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Ghost towns and the prairies seem tailored for each other.
It just feels right on a vast open plain to wander into an empty town that, over time, has slowly released the impression of the people that lived there.
Normally, these ghost towns are old places that fell apart back when settlers were still figuring out where to lay down roots. It's much rarer to see a town that made it to the modern age fade away, but that is the sad story of Robsart, Saskatchewan.
Located at the intersection of Highway 13 and Highway 18, this southwest town was set up for greatness during its earlier years. With a railroad, hospital and locals full of hope, the town was a roaring example of the prairie settlers' spirit.
For a long time, that spirit endured. Folks could come by rail and highway, enjoying the services provided and the hospitality granted.
However, by the 1990s, things had slowed significantly. Other centres had found other advantages, drawing people away from Robsart. Centres in the area like Maple Creek, Shaunavon, and even Eastend held better opportunities and offered easier access to services.
With the disinterest came desertion. Today, Robsart stands all but abandoned with two houses still housing some of the last residents. The main street sits abandoned. No more deposits are made at the bank. The general store sits filled with bushes, and the hospital on the edge of town serves as a large windbreak shelter for horses.
The hospital itself was first built in 1914 and is far from what we think of today when the word comes up. Hosting a series of smaller rooms, some no bigger than a cupboard, the interior walls have long since crumbled to the frames. In the basement, there is very little left outside the old boilers and sparse spare materials.
Upstairs the roof has started to come down, with the rafter sagging and creaking in the breeze. Signs of various avian overnighters can be spotted, speckling the attic beams.
The views offer a glimpse into the past, unchanged from when the construction was first completed. Green prairie and crops stretching out and over the horizon would have been a comfort for the people staying in this medical facility. The same view stretches out around it today, revealing some sense of why folks found it, at one time, an appealing place to settle.
Now, Robsart clings to any relevancy. Local legends of a ghost in the hospital inspire some to stop and visit. Others come through for the photos of Mainstreet, abandoned save for the curious traveller.
Anyone travelling by has the chance to roll into town and eye over the last remnants of what was once an aspiring civil centre. It's wise to stay out of the buildings, as they are not maintained and could collapse without warning. All photo's in this article inside structures were done by a professional, and should NOT be recreated.