Just one of a series of photos by “Urban Refugee” (and occasional guest blogger) Sean McCormick. Enjoy!
22 Replies to “A Trip Down To Oyen”
Fabulous picture.
Love it, and just north was my favorite general store at Ester, I wonder if it’s still there? I wonder also if they still have the wonderful fall supper at New Brigton [spelling??].
The store in Esther has been closed for years from the look of things. They do still have the fall supper at New Brigden.
Thanks Sean, thanks a lot Mate, have wondered for years.
…hey Sean, great pictures, brings back lots of memories.
Sad thing about little towns disappearing, they were the personality of Canada.
I remember how interesting it was reading about where NHL players came from, little towns here and there.
WC, Esther is a half hour from my home so I’ll make a point of heading out this week to get some photos of what’s left for you.
Tomax, some of the little towns are trying to come back. Visit Empress this summer if you get a chance. There are some neat artsy businesses that have sprung up, and there’s Sagebrush Studios just over the border in Saskatchewan that’s well worth a visit as well. Makes for a good day trip.
Stunningly beautiful photos. ‘Why I like the West.
I grew up in “the Centre of the Universe” (sarc/off), Toronto, and always liked old buildings and tall, majestic trees. I never had any sense of wanting to head West: prairies, flatness, no trees? No thanks.
I took a trip to Calgary with my husband and kids in 1994, and I fell in love with the West. I found the Big Sky majestic and the wide-open spaces very moving. I am always moved by the scenery in Alberta. I hadn’t wanted to “bother” going to Lake Louise, as I’d seen it so many times in posters and on postcards.
When I rounded the corner from the Lake Louise parking lot, and there was the lake with the mountain glacier in the background, I cried. It was breathtakingly beautiful.
The earth is indeed a beautiful place. Too bad we all have to leave it someday.
Wow. Sometimes you see photos that just play havoc with your heart as only the NA West can do. Geez, do I miss the west, my west(New Mexico), your west(Canadian), big sky country. Florida, sorry, not even close.
Beautiful photos.
Penny:
I was just on vacation in New Mexico 2 weeks ago. I rented a car and drove around the state aimlessly for 10 days just stumbling across one amazing place after another. It is very pretty.
Not very flat, so it can’t be Saskatchewan :^)
Nice pics.
Sean is the best “unknown” photog I know.
Sean that would be simply wonderful. I have often wondered over the years, 30 or so, about that store in Esther. The thing I remember most is the gas pump. It was one of those with the glass top and a big wooden handle on the side that you pumped the gas up to and from there on gravity feed to your tank. The type you see in museums today. I would think an antique like that would be long gone. I will check this post faithful over the coming weeks. Great and thanks.
By the way – Sean sells prints of his work. Check it out at the link.
I’ll remember that Kate.
WC: I’m sorry to report that the gas pump is long gone. There is a problem with people raiding old buildings in this area for antiques. Enough so, actually, that I am careful not to identify some of the buildings in my images that contain items that will be pilfered if people knew where they were located.
Pete: Thanks for the kind words. Truth is that I’m lousy at self-promotion so I expect to remain unknown. 🙂
been around the block – “I took a trip to Calgary with my husband and kids in 1994, and I fell in love with the West”
BATB, this post was suppose to be about Saskatchewan
😉
Saskatchewan has a lot of things going, namely people. Sorry sorry, couldn’t resist.
But sad to see our sister province, with so much to offer miring in the 50’s herd mentality of big government.
Mind you in Alberta, we’ve got it almost as bad as the PC’s have a lot of government employee’s on payroll.
tomax 7: Isn’t Oyen in Alberta? I Googled Oyen and there IS an Oyen, Alberta. Heck, now I’m going to have to Google Oyen, Saskatchewan and see what comes up…
BTW, tomax 7: Aren’t both Sask and Alberta “the West”? We had to drive through Saskatchewan to get to Alberta…!! Shouldn’t a native Torontonian be given a little slack for saying that she loves the West–and means it?
😉
tomax7: “Oyen is a small town in eastern Alberta, close to the Saskatchewan boundary, north of Medicine Hat.” (Wikipedia)
‘Glad we’ve settled THAT!!!
…Oy ah! Oh I get it now.
😉
But it was a moving discourse about coming around the parking lot and break into tears.
Got a picture of it on our holidays with the out, err, inlaws http://www.digitalsmiles.com/206trip
Oh dang, now you got me talking about it.
Fabulous picture.
Love it, and just north was my favorite general store at Ester, I wonder if it’s still there? I wonder also if they still have the wonderful fall supper at New Brigton [spelling??].
The store in Esther has been closed for years from the look of things. They do still have the fall supper at New Brigden.
Thanks Sean, thanks a lot Mate, have wondered for years.
…hey Sean, great pictures, brings back lots of memories.
Sad thing about little towns disappearing, they were the personality of Canada.
I remember how interesting it was reading about where NHL players came from, little towns here and there.
WC, Esther is a half hour from my home so I’ll make a point of heading out this week to get some photos of what’s left for you.
Tomax, some of the little towns are trying to come back. Visit Empress this summer if you get a chance. There are some neat artsy businesses that have sprung up, and there’s Sagebrush Studios just over the border in Saskatchewan that’s well worth a visit as well. Makes for a good day trip.
Stunningly beautiful photos. ‘Why I like the West.
I grew up in “the Centre of the Universe” (sarc/off), Toronto, and always liked old buildings and tall, majestic trees. I never had any sense of wanting to head West: prairies, flatness, no trees? No thanks.
I took a trip to Calgary with my husband and kids in 1994, and I fell in love with the West. I found the Big Sky majestic and the wide-open spaces very moving. I am always moved by the scenery in Alberta. I hadn’t wanted to “bother” going to Lake Louise, as I’d seen it so many times in posters and on postcards.
When I rounded the corner from the Lake Louise parking lot, and there was the lake with the mountain glacier in the background, I cried. It was breathtakingly beautiful.
The earth is indeed a beautiful place. Too bad we all have to leave it someday.
Wow. Sometimes you see photos that just play havoc with your heart as only the NA West can do. Geez, do I miss the west, my west(New Mexico), your west(Canadian), big sky country. Florida, sorry, not even close.
Beautiful photos.
Penny:
I was just on vacation in New Mexico 2 weeks ago. I rented a car and drove around the state aimlessly for 10 days just stumbling across one amazing place after another. It is very pretty.
Not very flat, so it can’t be Saskatchewan :^)
Nice pics.
Sean is the best “unknown” photog I know.
Sean that would be simply wonderful. I have often wondered over the years, 30 or so, about that store in Esther. The thing I remember most is the gas pump. It was one of those with the glass top and a big wooden handle on the side that you pumped the gas up to and from there on gravity feed to your tank. The type you see in museums today. I would think an antique like that would be long gone. I will check this post faithful over the coming weeks. Great and thanks.
By the way – Sean sells prints of his work. Check it out at the link.
I’ll remember that Kate.
WC: I’m sorry to report that the gas pump is long gone. There is a problem with people raiding old buildings in this area for antiques. Enough so, actually, that I am careful not to identify some of the buildings in my images that contain items that will be pilfered if people knew where they were located.
Pete: Thanks for the kind words. Truth is that I’m lousy at self-promotion so I expect to remain unknown. 🙂
been around the block – “I took a trip to Calgary with my husband and kids in 1994, and I fell in love with the West”
BATB, this post was suppose to be about Saskatchewan
😉
Saskatchewan has a lot of things going, namely people. Sorry sorry, couldn’t resist.
But sad to see our sister province, with so much to offer miring in the 50’s herd mentality of big government.
Mind you in Alberta, we’ve got it almost as bad as the PC’s have a lot of government employee’s on payroll.
tomax 7: Isn’t Oyen in Alberta? I Googled Oyen and there IS an Oyen, Alberta. Heck, now I’m going to have to Google Oyen, Saskatchewan and see what comes up…
BTW, tomax 7: Aren’t both Sask and Alberta “the West”? We had to drive through Saskatchewan to get to Alberta…!! Shouldn’t a native Torontonian be given a little slack for saying that she loves the West–and means it?
😉
tomax7: “Oyen is a small town in eastern Alberta, close to the Saskatchewan boundary, north of Medicine Hat.” (Wikipedia)
‘Glad we’ve settled THAT!!!
…Oy ah! Oh I get it now.
😉
But it was a moving discourse about coming around the parking lot and break into tears.
Got a picture of it on our holidays with the out, err, inlaws http://www.digitalsmiles.com/206trip
Oh dang, now you got me talking about it.
2006trip that is.