Farmers first began digging coal in the early years of the 19th century, and the Diplomat Mine was eventually developed
In central Alberta, near the banks of the Battle River, sit the remains of the Diplomat coal mine. The site was originally the homestead of Austing Bish and his four sons, who arrived in the Forestburg area from Oregon in 1905. The family farmed their homesteads and began to exploit the coal deposits in the […] Read moreAuthor Archives
Alta. community boasts world’s largest lamp
The village received 500 coal-oil lamps from a private collection decades ago, and the rest, as they say, is history
DONALADA, Alta. — People interested in old oil lamps might want to put Donalda, Alta., on their list of places to visit. Situated on the banks of Meeting Creek and the Donalda Badlands east of Ponoka in central Alberta, the community owns more than 1,100 antique lamps. The flagship of the collection is the 42-foot-tall […] Read more
Remembering Sask. capital’s Motor City past
A visit to the Canadian Automotive Museum in Oshawa, Ont., reveals a little-known chapter in Canada’s car history
The world’s most significant collection of Canadian built cars is housed in a 1920s former car dealership building in Oshawa, Ont. The Canadian Automotive Museum, which first opened in 1963, emphasizes cars built in various places in Canada. The first car to be designed and constructed in Canada was the Henry Seth Taylor Steam Buggy. […] Read more
Barbados agriculture more than sugar cane
Sugar is no longer king in this Caribbean Island country and the government has initiated a plan to enhance food security
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados — The agricultural history of Barbados, an island in the eastern Caribbean about 900 kilometres off the coast of Venezuela, can be traced to the early days of the 16th century. British settlers saw the agricultural potential. Prior to their arrival, the Spanish and Portuguese had driven away the indigenous people and deforested […] Read more
Salmon canning once big business in B.C. port
Visitors to Prince Rupert can get a slice of history at the nearby North Pacific Cannery National Historic Site of Canada
Prince Rupert in northern British Columbia is noted for its big grain terminal but the region also has a significant history as a major salmon canning industry. Just south of Prince Rupert is Port Edwards, home of the North Pacific Cannery National Historic Site of Canada at the mouth of the Skeena River, the oldest […] Read more
Sask. farm lights up for the holidays
The most popular feature is a working electronic and mechanical candy cane machine, which the family built from scratch
ELFROS, SASK. — For 26 years, Gary Folster, wife Heather and son Quenton have brought Christmas merriment to hundreds of people visiting their Christmas light display at their home in Elfros. Visitors from all across Western Canada and even England have signed their guest book and made donations in their gift box for the Wadena […] Read more
Saturday in Rowley, Alta? Must be pizza night
The ghost town comes alive on the last Saturday night of the month as part of an effort to keep the community relevant
Sam’s Saloon is packed with party goers who came for pizza night in Rowley, Alta. The last Saturday night of each month is set aside for pizza night and people from all over the area travel to Rowley to attend. The rest of the time it is basically uninhabited because Rowley is a historical ghost […] Read more
Sask. village shows no signs of slowing down
A thriving community hall keep Gronlid hopping, and the promise of a diamond mine is making things interesting
GRONLID, Sask. — At the end of the abandoned Canadian Pacific Railway line north of Melfort, Sask., sits Gronlid. The village was established in 1925 with the building of a store, lunch counter and barber shop. The community is named after Pastor H. O. Gronlid, who established the Beaver Creek Lutheran congregation in the district […] Read more
Historical water mill still at work in Ontario
The water-powered mill still cuts lumber and grinds flour, but tarts and doughnuts are the main attractions now
TYRONE, Ont. — Like the prairie grain elevators in Western Canada, the grist mill was a main centre of economic interest in the early days of settlement in rural central Ontario. Grist mills or flour mills were situated on or near waterways in the mid-1800s because there was no electricity. On this waterway a dam […] Read more
Alberta farm eager to dish out asparagus
The Edgar family grows 50 acres of asparagus on their farm and opens up to the public three weekends every spring
INNISFAIL, Alta. — It takes courage to be the first and largest asparagus grower in Alberta, but that’s what Doug and Elna Edgar, their daughter, Keri, and her husband, Randy Graham, have done on their sixth generation family farm west of Innsifail. Their farm of 11 quarters raised beef cattle and grain since 1907. “In […] Read more
