A couple months ago as the flooding was starting to subside Arilem and I got out to explore an area that we had seen a couple times before however this is the first time we have seen the area in daylight. This are consists of a few ghost towns and rural churches. I find it interesting because these towns did not exist on a rail line which is unusual for Saskatchewan because this province was built by the railways. 95%+ of the communities in this province are railway towns. Everything on this post is all within a few miles. The towns and churches were the support structure for countless small farms that surrounded the area at one time. Over the years small farms have disappeared and now we have large scale commercial farms that are 10 – 20 times larger than the old family farm and with modern machinery they can operate these large farms with only a couple people. With very few people around the support structure started to die and now all that is left is countless abandoned farm yards along with these old churches and halls.
The photos included are a mix from 3 different trips to the area over about 18 months.
This is a long exposure shot taken about 3 hours after sunset. This is church #1
Furnace in the basement of one of the churches
Interior of Church #1
Looking towards the entrance at church #1
The hall next door to church #1. The church itself is boarded up and has no power, the hall seems to still see some use.
Decrepit homestead – the area is full of abandonments.
Church #2 – Another long exposure – this is about 2 minutes again close to 3 hours after sunset. We didn’t stay too long this day as there was a skunk in the church and we had coyotes very close to us as well. Over the past couple years the coyote population has exploded around here and they are getting brave so I like to keep my distance from them.
The flooded road to Church#1 – it is beyond what my little SUV can handle going through.
Interior of Church #3
Bed in the brick farmhouse that we stopped at.
Looking out the window at the brick farmhouse
The brick farmhouse
Interior at Church #2 on a different trip. There was no wildlife to worry about this time.
Fungi at Church #2
All that remains of an old town site. One of these appeared to be a store at one point.