SWIFT CURRENT — Members of the public explored the history of Swift Current during a summer walking tour of Hillcrest Cemetery, the city's oldest cemetery, hosted by the Swift Current Museum on July 23.
The tour, led by museum summer student Sophia Curti, highlighted the lives of people who helped shape the community.
The event began at 7 p.m., with Curti explaining that the tour helps residents become familiar with influential figures from Swift Current's past. She opened the evening with a brief history of the city.
"Swift Current was founded in 1883. It became a CPR division point in the early 1900s and served many towns established throughout southwest Saskatchewan. By 1913, Swift Current was a boomtown with a population nearing 5,000. There were four hotels, four theatres, five churches, seven lumber yards and nine banks."
She noted that the city's first cemetery was located near the site that later became Elmwood School.
Curti explained that a large section of Hillcrest Cemetery is dedicated to children, reflecting a period when diseases such as scarlet fever, influenza and the Spanish flu claimed many young lives.
"It reflected life on the Prairies, the harsh living conditions, limited medical resources and disease outbreaks," she said.
Curti also pointed out plots where only one spouse is buried despite space being reserved for another family member who later died and was buried elsewhere.
One stop examined headstones bearing Chinese characters, marking the presence of Swift Current's early Chinese community. The cemetery contains a large Chinese section that reflects the contributions Chinese settlers made to the city's development.
Visitors also viewed headstones inscribed in Arabic, as well as monuments featuring embedded photographs.
As the city's oldest cemetery, only a limited number of burial plots remain available.
The tour also included the veterans' section. Curti explained that, until recently, only veterans could be buried there, while spouses were required to be interred elsewhere. Today, spouses may also be buried in the section.
Seventeen airmen who died during flight training exercises at the Second World War training school in Swift Current are buried there.
Among those remembered with a memorial stone is John Morrison, who was killed in action in 1916 during the First World War. Although he was buried overseas, a memorial was placed in Hillcrest Cemetery in his honour.
Alan McIntosh was among the first veterans buried in the section after suffering long-term health effects related to poisoning during the First World War.
The tour also featured the story of William Sanders, a former North-West Mounted Police member who later operated a dairy, bakery and butcher shop in Swift Current.
According to Curti, community members eventually asked Sanders to relocate his butcher shop beyond the village limits.
She also noted that Sanders' wedding in 1886 is believed to have been the first wedding held in Swift Current.
Curti highlighted a paupers' grave section for unidentified or indigent individuals, as well as several graves still marked only by wooden markers.
Some burial sites, she noted, are in need of restoration and repair.
Although some graves remain unmarked, evidence of the burials still exists.
The tour itself has evolved over time, Curti said.
"I'm still learning as I go every tour," she said.
"It's mostly the same every tour, but every year it gets changed a little bit. We add some things, take some away and adjust it a little."
Curti said she continues to learn through the experience, which complements her studies to become a teacher.
She believes the tours remain popular because they offer residents an opportunity to get outside, meet people and learn more about their community.
"I think people enjoy this because it's a nice way to get out of the house, go for a walk, meet some new people, think about things you don't normally think about and learn a little history of Swift Current," she said.
Attendance has remained strong over the years.
"Most people wouldn't think, 'Wow, a cemetery tour,' but it seems to be going good. Lots of people are returning. They've done it in the past and want to do it again to see if things have changed."
The museum typically caps tours at about 10 participants, though Curti said additional attendees are welcome.
"We're never going to turn someone away."
Among those taking part was Kevin Kirkpatrick, who attended with family members.
"It was my mom's idea. She sent us a text and I said, 'Sure, why not?' I thought there might be way more interesting stuff than you'd realize."
He encouraged others to participate.
"I would definitely recommend coming out for it. It's worth spending an hour of your time to learn some local history. Swift Current is a small place and you don't always get a lot of opportunities like this. It's great to see the museum offering this service free of charge."
Curti said the tours have been running for more than a decade and continue to attract both tourists and local residents interested in the community's history.
Tours typically run between one and one-and-a-half hours and include opportunities for questions, discussion and storytelling.
Curti will continue to host the tours until early August.
The next Hillcrest Cemetery walking tour is scheduled for Aug. 6 at 7 p.m.
