Historic cemeteries stranded in farmers’ fields

The great-grandsons of a Manitoba pioneer buried in a family cemetery on what had been his farm were able to clear away 50 years of neglect, but they couldn’t clear a permanent path to visit the site.

The great-grandsons of a Manitoba pioneer buried in a family cemetery on what had been his farm were able to clear away 50 years of neglect, but they couldn’t clear a permanent path to visit the site.

That’s because — like many of the unknown number of unlicensed cemeteries in the province — the site can only be accessed before the farmer who currently owns the land seeds in the spring and after the crop is harvested in the fall. During that time period, these cemeteries, many of which saw their last burial decades ago, are landlocked within fields of wheat, canola or other crops with no access road or path.

Kevin Rollason Reporter

Kevin Rollason is one of the more versatile reporters at the Winnipeg Free Press.

Whether it is covering city hall, the law courts, or general reporting, Rollason can be counted on to not only answer the 5 Ws — Who, What, When, Where and Why — but to do it in an interesting and accessible way for readers.

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