The moral Dilemma
The thought of exploring never really diminished. It had firmly burrowed into my brain that I needed to to see more forgotten/abandoned sites similar to what i experienced in Ontario, but where does one begin? How do i get permission for everything i come across? Will people be willing to share their stories? It was a vast ocean i was jumping into with no idea how to swim.
My first solo adventure was in the winter of 2018. To my wife’s surprise when she woke up, i already had my winter gear on rearing to go. “Where are you going this early?” she yawned. “Out to find abandoned buildings.” i proclaimed. In the back of my mind i was thinking: she must think i’m fucking nuts. It was a short term thought, as she could see this was something I needed to do in my life; the creative outlet was a calling for me. Ever since that fateful morning transpired she has stood by side with my quest for adventure of the “bandos” (accompanying me every so often to experience it first hand.
I knew i had to head NE from Edmonton. From all the reading i was soaking up, their was a massive amount of history left to decay out there - i just needed to tap into it, and my goodness did i learn what a mecca of sites it would become. On my travels i stopped a handful of times to explore an old farm stead house, a mid century farm house, and an abandoned farm stead. In the early growing pains - i genuinely made an effort to go door to door and ask: “Who owns that beautiful old home out there?” But i was met with grumbles and often warning to not trespass.
I knew i had to get to these buildings, but i was being stone walled at every turn. Then the thought hit me:
Is it right to risk personal or public consequences for a private thrill or artistic goal? Or digging deeper:
Can something be ethically meaningful - even beautiful - while still being technically illegal or unauthorized?
When my feet hit the inside of the first house - my heart was pounding. I would stop snap some photos and move on. In the end, nothing ever happened. But the thrill and adrenaline was something i remember vividly.
On the ride home i remember feeling a sense of accomplishment; i came, i saw , i conquered. Small the sites may have been - but they were a monumental shove into a trajectory i wasn’t prepared for.
Adventure 2 - Winter of 2018 / All Images Captured by a Iphone5C
