Thursday 6 August 2015

On Assignment For Brenda Schmidt's Culvert Project

(I wasn't really on assignment. She's got a culvert project and had asked me a while ago about a giant culvert at Herbert, my hometown. I didn't know anything about it but referred Brenda to my oldest sister. If you want to know what Brenda is up to with the culverts, ask her!)

I spent last night in Tompkins on my way home from three weeks west. A delightful five hours, a sleep of trains.







In Swift Current, my new friend Shauna caught me up on the local weather while she served my bacon and eggs.












I drove to Herbert to look for the giant culvert. Annette Bower's dad installed it in the early 50s--he hauled the sheet metal out there and built the culvert on the spot--and says it's still there. This must be it:











The other side:









Annette's dad built the culvert under a stretch of the old Trans-Canada, before they built a faster one that skirts Herbert on the south side. 

I'd already announced several years ago that I want my ashes scattered along here.











The cemetery's just north across the tracks.











And I swung by the house of my first ten years while I was at it.

4 comments:

Brenda Schmidt said...

This is so awesome! Thanks, Gerry!

Annette said...

Thank you Gerry on behalf of a hard working man, my dad.

Annette said...

Dad said yes you are right. This was Dad's first culvert job he installed at the end of October and beginning of November in 1950. He had started working for Armco in September of 1950. They called them multiplate because they were bolted with 3/4 inch bolts at the site. Dad is surprised to see a picture of the first culvert he installed.

A sister said...

lonely yet lovely images of my birthplace