Nature Takes Back Our Empty Cities in 2020: A Reflection on Chernobyl

One of the perhaps rare silver linings of the Covid-19 pandemic is how our planet's wildlife is actually benefiting from a global pandemic. Wildlife has been seen entering empty cities everywhere now that city streets are emptied during the Covid-19 quarantine lockdown.

We've also seen a rather quick drop in greenhouse emissions in the atmosphere since humankind has been forced into a mass global lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. I wonder if anyone else sees the irony of how the environment and wildlife are actually benefiting from humanity going into the largest lockdown in human history?

(History, the world and our neighboring species could even benefit from our disappearance.....if mankind were to ever disappear...)

This reminds me of what happened in the Chernobyl exclusion zone. Due to the regions radioactive contamination for many decades, residents left the area deserted, like a ghost town. In the absence of human activity in the empty ghost towns, local wildlife ended up moving back into the region and taking it over.

 The wildlife could not detect radiation in the environment, just as humans cannot. Radiation is a silent enemy. Slight genetic mutations have been the result, but despite that, the wildlife has managed to flourish in the dead zones of Chernobyl due to humans abandoning the contaminated exclusion zone.

Exploring Historical Buffalo, New York

                                    (The Swannie House, Buffalo NY/Image copyright of Lieuxabandonnes)

I hopped on a Greyhound bus on Thanksgiving Day and headed to Buffalo NY. As it turns out, traveling the US on Thanksgiving isn't recommended; finding a meal or even snack is near impossible. One of my greatest memories of this trip was the hospitality and generosity of the bus driver who shared his thanksgiving meal with me. This was my final lasting impression of what it means to be an American before I headed home to Canada.The six days I spent in Buffalo would be my final photographic exploration of the USA, and it was a memorable visit to say the least.

I had some locations in mind to explore, but as it turned out, local advice changed my mind about where I'd actually explore. I stayed at the Buffalo Hostel and met three photographers who were exploring that week. I have to say that really was a bonus to have inside information ie routes of travel and so on. One of the photographers was a seasoned expert about the historical grain elevators of Buffalo NY and even offered to take me along and go down the elevator shoots together. Teach me the ropes, if you will.

I ended up declining after mulling this over a few days because I follow my intuition, and the thought of not having the physical strength to pull myself back up once down didn't seem terribly appealing ... maybe if I was 20 years younger ... As it turned out, intuition is best. A month later an injury from previous months manifested in Canada, whereby my neck and spine collapsed and was paralyzed for almost a year down my left side of my body. Due to my injuries, I'm very cautious about exploring, and as you know, while it doesn't happen often, some explorers have perished in unsafe buildings.

What remains memorable to me are the unintended discoveries along my route, like stumbling upon an abandoned fuel station called Sam's. That's a first. I've never seen so many American flags in any city, nearly every image has a flag somewhere. Up the road at the corner of Ohio and Michigan I stepped into the Swannie House for some downright good tender vittles and washed it down with a beer. Several hours of a constant drizzle of rain in late November left me cold to the bone, so stepping into the historical Swannie House wrapped up my visit to Buffalo in such a positive note.

The staff were super friendly, so I lingered at Swannie's listening to local history. I pulled myself away as I had a bus to catch in a few hours back to Canada. I stepped out the door into the cold rain on Ohio and made my way back to the hostel, threw my damp clothes into a dryer and said my final farewells to Buffalo NY.

                              (Old Hardie Kentucky Straight Whiskey/Images copyright of Lieuxabandonnes)

Abandoned Manitoba: Follow Us as We Document the Hidden Abandoned Places of Manitoba

(Main Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba circa 1895. Source: National Archives of Canada)

Some of you are aware that Canada has never been considered one of the best countries in the world to explore abandoned sites, due to Canada's national policy for demolition projects of derelict buildings or converting derelict properties over to new owners, often into the hands of non-profit organizations. Oftentimes, a non-profit revitalizes a derelict property preserving it into a historical monument for decades to come. Alternatively, many a non-profit just doesn't have the funding to make a complete conversion and a vast number of the buildings remain derelict at the site for decades longer.

These properties are wonderful opportunities for photographers and historians to explore. Unfortunately, for many of us, we don't know they're out there to explore. No one is going to advertise these histories, locations and so on unless you travel the country roads a lot or keep up with the sporadic media reports about these landmarks. Your only other resource is spending unlimited hours in historical archives.

I'm all for preservation of historical sites, but the renovation process often renders the historical artifacts and architectural features obsolete. Once lost, these are never recovered unless someone documents them first. The preservation and renovation leans more to a symbolic historical monument then anything tangible. We need to remember that often times those derelict sites contain histories our culture doesn't want to remember. And that's why we not only call those marginalized and abandoned but also the forgotten one's.

The kinds of explorations some of us do do NOT end up in our Canadian school system's text books. History is continually erased where those would like it to be erased. However, I ask a vital question about this erasure. How does a culture, a nation, whatever this may be learn from their past mistakes in this manner? Perhaps we're all prone to wanting to hide our mistakes, shove them in a deep, dark closet or up into a musky, damp attic until the day we throw it all away or demolish it out of sight and memory.

Sometimes we can't even do that, as in the cases of nuclear tragedies such as Hiroshima, Chernobyl and Fukushima. Well, as some of us know, this is when we encounter the BS campaigns, orchestrated by governments, the international media and big corporations that have an invested interest in these outcomes. And they would just like us to know they would prefer we know as little as possible. Happy, ignorant sheep continue to be consumers, and every nation needs consumers. Some of us are still waking up' and enraged that democracy seems to have very little to do with 'protecting' the people and more to do with protecting big corporation, this includes the lies and coverups to cover up all the environmental disasters throughout history due to big corporation.

This also includes the cover ups of institutionalized 'mental asylums' where those not wanted in society were suddenly labeled with a 'mental disorder'. Imagine living in a generation where parents or your husband, just thoroughly sick of you for whatever reason, you've become an emotional or financial burden, maybe your husband didn't want to suffer the public embarrassment of divorcing you? So they could just drop you off at the nearest asylum? You have to wonder if those family members slept at night considering the 'cutting edge' therapeutic technologies that went on in asylums, like lobotomies, ice baths, electric shock therapy and brutal restraints to name a few.

This is why it's so essential for some of us to document what we can before it all fades. For me, sometimes it's a fine line between truth and deception, life and death and giving honor to those who have been forgotten, most often buried in unidentified graves. Just another number. No name. Their voices muted and then demolished out of memory. Out of history. This is my passion. Follow us this year as we travel and document Manitoba's abandoned places. Sometimes haunted places. The voices of the past still speak, of our ancestors, our history, right out of their unidentified graves, if we listen closely enough.

Mental Baggage: Abandoned Suitcases On Environmental Graffiti

I want to give a new website on the web a 'two thumbs up' for quality stories, history and interesting facts - not to mention some quality images. The website in question is Environmental Graffiti. The site consists of your typical types of topics, asylums and other abandoned buildings, but also includes a variety of historical context, such as these Mental Baggage: Abandoned Suitcases from an Mental Asylum.

Nostradamus Predictions of Fukushima, March 11, 2011:

In 1555, Nostradamus published his predictions/prophesies in codes arranged in quatrains. This peculiar style of writing was what Nostradamus chose to write in, in order to stay under the radar during his times. Nostradamus predicted three antichrists, three emperors, who would conquer vast areas, these were Napoleon (code named Napaulon Roy); Hitler (code named Histler); and Yazdi (code named Mabus). 

Check this out: The Fukushima Prophecies/Nostradamus Quatrain codes

“After great trouble for humanity, a greater one is prepared. The Great Mover (Possible French translations: Great Motor or the Great Engine (GE)), renews the ages: Rain, blood, milk, famine, steel and plague, is the heavens fire seen, a long spark running.”

 

GE

The Great Motor or Great Engine could be taken allegorically, like humanity doesn’t totally understand its total capacity for destructive power [humanity's capacity for hubris), but another simpler interpretation is rather interesting in these times right now. GE stands for General Electric; The Fukushima nuclear reactors are a General Electric design, with the architectural design created by Abasco, a company formerly owned by GE (After researching Abasco to see where the company is today, it appears they are in the market of oil spill response equipment (Just a coincidence?). 

 

History of General Electric

GE is a leader in technology all over the world including nuclear energy and nuclear weapons, and is one of the biggest multicorp’s today, also owning NBC (1986) (Comcast)(Is it coincidence that Comcast is the largest mass media and communications company in the world and there was a media blackout regarding Fukushima?). 

GE was boycotted in the 80’s and 90’s due to their part in nuclear weapon production.  

Moreover, since as early as 1972, concerns over the safety and design of these GE nuclear reactors have been raised. Various models of this design that we have been witnessing at Fukushima exist all over the United States. In 2011, I was slightly perturbed that the nuclear reactor site within three miles of where I lived in western Pennsylvania was the same GE design as the ones in Fukushima.

Is it possible ‘The Great Mover /Great Motor /Great Engine’ is the Nostradamus (decoded) code name for General Electric? Continue reading, there is more:

“During the appearance of the bearded star. The three great princes will be made enemies: Struck from the sky, peace earth quaking, Po, Tiber overflowing, serpent placed upon the shore.”

 

The Bearded Star

 

As we know, the bearded star refers to a comet and in the last few years a lot of people and groups have been discussing this possible comet, and when/where it is coming. A lot of mention was made to this bearded star during the Mayan end of calendar late 2012. 

(The serpent placed upon the shore could indicating the nuclear reactors in Japan at Fukushima.)

 

A Long Spark Running

Maybe you’ll have a similar moment where the ‘light bulb’ turns on like I did. (Yes, hint intended: Thomas Edison, founder of GE (The Edison General Electric Company/1890) and electric light and power industries (a long spark running): 

 

GE Logo

If you take a look at GE’S logo, only recently changed since the classic original in 1890, the symbolism depicts comets: This has now led me to think the comet some are waiting for is actually ‘past tense’ and Nostradamus prediction about the comet was referring to GE, the great engine or general electric. 

It looks Nostradamus may have predicted the Fukushima disaster on March 11, 2011. His prediction states the poisoning of waters and fish (poison hidden under the heads of salmon), and the great fire (nuclear radiation is a heat that never ends). Only time will tell. Since 1555, we’ve come to know the predictions of Histler and other predictions of Nostradamus were fairly precise. 

Lastly, if anything, do some research of your own about GE, and related companies to Fukushima, including TEPCO.  Corporate crime is a crime, and likely the most devastating crime of our times. In this age, corporations are the rulers of this planet, not government. The media is controlled by big corporation.

Educate yourself, dig deeper and make informed decisions about what you may or may not take for granted as the real ‘news’ in our media. And even if these predictions mean little to you, you'll have learned more about the corporation General Electric.

North American Grain Elevators

The history of grain elevators is a rich and diverse discourse in North America. Both the USA and Canada contain fascinating historical landscapes of the early agricultural boom which once permeated North America.

Grain elevators stood tall and proud in urban cities as well as in rural communities. Beacons of prosperity and wealth, these elevators cast a gentle aura of hope, stability and safety upon everyone. After all, everyone has to eat to live.

In the United States, I recently visited Buffalo, New York - an historical grain elevator mecca. Many grain elevators in Buffalo have been abandoned; a play ground for urban explorers and photographers. After laying barren and open to the curious, there is talk of demolitions these days.

After visiting Buffalo and its rich history of grain elevators, next on the list is the exploration of Manitoba's rural grain elevators in Canada - what is left of them. Manitoba has also been recognized as a mecca for a history of grain elevators, but many have been torn down.

The flimsy safety of believing these sturdy historical landmarks won't be demolished is vastly replaced with a surety that these landmarks will not be there as long as we once took for granted.

Rockwood Insane Asylum Upper Canada

Upper Canada's Rockwood Insane Asylum, open from 1859 to 1959, cared for the criminally insane. In fact, the hospital was built by the labor of those convicts by which the hospital was intended. Patients slowly moved in from 1859 through 1870.  The facility is considered a Kirkbride, although it may not represent the original Kirkbride designs in every respect.

Rockwood was Kingston, Ontario's asylum for 100 years, later transitioning into the Providence Continuing Care Centre - a community facility for those coping with mental disabilities. In 2000, the facility buildings were empty after 141 years of service to the surrounding community.

In 2011, Providence Care is beginning a new facility construction next to the original structures at Rockwood. It's hard to say at this time if they intend on preserving the original structures at Rockwood, or eventually demolishing them.

I'm hoping they will not be demolished. In the past 40 to 50 years until more recently, Canada seemed to demolish their historic structures, such as hospitals and prisons, rather promptly in comparison to the USA and certain European countries. However, these days, Canada is moving in a different direction regarding the preservation of historic landmarks.

But much depends on the structural integrity of the buildings, and if a demolition permit will be granted. However, it is also unfortunate Providence Care is going the route of building a new structure rather than revamping the original site as their new facility.

It usually turns out almost every time I've seen this approach taken with other care facilities the new facility is poorly constructed, and the overall cost is a lot more than the total cost of refurbishing the original facility back to its earlier days of splendor. I find this a misfortune.

There are few photos of Rockwood since its 2000 vacancy. The reasons behind this appear to be a very strict security patrol. But I'm not sure how many permissions they give to researchers and media at this time.  Evidently, paranormal investigators also haven't been granted any access or route to investigate as of yet.

So many of these historic monuments are severely restricted these days, especially over the last 5 years; it is rather unfortunate for those of us attempting to actually document something worthy of being documented. In many ways, it is partly due to the explosion of the popular urbex movement around the Internet, and young misplaced arson's reading about locations via the Internet, which were once more privately known about but suddenly everyone and their sister knew about. Locations were flooded, and often vandalized.

The Internet in the end has been the slow death for true explorers, and with the demolition of so many buildings already occurred and with so many more to come - even Beelitz around 2013 - I feel a sense of urgency as an era comes to a close never to be seen again. For those really into infiltration, I suppose it hold its charms.

I'm seeing more and more art exhibits these days reflecting urban explorer artistry. Sadly, I feel Canada overall missed out on this exodus of artistry and history married in spirit. In historical documents, there are various places in Ontario that declare they have no records, including photos, of past architecture, but at the same time Canada's policies, whether local, provincial or federal toward urban explorers has not been a welcoming partnership in the truest sense of historical collaboration.

Beelitz Germany does not restrict visitors to the hospital, where certain buildings are still in use, while others are vacant a good number of years. Some visitors are past patients, or families of past patients, others are photographers and explorers. I totally wish Canada and even parts of the USA had taken this approach, especially in facilities where parts of the facility are currently active.

It seems perfectly logical and even gracious to allow visitors, rather than the attitude of exclusivity and fear predominating the scene these days. After all, it is everyone's history and legacy, so why the stingy high security mentality? Once again, we are crossing the joining rivers, a crisis of delineating what is private property and what is societies common rights to access a heritage that so many would like us all to forget about, like it never existed.

But as much as we need the present and a strong future, we also need a map of our past. We need historians of all shapes and sizes. Not only those schooled with mainstream paradigms, but those of the collective. We need the postmodernists and neomodernists as much as the rest who help us interpret and deconstruct our collective histories of the urban environment, along with our collective interpretations of any societies view on madness at any given time in history. 

Urban Explorers

Urban exploration can be identified as the study of modern relics. Urban explorers explore human made landscapes and the curious along with photographers, archeologists, sociologists etc are all potential participants in urban exploration. Urban sites such as abandoned architecture, sewers, tunnels and ghost towns are some of the places urban explorers study our collective man-made relics.

The website, Urban Explorers, I discovered more recently contains relevant information and tips for new and seasoned explorers along with forums and a network where you can create a profile, make new friends and connect in explorations.  Their unwritten rule states “Take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints.” The website is easy to navigate, organized and looks to be a network worth a visit. 

American History: The Labotomy

PBS created an educational series within the American Experience History Series called The Labotomist. In American history, the doctor Walter Freeman is known to have spread the practice of labotomies upon mental health patients, in particular in the state of West Virginia. Quite chilling, but an excellent editorial of footage exists at the website. Below are a few that struck me, but there are a list of videos to choose from. 




Warehoused Patients and Experimental Treatments:
www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/lobotomist/program /lobotomist_03.html

The W.Virginia Labotomy Project:
www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/lobotomist/program /lobotomist_09.html

Dr Freeman's last performed psychosurgery (1967) & final journey:
www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/lobotomist/program /lobotomist_12.html

America's Wastelands

I was posting a Blue Man Group video earlier today and begun thinking about the wastelands of America I've witnessed in my personal explorations and travels. Urban and industrial decay is not only a tragedy of abandonment but of the environment.

Take, for instance, a small coal town in Pennsylvania - Centralia - where a mine fire has been burning under the ground for nearly 50 years. Centralia is now a ghost town, but the smoldering fire will burn hundreds of years spreading to nearby towns.

What to think of all this? I'm not sure entirely. But environmental disasters are some of the key forces behind cultural abandonment's. Man playing with nature as she builds her industrial playground have consequences. Below is Blue Man Groups video "Earth to America"!

Weston State Hospital Archives

More historical photos from Trans-Allegheny Asylum, formerly the Weston State Hospital in West Virginia.

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