The last stand of trees amongst the badlands and vast empty terrain that stretches as far as the eye can see, sits my home in Castor, Alberta.
Amongst the aging rural landscape, once flourished many small towns, one-room schoolhouses and the sounds and bustling of people as they went about their daily business, perhaps taking the old steam train up the line.
Castor is a living relic of a time that is now fading faster for many rural communities. Still, it seems able to survive as it struggles to maintain its existence, surrounded by the ghosts of years gone by that have fallen back to the ground they were built on. Towns such as Bulwark Federal, Gadsby, or Brownfield are either gone or buried by the sands of time or are just a few houses left of people desperately trying to keep their towns alive.
These once-thriving communities fell victim to the closure of the coal mines, the oil company's abandonment, and the branch line rail closure. All these had a devastating impact on a life that most would want to raise a family and thrive.
The final nail in the coffin of rural life, however, was the shift in agriculture from the family farm to large corporate plantations and factory farms. Once, not that long ago, in the 1960s, more Albertans lived in rural Alberta than in the cities, which were still in their infancy. As farms got bigger and more specialized, they swallowed the many small family farms that dotted the landscape, feeding the towns with commerce and supplying numerous youth to the once-populated schools.
Progress in itself is a double-edged sword; to create growth, something has to be given up, and that has been the rural communities across Alberta. As services disappeared, so did the people who provided the needed capital to protect the towns from economic destruction.
With the rise of e-commerce and our ability to commute to major centers to enjoy the convenience and multitude of choices and services, many now take advantage of this, posing the biggest threat to rural living in Alberta.
So, why does Castor still thrive in a sea of economic desolation? Castor, by definition, has become a bedroom town to the larger centers around it. As well as its natural beauty as an oasis in the middle of what is technically a semi-desert, it has made it a hub for those looking for a place to retire comfortably, with much less stress and a peace that comes with a community that still clings to the traditional values that gave it birth.
There are no longer as many stores dotting the main street as there once were, but people see the value in the spirit of community and its celebration, which keeps Castor alive.
It's a place where people not only celebrate and preserve their history, but also embrace those who come to our community, no matter their circumstances. Castor embraces the new while preserving a way of life far removed from the stress-laden city life that many live in today.
Its Love for the arts and creativity around it found expression in W.O. Mitchell, Canadian Author and first principal of Castor Public School, whose love for the town and its people brought about Jake and the Kid and a long list of other literary works.
As the beaver slaps its tail announcing the arrival of those who walk from the past into the future, so will Castor March forward through the changes still yet to come.
To live here is a labour of love, but here I am and here I will stay, and I am assured that so will Castor long after my bones turn to dust under the big skies of the Canadian prairies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl3p8bGDyRE
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