I wouldn't disagree with anything you have written wilagro. I also recognize there are many people that are happy with the way things are, it just depends on your values.
Just got back from delivering beef in Canmore and some in Cochrane. The "Men of Vision" statue in Cochrane was one of the things that made an impression on me when I first toured this area of Alberta before moving here. A tribute to the ranchers that established the Cochrane ranch - the first big scale ranch in Alberta.
Unfortunately it's hard to see the statue now, it still sits up on its hill but your eye is drawn to the condo's and huge houses covering the hillsides around. The town motto, proudly shown on the Cochrane sign is "How the West is Now" I suppose its true but I find that rather sad. I guess others think $500,000 houses and shiny trucks are the ultimate in progress.
Coming closer to home passing through Eckville there are signs of construction by the railway tracks. The elevators were torn down years ago, the fertilizer plant that replaced it torn down this year. The next great thing is a "frack sand depot" where they can bring the stuff in by the trainload to truck out to well sites. These depots are springing up across central Alberta.
Interesting that these frac sand depots aren't being brought in with the fanfare that usually accompanies development in small towns. I think its a recognition that this is a shady practice, dangerous, experimental at best and essentially unregulated.
I'm reminded of one of my favourite songs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4zR9r9olOg
Just got back from delivering beef in Canmore and some in Cochrane. The "Men of Vision" statue in Cochrane was one of the things that made an impression on me when I first toured this area of Alberta before moving here. A tribute to the ranchers that established the Cochrane ranch - the first big scale ranch in Alberta.
Unfortunately it's hard to see the statue now, it still sits up on its hill but your eye is drawn to the condo's and huge houses covering the hillsides around. The town motto, proudly shown on the Cochrane sign is "How the West is Now" I suppose its true but I find that rather sad. I guess others think $500,000 houses and shiny trucks are the ultimate in progress.
Coming closer to home passing through Eckville there are signs of construction by the railway tracks. The elevators were torn down years ago, the fertilizer plant that replaced it torn down this year. The next great thing is a "frack sand depot" where they can bring the stuff in by the trainload to truck out to well sites. These depots are springing up across central Alberta.
Interesting that these frac sand depots aren't being brought in with the fanfare that usually accompanies development in small towns. I think its a recognition that this is a shady practice, dangerous, experimental at best and essentially unregulated.
I'm reminded of one of my favourite songs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4zR9r9olOg
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