Atlas Coal Mine Historic Site: Part 1

Located just outside of East Coulee, Alberta, near Drumheller, you'll find the Atlas (#3) Coal Mine. This National Historic Site now operates as a museum, and is considered to be the most complete historic coal mine with the only remaining wooden tipple in all of Canada.

The mine was established in 1936, however the original mine structures were razed by a fire and the site was quickly rebuilt in 1937. Coal mined at the site was mostly ideal for heating homes, and so the mine generally only operated during the winter. Operations ceased in the mid-1950s as new energy sources, like natural gas and oil, replaced coal.

At the height of the coal mining era, there were 139 mines operating in the Drumheller Valley. Today the Atlas Coal Mine is the only one that remains, and as a museum and interpretive centre, it's a fascinating and well-preserved showcase of this industrial chapter.

Old Churches in Dorothy, Alberta

Not to be outdone by the decaying grain elevator, the ghost town of Dorothy, Alberta is also home to a couple of old churches. Going by some of the other images I'd seen online, I expected the churches to be in much worse shape. To my surprise the old structures have now been locked up and given a coat of primer - a massive departure from several years ago when they appeared to be completely open to the elements. It seems someone is working to save them, which is great to see. These old churches really make an impression standing by their lonesome in the surrounding badlands.