Category Archives: Back In Time

Crowsnest Angler Anniversary

December 1, 2023 by Vic Bergman | 14 Comments

Today marks the 30th anniversary of The Crowsnest Angler Fly Shop. We opened on December 1st, 1993. Although it’s been three decades since our opening, I remember everything from that day as if it happened yesterday.

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Pit Stop at the Antique Shop

July 22, 2023 by Vic Bergman | 8 Comments

While returning home from Winnipeg last week, I stopped at Whitewood, Saskatchewan to visit Old George’s Museum & Hidden Village. Whitewood is located along the Trans-Canada Highway, about 175 kilometres east of Regina. I had been on the road since 5:00 a.m. and was ready for a break. It was the perfect pit stop for me. I only planned to stay a half-hour but ended up visiting with George Chopping, the museum’s owner and curator, for more than two hours.

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Blairmore Cemetery Repair Work

June 21, 2021 by Vic Bergman | 8 Comments

There are about a dozen heritage cemeteries located in Crowsnest Pass. Many of the early citizens and founding members of our communities are buried here. Some of their graves date to the early 1900s. Many of the descendants of these people have also passed away or no longer live here. As a result, some gravesites have been neglected over the years and have fallen into disrepair. Exposure to the elements, combined with the growth of trees, bushes, and other vegetation, has taken its toll, particularly on some of the older graves.

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Waterton Lakes Fishing Revisited

August 6, 2020 by Vic Bergman | 8 Comments

In April, I posted an article here on the early history of fishing at Waterton Lakes National Park. As a result, I received a number of emails and messages from people whose families have ties to Waterton, dating to the days of John George “Kootenai” Brown. Their stories were very interesting and I thank them for sharing these with me.

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Early Fishing at Waterton Lakes

April 15, 2020 by Vic Bergman | 19 Comments

Waterton Lakes was one of the first places in southern Alberta to become a tourist attraction. Outdoor enthusiasts, including anglers, were visiting the area even before it became established as a park (Kootenay Lakes Forest Reserve), in 1895. The deep, cold mountain lakes and crystal-clear streams teemed with trout, eager to take a fly or lure.

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Trout Fishing Holidays

March 5, 2020 by Vic Bergman | 10 Comments

It’s that time of the year when anglers are beginning to plan their fishing trips for the coming season. For some people, these excursions will occur close to home, while others may be looking at traveling further afield. The Internet is full of information on fishing destinations around the world. Researching these locations online and communicating with other anglers via email and through social media can make trip planning a lot easier, especially when visiting an area for the first time.

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Garage Sale Surprise

October 28, 2019 by Vic Bergman | 12 Comments

Several weeks ago, I stopped in at a garage sale at a local church near my home. The sale is held twice a year – once in spring and again in autumn. All of the items are donated. Nothing is priced, and if you find something you like, you simply make an offer. If it’s a reasonable amount, it’s yours.

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Niagara of the Foothills

June 26, 2019 by Vic Bergman | 2 Comments

The picture above is of Lundbreck Falls, located on the Crowsnest River in southwest Alberta. It’s a vintage, hand-tinted photograph produced by the Gowen Sutton Company of Vancouver. The photograph was taken circa 1903 by the photography team of Marks and Buchanan, who operated a photo studio in the town of Frank, some 18 kilometers (12 miles) away. The title of the print is “Lundbreck Falls, Alberta – The Niagara of the Foothills.”

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Vintage First Nations Postcards

November 30, 2017 by Vic Bergman | 0 Comments

The colorful image shown above is of a 1941 postcard from Glacier National Park, Montana. The photograph was taken by a renowned American photographer, Tomar Jacob Hileman (1882-1945). I came across this linen postcard several years ago and thought it was quite interesting. It’s not a rare postcard by any means, but what drew my attention to it was the vivid colors of the garments worn by the two Blackfeet women. After more than 75 years, the colors in this image are as vibrant as the day the postcard was sold to a tourist visiting the park. Continue reading »

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Flashback 1967 – Canada’s Centennial

June 18, 2017 by Vic Bergman | 0 Comments

If you are Canadian and are of my generation, or older, you probably remember some of the celebrations and festivities that occurred in 1967, the year we commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Confederation of our country. With our 150th birthday less than two weeks away, I couldn’t help but think back to the spring and summer of 1967. Continue reading »

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