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In the course of our daily reporting, we often uncover unusual projects, places, or connections that don't make the final cut. Instead of keeping it to ourselves, we're pleased to share our weekly Architrivia.
On earth date June 10, 1995, the Town of Vulcan, Alberta, once home to the largest collection of grain elevators west of Winnipeg, forever changed its fading fortunes by aligning itself with one of the most successful television and film franchises in history. The debut of the coincidentally named town's impressive Starship Enterprise replica, modelled after the vessel featured in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, successfully placed Vulcan on the map, and the attached Star Trek-themed Vulcan Tourism and Trek Station has been a popular destination for Trekkies and lovers of kitsch alike for more than 20 years.
Located about an hour's drive south of Calgary, Vulcan is home to just 1,900 residents. The prairie town's unusual name comes from the Roman God of Fire and was appointed during the surveying of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Many of the local streets were named after other Roman deities in a similar fashion, such as Mars and Jupiter, thus setting a course for greatness that would not be fully appreciated for more than 80 years after its founding. At 31 feet long, and together with its concrete base, just under 20 feet high, the Enterprise sits proudly atop five tons of solid concrete. Its pedestal is adorned with a series of plaques written in English, Klingon, and Vulcan, and the gleaming replica ship is visible for miles amid the otherwise flat prairie landscape that surrounds it.
Following the unveiling of the Starship Enterprise, the Vulcan Tourism and Trek Station opened in 1998. The interactive museum and on-site gift shop are host to hundreds of pieces of authentic Star Trek memorabilia and collectibles taken from the breadth of the franchise, including countless autographed photos, props, and other items, which have been part of Vulcan's annual Star Trek conventions for the last two decades. Visitors can dress up in authentic uniforms— complete with phasers and Bat'leths, get their photo taken in a recreated Enterprise main bridge, and even sit in the same chair used by none other than James T. Kirk from The Original Series.
A must-see spot for anybody taking a road trip across the Canadian Prairies, and an absolute necessity for Trekkies of all stripes, Vulcan remains a place where one can truly feel at home while spouting Star Trek catchphrases, where to live long and prosper is not merely a favourite quote, but a way of life.
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