‘Times Were Simpler’: Photographer Explores Century-Old Abandoned Farmhouses in Rural Alberta

‘Times Were Simpler’: Photographer Explores Century-Old Abandoned Farmhouses in Rural Alberta
Courtesy of Joe Chowaniec
Michael Wing
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If you were to meander the back roads of Alberta, you might find a bespectacled man in his mid-50s toting a camera on the roadside, aiming at what looks like a creepy haunted mansion in the middle of nowhere.

Driving his Chevy Trailblazer, Joe Chowaniec stops to investigate old dilapidated houses across the Prairies. Many are older than a century and bespeak of simpler times, but they’re slowly disappearing. For the past 10 years, Edmonton-based Chowaniec has driven 36,000 kilometres to uncover and document their mysteries before they vanish.

Michael Wing
Michael Wing
Editor and Writer
Michael Wing is a writer and editor based in Calgary, Canada, where he was born and educated in the arts. He writes mainly on culture, human interest, and trending news.