Lousana to Gadsby

I have lived in Alberta for over 29 years, the landscape has changed so much in that time.  Grain elevators that I saw in the distance on my train ride out to the west are quickly disappearing.  Whenever we set out for a Mini road trip, we try to find those old landmarks and hopefully capture their stark beauty as they take their last stand.

We left Lousana and traveled on Township Rd 364, a dirt road ended at Rge Rd 22.4 and to the right we caught sight of this private elevator.  Not in use, it stands guard for now.

The Village of Gadsby, AB
Established in 1909, is Alberta's smallest Village and has a population of 25, ten less then it did 5 years ago.
Gadsby showed signs of being bigger than it is now. The turn into the village has a large park with baseball diamonds and a good size childrens play area, which all looked in new condition.  A white boarded Church is undergoing some renovations and a large building which to my thinking may have been a former bank, now houses a Senior's centre.  There wasn't many other commercial buildings,except for is only one other boarded up building.  Faded paint identified it as having a few different lives, an Ice Cream shop and a gas station being two of them.


How these small communities survive not only amazes me, but humbles me as well.  The pioneer spirt lives on in these tucked away places.  Their stories unheard and unappreciated.

***Gadsby had a notable resident.  Barbara Kent a silent screen actress was born Barbara Cloutman in Gadsby in 1907.  She made over 30 movies, but none after 1941 and she retired from public life in 1949.  She learned to fly light aircraft and flew until she was 85.  As per Wikipedia she golfed into her 90's.  She died in 2011.***