A Roadside Cross in Winnipeg, Canada

​Andrew Golebioski, board member of the Cooks Creek Heritage Museum, shares the history of the roadside cross in his community located northeast of the City of Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada:

     
​     “My ancestors immigrated to this area from Galicia in and around 1900. It is in a rural area where many Polish and Ukrainian Galicians settled around the turn of the century. From around 1896-1905, the Canadian Minister of the Interior, Clifford Sifton, embarked on a policy of European immigration to help settle and develop the Canadian prairies. Key to this was the development of the area's agricultural potential. Many Galicians settled in our area, built churches, raised families, and created whole communities. I remember this shrine from when I was a child when I would drive past this location transporting farm machinery from one location to another. I'm 58 years old now.

​The site of this lone shrine is being maintained by the owner of the property next to it who is a descendant of one of the pioneer families to the area. He recalls there being pilgrimages to this cross many decades ago and believed the reason was as you wrote in your book, to pray for good harvests in the area. I have gained a new appreciation for the importance of this unique historical and religious artefact in our area. It is a link to "the old country." You will notice that it is starting to look a little weathered. The resident maintaining the site says he has already obtained lumber to renew it and intends to do it when he has time. I think we may look into having some form of ceremony when this work is completed, again, as a result of the information you provided.

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The shrine is located at the northeast corner of the intersection of Zora Road and Willowdale Road, in the Rural Municipality of Springfield. This is about 30 kilometers northeast of the City of Winnipeg.
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We are currently investigating who may have first erected this particular shrine. It is close to both the Roman Catholic and Ukrainian Catholic churches that were, and still are, here. I also remember a second one in the area but cannot remember exactly where it was. We are trying to establish that location and are asking some of the senior residents of the community.”

​Photos by Andrew Golebioski.

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Thank you, Andrew, for writing and sharing the story of the roadside shrine in your area. You honor your ancestors in this remembrance. Although they are silent, roadside crosses and shrines, speak as witnesses to the history, faith and cultural heritage of a region. Życzę wszelkich sukcesów! (Wishing you every success!)

Spirit of Place: The Roadside Shrines of Poland (Hippocrene Books, Inc. 2023) is the book that inspired Andrew to write and share the story of the cross in his community. 
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Is there a cross or roadside shrine in your community
founded by our Polish ancestors?  Please feel free to click on the CONTACT link and share its story.

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