J. Whyte Photography

Michichi is one of those little prairie towns that most people have not heard of and certainly have not visited.  It's located just south of Highway 9 between Drumheller and Hanna. There's no real reason to stop at Michichi. There are no services that I can remember seeing the last time I went through town. Its not particularly beautiful in terms of its setting. Having said that, the town has developed a fairly nice path system along the Michichi Creek which looks to be worth visiting.  If you are looking for some interesting facts about Michichi, the name comes from a Cree word and it means 'hand'.  It refers to the fact that Michichi is located near the scenic Hand Hills near Hanna. According to the 1941 census, there were only 73 people. In 1991, the population had dropped to 42.  I tried to find current census data, but that information wasn't easy to find. My guess is that the population has only gone down. Photographing Michichi There are really only photogra...

In the heart of Special Area No. 2 is a landmark abandoned farmhouse. It's a home that is often photographed by the many rural explorers who travel the great expanse of Canada's open prairies searching for beauty in the abandoned.  The Lund house, as it is known, is located along Highway 855 between and north of Craigmyle and Hanna. The countryside is beautiful in the Hanna area. And north of Dowling Lake where the Lund House is located, the low rolling hills and farmland is particularly nice in the summer.  If you are interested in the history of the Lund House, check out Glen's Travels .  Glen clearly spent a good deal of time researching and presenting the history of the place and the former residents. There is no point in me even trying to do what Glen has already done.  Why is the Lund House so Photographed?  So as the title to this blog post suggests, the Lund House is kinda famous amongst rural explorers and photographers.  I think there are a few re...

When you're an explorer of the great plains of North America, you'll understand that there are very few short cuts, no quick ways home. Truly, I have learned from past experiences that the distances involved necessitate some serious route planning to in order to pack in the most in terms of exploration and photography.  So on the way back from a trip to photograph Jack's Shoe Store in Coronation, Alberta, I decided to take Highway 36 towards Hanna so I could look for and explore the area of Garden Plain. There were a couple of spots that I knew I wanted to visit, including the old Netherby School and the old Garden Plain Community Hall.  You also hope to find some other unexpected spots and that can add interest to the trip. Sometimes the unexpected locations are the most exciting for an explorer.  Garden Plain  The town was named by T.A. Kane who moved from a town of the same name in Iowa. Apparently, he settled in the area and became the storekeeper and owner of a ...

Whenever I head out from Calgary on a rural exploration trip that takes me towards the south east, I often take a drive past Brant's last remaining wooden grain elevator to have a look at it and see how it's doing.  And maybe if conditions are good, see if I can get a photo that is better or different from what I have currently.  The old Wheat Pool Elevator is pretty easily accessible along a gravel road on the edge of town. It's the last remaining elevator here, and would likely have been torn down long ago but for its purchase by a local farmer for grain storage and handling.  The tracks that run through town are still being used, so there is some economic sense to keep it in operation. **Scroll down to see pictures** The grain elevator itself dates back to the 1920s and was likely built by Home Grain. After a series of mergers and acquisitions, the Brant elevator found itself within the Alberta Wheat Pool system.  In fact, it retains its current green colour from ...

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 appea...