THE PIONEER YEARS

Photos by Norm Kerychuk

Under the provisions of the Dominion Lands Act of 1872 a quarter section was granted to heads of a family or a single male , 21 years of age or older. The conditions of the grant stated that the applicant had to improve his homestead before being awarded a land patent - a provision put into place to avoid locals and immigrants from gathering as much free land as possible. Quarter section homesteaders were to reside primarily on the property for a minimum of 3 years out of which 6 months of each of those years were to be spent on the land itself. He would also have to break anywhere from 15 to 50 acres of the land and plant another 10 to 30 acres of crops. The six month provision allowed for the men to go off and work elsewhere to gain the necessary money while the wives and children remained on the land. The most common employers were the railroad, mining and forestry industry. The first order of business however was to provide the basic necessities for those remaining behind , shelter being the most prominent.

The government also encouraged settlement in "blocs" of settlers - placing people of similar ethnic background in regions together. By doing so the settlers had a formal support group of people speaking the same language and sharing the same culure and religion - simply put more willing to asist each other and co-exist in harmony. This was particularly important once the men went off to work, as the woman and children would have the support of those remaining behind. Many a man was quite surprised to see the amount of work that had been accomplished in his absence.

Clearing the land was back breaking work, initially done by axe and teams of oxen , which were much more affordable than horses. Fireguards had to be plowed to protect any buildings and vegetable gardens planted. Big and small game provided the meat to carry the families through the Winter. Without a proper well rain water would have to be collected or snow melted. Even the smallest of accidents could prove critical without proper medical aid which was seldom available. Many small children succumbed to illness in the early years , as attested to by the number of infant graves spread throughout the countryside to this day. One would be hard pressed to find a family that did not experience this type of loss. Combined with the relentless assaults of mother nature in the form of drought and inclement weather ( without benefit of insurance ) these hardships often pushed families beyond their limits causing a few to abandon the cause. The majority, however, perservered as is evident by their ancestors.

The "Burdei"- First Home of Many Early Settlers- Front View ( Ukrainian Cultural Center near Edmonton, Alberta)

"Burdei"- Back View (Ukrainian Cultural Center near Edmonton, Alberta)

The first home for many a Ukrainian settler was called a burdei (boor-day). Construction began with cutting down trees and stripping them of bark to form logs. A hole was then dug about 3 feet deep, 9 feet wide and 14 feet long, although these dimensions could vary somewhat. The cut and stripped logs were then stacked about 3 to 4 feet high in a rectangle surrounding the dugout. Logs were then laid in triangular fashion across the base to form a steep A Frame roof that would allow quick runoff of water or snow, which was then covered with sod which continued to grow after consruction. The exposed ends of the burdei were covered with mud which acted as a sealant. In Bukovinian building tradition a door was constructed on the south end, in this case using saplings and makeshift hinges. Small windows would be cut out of each side and light was allowed in through greased paper or canvas. An opening was cut on the roof to allow for a chimney. Generally the interior consisted of a bed, a sitting area with tables and chairs often constructed from willow, shelves and a small stove used for cooking and heating. All meager posessions were stored inside, usually kept under the bed. The floor remained dirt in most instances, covered with watered down manure, and packed so solidly it swept clean and served the purpose well. These homes were said to be surprisingly warm in the Winter and cool in the Summer heat.

Burdei Interior (Ukrainian Cultural Center near Edmonton, Alberta- Role Player Pam Trischuk as "Anna Nemirsky")

Burdei Front (Shown with "Inhabitant", Pam Trischuk as "Anna Nemirsky", for Scale Purposes)

(Ukrainian Cultural Center near Edmonton, Alberta)

Burdei (Shandro Museum )

As the settlers became more prosperous, or as time allowed, more permanent structures began to sprout across the pairies. The model used for building was the tried and true old country style. With the assistance of neighbours, one of which would generally be recognized as the local carpenter the site was cleared and levelled to the desired proportions. Large rocks, dug into the ground and levelled, provided the cornerstones for the foundation. The materials to be used stood all around them, or were relatively nearby, in the form of tall poplar and spruce. These were cut down and hauled to the site where each was cut to the appropriate length. Being the harder of the two woods spruce was often used first to first form a rectangular base. The corners were notched on each log to allow a snug fit at the corners and along the length of the walls. To secure them in place small holes were bored by hand and wooden pins where driven home. As the logs were laid in place each was cut at the point where a door or window was to be. Once the walls reached the desired height beams were laid across to form the start of the roof, again secured by augering holes and driving wooden pins into the walls, and generally extending one to two feet beyond the walls to allow for eaves - with the exception of the front of the house where eaves were most often extended to allow for a porch. The ceiling portion was constructed of planed logs ( allowing for a flat surface ) which were lain on top of the support beams.

Roofs were very high pitched to allow for run off and additional upper storage space. Early roofs were constructed using thatch, in most cases gleaned from tall slough grass or the preferred but less readily available rye grass. The thatching process was an art in itself, usually left to an experienced thatcher, the end product being suprisingly water proof, extremely durable, easily repaired and of good insulation quality.

Having constructed the exterior walls and the roof attention would then turn to sealing all joints and, if desired, providing an exterior surface coat. There were two options available. If the logs were of superior quality ( all spruce or pine ) the owner could simply seal the joints beteen each log and at corners or an exterior plaster coat could be applied across the entire surface. More often than not poplar logs required the latter. Again they only had to look to the land for the necessary materials.

In similar fashion to todays stucco wire smaller lengths of willow were pinned to the exterior to provide a mesh like surface. Digging through the top soil it was not long before clay was found. The clay was broken up and water was added to the proper texture, after which straw and manure ( preferably cow manure ) were added to the mix. This mixture was forced between the cracks of the joints first and then smoothed by hand, followed by a overall plastering generally smoothed by flat board. This was allowed to dry and checked for cracks which were then patched over. After drying the clay would take on a plaster like texture which was extremely durable. The base of the exterior walls was formed to curve outwards to prevent water from collecting around the foundation. To further preserve and beautify the home a mixture of lime and water was boiled, sand added and blended to the consistency of butter. This was brushed on to form a hard white stucco like finish. The process was then repeated on the interior walls. The interior floor remained hard packed clay, which was regularly covered with a mixture of manure and water, each consecutively leading to a more and more lusterous hard finish. Paint provided a beautiful contrast trim and finished look. Thus the basic house was formed- without use of a single nail.

Moving to the interior one of the first orders of business was to provide heat and a place to cook. The answer lie in the construction of a clay pich ( pronounced "peech". ) In a selected corner of the west room a solid frame of suitable proportions was built to a height of roughly three feet and a coating of clay roughly two inches deep was added to the top onto which an arched frame of flexible willow was then built. This was covered with clay, allowed to dry and successive layers of clay applied. Adjacent to this a rectangular clay open fire box was built in similar fashion with an opening in the front for kindling and an open top on which a simple plate of steel could be laid to provide a cooking surface. On the other side an open area was built to store firewood. The culmination of all this was the formation of a flat clay surface on the top of the heated areas. This provided a warm bed surface for the children on cold winter nights. Generally one bed was placed in the same room, along with wooden benches and a table. It is this area where the family spent most of their indoor time. Moving eastward in the house a small hallway ran the length of the door to the rear wall. Clothing could be hung there, items stored and access to the loft area provided by a fixed ladder. The loft provided a large amount of storage area and, as the family grew, additional sleeping quarters for the children. The east room was a special place, used only to entertain and, prior to the establishment of local churches, to worship. This room held most of the families treasures, a larger table and benches and extra sleeping provisions Religious icons decorated the east wall in keeping with Orthodox tradition. Many a wedding or celebration was held in these rooms.

While sparse by today's standards the walls of these homes provided a warm and safe place for the family- a place where values and traditions were passed on, laughter echoed and bonds were formed with family friends and neighbours - often one and the same. Many of today's larger homes if it were possible would, I suspect, be in envy of their predecessors on the prairies.

Early Small Home( Shandro Museum )

Log House with Thatched Roof ( Shandro Museum )

Early Bukovinian Style Home ( Ukrainian Cultural Center near Edmonton, Alberta)

Typical Bukovinian Style Farm Yard ( Ukrainian Cultural Center near Edmonton, Alberta)

Typical Bukovinian Style Home ( Ukrainian Cultural Center near Edmonton, Alberta)

Rear of Typical Bukovinian Style Home ( Shandro Museum )

Barn with Thatched Roof ( Ukrainian Cultural Center near Edmonton, Alberta)

Outer buildings and sheds were constructed in the same fashion with less detail to finishing as livestock were seemingly less appreciative of the finished product. The only exception would be the great appreciation horses showed for thatched roofs when feed was hard to find. Standing on their hind legs on deep snow they could easily reach the readily available smorgasboard , much to the dismay of the owners. Fences were designed to keep livestock in, unlike today where they are designed to keep people out , however there was always the inevitable great escape. A simple post and rail system did the job nicely for fencing before barbed wire came into use.

Log Barn ( Ukrainian Cultural Center near Edmonton, Alberta)

Granery ( Ukrainian Cultural Center near Edmonton, Alberta )

Stable ( Ukrainian Cultural Center near Edmonton, Alberta )

Typical Garden ( Ukrainian Cultural Center near Edmonton, Alberta )

In cases where uninvited guests ( poultry, livestock and local wildlife) were to be deterred, - the family garden being a case in point- a more secure post, rail and split spruce board fence was constructed.

Hog Pen ( Ukrainian Cultural Center near Edmonton, Alberta)

( The Real "Little House on The Prairie" )

( The Outdoor Pich )

Pich

Although smaller versions of the pich were used inside the home the limited space of the living quarters combined with the heat of Summer, often prompted the people to build a larger outdoor pich. The cooking process is actually a very simple one - The oven is heated, ashes removed when desired temperature is reached, and the food or baking placed in with a long wooden paddle. The door is then sealed. The best modern comparison would be a crock pot and, like a crock pot, the food could be placed in and left for many hours while chores were conducted. Piches remained in use for many years, in fact to this day many a loaf of bread is still made in these ovens due to the superior taste provided by the baking process.

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Send email to: nkerychuk@shaw.ca