Alberta Tour Part 4 – Rosebud, Carbon

From the Hamlet of Dorothy, it was on to the Hamlet of Rosebud. Founded in 1885, the hamlet was named after the prolific wild roses found in the area. The beauty of the region drew group of seven painters A. Y. Jackson and H. G. Glyde to spend the summer of 1944 painting around the area.

Historically, coal mining and farming were the main industries in the region. The hamlet went into decline following the closing of the local school in 1972. The population eventually dwindled to under 12. In 1973, a group of teenagers from Calgary was brought to camp out in the empty Mercantile store. To cut a long story short, that event evolved over ensuing years to the establishment of the Rosebud School of the Arts. Today, the professional company’s performances at the Rosebud Theatre attracts patrons from near and far.

Following an excellent lunch at the Rosebud Country Inn, David and I wandered about town to photograph various buildings.

For our final stop of the day, we wheeled into Carbon. As we approached the Village we could see a storm approaching. As it turned out, we only had time to stop for one photo before the rain hit. The storm clouds are very prominent above the store below.

After leaving town, the rain became so heavy that we had to pull over to the side of the road to wait until visibility made it safe enough to continue. We eventually made it to Innisfail for the night.