There’s not many of these little corner stores left. Where as long ago you could find them in nearly every “old” neighbourhood across the country, they have been in decline for decades. Finding one today is a rare delight and in Calgary, the few that are still in business can...
The deeper we dig, the more we find. We’re talking about some “lost” Then & Nows shot years ago, promptly forgotten about for some odd reason*, and only recently rediscovered. There’s been a few of these published so far with more to come. In this example, we take a different...
We’re in the Red Deer River Valley in and around Drumheller Alberta. We’re restless, have an empty SD card, charged batteries and an itchy shutter finger. What to do…what to do? I know, it’s time to explore! Let’s capture that small town vibe we so love. Take to the road,...
File this under silly and fun. Here it’s another “lost” Then & Now shot long ago, somehow forgotten about and only recently rediscovered. When you’ve got diseased brains like us, it’s bound to happen! In this one we duplicate a scene from a 1980s sci-fi B-movie shlock-fest called Firebird 2015AD....
Here’s an old Calgary Transit “Fishbowl” bus in retirement. For decades it roamed the streets of Cowtown, but today languishes away in the back lot of a small town fire department. We’re looking at CTS #898, built in 1977 and one in an order of thirty five. Transit systems all...
Life is full of pleasant surprises, those special little gifts that come out of nowhere. That’s how it played out one extraordinary evening in the picturesque ghost town of Rowley Alberta. Joining close friends, we’re in town for the legendary Pizza Night (presently on hold account the buzzkill that is...
We’re equally at home in the mountains as we are the prairies. It’s all a wonderful playground of fun and learning, each with its own unique personality. Here’s a subject deep in the Alberta Rockies of Banff Park, well “Off the Beaten Path” an old Ranger’s Cabin that this day...
Taking cues from a well known Monty Python sketch (snicker…Mrs BJ Smegma) instructing one “how not to be seen” it’s a cute little Boler doing its best to go unnoticed. It’s a shy one, but can’t elude us. We have these special…let’s describe them as “abilities”…something called Boleradar, a sixth...
There’s nothing better for the body and soul than an evening stroll. What a great way to relax and unwind. We do it at home and when on the road. Seriously, it’s how we roll. Naturally, we often bring a camera to try and capture the peace and tranquility that...
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...
Kenopsia: "the eerie atmosphere of a place that's usually bustling with people but now vacant or abandoned."
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