Blog: Jim

Cemeteries

2020-11-27 by Jim

I headed into Banff with no particular idea of what to shoot when I remembered running across the new cemetery near the east exit to Banff off highway 1. I parked outside the cemetery gate and was debating on whether I should head inside to take some pictures. New snow blanketed the cemetery and it would be obvious I was there from my footprints. I decided to head inside and was glad I did. Wandering around a cemetery in Banff made me realize that man's presence here has been stamped into the earth. Each grave tells a story of a significant person who made an impact on Banff.

I then headed to the downtown cemetery and took some photos, but weren't happy with them. I had to head back later to retake some pictures and recompose others. It's nice to feel more comfortable with the analog photography process, and have the freedom to use film and develop it.

Go to Cemetery page

Biffies

2020-11-26 by Jim

A biffy is a pretty uniform and boring thing to take a picture of. But sometimes the mundane can be interesting if you isolate it and notice it. The inside of a biffy is a stark, utilitarian place. I debated taking a photo inside, because... you're just not supposed to do that! But I pushed past those inhibitions and took a picture anyway. Then, I decided to ride down to Bankhead (the road is closed in the winter for XC skiing) to check out the biffy there. The road had around an inch of packed snow and the going was hard since I don't have a fat bike. At that point, the stakes are higher to take a good photo because of the effort to get there!

Then, I wanted to check out the biffy at the end of the Sundance Canyon road, but it was closed due to... logging?!? Sure enough, there was a traffic control system in place to coordinate logging trucks rolling in and out. I'll have to check that out once they are done! The washrooms in town made a good alternate.

Bankhead

2020-11-10 by Jim

For years I've ridden by Bankhead, curious as to what it was but not curious enough to stop. When I heard it was a mining town, it was hard to imagine something like that happening inside a park, so I decided to check it out. Old foundations and remnants of industrial buildings told the tale of a major mining operation here, but it was the slack heaps that had the biggest impact. Climbing around them was exhausting, and their extent was large. Not only do they represent what went on here, but now they are part of the landscape. I lingered amidst the coal realizing that This is Banff.

Later on, I was exploring the top of the hill between upper and lower Bankhead and explored the foundation of the Holy Trinity Church. It's here where this coal mining town bears witness to its soul. Real people who worshipped God lived here. Babies were born and baptized, families were raised, and coal was mined.

The Holy Trinity Church in Bankhead

Bankhead page

Garbage

2020-11-05 by Jim

Everytime I see a garbage receptacle I have have mixed feelings. There's a good feeling that garbage is being taken care of, but the fact that they are needed everywhere dismays me. I'm sure parks puts garbage cans wherever tossed garbage is a problem, but the fact that it can become a problem is the problem. The result? Hundreds of garbage cans everywhere, they themselves littering the landscape like the garbage they contain.

But without them, the problem of strewn garbage would be unmanagable. So bring them on!

Garbage receptacles

Townsite

2020-10-25 by Jim

I like heading into Banff after a hike or bike ride and getting food, hanging out in the library, or wandering the art galleries. But as I'm wandering the streets and back alleys, I can't help but feel the huge impact that the Town of Banff makes every day. Just the 9000 people who live here make a profound impact, not to mention the thousands of visitors a day that arrive mainly by motor vehicle. The momentum is hard to stop, or even to slow down, as visitors create the need for food, parking, curios, art, clothing, alcohol, hardware, and entertainment, and those who provide those things need plumbers, dog groomers, lawyers, medical services, and many other things. When will it even slow down? What is actually a necessary service in Banff? And who can determine this?

This is where Banff is now. Where will it be in the future? What would be regarded as a successful outcome for the town of Banff? As I wander the streets, I'm well aware that I'm contributing to this town by being here. And it makes me think...

Townsite