Calgary has some incredible public land right on our doorstep yet many Calgarians don’t even know of its existence. Of Alberta’s 19 Public Land Use Zones, 8 of them are within a 2 hour drive from Calgary with 2 of those being 45 minutes or less. We have gone through the PLUZ near Calgary andContinue reading “Top 3 Crown Land Locations Near Calgary”
Author Archives: Timothy J. Tetreault
Exploring Alberta’s Ghost Towns: Saunders, Alberta
Saunders, Alberta was a coal mining town found alongside the North Saskatchewan river between Rocky Mountain House and Nordegg. It is a popular place for hikers, adventurers, ghost town enthusiasts, and campers. It is found about 20km east of Kiska/Willson PLUZ.
Exploring Alberta’s Ghost Towns: Minnewanka Landing
Each day, thousands of Albertans and tourists explore Lake Minnewanka, but many don’t know about the ghost town lying beneath its frigid waters. Minnewanka Landing was a playground for the rich and affluent at the turn of the 20th century. It would later be destroyed because of Calgary’s growth. Here is that story!
Exploring Alberta’s Ghost Towns: Georgetown
Georgetown was a coal mining town in the Canmore/Banff region that was born from the remains of the failed Anthracite mine.
Exploring Alberta’s Ghost Towns: Bankhead
Bankhead was founded near the old Anthracite townsite after the town entered a state of decline and the mine was closing up.
Exploring Alberta’s Ghost Towns: Anthracite
Anthracite, Alberta is a former coal mining town found in Banff National Park. It was established in 1886 with the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway line through the Bow Valley. Today visitors with a keen eye can still see evidence of the town’s existence. So what exactly was this town that is an important part of Banff’s history?
Exploring Alberta’s Ghost Towns: Rowley
While Rowley, Alberta had humble beginnings and rapid growth – it has faced years of decline making it one of Alberta’s ghost towns. Steel rails and steam whistles have transformed into the deafening silence of the Alberta prairie winds blowing through the empty streets of Rowley. A few locals have held onto their community and kept it from falling victim to the relentless weather and disrepair found common in Alberta ghost towns.
Exploring Alberta’s Ghost Towns: Lille
Nestled in the Crowsness Pass area, there are the remains of the mining town of Lille, Alberta. If you are up for the moderate hike to access the former townsite, it is a beautiful trek across beautiful Alberta Rocky Mountain countryside. Lille is located within the Livingstone PLUZ. I made the hike up to LilleContinue reading “Exploring Alberta’s Ghost Towns: Lille”
An Alberta Secret: The Scalp Creek Natural Waterslides (Ya Ha Tinda)
If you happen to be planning a trip up to the Ya Ha Tinda Ranch area of the Bighorn Backcountry – there is an opportunity to slide down a natural waterslide right here in Alberta! The Scalp Creek Natural Waterslides are located along Scalp Creek on the Ya Ha Tinda ranch and they are a hidden gem only known about by a few. Of course they aren’t as large as the ones in the video above however the longest slide is a good 20ft into a natural pool of water at the bottom.
My Pumpkin Problem – Growing Pumpkins in Calgary in January (Pt. 1)
So this is an interesting situation that I found myself caught up in: trying to grow several pumpkin plants indoors in January in Calgary. This obviously wasn’t an adventure that I intended to embark on last fall – but rather one that landed itself in my lap. For anyone who has ever grown pumpkins underContinue reading “My Pumpkin Problem – Growing Pumpkins in Calgary in January (Pt. 1)”
