While there might not be anything left in Entrance, there are still memories in the minds of former residents.

In a quest to preserve memories of the small town that was once located just outside Hinton, Maureen Gouveia and friends have spent the last three years compiling a book on what once was.

An ex-school teacher from Entrance, Gouveia was sad to find out that “Entrance was really no more. Yet, it had quite a history. In its day, the forestry headquarters had some neat people living there, unique characters,” she said.

Prior to the pulp mill being established in Hinton, Gouveia said notes from a former ranger demonstrate that Entrance was “far ahead of Hinton at that time.”

The railway, which was the cornerstone of the town’s existence, dramatically impacted the landscape of Entrance. Another popular feature was the General Store, which Gouviea explains was “a tourist attraction in itself, it was something to behold.”

Unfortunately, fire wiped out the store in the early 1980s and with it the hopes of developing the town into a tourist attraction.

Now, all that remains are acreages. Sadly, the ex-Entrance resident explained, “there’s nothing. I couldn’t tell where anything was. There’s nothing to indicate where things were. Once the store burnt down that was pretty well the end of the place.” 

With over 35 contributors, Gouveia hopes the book will recognize the importance of her small town.

During the three years Gouveia and friends have spent collaborating on the book, they’ve gone through Hinton newspapers to get as much information as possible.

Anybody with stories, images or anything relating to Entrance should contact Maureen Gouveia at maureengouviea@hotmail.com.