Redeemer Lutheran Church (Before)

A country church near Pendant d"Oreille, Alberta.

It was originally built as Jensen School.

The grounds are mostly surrounded by an old caragana hedge.

A sign just inside the front door, "Welcome to Redeemer Lutheran Church formerly Jensen School."

With three windows facing south and another five facing north the interior is bathed in light.

Spartan is the rule of the day as in most Lutheran churches.

The two doors at the back suggest separate "boys" and "girls" entrances when it was a school.

It truly looks tiny in the landscape.

A brief history: Jensen School was in operation from about 1914-1929 and again from 1932-1957.  In 1958 the building and grounds were purchased by Redeemer Lutheran Church which served the community until 1966.  It has since been vacant. 

Information courtesy of "Pioneering with a Piece of Chalk" by Willian Peter Baergen.

Photographed on Novemeber 25, 2016.

Dominion S.D. No 779

Dominion School was near Whitkow, Saskatchewan.

Photographed on October 24, 2019.

Old Stone Church

Bethlehem Lutheran Church near Markinch, Saskatchewan.

Photographed on July 26, 2021. 

Hollywood

A gray day at the former site of Hollywood School.  

Seems that Hollywood isn't so glamorous after all.

Photographed north of Cereal, Alberta on December 1, 2021.

The World's Largest Gopher

He's eight feet tall and weighs in at three thousand pounds.

Photographed in Eston, Saskatchewan on October 7, 2021.

Somewhere near Ravenscrag

A few shots from a recent road trip in southwest Saskatchewan.

It was my first taste of winter this year.

Looks like the end of the road but it actually curves to the right just after it dips down into that first coulee.

Love this landscape in every season.

Photographed on November 20, 2021.

Saint Michael's near Rhein

Saint Michael's Ukrainian Orthodox Church and Cemetery as seen from the road.

I've stopped here a number of times but this was the first time with no snow cover. 

The bell tower and hall stand on the west side of the grounds.

Two cupolas and a small dome grace the church.  Other than the metal roofs, the buildings appear to be mostly original.    

The cemetery is well populated with headstones dating back over a century.

Another view.

Saint Michael's was built in 1924 and is the second church of the Holy Ascension Orthodox congregation.  

The original parish, Holy Ascension Orthodox Chapel (circa 1902), is one mile south and is now fondly known as Kaplychka.

Photographed near Rhein, Saskatchewan on July 28, 2021.

At the Cathedral

A few moments to enjoy the peaceful space within Notre Dame d'Auvergne Cathédrale.

Photographed in Ponteix, Saskatchewan on November 19, 2021.

Cando School

A pioneer school and teacherage near Big Stone, Alberta.     

I had found the school by chance a few years previously but failed to make note of the location so I more or less forgot about it.  Then, about three weeks ago while on a road trip in the Hanna area, I chanced upon it again.  First thing I did was mark the location on my GPS device then take some photos.

There was no sign at the school but now that I had a location I could research the area to see if I could identify it.       

According to William Peter Baergen's "Pioneering with a Piece of Chalk" this is Cando School.  

The teacherage was the former Niles School which was moved here after it closed.  

Of interest, Cando School was named after Cando, North Dakota.  Niles School was named after a homesteader who was killed by a lightning strike while unloading his earthly possessions in front of his newly built shack.

Photographed on November 7, 2021.

Porky

On a recent drive through Grasslands Park in southwest Saskatchewan...

...I met up with this porcupine.

We were more than happy to make acquaintance with each other.  

Porcupines really are quite friendly.

Photographed on November 19, 2021.