Prairie Swimming Pool

We’re in one of the more sparsely populated areas of Alberta and even for us, people used to being alone, it feels isolated and remote. There’s not a soul about. So what’s located here? Let’s see…there’s the boundless plains, a single occupied dwelling, a few trees, the only ones for miles around, some old outbuildings plus this swimming pool, abandoned now and all but forgotten. That’s it, that’s all there is. Our subject today will be the latter.

We can say with certainty it’s the only pool in the region and given how hot it can get here in this dry belt section of the province, no doubt was a sought-out attraction in summer (not so much in December, however). With the thermometer registering over thirty on our visit, it had us dreaming of the possibilities. Anyone got a few thousand litres lying about? Anyone? It looks like it could still hold water! The call goes unanswered and so we suffer on.

Some details, like when the the pool was constructed, have seemingly been lost to time. We got a number of answers, but no one sounded certain. Local history books seem rather silent on the subject, so they’re no real help.

That the pool building is partly constructed of plywood offers a hint, however. So if good and old as said (and looking at it has us in agreement), that means it likely dates from the late 1940s/early 1950s period at the earliest. Before that time, that material was a specialty building product in Canada, hard to get outside urban areas and expensive, but post World War Two, more widely available and of lower cost.

People remember the pool a poplar place hot summer weekends with everyone for miles around turning up for a swim. Not many folks lived around here, so at times it must have seemed like the entire population turned out. There used to be a town of sorts, just down from the pool once and home to a handful of folks, but most people lived the out on farms and ranches.

Over time, as it happens, the facility fell into disuse. You know, farms go bust or get sold off and people move away. Memories are hazy and timeframes forgotten, but one would expect it remained use at least for a decade or two. Keep in mind, the data is sparse and sometimes we have to say (and it hurts) that we don’t really know.

Excavating the depression and pouring the concrete must have been a great deal of work. It’s not huge, but still. In footprint it’s about the size of a single car garage and with a sloping bottom, gets deeper at the far end.

The pool building contains a couple change rooms plus a biffy and out front, we see the now broken diving board. Rural folks, especially in the old days, had this penchant for making do and one wonders if the diving board spring came off some old piece of farm machinery or such. The good money points to “yes”.

There was also a tennis court on the property but it’s rather overgrown today. This and the pool together functioned as a recreation centre and we understand, open for the whole community and those in the surrounding area, to enjoy. There’s not much to do out here in the middle of nowhere, so this must have been a welcome diversion back then.

Standing there, with not a sound to be heard, we imagine the pool decades ago. It’s a scorching hot July afternoon and the local kids have come to take refuge. It’s noisy and chaotic and something wonderful – we can picture it. We’re little kids and we’re there with them. This little dot on the map has a community pool, a luxury anywhere at the time and here it’s the happiest place ever. Its job is now down and it’s fading away.

Most certainly, there were a lot of memories made here…

We’ve only gotten started, so keep your eyes open for new content posted almost every week!

They’re saying…

“Fascinating in depth historical information about people and places in Alberta that I didn’t even know existed (ed: sorry, here the history came up short). It is a true learning experience. And enjoyable too.” Bernadette S Finzel.

More remote subjects…
The Ranger’s Cabin – Wow!
Green Door Ranch – Double wow!
Zion Luthern Church -Triple WOW!

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

Date of Adventure: July, 2019.
Location(s): Special Areas, AB.
Article references and thanks: Ann S and Johnnie Bachusky.
The pool is on private property and visited with permission.

This Prairie Swimming Pool, abandoned and forgotten.