Community Spirit and Culinary Delights: The Monthly Pizza Night in Rowley, Alberta

Once a month, the quiet ghost town of Rowley, Alberta, buzzes with life and the delicious aroma of baking pizzas. On the last Saturday of every month (except December), locals and visitors alike gather for a tradition that’s as heartwarming as it is mouthwatering: Pizza Night.

Livery stable and grain elevator in the town of Rowley, Alberta. Photo by Dan Overes on June 30, 2028.

Sam’s Saloon, a relic of the past turned into a beacon of community spirit, opens its doors wide, as does the community center across the street. Here, volunteers work tirelessly, serving up hundreds of pizzas to eager guests. It’s a night where the air is filled with laughter, conversation, and the shared joy of a simple slice of pizza.

But Pizza Night is more than just a culinary event; it’s a lifeline for the community of Rowley. Every dollar raised goes back into preserving and maintaining this unique town. Rowley stands out among ghost towns — it’s not abandoned but inhabited by a resilient few. Its buildings are a mix of authentic pioneer structures and movie set facades, creating a backdrop that’s part history, part Hollywood.

Our latest video takes you beyond the pizza and into the heart of Rowley. We explore Springwater School, one of the last stone schoolhouses on the Canadian prairies, and delve into the legend of Sam Leung, the namesake of Sam’s Saloon. His spirit is rumored to linger in the very building that once housed his cafe and butcher shop from the 1940s until 1968.

So, join us on this journey to discover Rowley — a place that’s part community, part theme park, part ghost town, and entirely enchanting. It’s a story of how a small Alberta town keeps its history alive, one pizza at a time.

Have you experienced pizza night in Rowley? Have you ever been to Rowley outside of pizza night? Please share your experiences in the comments.

Disclaimer: This blog post was crafted with the assistance of an AI, which utilized the original words and descriptions provided by me. The narrative and content were generated through an AI’s interpretation and composition abilities to enhance the storytelling experience.

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Another Grain Elevator About to Bite the Dust

Southern British Columbia is a not a place I have spent a lot of time in. Yes, there were some long weekend trips to Creston as a kid, and the camping trip I took with my dad in 1985 when I cut my foot open in the creek in Cranbrook, but it is not a place where I have had the chance to do a deep dive.

This week, many grain elevator and historic places groups broke the news that one of the two grain elevators in Creston would be coming down shortly. Indeed, the word was that “deconstruction” had already begun.

The grain elevators in Creston, BC are seen in this photo taken August 17, 2013. Image by Dan Overes.

One of the grain elevators, the red one seen in the photo above, has been a story of successful preservation. The white elevator, seen in the background, has severe structural issues which necessitate its removal. While efforts will be made to preserve the historical artifacts and some of the lumber, the fact remains that any grain elevator loss is impactful.

There aren’t many examples of two grain elevators remaining together. We’ve recently lost the pair at Dankin, Saskatchewan and Elva, Manitoba. The pairs at Neidpath, Neelby, and Lepine (all in Saskatchewan) are in bade shape.

British Columbia never had many grain elevators, and you can count the remaining ones on one hand. I believe outside of the two in Creston, the only other one is in Dawson Creek, but I could certainly be wrong on this.

I don’t know exactly when the white grain elevator in Creston was built. One source says 1936 and another says 1937. We do know that it will come to an end in 2024. We’ll do our best to get out there and get some more photos and drone footage.

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Visiting Eau Claire Market One Last Time Before Closure

In August 2013, the Eau Claire Market burst onto the scene, igniting excitement and high hopes for a downtown Calgary renaissance. Initially, it flourished, drawing crowds and nurturing businesses. Yet, as the years passed, the bustling marketplace dwindled to a handful of enterprises, a shadow of its former glory.

As we approach the end of May 2024, the market is on the cusp of closure, with demolition slated for July. This storied site, once Peter Prince’s Eau Claire lumber yard and later Calgary’s historic bus barns, is poised for another transformation. The land, cradled by the southern banks of the Bow River, is earmarked for redevelopment into a pivotal train station on the C-Train’s anticipated Green Line.

The Eau Claire Market was not just a shopping destination; it was a cultural landmark. Housing Calgary’s inaugural IMAX theatre and neighbor to the renowned Hard Rock Cafe, it was the quintessential gathering spot. But what led to its decline? The reasons are multifaceted, including:

  • Its location, a few blocks removed from the nearest train station.
  • The absence of Plus 15 skywalk links to downtown’s network of buildings.
  • A sparse downtown residential base unable to sustain the market.
  • Elevated rents that stifled the growth of small, distinctive businesses.

In a recent video, I revisited this once-iconic hub, capturing its final days. The market, once a hive of activity, now echoes with the footsteps of the curious, the displaced, and the watchful eyes of security—far outnumbering the remaining storefronts. This visual chronicle serves as a poignant farewell to a place that once held the promise of urban revitalization.

Disclaimer: I had Microsoft CoPilot rewrite the description I composed for the YouTube video into a format suitable for a longer format blog post.

Video Recorded May 25, 2024
Homeless People Outside Eau Claire Market – May 25, 2024
The glass has been broken out of a door to the former Sumo Lounge – May 25, 2024
The loading docks at Eau Claire Market – May 25, 2024
Only one kiosk remains open in the food court of Eau Claire Market – May 25, 2024
The menu prices at Grandma’s Garden shall forever remain frozen in time – May 25, 2024
The children’s play area sits empty and abandoned while awaiting its fate – May 25, 2024
Taichi Asian Cusine [sic] hoping for some final customers – May 25, 2024
Butterfly decoration inside nearly abandoned Eau Claire Market – May 25, 2024
A relic of the COVID era when people thought standing six feet apart was going to save the world – May 25, 2024
This was once the entrance to Calgary’s first IMAX theatre which operated here from 1993 – 2004.
Lobby of the Cineplex Odeon Theatres of Eau Claire Market – May 25, 2024
Stairwell inside Eau Claire Market – May 25, 2024
Emptiness – May 25, 2024
A common sight — businesses shuttered and padlocked – May 25, 2024
Once colourful and vibrant, today Eau Claire Market sits desolate and empty while awaiting closure and demolition – May 25, 2024
Gifts Plus opens up and displays its wares in hopes some last minute shoppers will make one final purchase – May 25, 2024

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MacKinnon 1901

The things we see when out for a drive down non-descript country roads. Yesterday’s unique find was near the tiny hamlet of Sunnyslope, Alberta with a population of 28 as per 2021 census.

It’s just a simple wooden sign, attached to a metal pole, located on a west-facing slope next to a gravel road. An older pole lays in the grass, which seems to indicate someone was maintaining this non-descript sign; the traces of blue paint on the wood seem to indicate there has been little maintenance taking place recently. There is no explanation. Just a name and a date.

MacKinnon 1901

Photo taken May 4, 2024

A quick search online reveals the date is actually older than the settlement itself, with Sunnyslope’s first post office opening in 1903. It’s an odd place for a grave marker so it mostly likely is honouring an early homesteader. One would even presume it to be the location of the homestead itself.

Regardless of its origin, it has served its purpose — it has made us stop and think about the history of those who came here before us.

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CPKC Final Spike Anniversary Steam Tour Kickoff Event in Calgary, Alberta

Video recorded April 24, 2024
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