J. Whyte Photography

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 ...

  Brutalist architecture is a fascinating thing. Perhaps no other style of architecture captures the attention of people generally, particularly those outside the architectural profession – regular people like me.  And often the attention is not positive.  In many ways, brutalist architecture pushes itself into the consciousness because it so clearly typifies the gap between western elites and the majority of regular people. Indeed, brutalist architecture reflects the eternal project of the elites - the quest for positive social change and progressive ideological action. That was the point of brutalist design. But ultimately, the result turned out to be cold concrete, authoritarian forms, the esthetics of the prison.  How could it be otherwise? So as these buildings age, the issue of renovation has become a public issue. What do we do with these buildings? Do we demolish them as many people would like or do we renovate these structures and give them new lives? And if...

Fort Macleod in southern Alberta is great place for photography. The town's main street is one of the most beautiful in Alberta with several historic stone buildings jammed together in two long rows.   For Macleod is so fantastic that one of the films in the Ghost Busters franchise was recently filmed here. There was a great car chase ghost scene that caused havoc all over town.  But one of the most interesting buildings to photograph is the old, abandoned American Hotel on the edge of Fort MacLeod's downtown.   History of the American Hotel It has been a challenge to find historical information on the American Hotel. According to the Alberta Heritage Survey Program database, the American Hotel originally opened in the 1890s as the Klondyke Hotel.  In 1900, the name was changed to the American Hotel and sold to one HH Wash. In 1901, Tom Atkins Purchased the hotel from HH Wash.  Later in 1913, WH Atkins constructed addition to the hotel which included 4...

Medicine Hat is one of Canada's most historic prairie cities. Its built along the Trans-Canada Highway just west of the Saskatchewan border and has many historic buildings that remain in its commercial centre.  One of the most historically significant buildings is the historic Monarch Theatre. Located in the city's old and very historic downtown, the Monarch has a long and storied past.   I was not aware of it when I first visited Medicine Hat, but this building catches your eye immediately. I have not seen anything like it in other small prairie cities that I have visited. Historical Significance of the Monarch Theatre The Monarch was the first building in Canada to be purpose built as a movie theatre, and since it remains in use as a movie theatre today, it remains the oldest operating movie house in Canada.  Originally, the facility also included a billiards room and tobacco shop making it an entertainment destination of sorts.   The Monarch screened its...

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 ...

The Cluny area of Alberta is pretty much directly east of Calgary, and just north of the Siksika Nation. I had never explored the area and search for abandoned locations for photography, and I knew from Google Maps that there was some excellent candidates for photography locations. So this past fall, I took a drive to the are for sunrise. And what a trip it was!  Check out my YouTube Channel and join be in person if you want.  North of Cluny, I found a few really beautiful locations, including one of the most amazing abandoned barns I have ever seen in this part of the world.  This one, I was not suspecting.  I took photographs from all four sides, but I liked the photographs with the tall dead grass in the foreground the best. I find stubble and cultivated fields are least nice for a foreground.  I recommend trying to find nice foreground if the situation allows it.  This fantastic old barn was actually my second location.  The fir...