Ghost Towns on the Border

Along the Alberta and Saskatchewan border there are two amazing ghost towns, one on each side.  In Alberta there is Esther, and in Saskatchewan, Loverna. The town small towns are located not too far north of Highway 7 near Alsask. 

These towns are both amazingly photogenic, even if well out of the way for all but the most intrepid adventures.  Lets start with Esther.

Esther, Alberta


Esther is located on a lonely stretch of highway 899 in Alberta. Highway 899 is an older road, lightly maintained but remains an okay drive. 

While there are a couple of occupied houses in the town of Esther, the ghost town proper takes up a fairly large area.  There are a number of abandoned buildings, including an old general store and a number of abandoned vehicles. An old truck is particularly nice. 






The star attraction of Esther is the old Wheat Pool grain elevator.  These old wooden elevators are disappearing from the prairies at a rapid pace, and while this one appears strong it only takes a grass fire or a strong wind to erase it from the map.



 

A google maps car visited a decade ago, so you can have a preview of the town.  Things haven't seen to have changed to much over the last ten years. 





Loverna, Saskatchewan


Depending on the route you take from Esther to Loverna, its possible to pass another beautiful old wooden grain elevator. This beautiful prairie sentinel was move to a farm from Loverna, although now it's located on the Alberta side of the border. Even grain elevators leave Saskatchewan for Alberta! 




Loverna itself is a wonderful ghost town. In fact, I think its one of the best on the Canadian prairies and I hope to visit again sometime soon.  In Loverna, you will find old abandoned storefronts, abandoned churches and abandoned homes.  In fact, it has a church that was abandoned as a church and converted to a home and then abandoned as a home - an abandoned church house! 






There is a an are where there are abandoned cars, trailers and even snowmobiles.  Loverna is definitely a town worth visiting! 





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