Station Coffee Co. in Medicine Hat

I met up for coffee at Station Coffee Co. last week and decided to stick around to snap some pictures afterwards. Back in September 2013, when our Thinking Hat exhibition was taking place in the Beveridge Block, we were invited to take a tour of the Station Coffee building while the renovations were still underway. I thought it would be cool to compare some of those images with a new shoot and share this amazing location on 2nd Street. I followed up with another great space, Inspire Cafe just a few doors down.

A photo posted by Luke Fandrich (@editingluke) on May 13, 2015 at 11:55am PDT

September 2013 - 2nd street upgrades in progress.

Sweet Caporal wall reflection from across the street.

September 2013 - Station Coffee Co. facade renovations.

September 2013 - coffee bar construction in progress.

A photo posted by Luke Fandrich (@editingluke) on Jan 6, 2015 at 2:56pm PST

September 2013 - interior work in progress.

September 2013 - before it became the coffee house it is now.

Silver Creek by Salazar

I was recently introduced to the videos of Salazar and Silver Creek was the first of their videos that I fell in love with. Here's what they say about it: Silver Creek tells the tale of a young band of outsiders, isolated and teased in their community, who one day discover the magic of their own creativity and imagination. The kids find solace and support in their celebration, though the moment is short-lived, and others try to break them apart.

Inspire Cafe in Medicine Hat

Located in the historic Hargrave Sissons Block, the location of Inspire Cafe was actually one of the earlier sites that I documented for my Around the Hat series. Not surprisingly, a lot has changed since that last shoot in late 2012. For starters, the beautiful spring weather yesterday provided a much better backdrop for this cheery cafe than the winter weather did when I originally shot it. Secondly, the 2nd street upgrades that were completed over the last year have transformed the look of the area. 

After a meeting at Station Coffee Co. (and snapping some pictures over there) I thought it would be nice to showcase the bright interior of Inspire Cafe too. It's amazing looking at these pictures in contrast to my earlier shots and recognizing just how much progress has been made. The Hargrave Sissons Block looks better than it has in decades, and Medicine Hat is fortunate to have a place like Inspire Cafe using it so we can all enjoy this character rich space.