This is an archived event from Culture Days 2021.
Images
Self Guided Historic Walking Tour of Strathmore - The Canadian Pacific Railway
Digital
History & heritage Photography Self-guided Tour Writing & literatureDate and time
This activity runs the duration of Culture Days.
Location
Strathmore, AB
Access
Free.
Offered in English.
About
In this tour we will see how the Canadian Pacific Railway and its institutions laid the groundwork for Strathmore. First the railway, which opened up this previously remote and isolated area to white settlement for the first time. The CPR wanted to do everything in its power to bring people to live and farm here so they built a massive irrigation scheme for the region, headquartered in Strathmore, and the demonstration farm to teach the new farmers how to survive. These institutions allowed Strathmore to flourish through much of the 20th Century. Since then the economic underpinnings of the town have evolved. The railway has disappeared, as has the demonstration farm, while the irrigation network has been turned over to the farmers. To a casual observer, it can be easy to forget the railway was ever here at all.
This tour will take you from the former site of the railway station, through Kinsmen Park and towards the Trans Canada Highway. You will have to cross the highway to reach the former site of the irrigation district and the demonstration farm.
Links
- Learn more about On This Spot onthisspot.ca
- Download in the Apple App Store (iOS) apps.apple.com
- Download in the Google Play Store (Android) play.google.com
Organizer
On This Spot
On This Spot guides people on a tour back in time, showing & telling the history that surrounds them. On each spot, users will find themselves standing in the footsteps of a photographer who took a historic photo. On site tourists/users can use the built-in camera feature to create their own then-and-photos, which can be shared on social media and saved as a digital souvenir. Selections of these photos are chained together into walking tours that take a deep dive into local history.
On This Spot strives to make history engaging, educational, and accessible to all with a focus on easy to use features and a succinct writing style. The aim is to create an intuitive user experience that provides historical unparalleled depth without overwhelming or confusing users.