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This year, one of the exhibits at the Creston Museum is BORN TO THE SOIL, featuring European contributions to the Creston Valley, pioneers of non-British Isles extraction. Among the groups, is the sizable positive influx of Doukhobors. This exhibit, seen below, was mounted by Manager Tammy Hardwick, with contributions from Alex, Bob, and Larry Ewashen. Alex also provided the historical text and all provided exhibit artifacts from their personal collections.
Where There is Love There is God * Toil and Peaceful Life * The Welfare of the World Is Not Worth The Life of a Single Child
Who Were The Doukhobors?: See: http://www.larrysdesk.com/short-history-of-the-doukhobors.html
DOUKHOBOR PIONEERS OF THE CRESTON VALLEY
In the 1940s and 1950s, when the last Doukhobor Communal venture in Shouldice, Alberta, disintegrated, some thirty families moved to Creston Valley, settling in Erickson and Canyon on logged out twenty acre plots. These settlers took to stump clearing and tilling the land to plant diversified fruit orchards. This was the start of the fruit industry in the Creston Valley. In doing simple math some six hundred acres of orchard were planted.
These were talented, industrious pioneers, each and everyone built their own homes, a number of them took on the building trade, establishing successful careers lasting for decades. One of these builders was Nick Plotnikoff, from the Plotnikoff family. Besides building many homes, he went on to build Pioneer Villa, the GM dealership for Vance Motors, and Catalpa Lodge. Mac Chernoff, a prolific home builder, had a reputation of building a home like one would build a set of kitchen cupboards, everything precise and fitting just right. Larry Verigin remodelled an old garage making it into Fountain Grocery in Erickson, which was a viable business for many decades. Johnny Verigin built Johnny’s Superette which is now called Paul’s Superette, which has been in business now for many years. In Alice Siding, now known as North West Boulevard, John Pereversoff built Creston’s first three story sky scraper, the apartment complex, Alcrest Manor. He also built the Paradise Motel, now known as Paradise Rentals. John was known through out the East and West Kootenays as an expert stuccoer. Last but not least is Nick Shukin, the father of today’s Shukin Orchards. Besides developing an extensive orchard, he built a produce distribution warehouse, and off season would bring in fresh produce from Spokane on his own refrigerated transport, suppling grocery retailers in Creston, Cranbrook, Kimberly, Fernie and retailers in between.
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In all, some forty families settled in Creston Valley, some coming from the Grand Forks - Castlegar areas: These would be: George Chernoff, Bill Chernoff, Pete Negraeff, Alex Negraeff, Peter Salekin, Bill Salekin, Alix P. Wishlow, John Vishloff, Bill Tamlin, Peter Bludoff, Fred Bludoff, John Fofanoff, Peter Popoff, George Bonderoff, John Zarechukoff, Bill Zarchukoff, Fred Nemanishen, Alex Pereversoff, Cecil Hoodekoff, Alex Konkin, Mike Marozoff, Pete Sherstobetoff, Paul Fofanoff, Timothy Osachoff, George Ogloff, Peter Hrooshkin, Eli Chernoff, Bill Zibin, Anastasia Popoff, Larry Verigin, Sam Vanjoff, John Relkow, and George Plotnikoff.
These families were a vibrant Doukhobor Community, holding Prayer Meetings every Sunday in alternating private homes. There was Sunday School also, and when Alex Pereversoff moved into the Valley he organized Russian language classes. On August 29th, 1963, with the help of barrister Tom Scott, a registered society was formed, “The Creston Doukhobor Society”. The document was signed by John Rilkow, Nick Vishloff, William Jmaieff, Harry Fofanoff, and Alex Wishlow.
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It was getting to be next to impossible to accommodate the growing congregation in private homes, so serious talks were undertaken to build a place of worship and a facility for special events such as weddings and funerals. In 1959 Alex Wishlow had moved back to Creston to teach at the High School and he and his dad Alix were the main promoters. Many discussions were held, there were pros and cons, in the end a decision was made and the Creston Doukhobor Prayer Home was to become a reality. A vacant lot in Erickson was purchased for $2000.00, and members contributed $100.00 each to support the project. Under the leadership of Paul Fofanoff and the many volunteers the building was up in a matter of a few weeks. For the next fifty years this facility would serve the Doukhobor Community in Creston very well.
Alex Ewashen*
* Upon moving to Creston in 1966, we opened up our Auction House in Compton's old plaster lath packing shed in Alice Siding, now known as Northwest Boulevard. In the years to follow we would build a new Butler steel building encompassing 1300 square feet. This would be the only such facility between Lethbridge Alberta and Kelowna BC. For over 30 years we would conduct weekly auctions selling household merchandise and all sorts of farm tools and machinery. In addition to these weekly auctions we were soon conducting business and farm dispersals in the Creston area, and throughout the East and West Kootenays and beyond. In time we developed a liaison with the Provincial Purchasing Commission selling heavy equipment for the province when the Department of Highways and the Forestry business was being privatized. About this time we started importing containers of antiques from Europe, we would do so for the next fifteen years. We held a Spring and Fall Antique Auction for which we would import a 40 foot container for each sale bringing in some of the finest furniture and collectibles. We had buyers coming in from the four western provinces and the northwest USA. Creston was put on the map as an Antique Centre.
See: Rags to Riches: http://www.doukhoborstore.com/books.html
It was getting to be next to impossible to accommodate the growing congregation in private homes, so serious talks were undertaken to build a place of worship and a facility for special events such as weddings and funerals. In 1959 Alex Wishlow had moved back to Creston to teach at the High School and he and his dad Alix were the main promoters. Many discussions were held, there were pros and cons, in the end a decision was made and the Creston Doukhobor Prayer Home was to become a reality. A vacant lot in Erickson was purchased for $2000.00, and members contributed $100.00 each to support the project. Under the leadership of Paul Fofanoff and the many volunteers the building was up in a matter of a few weeks. For the next fifty years this facility would serve the Doukhobor Community in Creston very well.
Alex Ewashen*
* Upon moving to Creston in 1966, we opened up our Auction House in Compton's old plaster lath packing shed in Alice Siding, now known as Northwest Boulevard. In the years to follow we would build a new Butler steel building encompassing 1300 square feet. This would be the only such facility between Lethbridge Alberta and Kelowna BC. For over 30 years we would conduct weekly auctions selling household merchandise and all sorts of farm tools and machinery. In addition to these weekly auctions we were soon conducting business and farm dispersals in the Creston area, and throughout the East and West Kootenays and beyond. In time we developed a liaison with the Provincial Purchasing Commission selling heavy equipment for the province when the Department of Highways and the Forestry business was being privatized. About this time we started importing containers of antiques from Europe, we would do so for the next fifteen years. We held a Spring and Fall Antique Auction for which we would import a 40 foot container for each sale bringing in some of the finest furniture and collectibles. We had buyers coming in from the four western provinces and the northwest USA. Creston was put on the map as an Antique Centre.
See: Rags to Riches: http://www.doukhoborstore.com/books.html
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Other groups considered were Germans, Swedish, Norwegians, Polish, Italian, and Dutch.
Other groups considered were Germans, Swedish, Norwegians, Polish, Italian, and Dutch.
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Creston Museum Hours are 10:00 – 5:00 daily, May 23-August 27, and 10:00 – 3:30 Monday-Saturday from Aug 28 to Sept 17.
Details: http://www.crestonmuseum.ca/