Two photos, or rather the same photo twice. The first is from a 1963 Cranbrook telephone directory and presents an aerial view of much of the Cranbrook downtown district. Accompanying it is the same photograph with numerous blanks indicating areas where buildings have been removed since then through replacement, demolition or fire. There are presently only a handful of buildings remaining from Cranbrook's earliest years, primarily along the south side of Baker Street between 8th Avenue to 10th Avenue.

The following is a rough list of what was, in 1963:

• A large residential area that also included the original Court House/Government building, Central Park, the Arena Rink, and the city garage (1);

• Four residences (2);

• One residence (3);

• Eight residences (4);

• The Legion, five residences, a garage/warehouse, and at least two businesses. (5);

• Four residences and a warehouse/garage (6);

• The original Bank of Commerce, the Wentworth Hotel, the Opera House/Edison Theatre, two garages, the Herald newspaper office, a business block, the Cranbrook Foundry (7);

• The Queens Hotel and the Hanson Block/Norbury Hotel (8);

• The Green Medical Clinic, three residences, the MacPherson Undertaking Parlour and the Crystal Dairy Creamery (9);

• The Baptist Church and the Knights of Pythias Hall (10);

• The Post Office (11);

• One business (12);

• Three residences and the Presbyterian Church (13);

• Two businesses (14);

• One residence and the Wilga Rooming House (15);

• Two warehouses, the Cross Keys Hotel, a garage and seven businesses (16);

• One business (17);

• The Imperial (Windsor) Hotel (18);

• Three residences, the telephone office, a business and a garage (19);

• One residence (20);

• One business (21);

• Two businesses (22)

• The YMCA (Armoury) and the Townsite office (23);

• Two businesses (24);

• Two garages (25);

• Four residences, the Methodist Church, a garage and one business (26);

• The Cranbrook Recreational Club gymnasium (27);

• One garage/warehouse (28).

To recap: In the course of less than 50 years the downtown district - an area of approximately 12 city blocks - has lost a courthouse, an arena, five hotels, a YMCA, a post office, a recreation hall/gymnasium, three churches, a medical clinic, a Legion, a Knights of Pythias hall, a Townsite office, a newspaper office, an opera house, an undertaking parlour, a telephone office, a dairy/creamery, a bank, a foundry, 10 garages, four warehouses, at least three rooming houses, 24 businesses (almost all of which included apartments and/or offices on the second floor) and 44 residences.

Although some former businesses have been replaced with others, a surprisingly large part of the total area is now parking lots. In 1914, almost a century ago, both sides of Baker St. between 8th and 9th Avenues held a total of 34 commercial businesses and offices. Today there are six. The area between 9th and 10th Avenues held 26 businesses and offices. It presently holds 16. There is a whole lot missing these days from the once vibrant and viable downtown core. On the other hand, there is plenty of parking,