By Carson Ellis For the Independent
I enjoy aerial photos. They quite often give me a larger picture of the evolution of our rather beautiful community.
This week’s is one of my favourites. The picture quality is rather good, and although it’s main focus is the main street, I’m able to see many far-off buildings. This was the first photo I was able to see the Stettler Cigar Factory (or Carder Hall) in its actual location. The SCF has always been of interest to me way before I did any actual research, and I was always curious where it sat. I was quite excited when I noticed it in the upper right corner. Although my paranoia is that remark will go to print and one of the many people who know better, will look at it, and say ‘nope!’ So until then. That’s it.
Of course, those same people can probably easily spot the arena, and I believe the curling rink, however, since I’m not sure which is which, I will simply leave it at a casual remark, and you can all do with it as you wish. Remember, if you don’t say it out loud, it’s not wrong.
Other personal gems in this photo is St. Peter’s Lutheran Church at its main-street location, seated in the lower left of the photo easily spotted by its classic designs and steeple. One of Stettler’s earliest buildings, it underwent many transformations over its life, and really managed to get around, being moved to main street from its original Taylor Street location, and finally clear across town to near where the GM dealership currently sits. Not bad for a building.
It’s interesting to see a main street free of plazas and strip malls. A house here, a parking lot right around where Brennan Plaza sits today, the backside of the Royal Canadian Legion/Stettler Elks’ Memorial Center. Across from that the unique curves of Streit’s Garage. A building I felt immediately saddened by never being able to see in person the moment I learned it had once existed. Not to mention a tree-lined main street.
If you look close enough under the long legs of that glorious water tower, you can see the former fire station and town hall. After that, there’s a long stretch of buildings, which most are still standing, and hopefully will be years from now. Each one is slightly unique from anything like it really. Of course, as you run out of the main street, you see the unmistakable shape of the Stettler Hotel. The photo date is 1947, so that would make it still under construction, however, the year may not be accurate.
Then, of course, the real stars of the photo are those towering beauties of the prairies, the grain elevators. The names on them changed over the years, as did the number that dotted the line, but they were always there when you needed to know where the nearest town was.