More than 700 people flocked to Retlaw to celebrate its 100th Year Homecoming and experience its unique, ghostly appeal
There’s really not much left of Retlaw, but this August the Alberta ghost town came alive.
More than 700 people flocked to the defunct town — some from as far away as Sweden — on Aug. 10 to celebrate its 100th Year Homecoming.
“A lot of them remember some of the businesses and they shared lots of memories,” said Terry Culver-Franz, a member of the homecoming committee. “A lot of them went to school here. There were lots of people they had seen that they had gone to school with.”
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At first glance, there isn’t much left in Retlaw, 10 kilometres west of Vauxhall.
It was obvious from the start — the area was opened to homesteaders in 1906 — that a scarcity of water was going to be an issue. But the first residents pinned their hopes on the proposed Bow River irrigation project. The population quickly reached 150 residents, with many businesses — including grain elevators and a hotel — up and running before the start of the First World War.
But the war forced the bankruptcy of the water project and Retlaw’s dreams turned to dust.
“Retlaw was a big town at one time but it went down when irrigation bypassed it and on to Vauxhall,” said Leona Wright, another homecoming organizer. “The people were just getting dried out and they couldn’t make a living on it. They slowly moved away.”
Wright’s grandparents settled in the area in 1909 and unlike most, the 71-year-old stayed in the area.
The last business in town closed in 1965 and all that remained of the once-promising frontier town were two grain elevators, a community hall, and the Retlaw Union Church, the latter being the inspiration almost 20 years ago to keep the community’s memories alive.
In 1995, after much legal wrangling and a petition, the church was saved from the wrecking ball and restored. Area residents worked together to make Retlaw a tourist attraction, setting up signs all over the townsite to mark former businesses and points of interest. With the church’s restoration and the commitment to maintain and commemorate the townsite, hundreds of curious heritage enthusiasts visit Retlaw (the reverse spelling of the first name of CPR official Walter R. Baker) every year.
“I don’t think there are many places like ours that can get 1,000 visitors a year,” said Culver-Franz. “One person said to me it’s like an outdoor museum; you can walk around and read all the signs. There is something special about Retlaw where everybody comes and says, ‘Wow, you know, it is just openness.’”
The homecoming featured guided tours of the church, cemetery and townsite. Organizers created special stations throughout the ghost town, including stops at the sites which were once home to the former Bank of Commerce, barbershop, police station and hotel. There was also a cenotaph dedication for past veterans of both world wars, as well as a cake-cutting ceremony. The day was topped off with an evening meal for hundreds, followed by entertainment.
“It was definitely emotional for many people to see after so many years and they were very surprised what they came to,” said Culver-Franz. “I think they got more than they thought they would get and they all went away feeling they had more than they came with.”
The town will never rise again, but the reunion will create renewed public interest in the ghost town as a roadside attraction, she said.
