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Cherry Point Project

Cherry Point is a small Hamlet in Northern Alberta, close to the British Columbia border. The region was initially settled by European pioneers, who came in the late 19th and early 20th century. These were very hardy people who endured privations of isolation, terrible winters and backbreaking work. They either survived and flourished, or failed. Those who left the area often walked away with very little, leaving their homes and belongings frozen in time.

I first discovered Cherry Point in 1977, where I ventured with my young family for a ranch vacation. We fell in love with the people and the place, and returned for several years after. The matriarch of the family was Ruth Wetmore. From her we learned much about the early pioneering days, and made lasting friendships with her family.

As a photographer, I was taken by the beauty of the area, and I found a particular poignancy in the many abandoned homesteads that littered the region. I hope to return again to explore this wonderful piece of Alberta.

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Harvey Sumners, Trapper
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Wetmore's Pioneer House
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Johnson's Barn 1977
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Johnson's Barn 1982
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Johnson's Barn 1991
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Gula’s House
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Pioneer House with Slough
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Brewster's House, Back Porch
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Brewster's House
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Interior Backus' House
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George Maxwell
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Ruth Wetmore
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Interior Chauncey Berge's House
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Weeds on Slough
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Shed with Antlers
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Water Pump
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Log House, Storm Clouds
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Gula's Slough
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Interior Barn
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Window & Hat, Abandoned House
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Ruth's Old Garage
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Old Stove
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View through Abandoned Garage Window
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Horses Clearing Storm

All 24 photographs © David Butts



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