with the upper floor a residence for staff). Afterwards is was a dentist’s office into the 1970s (upper floor again, living quarters) and for a stretch in the 1980s-1990s a law firm operated out of it.

Lastly it was a residence, although we’re not sure if it still functions in that capacity today. It kind of looks sealed up. To see a brick version of this design, go here: The Road Home. You still can see lots of these iconic Bank of Commerce buildings in many small prairie towns although most have been repurposed for other uses. The Bank of Commerce merged with the Imperial Bank in the early 1960s forming (you guessed it) the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce.

9) This building dates back to 1911 and while it’s not know what business operated here initially from the late 1920s on it’s been a series of hardware stores. It’s known as Creaky Floors Hardware today, but an old sign displays a previous owner’s name, Cochrane Hardware. Sears is long gone yet there’s the name up high – how the mighty have fallen and this firm should be a case study for big corporations flying high today and thinking themselves invincible.

10) Foreground: this 1910 built structure was originally a Union Bank and like the Bank of Commerce the upper floor was living quarters for staff. In the 1920s, via a merger, it became a Royal Bank and remained as such into the 1970s. After it was the town offices but they moved out in the about a dozen years ago. On our visit, a shop called Rustic Emporium was in the process of closing down. Another one bites the dust.

Next door it’s the Ingram Block, dating from 1912-ish and matching the Union Bank building in appearance. It too housed a financial institution (Quebec Bank) and also a real estate firm and pharmacy to start, but by the late 1920s was empty. In 1930s it was made into a theatre and functioned in that capacity until the 1960s, when soon after the Order of Elks moved in. They added that single story addition in the 1970s.

11) You’ll see your fair share of Quonset style buildings in small prairie towns. A design out of World War Two, these are quickly, cheaply and easily erected and functional in every way. Where as some have rounded roofs, others like this come to a slight point.

12) This impressive building was once the post office and for a time home to the local police detachment. Built in 1915, it was turned into apartments in the 1980s on the post office moving elsewhere in town.

13) We had the entire downtown to ourselves, an I am Legend vibe we really like. The building on the right does not come up in any history write ups but may have been a store. It sure looks the part.

14) The Elks of Canada, with loose ties to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the US, is a fraternal organization dating back to 1912 and with chapters all over the country. OORP = Order of Royal Purple, the ladies auxiliary.

Sunset is a special time.

15-16) The former Bank of Commerce building is looking a little tired, but still beautiful in every way.

17) Chairs? Really? Yes! We imagine ourselves sitting there and watching the world go by small town style. With not much going on this night, it might take a while but we’re okay with that.

18) The Creations Unlimited building goes back to 1909 and originally housed a hardware store with that firm later moving into #9 in the 1920s. Later the building was home to café, a Lucky Dollar store, a flower shop, a TV store/repair place, a Realtor’s office and many others. The company occupying it today has been here since the mid-1990s. We just noticed the prospector up there – what’s the deal?

19-20) The Imperial Hunter Hotel has been in business almost as long as the town’s been around, only early on it was called the Hunter Hotel. In the 1930s the name was changed to the Imperial Hotel but since the 1990s it’s carried both. When built it was considered modern in every way. Electricity? Imagine that!

That iconic Coke sign! As long as you don’t look at the east side, the Imperial Hunter looks pretty much as built – we’ve seen the old photos. It appeared to be a happening place back in the day too. Mmmm wings and a cold one – time for a pit stop at the invite of the bartender who must have seen us wandering about and called us over.

21) The prairies are awesome! The mountains are awesome! All of the Western Canada is and we’re blessed to be able to have such an amazing playground. We roam about and take it, where ever we find ourselves and it’s a pretty cool gig (if only it paid).

22) It’s a plain building, a former paint store, and while we know nothing about it, we bet there’s some stories it would share if it could. This one’s not listed in the walking tour guide, but we’re certain it’s an oldie. Closed businesses are far too common in small towns even if the reason’s why can be many. We’re not sure here but it could be due to a lack of sales, the owner retiring (or even passing on) or any number of other possibilities.

23) This late 1950s Chevrolet was later seen driving about, but here is parked at the town campground. We tried but it’s best shot we got of it!

24) Standing there on the main road there was little worry of being mowed down. This sort of solitude is something we really get a kick out of, even if its difficult to explain. Had we stood at this same spot a hundred years ago, on a Saturday night as we did, there would probably be a lot more going on – little prairie towns mellow with age. To the left, it’s building that once housed a honey processing plant. Sweet! Sharp-eyed readers will see the BIGDoer-mobile has managed to sneak into yet another photo.

25) Time to pause at this little war memorial. So many prairie boys answered the call and not all made it back home. Paying the ultimate price was almost a certainty, yet they volunteered by the train load…and they kicked hynie.

26-28) Where the trains roam is a magnet to us. It’s a busy stretch of track dating back to the 1880s and we kept entertained for the better part of an hour just watching them pass.

2) Sunset in downtown Bassano Alberta.

There’s small yard in Bassano once used for marshalling cars consigned to the many branch lines in the area (all gone now) but it’s now used to store surplus railcars. Here it’s a big group of Government of Canada grain hoppers from the 1970s that we understand are being rounded up so they can be sent off for scrapping. They’re worn out, faded, tagged and within a few years we suspect they’ll all be gone. These were built by the thousands and owe nobody nothing.

The freights fly by, as does the night and soon it’s dark. Our little hole in the wall motel calls, no Hilton this and instead is just a place to hang out hats. We don’t need anything more.

Not seen in this post is the old Alberta Government Telephone building. We shot a Then & Now on that street and it’ll make an appearance in another post somewhere down the road. Remember, we’re slow here.

*So named as he was in power at the time. People out west love the fellow…and his son too!

Know more about the little town – we sure love it (new tab): Bassano Alberta History.

Till our next adventure, keep on exploring.

They’re saying…

”Thanks for taking the time to photograph (our) units. We really appreciate it…” Nakusp Rail Society (background: their railcars will be the subject of a post at BIGDoer.com in the coming months).

More like this…
Historic Hotels Crowsnest Pass.
An Evening in East Coulee.
In & Around Hanna.
Exploring Viking.

If you feel like chatting or want more information on what you see here feel free to contact us!

Date of Adventure: August, 2020.
Location(s): Bassano, AB.
Article references and thanks: The Town of Bassano and the Imperial Hunter Hotel for the yummy wings and a cold one.

3) A laundromat since the 1960s.

4) A small town Saturday night.

5) There’s a few disused buildings in town.

6) Stiles “The Druggist”.

7) Connie’s view from two photos back.

8) You know it’s an old bank just by looking.

9) It’s been a hardware store a long time.

10) Both are from the 1910s.

11) The ubiquitous prairie Quonset.

12) The old Post Office.

13) We had the entire downtown to ourselves.

14) A magic time of day.

15) Many small towns had a bank building like this.

16) In need of a little paint, but still beautiful.

17) We could just sit there & watch the world go by.

18) A long list of occupants!

19) The old Coke sign rocks!

20) It’s a classic small town hotel.

21) The prairies are awesome!

22) Nondescript in every way but the stories it could tell.

23) Spotted there in the distance…

24) There was little fear of being mowed down.

25) So many prairie boys didn’t come home.

26) The tracks are like a magnet.

27) Scheduled to be retired?

28) A little train spotting to wind out the day.