365 RED: Destructible History

View towards north east of what was left of the Corral in February 2021

When I was a little kid, my dad used to bring us to this place, the Stampede Corral on the Stampede grounds (apologies for the adverts) for the circus and various other events. I saw RUSH in this place, and was it there so often over the years, it became somewhere just that familiar. 

A couple years ago, I was asked to photograph the building for archives. I had two days of this building all to myself, right at the beginning of the pandemic. 

I am glad to have had the opportunity to shoot this building, and to have it to myself for those two days. It was extraordinary to get into every nook/cranny, including the tunnels! Who knew there were wish-bone-shaped tunnels underneath the building. 

We happened to be driving by the grounds in early January this year and stopped to watch as the big diggers chewed up the last of the building. Before I photographed it, I did question the wisdom of tearing down such history, but it would have been so costly to bring it up to useable condition, and yes, the city does have some grandiose plans - legit - for attracting an international convention audience. If the pandemic ever sets us free....