Tom Thomson in the Rockies?

Did Canadian painter Tom Thomson work in the Canadian Rockies? Art researcher Debra Hay is attempting to find out. It’s generally believed that Thomson never painted in the Rockies, but a small group of paintings appear to suggest otherwise.

Click here for the full story, published Dec. 22 in the Rocky Mountain Outlook newspaper.

The images below accompany are mentioned in the story but did not run due to space constraints.

A sketch painting by believed to be made by Canadian artist Tom Thomson of the Oskaloosa Hotel and Whiteman’s Gap. Courtesy Thom Gianetto.

A sketch painting by believed to be made by Canadian artist Tom Thomson of the Oskaloosa Hotel and Whiteman’s Gap. Courtesy Thom Gianetto.

A photograph of the Oskaloosa Hotel, seen above the derailed train car, was built on Mineside in 1893; it was torn down in about 1920. This photograph was used in Edna Appleby’s book Canmore: Story of an Era.

Mine Side looking north east across the Bow Valley. The Oskaloosa Hotel can be seen in the stand of pine trees to the right. CMAGS.

Historic designation for the Canmore Hotel

The Canmore Hotel, circa early 1900s and 2014, from the series Canmore Juxtaposed. ©Rob Alexander and the Canmore Museum and Geoscience Centre

It’s good news for the Canmore Hotel. Built in 1890, the Canmore Hotel was recently declared a municipal historic site. This means one of Alberta’s last-remaining wooden hotels is protected. It can’t be torn down. The owner, Neil Richardson of Heritage Property Corp., who proposed the designation for the Hotel, can still renovate and restore the building, but if he ever decides to sell, a new owner can’t demolish the Hotel. A win for Canmore and its identity as a former coal-mining town.

Tanya Foubert of the Rocky Mountain Outlook wrote a story about this. Follow the Canmore Hotel to read it.

 

 

Sept. 9, 1945: Canada!

Relatives awaiting the arrival of Canadian soldiers from overseas aboard the troopship S.S. ILE DE FRANCE , Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, June 1945. LAC.

Sept. 9 — The last few days nothing of special interest has occurred. The sailing has been smooth. Last night was very foggy and wet but not rough. At 1:10 P.M. land was sighted and at 3:30 P.M. we docked in Halifax harbour. Sunday afternoon — everybody out. Cars strung along the docks and pleasure boats in harbour. A brass band came out in a boat to meet us. A Pipe Band was on the dock.

We are now waiting to disembark. The Halifax draft goes off first, then at 7:30 P.M. we follow.

Met Eva Waymark on board this morning. We will be heading towards Calgary some time this evening. I cannot realize it — but on Thursday I hope my wanderings will be over. At 6:30 P.M. we disembarked and got aboard our special train. Every coach is a 1st Class coach. I believe it will be a grand trip across Canada.

Sept. 7, 1945: Mid-Atlantic

Sept. 7 — Met Dr. Coffee today. He used to board with Blanche and Ade in Fredericton when he went to UNB. Concerts on deck each evening. A little wet this evening. We are about half way over I guess.

Aug. 22–24, 1945: The Second World War Journals of Doc Alexander

Aug. 22 — Attended St. James Theatre in the evening. Saw Emlyn Williams in “The Wings of Heaven”. Prime Minister Atlee was also present.

Aug. 23 — Just starting for Guildford to spend the day with Wynne. Arrived there about noon, so we went out to lunch, then bought the song “I’ll Walk Beside You” and came back and played it and sang it — then Wynne started sewing flashes for me — making a wonderful job. Hope to get my battle suit blouses over next wee for her to do them too. Caught a 10:28 train from Guildford and arrived in Waterloo at 11:30, then underground to Victoria and then home to bed.

Aug. 24 — Very dull wet day, have really done nothing all day but write letters and lied around Will try and and go out to a picture show or something tonight.

Canmore Juxtaposed: May 22, Three Sisters Gallery, Elevation Place

Canmore Juxtapsed opens Saturday (Feb. 7) from 7-9 p.m.

The No. 2 Mine as seen in the 1920s and 2014. ©Rob Alexander and the Canmore Museum Geoscience Centre

Canmore Juxtaposed: An exhibition of blended photography opens at the Canmore Civic Centre atrium Saturday (Feb. 7) from 7-9 p.m. as part of 2015 Exposure Photography Festival and there’s good news. The caveat—that the show will only be up for Saturday night and then come down until it is rehung in spring—is gone.

The exhibition will be in the Civic Centre atrium until the end of February and then it will go on display at Elevation Place come spring. So if you can’t make the opening, there’s still plenty of opportunities to see the exhibition.

My thanks for the support and the interest and if you’re looking for something to do Saturday night from 7-9 p.m., c’mon on down and celebrate photography and Canmore’s history.

Returning bison to Banff: A step closer?

The initiative to return wild plains bison to the Rocky Mountains is in the news again with Wild Rose MP Blake Richards Friday (Jan. 23) accepting 3,000 postcards signed by supporters of restoring plains bison to Banff. Richards promised to take the postcards back to Ottawa with him to “move forward and push for this to happen.”

Nearly 60 per cent of the signed postcards were from Albertans, but a large number (29 per cent) were signed by international visitors with the remaining 18 per cent from other Canadian provinces.

Global News suggested that if the plan is approved, bison could be in Banff’s eastern backcountry this November.

Bison were once a regular denizen of the valleys of the Rocky Mountains, including the Bow Valley. The Banff herd seen in these two historical postcards included, and were descendents of, the last wild bison in North America following their near extinction in the 18oos.

Read more about today’s event here at the Rocky Mountain Outlook and at greenpages.ca

A postcard of Banff’s bison herd, 1908. Rob Alexander collection.

A postcard of Banff’s bison herd, early 1900s. Rob Alexander collection

Canmore Juxtaposed: Feb. 7 opening with a caveat

The 2015 Exposure Photography Festival begins in the Bow Valley at the end of the month and with it comes the Saturday, Feb. 7 opening (7-9 p.m.) of Canmore Juxtaposed: An exhibition of blended photography in the Canmore Civic Centre atrium (right outside the Canmore Museum & Geoscience Centre).

But it’s a one-night affair due to circumstances beyond the museum’s control (it has to do with the museum having to use a portion of its gallery space for storage). The exhibition will come down the same night of the opening and be stored until spring when it goes up at Elevation Place for six weeks.

As this exhibition is a long-term fundraiser for the museum, we’re still looking to defray the costs of the exhibition–any support is greatly appreciated, and there’s rewards for helping out. Click on this link and it will take you to the Indiegogo fundraising page.

Prints will be available for sale at the opening, and all of the exhibition images (on canvas and plaque mounted) will also be for sale.

Canmore Hospital at the top of Hospital Hill (1940s/2014).
©Rob Alexander/Canmore Museum and Geoscience Centre

Canmore Juxtaposed: less than a month to go (please consider donating)

Mountain House (circa 1880s & 2014)
Mountain House, a boarding house, was located near the railway depot not far from where Elevation Place now stands. ©Rob Alexander and the Canmore Museum and Geoscience Centre

February is fast approaching and with it comes the Exposure 2015 Photography Festival and the launch of Canmore Juxtaposed: an exhibition of blended photographs.

Many thanks to everyone who has  supported this project so far. These contributions have been used to pay for part of the printing costs, but more costs are coming and we could still use your help! The project fundraising website at Indiegogo has been relaunched. You can find it at this link.

The photographs produced for this exhibition are intended to serve as a perpetual fundraiser for the museum, which works to preserve Canmore’s history and tell the community’s stories. The goal of the project fundraiser is to cover some of the upfront costs so that sales of the exhibition images will go to support the museum. Prints and postcards of the blended images will also be available in the gift shop. All of the exhibition prints will be for sale as well.

So if you love Canmore and all that it is, please consider donating to support this exhibition and the Canmore Museum and Geoscience Centre. Your financial support will not go unrewarded—there’s prints and postcards to be had as a thank you.

Also, a handful of the limited-edition prints featuring the Canmore Hotel and the Canmore community band (below) are still available. Only ten prints, measuring 11 x 14 inches, were produced and are available at the Canmore Museum gift shop for $100 each. This image will not appear in the exhibition nor will it be for sale in the gift shop during or after the exhibition. It’s a one-off opportunity to own a unique blended photograph featuring two of Canmore’s most-beloved things: music and the Canmore Hotel.

The Canmore Hotel, circa early 1900s and 2014. ©Rob Alexander and the Canmore Museum and Geoscience Centre

The exhibition opens at the beginning of February with a launch party Saturday, Feb. 7 from 7-9 p.m. The exhibition and opening was originally planned to take place at the museum; however, the venue may change to Elevation Place.