We’re in Claresholm Alberta at the Bluebird Motel and comparing how the business looks today to an old postcard from about fifty years ago. Spoiler alert: it hasn’t changed! In this crazy fast paced world of constant flux, it represents a timeless scene. Our home one fall weekend it functioned as a base for adventures in the area and more than just a place to crash, also, as you see here, it became woven into the story.
The Bluebird dates back to the late 1940s but in this post we see how it appeared from the 1960s period on. They started off modestly, then expanded over time, and in true rural spirit did it on a modest budget. Many of the buildings on the property were made from salvaged materials and some cabins (not seen from this angle) were bought second hand from Calgary. Curious? Look for a link further down that delves into the motel’s history.
Bluebird Motel Then & Now: some fifty year apart. Checking in with Chris Doering and Connie Biggart (BIGDoer/Synd)
Our love goes out to ”JlaF” for sponsoring this post and countless others at BIGDoer.com in early 2022! Do the same…
The then image (ca 1970) was shared with us by the motel in electronic form and at the same time, they presented a printed postcard shot from about the same angle, that differs somewhat. We preferred the first given it’s a more broad view and that’s easier for us. If you have an old photo or postcard, free of copyright or your copyright (ask if unsure), you think would inspire a great Then & Now, you know what to do.
Scroll down for photos and to comment.
We found several exact copies of this postcard online at collector sites and any used ones displaying postmarks were dated early 1970s, which was used to help date the card. One website posted an image of the back and it reads:
BLUEBIRD MOTEL Box 188, Claresholm, Alberta Highway 2 – Phone 235-3585 TV – Some Kitchenettes Pets Welcome – Quiet & Comfortable
The phone number listed is also telling and was in use about that time. It later changed.
The second post card appears to be a reprint of one also produced in the 1970s (but later that decade, based again on the phone number) and reads similarly on the back.
At this point we normally discuss what’s changed in the scene, but there’s not much to say here (sound of crickets chirping). Everything’s the same!
Okay, the sign’s gone (and what a kitschy sign it was), and similarly the phone booth (on the left, old image) plus the office roof has been extended out. That’s it, that’s all we got to talk about. Well, the trees are bigger now and some poles are different, but that’s kind of whatever.
These Then & Nows work best when there’s either been major change, where only one or two things are left to connect the two eras, or as here, where it’s been minimal. Time has stood still at the Bluebird Motel and that in some ways is incredible.
If you think that’s something, then check out this place: Crowsnest Pass Then and Now – Greenhill Hotel. Close to a century separates the photos in that piece and it still looks the same.
Just noticed – is that a street sign to the right of the Bluebird sign in then image? If so, it’s not very well lined up with the intersection behind the photography position and on closer inspection, even looks a bit fake. Speaking of the Bluebird sign, you’ll see it’s been shopped in on the newer postcard. We’re not sure what happened to it by this point (nor did the motel staff), but clearly it had been moved or removed from the position seen in our comparison. It must have been a local landmark and so perhaps added in due to some perceived value.
Those colourful deckchairs are awesome!
It’s a little hard to ID the car seen in the then image (only confirmed as a BIG American land-yacht), but sharp-eyed readers will spot the mighty BIGDoer-mobile sitting in the same position in our now photo. That little econo-box is famous in its own right.
These two images lined up about as well as can be expected, given all the variables in play. They’ll never be spot on, but usually we get pretty close. What you don’t see are how many times we’ve blown it and those are never seen nor heard of again
Interesting tidbit: motels would often give away postcards as advertising premiums. The Bluebird still does! Doing this back then afforded them a cheap and easy way of getting their name out and you as the sender would become a direct (if not always impassioned) endorser. In advertising circles they call that a win-win. The postcards they hand out today could still be used that way, but we suspect most are kept as souvenirs. Who mails anything these days?
Up until the 1980s or so, most motels had these printed up and we see them all the time out in the wild. We’ve even used a few for this Then & Now series. Postcards are now mostly collectibles, with numerous websites devoted to the hobby and those people into it are called deltiologists. Here’s another “now you know” moment, brought to you by this website.
Something to say and no one to say it to? Go here: contact us!
Date of Adventure: October, 2020. Location: Claresholm, AB. Article references and thanks: Bluebird Motel Claresholm, DanOCan.com and the HRHS pamphlet – Early History of the Bluebird Motel.
(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.
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