Southern Alberta Ghost Towns

[@georgemeek4351]

I was born in the ghost town of Wayne in 1939 and believe I am the oldest remaining individual born in the town hospital which does not exist today. Wayne is a fun filled place to visit. As of March 2022, 25 people lived there...which gives it the ghost town designation...

[@attrell]

That is pretty neat! I really enjoy that town, wish I got there before they took out the train tracks.

[@debroselle8877]

My oldest brother is buried up on the hill in the old cemetery. Dad was working in the mines back then.

[@scoobydoo5934]

I had the pleasure of visiting Wayne while on a trip to Drumheller once, and it was such a beautiful hidden gem! I hope to visit again one day 😊

[@Concussed1.]

I live just down the road. 👍🏼👍🏼❤️❤️

[@LAStars-sratS]

Thanks for sharing❣️ finally something I can afford 😉

[@outstandinginafield5255]

I have lived in southern alberta my whole life, i work in agriculture delivering farm equipment to farms. I am always too busy to stop but see so many ghost towns while driving back roads for hours on end. Very cool to see some of the places i drive by in this video!

[@ItsLexieMarie]

As an albertan who loves the small hamlets of alberta.. this video hit close to home and my heart! Thanks for sharing the beauty and history of my home province. ❤

[@attrell]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@cannedgoose3259]

You've absolutely earned a sub, Chris. I'm an Edmonton local who's been dabbling in urban exploration and checking out abandoned places like this, and seeing this video come across my home page has been absolutely eye opening to how much I just haven't seen in this time capsule of a province. I actually visited the Atlas mine with my father just before the pandemic, it was an excellent experience and certainly one of the things that got me into urbex as a whole. A more recent experience for me was visiting Hairy Hill in August of this year. It truly is surreal to walk around a town like that, seeing buildings absolutely frozen in time. I look forward to checking out some more of these places over the next few years, excellent work!

[@attrell]

Thank you so much!

[@audience4u2]

Cool stuff!

[@toaster3822]

Thank you for highlighting our beautiful province! Alberta is hands down the most diverse landscape across Canada

[@attrell]

It really is!

[@trash9378]

how so? it's all shrubland and arid badlands

[@awolters5827]

@@trash9378 There are mountains and vast forests in Alberta. I think you're thinking of Saskatchewan.

[@toaster3822]

@@trash9378 mountains, foothills, praries, sand dunes (Brule lake, and the badlands by drumheller), lakes, rivers, tundra up north.... we have it all except for a coast

[@pickledninjacat4000]

British Columbia's more diverse than minecraft super flat the province

[@greathodgy22]

Threshing machines. The sheves were brought to the threshing machines by horse and hay rack. You then threw the sheves into the machine to separate the wheat from the chaff. Combines are just that, combineing the thresher with the forward movement and pickup of the wheat or other grains.

[@attrell]

Perfect thank you!

[@markroath98]

I grew up along the Montana highline, and frequented Alberta, Canada many times. Wonderful people, and a beautiful province.

[@ELMS]

This was great, Chris. Back in the 80’s I worked for Canada Post and my job was closing down rural post offices, so I’ve been to most of these towns. I’ve since had occasion to drop by others I worked with - Wrentham, AB comes to mind - and they’re all met a similar fate. Anyway, I’ve subscribed.

[@attrell]

Thank you! Probably had a lot of grain elevators still in those days.

[@cindybirck3744]

Must have been sad to have to close down rural post offices, the life-blood of communities 😢

[@forthrightnight]

I thought I would see Wrentham on the list but I think there are more than 25 people living there. It has had a bit of a resurgence when I was last there about 10 years ago. My family lived there back in the sixties. My mom was a teacher at the school, and I was a lad of 8. Grades 1 to 8 or 9 were taught with kids of different grades in the same room. I believe there were two or three teachers at the school and a principal who probably also taught. The high schoolers bussed to Warner for school. My mom has passed and my dad has dementia so no help there.

[@rebelsatcloudnine]

This was really cool, my Aunt lived in or around Empress, I can't remember, and it was really cool to see what the town looked like. It's really sad to see these towns that were once so alive and are now gone. I live in a small town outside Waterton Park, and thankfully it's survived all of these years later, but it's not the same as when it was in it's prime.

[@coldiaultimatebase761]

i swear, ive been many places around the world and nowhere will ever be as beautiful as southern alberta. underrated as hell

[@attrell]

I agree :)

[@MichaelMetcalfQueKara]

We buy your calendar every year! Great to see a video. My grandma lived in Etzikom at some point between the 50s and 70s and always pronounced it "Ett-zee-kum" for whatever it's worth. My grandpa was a station agent for CPR, so they lived in a lot of these little places.

[@attrell]

Thanks and thanks for watching!

[@MrSilver708]

I absolutely loved this!! You are an amazing tour guide and love how respectful you are to private property etc. You narration is perfect as well. Please do more of these! 😁

[@attrell]

Thank you!!

[@SparkleDairyFumSchrein]

I like your style of narration, it's very soothing and relaxing

[@attrell]

Oh thank you!

[@aaronshouting588]

Lived in Southern Alberta my whole life and have never heard of these towns so this was very exciting to watch!

[@demiyenh4406]

Retlaw is one of my favorite towns to visit. There is a lot of feelings there. Especially in the church.

[@mountainwest3444]

Retlaw was named after a man named Walter................ which if spelled backwards is , Retlaw.

[@smokinlizardbreath]

I grew up between Bindloss and Buffalo. Went to school at Bindloss school. In 1978 there was 112 kids from 1-9, by 1983 there was only 32, I was the only grade 9. I still have the history of the area here. The shack you said was prob insurance, nope that was the post office. office

[@attrell]

Oh the post office! Thank you!!

[@kodiak1]

My father owned the grocery store in Bindloss 1961 till 1973. He shut it in July that year. You are correct that was the post office and also the UFA office as both were run by the same family.

[@smokinlizardbreath]

@scottdixon4495 nice. I spent a lot of time in Cavendish, my Uncle Wayne worked for Nova until he retired. Learned to swim, many Xmas parties, and baseball games.

[@sheldondyck8631]

I’ve been to the Atlas Coal Mine a few times. It’s a really cool place to visit.

[@duMaurier15]

We need to replace the Coal mines in the ghosttowns with Nuclear Power Plants and bring population back to these areas. Canada's handling of population settlement is one of the worse (not as bad as Australia). Canada keeps encouraging people to re/settle in major cities that it is making these cities expensive.

[@klaragreennest188]

I went to the Altas Coal mine for a School trip in grade 6

[@suryakar8122]

Nostalgia all this ghost town carries cannot be expressed..Alberta beautiful legacy

[@dotapazappy]

I grew up on a farm my dad bought where instead of bulldozing the old house on top of a hill(picked to avoid flooding) and he re-did the inside but we had lots of abandoned old buildings around the land too. I guess I never thought much about it but seeing all these places put in a video sure took me back to my childhood.

[@keith2599]

Hi Chris, Those old grain elevators in most towns you have visited' Have they found new ways of making things easier with the grain and no longer need the use of them anymore and so the reasons of their closures... Love watching all the videos you do in these ghost towns as they really are spectacular.... With those old cars fuel station pumps and great churches....The really a delight to watch... Best 73s to you and your family and take care out with those snakes about.... 😊

[@GrainJB]

The federal government used to subsidize the cost of rail freight for grain grown on the prairies. When they stopped doing that in the 90's, it sped up the closure of small elevators and rail lines. Now large concrete elevators handle in a week what these old ones did in a year.

[@davidrussell8795]

Read Abandoned Saskatchewan, but bigger trucks that can haul bigger loads longer distances,no need for local grain elevators! Centralization of one big grain elevators, and the kids of the baby boomers generation hit the big cities for a better life! End of the family farm lifestyle!

[@davidrussell8795]

@GrainJB That goes for down in Essex county Ontario! I remember stopping by the Maidstone grain elevator with my uncle Earl! back in thevearly 70's! It was left standing for many years, and the last time I went through Maidstone,Ontario, back in 2021, old gal was still standing! When I was a young(15) teenager. The man said it was his last year( probably 1970!),as there was no need for his small elevator and not enough money! There was another in Oldcastle , my uncle Earl sold fuel to,that one closed when I was 15! The town of Essex Ontario, had several big cement grain silos right on the cp line through town,but they pulled the rails out back when I was a young man,because they had the cn passenger trains up in Windsor.,so cp pulled its passenger service,and that started the end for our Essex grainery,but it held on for years,but they eventually closed. Trucks can haul bigger loads ,farther,and the little silos we had that serviced the small farmers down here,until progress and advanced technologies killed them ! A lot of crops here are soybeans, corn and grains as well as tomatoes,and a bit of hay but animal husbandry has gone! The soybeans are processed at a huge plant in LaSalle Ontario! Our dairy industry died back in 1980! I had talked to a local realtor who said his dad bought out the second last dairy operation, in Essex county and he planned to retire! Most dairy is in Quebec, and the Atlantic bubble! We no longer have grain silos or dairy farms, it's mostly cash crops,as most used to worked in the autoplants here! Which by the way are almost gone here! Our farms were small 50 acre plots the crown gave the farmers in the early 1900's or late 1860s. Most are amalgamated into 1000 acres or more! The small farmers couldn't make a decent living here 40 years ago! On such small patches! That's not to say it's still that way,as I heard a farmer back in 80 tell me he sold his small farm to a guy who bought out a lot of these small farms and ran 1000 acres! The family farm has gone ! Along with the horse and buggy towns that used to exist! Note back when you had to hitch up your horse,travel was at 3 mph,to the next town or hamlet so would be within that mileage to get to!

[@duMaurier15]

Great question @keith2599

[@dougoberg801]

Really one factor that killed these smaller centers was when Canada Post closed the Post Office and went to community mail boxes, it took the local meeting place away.

[@philipjarvis7752]

Post offices are alive and well in Empress.

[@zometthecomet]

Yeah….. this is not the reason. 😂 It’s big business and what I does to small towns ! We learned this already did you forget what Walmarts did to small towns already ?

[@central3425]

thats a minor reason. The real reason is removing the economic reason for being for these towns (industry, railway, commerce).

[@kellylybbert8677]

The old combines you referred to were called threshing machines. They were stationary and the wheat was brought to them and fed through the machine to separate the wheat grains from the chaff. The small railway car was motorized and could carry a few workers at about 50 km /hr

[@attrell]

Thank you!

[@Wh0-is-m3]

I live so close to these location, and this entire video was just so eerie and quiet. Nice in a way.

[@tazremtulla6616]

What a great video! Really enjoyed your coverage!! ❤

[@attrell]

Thank you so much!

[@phmoffett]

16:42 Those old "speeder" section cars were gas powered and used before railroads started using hi-rail dual purpose highway/railroad trucks. Gas powered speeders could tow a trailer with equipment the section gang needed for track work.

[@attrell]

THanks for letting me know!

[@timklassen421]

Thank you Chris for the tour sad that the rail lines are all getting ripped up it was a great infrastucture

[@lorinhardy8920]

I find those town streets where grass meets dirt road naturally so cozy and calming for some reason. Would love to live on a little street like that.

[@attrell]

You and me both!

[@queeb70]

I totally get what you mean. There's something so comforting about it.

[@IDouble]

Quite cool to see, i often travel from manitoba out west to pick up dirt bikes with my old man because they tend to be cheaper out west, and we usually end up in lots of these tiny little towns along the way. Nice to see someone making a video about them

[@diane1390]

That's the kind of town I'd love to live in. I wish there were something further south.

[@carlagarrett8584]

Thankyou so much! We live in a hamlet in Wimborne, and its exciting to see these ghost towns. I almost moved to Dorothy five years ago.

[@attrell]

Thanks for watching!

[@TheThundertwig]

Super nostalgic, it's true that these places seldom change. It lets us keep some parts of our childhoods preserved out in the prairies.

[@missy183]

Thanks for sharing this beautiful video. God bless. 🙏❤

[@attrell]

Thank you too

[@Boomsterblak]

I came on to make a joke and say you forgot Bassano..lol..but then the memories kicked in..I used to drive the preacher on his rounds back in mid 80's..Empress where we been to the hotel and had breakfast..off to Acadia valley..Buffalo..then Bindloss to finish the day ..I have been in the church there...sad to see things shuttered..great people out that way...we did stop every place for a lunch or supper..lol..the ladies were the sweetest...Thanks for this.

[@attrell]

Thanks for watching!

[@dmax64]

Seeing ghost towns always makes me wonder what the towns were like in their heydays.

[@attrell]

Me too. Most of the heydays were at the start of the great depression!

[@Jewelmind]

Yes, so true. Just love that aspect

[@derekcox6531]

I lived in a town in bc called kitsalt, and it went away fairly quickly. I think the whole town is owned by 1 person now. I find it a little sad that it’s gone now.

[@FrodoSynthesis1]

i live in alberta and have always wanted to explore some of the abandoned places here. this vid is awesome! love the old stuff its all so cool

[@attrell]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@durbanbudz]

I haven't been back to home in Southern Alberta for almost 13 years, this brings back so many memories.

[@mrdennisabel]

Awsome. good job. Brings Back memories..grew up in them places 40 years ago.. thank you

[@Isaac-muntz]

Love the vintage cars and tractors just littered around the small towns ❤

[@attrell]

Me too!

[@cp_honey]

Thank you so much for showing these amazing places! They seem to have the most unique, quiet charm. So remote and most of all on the other side of the world, I will likely never see them or anything in Alberta in person, so thanks even more for sharing them with the world!

[@attrell]

Thank you!

[@jacobspiewak]

I've lived in Alberta my whole life and I only recognized about 2 places , great job showing what even maybe some Albertans haven't experienced.

[@attrell]

Thank you!

[@footsy420]

Thanks for the video! This is the type of thing that You tube is wonderful for. I lived in Banff over 15 years before visiting Bankhead. It's been 25 now and I definitely have to check out the Heart Creek Bunker. I'm sure there are a lot more. I can think of Del Bonita near the Montana border. I visited it during Covid and got a notice that I had to quarantine because my phone pinged and American cell tower.

[@attrell]

Oh my goodness your phone did that. That's weird. I will visit that town next week.

[@deathvalley1592]

THANKS CHRIS. REALLY ENJOY YOUR VIDEOS. YOU’RE DOING A GREAT JOB!!!!!!!!

[@attrell]

I appreciate that!

[@simakhorrami6725]

Thank you for showing us this fascinating clip.

[@attrell]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@kamauwikeepa7308]

Hi there from New Zealand. 2002 I was fortunate to be in Calgary as part of an indigenous gathering. I was so taken away by the vastness of the place and the seemingly endless highways in comparison to my home. I was also able to visit Banff ski resort and lake district. It was truly quite an experience. I only wish I could've visited places like this as well, so sad. Thank you for sharing. Tena koe.

[@attrell]

Thank you! Hope you enjoyed your visit!

[@dirk-dianapoppe2029]

Really neat video since I remember living near one of those old small towns Namely Skiff which was near foremost Near the Keuhn farm Sad to see them disappear Thankyou for this video project Good memories

[@attrell]

Thanks for watching!

[@darrellcarrigan9995]

Always great content. Hopefully you have time to profile ghost towns of East Central Alberta.

[@attrell]

I will one day I am sure!

[@ungrave5231]

I went to the windmill museum in Etzikom a couple years back, definitely worth it to check out. They also have a pretty cool exhibit inside with all sorts of cool artefacts.

[@VonDoogan]

Absolutely love this video. I moved to Alberta almost 4 years ago now. I used to do quite a bit of urban exploration in my teen years out in Ontario and I'd love to visit some of these ghost towns, especially Etzikorm with the windmill museum/exhibition. Also Heart Creek Bunker's graffiti adds a certain charm to it (at least the no-dong ones) so I don't think it's so unfortunate. But great video and I'm very glad I was recommended your channel

[@attrell]

Thank you!

[@kkittycatkat1990]

Guys love drawing "dongs" for some reason. I _think_ they grow out of it? Lol

[@VonDoogan]

@@kkittycatkat1990 Dudes never grow out of it, we just get a little better at restraining ourselves

[@Hyperlophus]

​@@kkittycatkat1990I will admit to being a woman who's drawn a few myself. They just look so funny looking.

[@marilyneves8856]

I'm a new subscriber from the UK. Many thanks for the very interesting video's!

[@attrell]

Thanks for the sub!

[@zometthecomet]

See how we here are more like our US cousins rather then you guys 😅 We were serious about kicking you guys out 😂

[@andytuveson5468]

Thanks! Fascinating to see the old towns that I have not heard off before but now plan to visit some of them.

[@attrell]

Thank you!!

[@Beelzebubby91]

I toured the atlas coal mine a few years ago with family. It was really fun and they give you a tour of where the miners lived, showered after working, how the old machines worked, and their bunks. Definitely haunted with all the accidents decades ago. Really nice camping spots nearby the river.

[@attrell]

That place is filled with bliss!

[@roadkinglavared]

That was a great video thanks from East Central Alberta!

[@attrell]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@tonyoostenbrink7808]

I spent 2-3 hours in Etzikom because the windmill museum was only part of a much larger museum housed in the old high school. That museum visit was the highlight of a 2000 km motorcycle ride around Alberta. I took many dozens of photos that day.

[@attrell]

I like that place too!

[@WorknotWoke89]

Love your videos and commentaries. I have been to Rowley twice and plan to visit the places you have been to starting with Wayne. Thanks for the tour!

[@attrell]

Thank you!

[@ammoniumphosphate]

Didn't know that there were so many ghost towns in my own province! Also the prospect of you saying that housing is very affordable in Empress has really peaked my interest lol. great video!

[@attrell]

Thank you!

[@leonidpopkov7623]

Came across by chance and was facinated by these "Dark Tower" places and attitude of locals to the history.

[@roccon1338]

Most of my relatives on my Mother's side came from Etzicom, Alta. Was there a fair bit as a youngster and was recently there for a family reunion. Some still ranch there. The museum there is amazing with recreated homes, businesses, school rooms etc. inside the building.

[@sourbaileys]

Great video! You've inspired me to get out and explore Alberta! Only have been to Calgary, Edmonton, Banff and Canmore mostly so would love to see eveything else.

[@attrell]

Writing on stone park is a must!

[@Hyperlophus]

Camping and hiking in and around the badlands is a must. The land there is just so unique.

[@FinalAffliction]

It sure would be kind of spooky to encounter any kind of large mammal right now. Lmaooo

[@attrell]

I did once. It was a cow. :)

[@andrewmacaulay1585]

Excellent..enjoyed immensely 👍🤠 New Brunswick Canada 🇨🇦

[@attrell]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@MilanMarojevic]

Thank you for sharing this ! Great content ! Still can feel the soul of those places !

[@attrell]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@denny8360]

Hope to see more railroad back in Canada. A functional network would be really nice for transportation compared to uncomfortable flights, and revive some of these rural locations.

[@agentchicken3577]

love these videos, been a fan for years, also love the Halloween profile picture, its funny

[@attrell]

Wow thank you!!!

[@DawnaBilko]

Love Southern Alberta, and thanks for the tour. With a little more background research into the history behind rushing to posting your video of these wonderful landmarks instead of, "I think it's a ..." and, "Looks like it could be ..." or "If I'm not mistaken," and you really could gather a huge following. In the meantime - well - your visuals are great!

[@attrell]

Thanks for the tips!

[@DawnaBilko]

I hope you continue with your tour of long lost Southern Alberta historical sites. Your images are great - and to cover the history of each of these forgotten gems would really put you over the top! I hope you can find the time to continue posting lots of videos enhanced with a well-researched history of Southern Alberta. Thanks! @@attrell

[@JoshBeut]

The grain elevator in skiff is still in operation. My grandfather and uncles own it.

[@attrell]

Fantastic!!

[@julieshepherd5989]

Thanks for sharing this video, loved the scenery and old buildings. 😀

[@attrell]

Thanks for watching!

[@isaacwest276]

This is pretty powerful for me. I was born in Utah and raised in Edmonton, but my family roots run deep in the settlement of southern Alberta, mainly in the Cardston (with that info you shouldn't have a hard time guessing my religion). Though I never lived there for more than a season, I have visited frequently enough to consider it a home to me, and I love it with a deep passion. Thanks for sharing, and I hope my feet can be the same places yours were!

[@attrell]

All of southern Alberta is fun to explore, hope you get to go

[@gordonb7765]

Both my parents are from Etzikom. My Dad's dad had the Masey Ferguson Dealership, and my Mom's Dad had the CASE dealership...and I have no dealerships 😂 My Grandma has been the Museum director for years, lovely little place.

[@attrell]

They did an amazing job with that museum!

[@Mjora]

So fun to watch, some of my family live in Orion, very cool to see someone talk about it

[@Mrparkkila]

Bankhead is fascinating place. It went through a couple of booms and busts, including in 1889/90 when the owners of the coal mine ran out of money and could not secure a buyer for some time. Bankhead, interestingly enough, was also billed as an attraction for Rocky Mountains Park (what Banff National Park was called prior to 1930). Tourists were encouraged to take a lovely drive (first via a team of horses until cars were allowed in the park in 1913). A lot of the old buildings were also moved to Banff. There are some neat photos at the Whyte Museum and Archives of the moving process for some of the buildings. I am surprised you didn’t make your way to Silver City in Banff National Park! It is at the end of the Bow Valley Parkway past Johnston Canyon. It was a mining town that boasted a population over 1000 at one point, but by the 1920s had only one family left. It was also used a film set for several early silent films including The Alaskan. Sadly, the town is gone except for a plaque. Rowley is also such a neat little town. There is a free campground and a lot of neat old buildings to see, including the train station, SAMS, the school, and some homes.

[@attrell]

Thanks for sharing! I think I seen those photos before, just not sure where.

[@claytonberg721]

Where's the plaque for silver city?

[@Mrparkkila]

@@claytonberg721 Should be at the along the Bow Valley Parkway near Castle Junction. Super easy to miss.

[@patsquach4080]

What would be great if you flashed the locations on a large map …after each town … Have. A. Fun. Day !!

[@attrell]

Porbably a good idea. My map is paper, but I guess that would still work. Thank you!

[@GttiqwT]

excellent video, thanks for documenting this!

[@grottu]

while driving around AB/SK and hauling grain/fertilizer i love those ghost towns. Places like Empress (or any towns like such) are great for a night in truck since i hate and cant stand truck stops (and never sleep at them). Specially now when ELD forces you to sleep is good to know places like Empress where you can park in front of old hospital for the night, take relaxing walk and have DEAD quiet sleep :)

[@redneckroy8947]

Nice one. You need to check out Del Bonita, right by the Nelway border crossing. I camped there for a while a few years back.

[@attrell]

Thanks for the tip!

[@gail9566]

I second Del Bonita. Richard Geer made a movie Called Days of Heaven which was filmed out there and in Lethbridge. It's in the top 100 list of most beautifully filmed movies

[@MJ98.]

Thank you for making this. Really good information 😊

[@attrell]

Thank you!

[@jimmywashere8753]

I used to drive by Esther with an old job and was always curious the story of it. I remember seeing what looked like an old school from maybe the 70s there but it was part of someone's yard now. Quite rundown of course.

[@attrell]

Yes I saw that too. Looks like a huge garage now.

[@MrOpaulo]

How relaxing, watching from London Ontario and its just like being there

[@attrell]

Thanks for watching!

[@snafutube]

I’m staying in Vancouver atm for a couple of months … this video got me looking at the maps and contemplating a road trip to this area …

[@attrell]

That's a long drive :)

[@JustGuitarThings]

I went to that abandoned coal mine back in grade 5 and it was really interesting- we went all the way up the conveyer thing and into the mountain Then we explored all the buildings and old equipment they used

[@V.I.Outdoors]

always enjoy your video docs! thank you

[@attrell]

So nice of you

[@Hyperlophus]

Aww. This was a really nice video to see. I've driven past some of these towns while on route to field sites.

[@attrell]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@quietyotto]

thanks for doing sharples, its my favourite! my friends and I went out there to watch the stars a while back

[@attrell]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@jacobjacob3257]

Retlaw spelled backward spells Walter, who I heard founded this town. It's located near vauxhall. These two towns I heard competed for residents, but because vauxhall received access to irrigation, vauxhall grew and retlaw died.

[@attrell]

Oh yes Walter, makes sense now. Thakn you!

[@mikefishhead]

Stunningly beautiful and archaic video thank you ❤

[@attrell]

Thank you too!

[@albertafarmer8638]

Thank you! 9:03 This is how every church should look like: plain and simple with and empty cross, an organ or piano, no figurines or any other occult items and symbols. Edit: and thank you for not adding annoying music, natural sounds are much more interesting.

[@attrell]

Thank you!

[@albertafarmer8638]

@@attrell Thank you and GOD bless from Mountain View County.

[@ThomasSharp89]

I worked for a railway contractor who did repairs all thorough 40mile near skiff from sterling to foremost. i helped unload that little motor car like 5 or 6 years ago i think was a neat little cat for sure.

[@attrell]

I am pretty sure I saw on train here back in 2017. Looks like it is just used for storage now.

[@copious187]

I took my daughter to Heart Creek Bunker a couple years ago. We brought lightsabers and had a battle in the cave. It was pretty awesome :)

[@attrell]

Terrific!!

[@CanadianPodcast]

Truly enjoy these shares, thanks Chris!

[@attrell]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@kh7794]

That train station in Empress, I think it was, is beautiful!! I always wanted to live in one because of the style, all the wood, they were usually built super solid. Guess that won't happen in this lifetime.

[@realcanadiangirl64]

Wow! We moved to Empress in July 1986 when my husband was transferred there with the TD Bank. It felt like a ghost town then! There wasn't a grocery or convenience store so it meant a 40 mile one way trip to Oyen if you ran out of milk. There was a small hardware store that started selling a few groceries later on. The hospital was built when Lougheed was premier. It was open when we lived there but there wasn't a doctor on site. He'd come once a week from Oyen. The busiest place in town was the restaurant and hotel in those old Atco trailers. There were five churches in town, two of which I attended. Also a small library. They built an arena the winter we lived there, but it had natural ice. The school was open and my little girls often played in their playground as we lived kitty corner from the school. We didn't like living there, so my husband quit his job and we moved back to Olds. I have lots of good memories with the friends I made there. Thanks for the tour!

[@attrell]

Wow not much has changed except the hospital closed :)

[@Killzone110]

3:00 I wish I could hang out inside that abandoned school looks very enticing, but alas we cannot.

[@LittleBigBwner]

I've always loved looking at abandoned places, just gets my brain going thinking about all that happened and how things were before it ended up how it is. And I've never seen a video about places from our beautiful province of Alberta so that's really cool too. Would love to visit some of these someday.

[@attrell]

I hope you get to go!

[@randalmoroski1184]

I liked your tour guide work you did here ..!

[@attrell]

Thank you!

[@daleschafer9543]

Love the video I grew up in Lehigh my dad worked at the atlas coal mine in east coulee my mom ran the post office in east coulee thanks great memories

[@attrell]

Oh wow that is great!

[@georgelindabateman5373]

Enjoy your efforts immensely. Thank you

[@attrell]

Thank you too!

[@theschiznit8777]

Hi Chris do you get much opportunity to speak with the locals and hear some old stories?

[@attrell]

Back when I used to visit during seeding season I did. This time of year, you don't see them out that much.

[@Sollavellon]

New sub here, would love to see a recent version of western Alberta if you haven’t already!

[@attrell]

Thanks! This is only 1 year old, not much as changed.

[@brendamalarchik971]

I enjoyed your video very much. I currently live in Arizona, USA. I've gone on walks and tours of ghost towns here. Ghost towns are fascinating!

[@attrell]

Thanks for sharing! can't wait to head down that way.

[@hemaruka14]

Just watched your Southern Alberta Ghost Towns and really enjoyed your video and commentary. I have a house in Hemaruka, Ab and I have been to most of the towns featured in your video. Since you are based in Saskatchewan, I wonder if you have visited Loverna, Sk? It is one of the more interesting old towns that I have toured. New Bridgden, Chinook and Cereal are also worth a visit. Cheers.

[@attrell]

Thanks I will check out those other places. I had been to Loverna 20 years ago when they still had the old gas station repair building. Great place!

[@sbeckwith7801]

Thanks for the video. Back in 1967 we [US Army] did temporary duty at the Suffield Army Base [Camp Vacuum]. Sign out front said:" hey Yanks, welcome to Camp Vacuum, we guarantee 2 girls and a bottle of booze behind every tree." We searched but never found a single tree on the whole 2600 square kilometers!

[@attrell]

LOL!