***Original published in South Mountain Press, November 2, 2018***
Forgotten Manitoba Communities
For those of us who have been away from Manitoba, upon our occasional return to the Rolling River area it is starkly apparent that despite some growth and vigor, many former robust settlements have just slowly faded away. But communities and individuals are doing their best to fight the slow march of rural entropy and occasionally there is evidence of sparks of life that are keeping the home fires burning.
One such community that used to regal in prosperity and former glory is Rackham, MB. Sadly, when the town’s buildings started to close down in the early 60’s, the community began its inexorable slide into irrelevance. Today, there are only ghosts of a prosperous past and thriving community which rivaled the nearby towns of Erickson, Sandy Lake, and Onanole.
Even just finding the village can be a bit challenging. There is no sign on the gravel road telling you to take the sharp 90˚ turn to continue along PTH 270. Then the only indication of the old settlement is a faded sign at a north/south intersection directing you one way for the cemetery and the other for the church. The railway tracks are long gone and habitation is limited to just a handful of homes tucked down in the trees.
But after a little bit of exploring, you can tell that the original Ukrainian settlers picked a pleasing site to settle down on. The location is on high ground surrounded by vistas of wetlands on all sides. On a Google map, you can see how the main east/west road passing through town would have been the main road before the 45 highway was built. The land would have been fertile for farming and there would have been abundant wildlife and fish.
It would be interesting to learn how the name of the town was picked. The Rackham surname is Anglo-Saxon in origin and is a habitation name from Sussex, England. The most notable Rackham was the infamous John Rackham. ‘Calico Jack’ plundered ships in the Bahamas during the early 18th century and his progeny are scattered throughout the Commonwealth. Perhaps descendants of the nefarious pirate made their way to Manitoba before the larger immigration of Ukrainians.
Back in the early 1900s, Western Canada saw large influxes of Ukrainian immigrants flocking to the prairies to take up farming. The Rolling River area brought in their share of like-minded newcomers who wanted a better life. In 1925, there was enough of a need in Rackham to build a one room school that housed six original students. Thirteen years later, they built a second classroom onto the school. But by 1962, the school had lost most of its students and was forced to close. An old crest with the school’s motto ‘Work Will Win’ hangs in the town hall. Other than that, a cairn and school model on the original site are the only visible testament of the presence of a former place of learning.
The town must have begun an upswing during the build up to WW2, as by 1941 the corner stone to the jewel of the community was set. The inscription of ‘церкоь сь ноана хрестнтеля 1941’ declares the town’s place of worship as Church of St. John the Baptist. The Ukrainian Catholic congregation was very active and created a magnificent place of reverence that is a marvel to behold. Regular services were held from 1943 to 2003 and on special occasions thereafter. The hymnals of the John Chrysostom Divine Liturgy are sitting out ready for the return of the faithful. Time and decay have been temporarily halted and it is obvious that the few remaining parishioners care deeply about their local church and its heritage.
The loving care and attention that keeps the church and next door community hall from falling into irreversible disrepair has mostly been provided by the Wozney family for the last couple of decades. Calvin Wozney is the current caretaker of the facilities. His father had originally bought the old church hall about 20 years ago when the church needed funding for a re-roofing project. The church itself is still papal property and is in excellent condition except for one corner of the main floor where the fir beams have rotted under a section of the pews.
Calvin feels that it is important to keep the church and the hall available for use. He and his five brothers were all altar boys at the church and he recounted how each month there would be a large church supper and dance. The hall itself is quite large with a 150 person capacity in the upper portion. The spruce strips lining the wall add a warm, homey touch to any gathering. Also back in the day, Calvin recalled how everyone would gather for a shared meal and more than a few drinks down in the lower bar and dining area. Local musicians would play fiddles and accordions for entertainment. Plus next to the bar, there is a convenient crawlspace where the beer was kept cool for the revelers. Calvin fondly remembers those days of family and friends regularly gathering together and is happy to offer the hall as a venue for events such as the latest Carly Dow concert.
Perhaps rural decay can be stalled for a bit longer in the tiny village of Rackham. The Wozney family is helping to keep a small prairie treasure alive and if you are interested in Ukrainian Catholic church history, take a drive out on the old 270 to discover some Manitoba heritage before it disappears.
Blair is a personification of a ‘Jack of All Trades and Master of None’. He has held several careers and has all the T-shirts. Time to add the title Blogger to the list.