Oxville

A country church near Oxville, Alberta.

I was both surprised and pleased to see that the road had been plowed.  Since no one lives along this stretch I expected a half mile plus walk-in to see the church.  Thank you Mister Grader Man!

The exterior is finished in plain gray stucco... 

...while the interior is plaster painted a soft yellow.  The floor is hardwood painted gray.

A small table and two chairs for an indoor picnic when visiting on a warmer day.  The spartan design (both inside and out) of the building 'suggest' a Lutheran church.

The large windows let in lots of light. 

A community cemetery is located just west of the church. 

Photographed on February 20, 2020.

Stripes

A couple of attractive yearlings in a pasture near Otthon, Saskatchewan.

I don't remember ever seeing cattle with these distinctive stripes before so I did a little research.  They are a Scottish breed of cattle called "Belted Galloway."  That long hair must keep them warm in the winter.

Photographed on October 11, 2020.

Church at Brush Hill

 

The abandoned Brush Hill Reformed Church in Minburn County, Alberta.  Take note of the handsome stone cairn erected beside the church in 1995.

The cairn is dedicated to the pioneers who built the church in 1916.

Photographed north of Vegreville, Alberta on February 24, 2020.

2-йй авеню i Головна вулиця

 

Second Avenue and Main Street.

In Hafford, Saskatchewan the street signs are bilingual: Ukrainian and English.  A notable touch of cultural preservation.

Photographed on November 23, 2020.

Боднарі́

 

A beautiful sight on a country road from this past summer.

There were several families named "Bodnar" living near the church resulting in the parish being called "Bodnari."

The church was built in 1936 and...

...the bell tower was erected in 1920.  It's not often that a bell tower precedes the construction date of a church but there is a simple explanation for it: this is the original bell tower from the previous and much smaller log church that sat just north of the existing parish.  

Bodnari Ukrainian Catholic Church of Saints Peter and Paul is near Alvena, Saskatchewan, an area rich in Ukrainian settler history.

Information courtesy of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saskatoon.

Photographed on August 4, 2020.

Saint Joseph near Mayfair

 

I woke up in the motel in North Battleford, Saskatchewan and as soon as I looked out the window I knew I was in for a treat...everything was thick with hoar frost.  As long as the sun didn't come out the frost would last for hours.  After a bite to eat and gas for the car I was on my way. 

I had been in the general area about a year previously and wanted to see a few spots that would now be covered with snow.  Everything looks different in a winter landscape.  Winter is a fresh view of things...all is clean, cold and white.

Not far from Mayfair I chanced upon Saint Joseph's Roman Catholic Church.

The octagonal steeple is unusual and appealing.

A perennial symbol at Catholic churches and cemeteries...the free standing cross.  

A shot of the church from the cemetery across the road.  I admit to having a soft spot for churches painted this creamy yellow colour...it's just so inviting and comfortable.

Photographed on November 23, 2020.

Courval

 

A silhouette of the Courval Pioneer Memorial built in 1967. The monument is dedicated to the pioneer families of the Courval, Eastleigh and Rodgers districts in southern Saskatchewan.

Photographed on November 3, 2020.

Touchwood Hills S.D. No. 444

 

Touchwood Hills School is near Punnichy, Saskatchewan.

There were three different schools bearing the same name.  The first school was in use from 1897-1905.  After a fifteen year hiatus the second school was built and operated between 1920-1931.  The third school, as shown in the photos, was the education centre for the community from 1932-1959.

Information courtesy of the Saskatchewan One Room School Project.

Photographed in a freak snow storm on November 28, 2020.

Kaminka S.D. No. 1632

 

The country location of a pioneer school near some rolling hills...

...and the town location just down the street from Saints Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church.

Same school, different locations...things change but stay the same.

Photographed in and near Tway, Saskatchewan on August 5, 2020.

A Beautiful Place Out In The Country

 

A beautiful end to the day at Holy Ascension Ukrainian Orthodox Church.   

Photographed at Maryville, Saskatchewan on November 26, 2020.