BLAINE LAKE, Sask. – Unearthing an early Doukhobor dwelling raised more than a little dust for Brenda
Cheveldayoff.
It both divided and linked the religious community whose ancestors came to the Blaine Lake area in 1899 fleeing persecution for their pacifism and communal lifestyles in Russia.
“It was not easy. I did go through a heck of a lot of stuff,” said Cheveldayoff.
The site was designated a provincial heritage site at a ceremony attended by lt.-gov. Linda Haverstock June 25.
It includes the Doukhobors’ first homes, dug into the side of the North Saskatchewan River bank alongside a year-round stream. They lived in these log, sod and clay dwellings, as many as 40 in each one, until more permanent buildings and villages were built in the area.
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Some local residents want this part of the Doukhobor past to remain underground.
Laurence Osachoff, whose grandparents spent two years in the dwellings, would rather highlight other
accomplishments.
“We should honour the people, not the place,” he said.
Cheveldayoff said archaeological excavations confirm the Doukhobors’ presence here.
“With no pictures from that time, there is no evidence. Everything is hearsay,” she said. “A dig sets the record straight.”
In addition to the dig last year, a university student did a thesis on the settlement and public notices had to be posted about Cheveldayoff’s intentions to seek heritage status. That meant countless meetings and much promotional work.
The process could have been shut down many times en route, said
Cheveldayoff, who received help from supporters like the Doukhobor Dugout House Inc. that rallied behind the project.
Doukhobor Norm Rebin said Cheveldayoff faced criticism, obstacles and barriers in fulfilling her late father Sam Popoff’s dream to preserve the site.
The Doukhobors also endured much to survive here and start a new community.
“The people that dug in here eventually created the people that you are today,” he told those assembled for the designation ceremony.
Cheveldayoff believes the timing was right for the project, with Saskatchewan celebrating its centennial year in 2005.
The dugouts have received a $10,000 grant for maintenance and improvements, with Cheveldayoff kicking in another $20,000 to date.
Her goal is to educate others about Doukhobor culture and pioneers. She plans an open house July 23-24, with other tours by appointment only, for a $3 charge.
In future, she would like to add a roof over the dig site, create a museum and tearoom where visitors could view the unearthed artifacts and add Doukhobor buildings to the grounds.
Area farmer Walter Dargin cited the many buildings from his ancestor’s village of Trpenu (Brookhill) nearby that have been bulldozed to open up more farmland. He’s glad this site was not one of them.
“It gives people an idea of how the ancestors lived and survived.”
Doukhobor Polly Tokaryk said the site recognizes how their ancestors used the land and limited materials at hand to survive Saskatchewan winters.
In her designation address, Haverstock said the site represents the extraordinary contributions of the Doukhobors to Blaine Lake and Canada.
“They left all they knew and came to a place with real hope,” she said.
“The Doukhobors live on through this site.”
