Medicine Hat High School Renovation: Part 1

A week ago I was invited back to Medicine Hat High School to tour the construction site and to photograph the ongoing demolition. This was in dramatic contrast to the series of images I shot prior to the start of the renovation / modernization project occurring at Medicine Hat, Alberta's largest high school last year. The entire south side of the high school is now closed off, and it's amazing to see how much has changed in just the last few months.

It's a bit eerie wandering around your old high school to see it in mid-demolition. Ceiling tiles have been ripped down, walls have been demolished, and the old lockers have all been removed. The auto body and shop classrooms are now gone, one of the skywalks has been torn down, the library is almost unrecognizable in its current state, and the south office is now just an empty room. Despite all of this, parts of the old school are still recognizable.

For nostalgia's sake it's sad to see it go, and at the same time, the fact that so many parts of the high school hadn't changed in decades was proof that upgrades were needed. Having seen the plans, I can honestly say that Medicine Hat High School is going to be a lot better off once the modernization is complete. It doesn't make the school's current state any less shocking, but it does allow for some pretty dramatic pictures of the work in progress. PART 2 HERE.

The start of the new gymnasium.

A few of the old lockers.

Demo in the library.

What's left of the south office.

The south entrance is a bit dirtier than I remembered it.

The hole where a skywalk used to be.

The other skywalk being used as storage for the time being.

Nesika Beach on the Oregon Coast

As my friend Mike and I continued our road trip south along the Pacific Coast Highway we made an impromptu stop at Nesika Beach on the Oregon coast. This was really what the trip was all about. With the sun shining and the cool breeze coming in off of the ocean, we each aimlessly wandered and enjoyed the surroundings we found ourselves in. There wasn't much of a plan, but we climbed rocks, got our feet wet, and poked at the creatures that had washed up on the beach. With a few new captures for my Pacific Northwest series, it was back on the road and onto the next random roadside attraction that grabbed our attention.

It isn't an adventure without a signature jump shot.

Dead crab.

I love how this feels as the water rushes back and pulls the sand from under your feet.

Mike climbing one of the rocks in the distance.