Fairwood School?

Stumbled across this old abandoned one room schoolhouse on March 17, 2017. It is a little east of Warwick, Alberta. A little bit of preliminary research shows it might be Fairwood School that was in use from 1902 - 1954. A lot of schools in Alberta have markers in front of them. Unfortunately a lot of them do not have markers. So it is an educated guess that it might be Fairwood School.

I only bothered with looking just inside th entrance. You never know if you might fall through a floor even though it looked solid. I make an attempt to cut down on dumb activities when no one else is with me.

Coffee in Banff tonight

Just because

The Tuttles & A.J. Lee

Images of Loverna, Saskatchewan Part Three

Grace United Church. I did not try the door. Which is odd for me. I am a fan of church buildings. I did try the other church.

The Anglican Church.

"The Anglican Church welcomes you. All Saints built 1922. Always open for prayer."

I took a look inside. Beautiful little church and immaculately kept. Whenever I venture into something like this I treat it with the utmost respect. I even breathe carefully.

I wanted to hang around longer for photos. I heard a voice on the radio state there was a sixty percent chance of rain that day. Rain was not in the forecast when I started out however I know how reliable those are. I also know what rain does to rural prairie gravel roads. I consulted the map and cut it short and headed out. It is definitely on the list for a revist. I actually did run into a bit of rain. By that time I made it to pavement miles east and it was just a few drops for a few minutes.

Lonely tree

Beside Highway 371 just across the border into Saskatchewan from Alberta. Waiting for spring to bloom and sweep away the stark look of the end of winter. March 25, 2017.

Images of Loverna, Saskatchewan Part Two

You can do a virtual tour via Google Streetview.

Lots of signs in front of empty spaces.

Sign noting Dr. Frizzell's House.

The town square is overgrown.

Cenotaph marking the names of those lost in World War One and Two.

Sign marking where Kellys Pool Hall once stood.

Whatever lettering was on the truck has been lost to history.

Community Hall.

Canadian Legion Loverna Branch 91.

The sign in front of the steps says Orange Hall / Legion Hall.

Rural traffic hazards

Highway 899 north of Highway 9 March 25, 2017.

A bit of attitude from one of the locals.

Images of Loverna, Saskatchewan Part One

Visited here March 25, 2017. Named after Loverna McFarland the daughter of a local railway official, founded about 1913. The town is flirting with ghost town status. There were once five hundred people and a number of businesses. There used to be a railway through here. That ended long ago. A few internet sites state the poplulation here was officially five in 2001. I saw one person when I was here. A friend's mother lived here many years ago. 

From one direction I ran across a marker where a school once stood. Whatever was on the sign below has been erased by the elements. The town is just a bit past the border between Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Next is the sign.

The landscape here kind of rolls. Coming here from the west you first see the town coming over a hill.

What struck me is the number of signs showing what once existed. This one marks the Vernon Hotel which burned down in the 1960's. Another fire hit in 1996 and destroyed part of the town. Someone or some organization placed signs all over the town showing where places once stood. There were grain elevators and a train station. Not anymore.

Some buildings I could not get to due to some of the road being too muddy. There is a mix of derelict buildings, some preserved ones, and a few newer ones. There is a curling rink here.

Amazing how much infrastructure disappeared.

Old horse drawn grader.

Royal Cafe / Harry Seto's / Liz Volk.

The sign in front of this one says Dr.'s Office.

Dankin, Saskatchewan March 26, 2017

Abandoned grain elevators in rural Saskatchewan. Excellent sunny day that was perfect for getting out and exploring the countryside. The best part of this time of year is that there are no bugs. The rail line runs at an angle to the gravel road here. So I took a walk along the tracks to get some different photos.