Dnister Memorial Cemetery

Just half a mile down the road from Dnister Church is Dnister Cemetery.

The trees were turning their fall colours and there were carpets of oak leaves all through the grounds.

Photographed near Gimli, Manitoba on September 22, 2023.

Saint Mary's Ukrainian Catholic Church at Dnister

This was my first visit to Saint Mary's at Dnister so it was a special occasion of sorts.  The weather was fine, the sky was blue and the grass was green.  Simply a wonderful time to discover some local history.  

Construction on the church began in 1904 and completed in 1906.  Some years later an extension was built onto the eastern end of the church which not only gave more space for parishioners but meant there was now a dedicated spot for the tabernacle.  There was also a lean-to added on to the northeast corner of the church which was most likely where the priest prepared his sermons.  The angular window frames and white/green colour scheme are classic.       

From left to right: the church, a stone cairn memorializing the pioneers who settled the Dnister area prior to 1914, an ornate crucifix and an open-frame timber bell tower. 

Some close-ups of the church and grounds.  Saint Mary's is mostly surrounded by dense bush but, only two miles eastward, is the western shore of Lake Winnipeg. 

The plaque shown above is mounted beside the front door on the west-facing wall of the church and commemorates the one hundredth anniversary of Saint Mary's.  

A few hazy photos of the interior taken from the outside in.  Nothing fancy here...stations of the cross on the walls, banners on poles, simple hand-hewn pews...and lovely all the same.  Seen to the extreme left on the photo directly above is the steep stairway that leads to the choir loft.  Almost every Ukrainian country church I've seen on my travels has a choir loft.  No musical instruments was the rule of the day...only voices.   

This little country church is adorned with a small tin-covered cupola...something I'm sure would have made the early pioneers feel right "at home" in New Iceland.  

The blue and yellow centennial sign that graces the site.  I was happy to see several of these handsome signs designating other historic sites in and around New Iceland.  There is lots of well-documented and preserved history to see in the area.   

Saint Mary's is known by a number of other names, as are many country churches, with "Dnister Church" being the local favourite.

 

Information courtesy of Canada's Historic Places and the Manitoba Historical Society Archives.

Photographed near Gimli, Manitoba on September 22, 2023.

Emmanuel Anglican Church

A beautifully designed church in Holland, Manitoba.

It was built during 1893/94 with the spire being added in 1898.

I didn't see the interior first-hand but according to the Manitoba Historical Archives there are several plaques inside to commemorate local parishioners who served in a military capacity during World War I as well as Reverend Waddington Clarke who was a pastor around the turn of the century. 

It is now known as Holland Emmanuel Historical Church.

Photographed on September 19, 2023.

Day of the Dead

A day to honour loved ones who have passed along into the ether.  Enjoy this happy celebration of life and death.

Borschiw Cemetery near Haight, Saskatchewan.

September 17, 2021.

Saint Wolodymyr Cemetery near Cappon, Alberta.

November 7, 2021

Hanks Cemetery near Zahl, North Dakota.

June 22, 2023

Ukrainian Settlers Mass Grave near Olha, Manitoba.

July 27, 2022

Congregational Cemetery near Gros Ventre-Tothill, Alberta.

September 9, 2023

Sacred Heart Cemetery near Bow Island, Alberta.

May 29, 2019

Holy Ghost Ukrainian Cemetery near Ispas, Alberta.

February 23, 2020

Blessed Virgin Mary Church Cemetery near Rhodes, Manitoba.

July 24, 2022

Ostriem Cemetery near Leeds, North Dakota.

September 16, 2023

Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery near Prelate, Saskatchewan.

October 26, 2024

"Feliz Día de los Muertos"

The Big Bad Wolf

This is Billy.  

He was out for an afternoon walk on the grounds of the Arborg Heritage Village with his dog-sitter on a lovely fall day.    

He instantly reminded me of "the big bad wolf" from Little Red Riding Hood  though my fear of being eaten alive quickly passed...he's a little wild-eyed but very friendly.  Billy was fourteen years old at the time.  Good ole boy.

Photographed in Arborg, Manitoba on October 18, 2022.

Arborg Heritage Village

Lots to see at the Arborg & District Multicultural Heritage Village in Arborg, Manitoba.  

A peek through the front window.

Brandson House and Chapil Barn.

My visit here was well past "tourist season" so I didn't get a chance to see the interiors of the buildings...still a nice visit on a beautiful fall day. 

Photographed on October 18, 2022.