The Goslings Have Hatched!

I love living near a pond that, in spring, is home to geese and their new born families.  These guys were born just a week or so ago.

The Hidden History of the Saskatchewan Doukhobors

This past summer, I was taking a drive through rural Saskatchewan, and thought I'd discovered a ghost town.  The cluster of abandoned buildings had clearly been a settlement, but there was no mention of it on my grid map or my list of abandoned towns near Saskatoon.  Upon further investigation, and to my delight, I figured out that I'd happened upon an abandoned Doukhobor settlement.  

The Doukhobors have a fascinating history, having come from Russia in the late 1800's and early 1900's to escape religious persecution (only to find it in other forms in Canada).  Famous for their dugout houses in the sides of the Saskatchewan River Valley, the Doukhobors thrived in Saskatchewan, and maintained their pacifist ideals despite the many trials they faced in the New Country. 

I've provided a brief list of resources at the end of this post.  Even though the community may not be as large and well-known as others who came to Canada in the early 1900's, their journey and legacy is relatively well-documented.  

Below are photos I collected at the Pakrowka settlement near Langham, Saskatchewan.  The settlement seems to be broken up into about 4 smaller remnants but I was told by former residents that the smaller remnants were once connected.

This house was hidden in trees about 100 yards from the barn, above.  Two great-horned owls were not pleased with my visit.

 

The inside of the small house above.  The entire house measures about 12'x12'.

A baby buggy left in the house.

A view of the main settlement from the road.

The settlement was entirely enclosed by a wooden fence with two entry points.

Doukhobor homes were often built with lumber, and used mud to seal the cracks between the wood.

The settlement featured many small buildings like these.  Most appeared to be either small dwellings or storage sheds.

Tools inside a wooden shed.

The Doukhobors believed in human equality and were essentially communist in the way they lived.  However, most settlements featured one larger home, like this one.

The view of the big house from the front.

The mystery of the mint green paint continued at the Doukhobor settlement.  This color was ubiquitous in houses built around the same time in Saskatchewan.

A steam house, used for bathing.  Every Doukhobor settlement was said to have had one.

Seating inside the steam house.

The oven in the steam house.

The third part of the settlement.  This barn was entirely empty save for a raccoon skeleton.

A baby's crib inside a building on the third settlement.

A grain storage shed at the edge of the third settlement. 

A house on the third settlement.  Appears to have been occupied as late as the 1970's.

A few excellent resources on Doukhobors of times past and present:

• The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan "Doukhobor Settlement" and "Doukhobor Philosophy"
• RootsWeb
• The Doukhobor Cultural Society of Saskatchewan
• Doukhobor Geneaology Website
• Spirit-Wrestlers

The Beckett House Near Kinley, Saskatchewan

On a lone trip to the RM of Perdue, I came across this gorgeous house and homestead.  From my research, it appears to have been occupied as early as the 1910's, and lived in until the mid-1970's.  The Beckett family, who owned the home, were immigrants from Minnesota and frequently socialized with the Millers, a family I've previously profiled.  I absolutely love this house - enjoy!

The Beckett House

Other buildings on the homestead

View from the homestead.  In the distance is the Kinley, Saskatchewan grain elevator.

Inside the house.  

The living room.  Notice the white chair - my family owns identical ones.

Ladder to the attic

Upstairs

View out the back door.  

Portraits of Carl Only Took a Bribe of $25

My son HATES to have his photo taken.  I think it might be because I go overboard telling him how handsome he is.  A few days ago, I really, really wanted to get an updated photo of him.  After intense negotiations, we agreed on a bribe that cost me $25.  Best $25 I ever spent.  He even let me brush his hair!

The Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery Photo Project: Part One

The Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery is the largest cemetery in Canada and the third-largest in North America. I have visited it numerous times, as my family lives just blocks from the main entrance in Montreal.  Still, I have hardly scratched the surface of the fascinating stories and lives that are buried there.  The cemetery has been operated by the building council of the Notre Dame parish since 1854.  For more on it's history, visit the cemetery's website.


I have thought for a while now about how to best present the photos I've taken, since there are so many different ways the stories of the cemetery can be told.   In many ways, the stories of the cemetery reflect the stories, complexities, and ironies of the living city, and is organized similarly.  I've decided to let the photos speak for themselves and present them in an arbitrary order, similar to how I took each photo during my visit.  

One of over 65,000 monuments in the main cemetery. Often, these monuments do not mark the place of burial of the individuals listed but serve as family memorial.

Gilded Angel at the Entree Remembrance 

In 1989, many graves were moved from other city cemeteries to the Notre-Dame Des Neiges Cemetery.  Those that were not immediately claimed were given makeshift grave markers like this one.  Family members were given until 2015 to claim a relative's gravesite and replace the temporary markers with tombstones.  Today, the field resembles a Potter's Field, with homemade markers, and numerous ones identical to the one above.  

Rows upon rows of military burials.

On the family vault of the John Molson family.  The vault is immense, built into the side of a large hill.

The front door to the Molson family vault.

Headstone of Ann Molson, wife of John Molson

This headstone does not mark a burial site, but serves as a memorial to three young men who drowned in the St. Lawrence River in 1866.

Icy hand of Jesus

Many headstones before the 20th century list the cause of death of one or more of the individuals listed.  Found in the cemetery are headstones listing as cause of death Scarlett fever, tuberculosis, cholera, fires, drownings, and many more. 

Charles Melville Hays was a passenger on the Titanic when it sank in 1912.
His official date of death is given as April 15, 1912

This grandiose vault was built to commemorate the life of  Salvatore Gervasi, a member of the infamous Gervasi mob family.  He was murdered and stuffed in the trunk of his Porsche (which was then parked in front of his parents' house in Montreal) .

Inside Salvatore Gervasi's vault

A line of family vaults along the main road of the cemetery.

This "Garden of Angels" contains tombstones of young children, including infants.

In the Garden of Angels

Built into the side of the granite Mont Royal, Vito Rizzuto's family vault is a testament to the mafia family's power and wealth in Montreal.  

Ironically, Jesus guards the vault of Vito Rizzuto