Continued from Embarking on an adventure

The next day dawned beautiful blue. In Eureka, Montana, the last stop before crossing the border into Canada, I waited in a long espresso coffee line—the only game in town? Time passed happily while I watched overhead drama involving a tiny bird harassing a bald eagle.

The blue sky disappeared behind predicted rain clouds as I entered Canada and passed through Fernie. A horrendous rain storm accompanied me over the rather unremarkable Crowsnest Pass. I lingered in the first town below the pass. Coleman was designated as a National Historic Site of Canada in 2001. The fabulous Crowsnest Museum anchors a five-block historic walking tour.

As many old coal towns do, Coleman has a rich history peppered with intrigue, violence, and dubious justice. The little museum is well-organized with carefully curated displays that make good use of multi-media and energy saving motion-detector lighting. There is an extensive artifact and photo archive; the community was blessed to be the landing site of a very good photographer named Thomas Gushul, who immigrated from Ukraine. For me, the highlight was a superb black and white film, The Scene of the Crime, fittingly set up in the APP (Alberta Provincial Police) Barracks, where murder led to a double hanging. The film cuts historical Gushul images with period actors depicting the events that led up to the 1923 hanging of rum-running kingpin, Emilio Picariello and his housekeeper, Florence Lassandro, who were both charged with killing Constable Lawson.

On the wall of the room at the APP Barracks where meals were served.

A Recipe for Prohibition

The death of Constable Lawson wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for Prohibition, but Prohibition itself was the result of a complex mix of factors

  • Take one long-standing temperance campaign
  • Add a measure of votes for women
  • Mix in some old-time religion and moral reform
  • Put it in a melting pot with a dash of prejudice and stir vigorously
  • Bring to a boil over a great war

Serves one dry province.

After getting my fill of prohibition intrigue, I headed back over Crowsnest Pass in now dry weather for my stay and the End of the Road Bed & Breakfast, which I already wrote about. After raining all night, the sky cleared to blue and was great till about 2 pm. Then I hit rain and snow squalls, which worried me as I’d be camping for the next four days. Luckily I was able to pitch the tent between squalls. Then I was free to explore.

I managed a hasty three-mile hike up Johnston Canyon to see upper and lower falls. Getting a rather late start, I was worried about losing daylight and getting drenched. But the falls were so spectacular, they were worth the worry.

  • Lower falls
  • Much of the hike relies on this amazing walkway
  • Evening glow
  • Middle falls – there are just falls everywhere!
  • Upper falls
  • Upper falls
  • Water drop from the pool below upper falls

Peek-a-boo peaks that pop out boldly in unexpected sun rays and then retreat demurely as the next squall moves over them are mesmerizing.