Then & Now: Delburne Alberta

When we get busy Then & Nows are sadly the first to be put on the back burner. Of all things we do they’re often the most joy (sometimes frustration too), but eat up a lot of precious time and resources. Still, we’ve continued to shoot them with the hope we’ll find a spare few hours to devote to new instalments. We’re in little Delburne Alberta and we’ve come to take in some old buildings.

Here’s an interesting twist on the theme. Instead of reproducing the same angle and composition in our the normal way, we’re taking an impossible to duplicate shot and applying a different approach. Taking in a bird’s eye view of the town, photographed from the top of a grain elevator (long gone), our job is to track down anything that’s still around today. Of course, we’ll blah, blah, blah about it as we’re prone to do, in addition to showing you pics of what’s left.

The original photo is said to date from the 1930s and from the research that that seems about right. So we don’t get too crazy we’ll limit ourselves to a certain number of buildings in the downtown core area. With our over the top enthusiasm often spiralling out of control, restraint is in order.

First we walk about town to get the lay of the land and make an inventory. Being the easily distracted types, naturally other things grab our attention. The Anthony Henday Museum looks like a worthwhile stop and we might have to do just that next time we’re in town (in a post lock down world that is). That little yellow house is so tiny! A video return drop? Remember those? An old Porsche 914 sits atop a container. No self respecting Euro-sports car enthusiast would give it a second glance and this model is probably the least desirable Porsche on the planet. We approve of the colour! Then, there’s armless Mario, the poor guy.

All the information presented comes from historic plaques affixed to their respective buildings. These were put in in celebration of the town’s 100th a few years back and appear to have been placed by the Anthony Henday Museum (thanks guys). Now let’s jump in…

Delburne Alberta the 1930s.

1) Dating back to the 1910s it originally operating as a shoe store and tack shop. Then, in early 1930s it become Monty’s Groceteria and the structure modified to its current appearance (save for a later addition, that arched skylight). Monty’s was in business into the sixties. Afterwards a printing firm operated here, but from appearances, it’s been empty for a time. Note the car to its right in the old photo (look close) and next door at the time, it’s the town’s gas station and garage.

Words of wisdom scrawled on the wall for all to see….

Love at first sight, blood thirst with might.
With meekness waiting within, the Sword Magdeline
Meekness abound.
Tell me now – what love means –
Protector, Teacher, Master, Master.
No stone will they cast…

Some of the passage was illegible in the photo, so not duplicated. Still, isn’t that interesting? This appears to be an original work and while there’s some other rambling on the same wall, we liked this one best. An old pull chain light switch has us reminiscing about all the old houses we lived in as kids similarly equipped.

2) With no plaque attached to this little building, its story shall remain a mystery. While we suspect it was a business at one time, it appears to be used as a residence now.

3) Built in 1934 this building housed a variety store up until 1973 under a series of owners. Most of that time it was known Luckhart’s Variety but later Miss Peterson’s Variety. Afterwards a range of businesses came and went including a chiropractor, craft shop and beauty salon. On our visit the building was for sale. This is the newest structure of the group, so we know the old photo was captured sometime after this date.

4) Built in 1912 (and single story) originally a bank occupied this building and briefly afterwards a grocery store. The upper story was added in 1918. Starting in 1925 and for the next fifty years it functioned as a drug store and later morphed in Delburne Variety, before it closed in 1995. Presently the Black Cat Boutique operates here.

5) Built in 1917 for the Merchant’s Bank of Canada (who moved from #4 above), in the early 1920s it became a Bank of Montreal property and they continued to do business out of here into 2000. On our visit it was the Old Bank Bakery. Merchant’s Bank was famously mismanaged and near collapse when acquired by the BoM.

6) Since it was constructed in 1917 and until the late 1980s, it was a hardware store under many owners (mostly notably it operated as Ray Smith and Company). Other firms did business here afterwards, a restaurant for example, but currently it’s a residence. A wellness clinic is run out of attached addition, but we’re not sure if it’s original to the building or put in later. Even it was in place when the old photo was captured it would not be seen on account of the angle.

7) Dating from 1911, this building housed the town’s first hardware store, but for much of the time and up to 1990 was a barber shop. Mention is made that is was a pool hall as well (a common pairing). Later it was a video store (‘member them?), a series of eateries and mostly recently a quilt shop (now closed). The old photo on the plaque shows it had a different false front once.

8) From 1910, it’s the oldest building in Delburne (along with the dwelling beside, cut off in the old photo) and originally home to a real estate/insurance firm. In the 1940s the Delburne Times Newspaper moved in till closing in 1964. No mention is made of other uses afterwards.

9) The plaque’s a little unclear on the date this building was constructed (or maybe it’s our diseased brains misunderstanding). If we read it right, this has it dating back to the 1910s when it was a Methodist Church. When that group later amalgamated with some others in the 1920s (Canada wide) it then became a United Church property, which it remains to this day.

10) This one’s from the 1910s and first used by a regional government agency but since the early 1940s has housed the Royal Canadian Legion. At some point after the original photo was captured an addition was put in.

Many of the buildings here are of simple wood-frame construction and built to standards of the time and as such look a bit tired today. Sagging and settling are two common afflictions. Many have false fronts which was a common design element back then.

What’s really eye-opening is how much from the old days is gone and replaced by new stuff or simply empty lots now. The most prominent building in the bottom right corner (old photo) was the hotel. Limiting our number of subjects, we did not attempt to track down any of the houses seen in the background. They’re kind of small in the picture and hard to see anyway.

Delburne was founded in the early 1910s and present day is home to some nine hundred people. It was with the arrival of the railway that it sprung to life, the line present day Canadian National’s link between Calgary and Edmonton. We hung by the tracks in hope of a train showing but were denied. Again!

Many vintage photos used in this series are supplied by readers. Thanks to Peggy for this one which we’ve seen before on a few sites and believe in the public domain. If you have a photo you think would make good Then & Now Fodder, say from a personal collection (so your copyright), or one like this (and in the public domain), send it our way. Browse some of the other posts in this series to get an idea how they work and remember, we’re always here to answer questions.

Thanks for taking the time to browse this article and we’d love to hear what you think! While pressed for time, we’re found time to do more Then & Nows in next few weeks, so expect good things to come.

Here’s a few Google search terms if want to know more: Delburne Alberta History and Anthony Henday Museum..

They’re saying…

”Well written and well researched. You feel part of the adventure!” David Fionn Clarke.

Then & Now…
Stettler Then & Now: Heartland(er) Motel – from an old postcard.
Sandon BC Then & Now – decades apart.
Unity Saskatchewan then & now – a favourite.

Something to say and no one to say it to? Then go here: contact us!

Date of Adventure: May, 2020.
Location: Delburne, AB.
Article references and thanks: Anthony Henday Museum.

At the Anthony Henday Museum.

In BIGDoer yellow!

Most garages are bigger.

Poor armless Mario…

1) Monty’s Groceteria.

1) Words of wisdom?

1) Monty’s was in business for over three decades.

1) An old style fixture.

2) We found no info on this building.

3) Luckhart’s.

4) Delburne Variety.

5) Bank of Montreal.

6) Ray Smith & Co.

7) Jake’s Barber Shop.

Remember these?

8) Delburne Times.

9) Delburne United Church.

10) The Royal Canadian Legion.

Closed forever.