Serving up POP HISTORY & other McFun!…
(Mmmm, yummy bite-sized pieces.)
Kenopsia: "the eerie atmosphere of a place that's usually bustling with people but now vacant or abandoned."
We couldn't run this website without your help!
Recent sponsors...
Dale:
Shandro Historic Village (Closed)
Margaret Nemeth:
Bridge Hunting: Highway 13 Scotsguard
Anonymous:
Grain Elevators of Consort Alberta
John William Kinnear:
Commander Mine 1935-1956
Cindy Miller Reade:
Prairie Sentinels: Coderre Saskatchewan
Margaret Nemeth:
Eastern (Deutsch-Canadier) Block (2014)
Jason Sailer:
Fairbanks Morse H16-66 (CPR #7009)
Margaret Nemeth:
Robsart Saskatchewan 61 Years Apart
Rob Pohl & Arturo Pianzola:
Comox Fisherman’s Wharf Comox BC
Anonymous:
Notre Dame de Savoie Church (From 2014)
Margaret Nemeth:
A Corner in North Glenmore ~50 Years Apart
Anonymous:
Highland Golf Course – Fore No More
Richard Graydon:
Bay Island One Room School (1919-1950)
Gregory Fraser:
Farmer Jones Carz – Closed 2012
Richard Graydon:
Prairie Sentinels of Oberlin Alberta
- Boler! (109)
- Exploring History (286)
- Hikes And Summits (146)
- Old Things (61)
- Other Fun (121)
- Short Subjects (167)
- Then And Now (108)
- Uncategorized (3)
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...
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=L88EKX9JAEW72
https://buymeacoffee.com/offthebeatenpathbigdoer
Thanks to everyone who will and who has done so already. We'll give you a shout-out.
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).
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).
The Laing House dates to the 1910s and at the time of this photo had been empty for about half a century. More: https://www.bigdoer.com/60689/exploring-history/the-lonely-laing-house-1910s/
Thanks to Dale for sponsoring that website article.
_______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path.
Thanks, Johanna (Connie).
_______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path.
Thanks, Chris.
Photo credit: James Tworow collection.
_______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path.
Thanks, Chris.
_______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path.
Thanks, Chris.
Comments are currently turned off
- Chris Doering on Reach Us!
- Patrick Keck on Reach Us!
- Chris Doering on Few Words: The Cutest Little Farm House
- Eric May on Few Words: The Cutest Little Farm House
- Chris Doering on Old Slocan Highway by the Lake
- Chris Doering on Bow River Loop: Inglewood – Carburn Park
- Jason Sailer on Bow River Loop: Inglewood – Carburn Park
- Jason Sailer on A Few Minutes in Stavely Alberta
- Jason Sailer on Old Slocan Highway by the Lake
- Jason Sailer on Forced Perspective The Calgary Tower
- Chris Doering on Few Words: A Catalogue Home?
- Chris Doering on Prairie Sentinels: Fort MacLeod Alberta
Hi Chris ! Just reading about Three Hills, and curious if you might know of the Bishop Brothers. I believe they had a transport company late 30’s. Both brothers served in ww2 and I presume they continued business on return. I own a hot rod and I’ve left the doors original, which says Bishop Brothers, phone R1048, Three Hills. Originally a 1938 ford 2 ton flat deck.
Hope you might have some help on the brothers business history. Appreciate your time and consideration!
thanks !!
Best Regards,
Dave
Sorry, we’re not sure how this was missed Dave.
Why not send us a photo of you project and I think we could find some info for you. Let’s chat. Here: Reach Us! (you’ll need to sign up or log-in using a social account).
Hi, I am wondering if you can contact me please.I am the owner of one of the properties you have featured and would like to discuss some new info with you.
Thank you very much,
Faye
Sorry, we’re not sure how this was missed.
Done!
I just found your website today and I have been obsessively reading every post about The Pass! I moved here about a year ago from Manitoba, and I still think it was the best decision I’ve ever made. I am curious about the “Coal Mine Fan House (Alberta Rockies) article you posted. Is there anymore information you can give me about its location? If not that’s alright, I understand its sensitive or protected. PS, Good call with the B/W photos, I found that desaturating photos of cool old buildings like that one just makes them look so much creepier!
Sorry, we’re not sure how this was missed.
We’re not allowed to share location info for sensitive sites and we appreciate your understanding. Drop by often, as there’s always new content posted regularly.
Interesting to see this; our family took a driving holiday from Vancouver one year, with this actually being the final destination! It was in the 60s and the description is much as you have it here many years later. Sadly, Battrum SK is not destined to be anything except a memory, it seems.
Sorry, we’re not sure how this was missed.
Even at its peak, there was never much in Battrum. You have the same name! How cool.
Hello! Just wondering if you were aware of the ghost town remains of Brule, Alberta. We were up near Hinton on the weekend, went to the local museum, and the lady there told us to visit it. It’s a fascinating little place, ruins amongst the trees of the modern town, with historical signs placed along the way. Very atmospheric. Thought it would be a perfect fit for your website. (Provided you haven’t already done a piece on it. We searched the site and nothing came up.) It is WELL worth a visit.
Sorry, we’re not sure how this was missed. Yes, we know of the former town and have plans to visit it next time we’re up that way. I see we have lots of info on the place in our archives. Thanks for the tip.
well your contact form doesn’t work, wonder if this does.
Tested it and it seems to be working fine and we’re getting messages from other people. Sorry it didn’t work for you.
Great job you’re doing here! Best wishes, David.
Thanks for stopping by our little corner of the Internet.
CHRIS IT SEEMS AS THOUGH YOU KNOW WHERE TO GO TO FIND THE GOOD COOL STUFF I WAS WONDERING WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE HEAVY TRUCK SALVAGE YARD YOU FOUND IN MANITOBA I SEE THINGS I WANT TO BUY AND HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR A REAL LONG TIME I LIVE IN THE USA BUT I AM FINE WITH THE EXCHANGE RATE OF CURRENCY THANKS FOR YOUR HELP SCOTT
Sorry, we had to step away from this site for a couple months. We’re back. Sorry Scott, we have never visited a metal yard in that province.
I have been searching for such a facility, manufacturing building sizes, rail and shipping access import materials and export product. Your site was first to come up with Google search- koodos to you! Very informative format and commentary.This would have been perfect, but was TransCanada recently donated it to the county for Fire/ Police/EMS training centers. Bummer. I have a potential buyer.
Some additional context would help as we’re not sure what you’re speaking of.
I’ve just found your site and have fallen in love with what you’re doing here. I can tell that I’ll be spending a lot of time on it. Keep up the great work.
Thanks, and we will! And do drop by often – lots of new stuff in the pipeline. Always!
Love your articles. I don’t know how anyone doesn’t. Keep up the awesome work.
You just made my morning! Thanks for the love – we get our share, but always crave more. It just feels sooooo good.
Hi Chris and Connie, I just wanted to reach out and say thank you for the work you do on the website. I’ve lived out here on the prairies for a few years and have been trying to visit as many of the small towns and old relics, when time permits. I will often visit your site first for inspiration…
Thanks once again and maybe we will cross paths one day while out searching – Cheers!
I hope we do cross paths. You are most welcome, we love doing what we do and sharing it with you. Drop by often and please comment, like or share when you can.
Hello Chris,
I happened upon your website by accident via a High River trails post (elsewhere). Very interesting -your calling, and appreciate the sense of intellectual/historical as well as geographical exploration. Too often, outdoor pursuits (esp. as advanced by clubs) seem superficial and somewhat selfish in their objective (whether it is to ‘bag a peak’ or another ‘bucket list’ item). Little effort is dedicated to understanding the historical, cultural and/or ecological ‘sense of place’ more deeply. Will be in touch and perhaps we will cross paths in the future.
Regards,
Jeremy Neufeld
Okotoks, AB
This is the comment of the day! Spot on – too many photographers have zero f***s to give about the subject. It’s not what can I learn from it, but rather, what can it do for me photo wise. Very selfish way to do it. Thanks for chiming in! Hope we do cross paths. You never know.
Thank you! I thoroughly enjoyed your pictures and history of the prairie grain elevators. My husband and I are planning a trip to investigate the Canadian prairies. Ian (husband) is from England and was taught in school about the harvesting of wheat in Canada. He is soooooo looking forward to experience this first hand. We live in Penticton and have a week off and I appreciate all the work you both have done to make our trip unforgettable. Cheers! Holly and Ian
Sounds awesome! Enjoy your trip. And we’re so happy you love what we do. We never tire of hearing that! Everybody, let us know what you think!
I follow you on Facebook and thoroughly enjoy your “verbose” articles! Photos often need context and your articles provide it. There are lots of sites that publish thousands of pictures with little or no text…maybe folks that don’t like to read should look elsewhere.
Verbose – haha! One guy compared our write ups to Proust. A clever funny comparison if you know who that is.
Thank you so much for the kind words. The negatives have been coming hard and fast here lately – I have no clue why what we do brings out such ugly – so it’s nice to hear something that’s not unpleasant. Agree, there’s a million abandoned stuff photographers out there who just post pics and nothing more – and there’s not a darn thing wrong with that – and most are arguably far better photographers than us anyway. If people need eye-candy alone, go there. Agree a million percent.
Chris and or Connie, I’m intrested in a hike that I can sleep overnight in the Wilderness this summer. I was thinking pickle jar lakes as I’m from Calgary and it does not seem to far away. Would you recommend another hike that an overnight stay would be full of amazing views and solidarity?
Thanks
Daryll
Daryll, nice to chat with you. Sorry to say if you want solitude and a spectacular setting you’ll have a hard time of it in Kananaskis. Understandably so, most places with nice scenery are also generally busy. Anyway, random camping is frowned upon in most areas there. You’re asked to stick with official sites, which are few and far between and often times very busy. Hate to be the bringer of bad news. You might wish to go further afield.
Love your article on hiking the Bow River Valley and locating the site where the movie Open Range was filmed in 2002. I am researching this film and trying to locate the exact position of the movie town “Harmonville” torn down after the movie was completed. Your description of your hike gives some good clues however finding the exact place is frustrating to find. I disagree that it wasn’t a great western film but that is subjective by any measure. A marker or comment on Google Earth or Bing Maps as to the exact location would be terrific. Any information would be greatly appreciated by myself and Kevin Costner film lovers. Thank You!
So nice to hear from you. Glad you liked the article. The site is on the Morley Reserve and they asked we not give out exact locations. Sorry. You can’t really drive to it, that much I can say. Indeed, movies are subjective. I didn’t care for it, but it’s by no means the worst western out there. I can appreciate that others like it.
Thanks Chris for your response. I believe I have narrowed down the location thanks to your article and all the visual clues in the movie. I respect the Nations request to not show the exact location of “Harmonville”. The north end of that pasture with all the cart tracks looks accurate to me for it’s location. Enjoy your great pictures and articles. Keep them coming. Thanks again Chris. 🙂 ….Norm Robbins (Nebraska)
Appreciate your understanding. And thanks for dropping by and be sure to come back again.
neck article on the moyie falls i’ve lived here in cranbrook b c for 63 years was born here an my family has bin here for at least 50 years before that 🙂 i know the falls very well , you should check out the old mining site up Perry Creek when you were last here you must have seen the old water wheel ,at FT Steele it once stood out at Perry Creek at the old mining site it was built by william nightstrome i had the pleasure of meeting hin when i was just a small child 🙂 to this day the old steam shovel is still sitting there silenty waiting for its chance to do its thing 🙁 an it’s huge the story as to how they got it out there is also interesting as i’ve bin told by my farher an grand father it was walked out there on rails from cranbrook .taking up the track an placing it in frount of it as it went along an hard trip im sure 🙂 🙂
So pleased to hear from you. I lived in Cranbrook in the early to mid 1980s. Been up Perry Creek, great place too. Saw where the water wheel came from, but it was moved already. Also saw the rail mounted steam shovel now at Ft Steele too. A cool piece of machinery.
Regarding your hikes in Crowsnest Pass.
Bellevue is no longer a “town” nor is Coleman, Hillcrest Mines, Frank or Blairmore. They were amalgamated over thirty five years ago and now it is the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass. They are now referred to as the community of Bellevue or community of Frank, or community of Blairmore or community of Hillcrest Mines. If you must, call them the former town of…
Thanks
We don’t just hike there, we explore The Pass. Love the place. Would live there if we could. Community, town, certainly there are differences, but are they really enough to worry about? Seems like splitting hairs. We know the place is officially called the Municipality of the Crowsnest Pass, and I’m sure everyone living there and many outsiders do as well, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone use the term. When we speak with locals, it seems traditional place names are used, or they simply call the collective, “The Pass”, as we did earlier. Still, thanks for commenting.
The CPR tracks, east end of downtown Calgary, fifty years apart.
How come the “new” pic doesn’t have the new big city downtown buildings, yet the “old” train shows all the downtown high-rises?
ps. my hometown is Calgary…altho’ born in Hanna…my father worked at the Hanna Roundhouse.
If you’re speaking of this post…
https://www.bigdoer.com/24419/then-and-now/canadian-pacific-railway-then-and-now-downtown-east-end-calgary/
The view has us looking towards the extreme northwestern edge of downtown, so not many towers are visible. Notice they’re shrouded in fog further obscuring things. In old photos that was an area of warehouses and the like. No towers in the old days. Hope this helps. And thanks for commenting!
Awesome, the Hanna Roundhouse is cool and it’s great you have a connection to it! Thanks for dropping by our little corner of the Internet.
I noticed in the article they refereed to the grain elevators at Josephburg. My mother was born on -1905 at Josephburg Ab. At that time Josephburg was loacted north of Cypress Hills ab in the Robinson school district. It was then moved to present location. Have you ever heard of any history to verify this?
Sorry, not sure which article you’re referring to. I know of a Josephburg near Edmonton but not in the Cypress Hills area. You need some help tracking info down? Our group is at your disposal.
I was born in 1948 and lived in East Coulee until 1952.After that I returned there most summers to stay with my grandparents in the 50s and 60s.Millers Bakery& Cafe. A great deal of my time was spent diving off the bridge. Awesome to say the least. Pete Charlie (Miner) used to dive from the top of the bridge. Amazing !! Loved East Coulee. Still go on that bridge when I am out from BC
Amazing, thanks for sharing your wonderful memories! Jump off the bridge? You must have been crazy!
Chris::
I am the producer in the US that is looking for a setting to interview a Canadian author. Just spoke with you on the phone. Do you have any contact info for the church in Couval, SK (St. Josephs)? We’d like to be able to shoot our interview outside the church, but would also like to be able to get in the church and perhaps do some b-roll.
We also discussed the church you are currently headed to to photograph. Would it be possible to see any photos of that setting?
Thanks for your help, I have enjoyed your blogs and photos.
TJ Rathbun
Nice to chat with you. I’ll respond via email.
Hey Chris! I just wanted to know the location of this rail train bridge. I’m new in Calgary and it looks really good
Cheers!
https://www.bigdoer.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/IMG_1819-1024×768.jpg
That one is in Bowness just east of Bowness Park. It can be viewed on all sides from public pathways.
Pssst … there is not one but TWO Bolers parked side by side in the back alley (address not shown) (Bridgeland). One has a unique mural on the back of it!
Awesome, we’ll go check them out!