Here’s a pair of Then & Nows that somehow got lost for a time and while produced back in 2017, they’ve not seen the light of day until now. Presenting not one, but two of these wonderful comparison studies and the subject is Loverna Saskatchewan, a near ghost town. The...
There are ghost towns. Then there’s Carolside Alberta, a community so totally wiped off the map that it’s become lost in time. While there’s odd little hints of what was here, if one looks real close, there’s not a structure left standing nor much else. Over there in the grass...
There’s a huge number of abandoned railways in Canada, thousands and thousands of kilometres worth. Only upon looking at old maps does it become clear just how extensive the network was. These disused lines are particularly common in the grain growing regions of the west but can be found across...
In concept it’s pretty straightforward, and rather clever, but in execution demanding with failures all too common. We’re speaking on how a BIGDoer.com “Then & Now” is made . It’s where we take an old photograph showing some town scene from long ago and do our best to duplicate it...
There’s something about an old abandoned car that get us to thinking (ouch, it hurts). Who owned it, where did they travel…what’s the story here? Answers never come, but still we ask. Once someone’s pride and joy, it’s now nothing more than a forgotten hunk of rusted metal dumped in...
With all the world at full stop here’s a little step back from the uncertainty, another instalment in our inner-city hike series. This route follows the Bow River for a time along a dedicated pathway, with diversions into the historic communities of Inglewood and Ramsay added for good measure. Take...
There’s the common fibreglass trailers, Bolers of course and most seen of all, Trilliums; and those less so, like a Ventura or Beachcomber. And then there’s ones spoken of in legend, little known (at least in this neck of the woods) that perhaps get spotted only once in a blue...
Driving down some random Alberta backroad, as we’re apt to do when there’s time to burn, we know there’s a good probability we’ll discover something interesting. Mostly we use they type of trips as scouting missions, making notes and then following up with a return visit at some later date....
Exploring History / Hikes And Summits / Old Things / Other Fun
by Chris Doering · Published March 14, 2020 · Last modified November 25, 2021
And now it’s on to part two, a sneak peek of articles due to be published in the coming months. With the world in turmoil and everything locked down or cancelled, here’s a nice little diversion with no TP needed. Presenting for your approval, articles that’ll be coming soon (or...
Exploring History / Hikes And Summits / Old Things / Other Fun
by Chris Doering · Published March 12, 2020 · Last modified February 8, 2022
The anticipation is killing us! We’ve photographed so many epic things over the last year that have yet to see the light of day that we want to show you. Always hopelessly behind, with this post comes some relief. Here’s where we give you a preview of what’s coming, pieces...
First you mine the coal, then you bring it outside. Now what? Well, you dump it of course. And here’s the building where it happened, so it could then go on to be further processed. There was a number of ways to do it…end dumping was common at smaller operations,...
Here’s a time wasting post about a silly little diversion we do while out on roadtrips. If we’re in an area with a railway line and spot a train, well, there’s a good chance we’ll stop to photograph it. It’s what we do. This is done this mostly for ourselves,...
Here’s something right out of an old west movie, an ancient log cabin we had the honour to take in one fine winter’s day. We came to know it via a friend and this visit was to scope it out, gather some intel and plan a return for a more...
If we’re out somewhere and catch wind of a car show, we’ll make it a point to attend if we can. Who are we to resist the call of these vintage rides, all shiny and perfectly done up showroom new, with owners always willing to share a bit of history...
There’s a nice little paved pathway connecting Turner Valley to Black Diamond called the Friendship Trail. It affords one an easy stroll taking it in these two towns, which are not terribly far apart. While sometimes six clicks is enough of a walk (round trip), more often for us it’s...
The party’s in full swing, the fun and adventure seemingly limitless, then comes a sudden realization it’s all going to end soon. What…it’s almost over? Here’s the very last day of our (as we’re heard to say) “epic” Spanish adventure. For the last couple weeks, we toured historic sites, taken...
They demolished the building but for some reason left these odd remains behind, little hints of what was. Why in the world, when clearing away something so huge, would they fail to complete the job? No matter I guess. Do folks walking by headed to the trains ask, “what stood...
When it’s time for a break, sometimes a little stroll is just the prescription needed. It’s good for the mind and body, a way to unwind, rid one’s self of what ever problems are at hand and brings everything back into focus. No prescription drugs required, no alcohol, nothing difficult...
There’s a cool old building in South Calgary we’ve passed a gazillion times but paid little mind, even if we did think it interesting. Then one day, after seeing some century-old homes just a block over getting demolished, comes a cold hard reminder that nothing’s forever. Procrastinating is a slippery...
We’ve hiked the Glenmore Reservoir Loop many times before, occasionally during the warmer months but mostly come winter. There’s a nice pathway that circles the entire thing and much scenic variety. Sometimes it’s a very park-like setting, sometimes you’re along quiet city streets, next to a noisy trunk road (thankfully...
Occasionally when an adventure ends we have no choice but to rush home. But if we can, and it’s something we work hard towards, we’ll take it easy and doddle. Do the backroads, the byways, the side streets and take in places (wait for it)…”Off the Beaten Path”. The journey...
Here’s an exciting new concept that if well received we plan to do again and again. We’ll pick totally at random subjects from our extensive photo collection that have never seen the light of day publicly, be they good or bad, and post them here. And of course, we’ll drone...
The setting for this “then & now” is a quiet residential street in small town Alberta seen a century ago, and again present day. Admittedly it’s not the the most glamorous or spectacular subject we’ve ever picked for one of these posts. It’s just two rows of humble dwellings, in...
Here’s the first Boler posting of 2020, an overly dirty model b-1300 found completely by random in some south Calgary neighbourhood. Truth be told it was captured in late 2018, but as many of you know, we’re perpetually behind in getting these published. Keeping the lights on here at BIGDoer.com...
File this under obscure. Here we’ll be looking at the mostly complete inner workings of a coal mine hoist house and don’t worry, you’ll know more about that is in a moment. These massive chunks of metal were part of a sprawling coal mine, so big it extended for many...
As this is being written it’s currently a numbing -28c (-38c with windchill!) and it’s a safe bet that hiking is not on the minds of many in our local area. Well, maybe in distant dreams of summer…dear friend the sun, a warm breeze, trees, flowers and butterflies and a...
Those who follow our adventures know how much we love staying at old school motels/hotels when on the road. It’s not just due to budgetary reasons we do this (well, yes it is), but that we simply love the vibe. Heck, if we won the lotto tomorrow – and we’re...
Not all that long ago Greyhound Bus Lines owned the Western Canadian market when it came to intercity ground transportation for us humans. Their buses went nearly everywhere and business seemed to be doing fine. If there was a town of any reasonable size, it was probably served. Passenger volumes...
Flashback to a time with the world on edge…well, more so than usual. It’s memories of that crazy period called the Cold War, with two hated enemies facing off and each with a finger on the doomsday button. On one side, the side of good (if you were to ask),...
Here it’s a short diversion from what we usually document, a fun little piece touching on something we’re rather passionate about. Even if the subject is not the favourite with some of our readers (oh yeah, we hear about it), for Team BIGDoer it’s something big. We’re speaking of pinball...
Kenopsia: "the eerie atmosphere of a place that's usually bustling with people but now vacant or abandoned."
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