Forgotten Alberta

8 Replies to “#FABTrip15: Impressions of Empress”

1. I am a wanderer and have visited Empress 2 or 3 times . Last time was this past year. I found some great people to coffee with in the morning’s before leaving. Forksview Motel is a neat place to stay. The lady, Helen that takes care of the motel is a grand lady to meet. I also enjoy time spent with the people who have the “store” in the “Bank Building” . All things even I will return. Thank you — Jim Jensen – Fairview AB .
   return once again come spring. Jim Jensen, Fairview Ab.

2. Hi Jim, thanks for stopping by! I had a very similar experience as you in Empress. I would highly recommend a visit.

3. I have great memories of Empress. Really a family town. I remember there was an old grocery store on main street. It was awesome inside. Just like the “old” days inside and if you rummaged around you could find some neat finds. He would open on I believe Thursday and you could get fresh produce.
   Our “bank house” was across from the school. Great times were had in Empress.

4. I had an aunt and uncle who homesteaded near Empress from , I guess the late teens to late twenties or early thirties. From the stories, I was told, they prospered for the first while but when things turned bad they were quite bad, including two young sons having died and I presume buried at the cemetery outside of town. At that time my aunt and uncle returned to Ontario where they lived out their lives. We visited Empress about 10 years ago on our way home from Alberta, personally it was an a very sobering experience to see the evidence of what was and all the dashed hopes and dreams. However, I look forward to doing more research before I return again when I will take more time for a longer visit. Keep up the good work. I enjoy all the stories.

5. Hi Scott, thanks for stopping by, and for sharing. Interestingly enough, there was an article online today about Empress wanting to attract more tourists:

   http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-empress-tourism-grant-1.4417405

   It’s such a beautiful little town, I would have loved to have seen it in its hey-day. Hopefully it endures.

6. Thank you for your reply.
   I wish the town well with their initiative for tourism and rejuvenation.
   I would like to visit Alberta and Empress again next fall after our harvest is done.
   I was less than 10 yrs old when my aunt and uncle were in their late seventies and early eighties shortly after which they passed on. I was always intrigued by the stories from their days out west.
   Do you know where I could find information on where my aunt and uncle would have settled? Also, I would like to know if their children are buried at the community cemetery south of town, do you know where I could find those records ?
   Thank you for any assistance.
   Scott

7. Hi Jonathan,

   First I appreciate your site and all the work that you have put into it. Really enjoy it.

   I’m replying to Scott Prosser’s inquiry as to cemetery records at Empress. They have a spreadsheet of all individuals buried in the Empress Cemetery. To the best of my knowledge there are no interments with the surname “Prosser”.

   If desired he can find contact information at http://villageofempress.com

8. Hi Dennis, Scott Prosser here. My great aunt and uncle were Frances and Albert MacKenzie. If I remember correctly their sons were about 8 and 12 years old when they died. Not sure exactly of the circumstances but I remember my mother passing on the story of how Aunt Frances used to try in vane to keep the blowing dust out of the house because it caused breathng problems for the sick boys. Certainly hard times that we cannot imagine. Thank you for any information you can provide and I will try the link above
   Scott

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