The Triple E Antique Store

As I've mentioned before, the north railway area of Medicine Hat is one of my favorites in terms of aesthetics.  Its proximity to the tracks meant that it was originally home to a bunch of warehouses and services for the rail yard.  It's probably why I love The Triple E so much, because it doesn't seem like all that much has changed.

I actually used this location as a backdrop in my 2006 short, Educated Detours.  It's a really cool, visual and detailed place, although I have to say that the buildings could use some work.  After all of my research for Around the Hat, some of the antiques were particularly cool to see.  Items from Medalta and Hycroft, for instance, seemed more significant now that I've explored both locations.  The Triple E is jam packed with treasures though, and half of the fun is not knowing what you might stumble onto.  

I ended buying an old seabreeze fan from the 1950s for $10.  It turns out it was a pretty good deal, as I found some of them listed on eBay for upwards of $80, and it still works! Not that I needed much more convincing, but the find was just one more reason to appreciate the place.  If you haven't been, you should check it out. 

Vintage seabreeze fan I bought.

Canadian Pacific Holiday Train 2012

On a very chilly December 8th evening, Andrea and I went down to the rail yard to see the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train.  Decked out in lights, and featuring a box car stage with live music, the stop in Medicine Hat, Alberta was just one of 150 that the train made across the country from Quebec to British Columbia with the purpose of raising money for local food banks.

We caught the tail end of Doc Walker's performance, and walked the length of the train so I could take pictures.  In all fairness, we were probably only there about 20 minutes before we both felt uncomfortably numb and decided to head out for supper.  It was a cool display in any case, and despite the cold and icy conditions, the short visit drew an impressive crowd of onlookers.