Dear Editor
The Government of Saskatchewan has seen fit to make Shiloh Church a Heritage Property, which is good news. However, I would like to add some facts to the history.
Restoration on Shiloh Church actually began, not in 2004, but in 1971. The Government of Saskatchewan decided to have an event called Homecoming 71. I have never known why. I had no intention at the time to get involved, but when I heard there would be grants, possibly for local historic sites, I attended the public meeting. I walked in the door a free woman and came out as the secretary-treasurer for the RM of Eldon Homecoming 71 committee.
The committee accepted suggestions over a certain time, then invited local people to vote. It was decided money would go towards the Waseca Curling Rink and to memorial stones with plaques, on suitable sites, for the painter Augustus Kenderdine, for the long-serving president [Jack Wesson] of the once-mighty Saskatchewan Wheat Pool and for the restoration of Shiloh Church and Cemetery. I wrote a lot of letters, did a lot of legwork and spent a lot of time, but when it came to Shiloh it was the men and women north of Maidstone who did the work. All the gravesites were found and white wooden crosses put on them. The men used wire and grader blades to strengthen the church. It had not been vandalized, as far as I know. The logs were re-chinked and the whole place tidied.
I can’t state whether the roof was re-shingled. I would have to go to my records for that. I intend to donate those records to the Maidstone Museum.
We had the grand opening day and we invited a host of people. We started at Shiloh, then moved on to the Wesson Memorial on the homestead then to the Kenderdine memorial on The Peak. Community members had all picked certain people who were VIPs for the day to include in our picnic on The Peak. My mother and I and my sister Joyce Lamont, who was also on the committee, were pleased to have several of the Mayes family share our picnic, plus Conservation Officer Ken Smith and Mr. and Mrs. John Spinks. He was, at the time, the head of the University of Saskatchewan and he dedicated the Kenderdine memorial, since Gus Kenderdine had taught on the campus. It was a good day, a worthwhile day and Shiloh Church really benefited.
Our group had put up signs for the sites, for travellers (many of them were stolen and the Department of Highways buried one of those huge and expensive signs). People north of Maidstone kept the grass mowed at Shiloh and took turns welcoming visitors. They kept up a visitors’ log and kept the church clean. Many of the people who did that are no longer with us.
However, once the church was re-discovered, a certain type of journalist came out of the woodwork. Instead of investigating local people, they made up the most appalling stories! The worst of all was the racism was so bad, two schools had to be built. Of course! After all, Saskatchewan people (white) are the worst racists! Two schools? Where would the money have come from to build and operate two schools and pay two teachers? Did all the white and the black people hit it off? Possibly not. Did all the white people get along all the time? Probably not. Did all the black people get along all the time? Probably not. However, the descendants of the original people in the area have taken a great interest in the site and now they come all the time to care for it and have reunions, which include the white people of the area. Many people here can tell anecdotes about their black friends (and their Cree friends), but outsiders will always view us differently, I suppose.
So, again I say that many people will be pleased to see Shiloh as a heritage site. However, the late Pam Leachman and I didn’t do so well in that department when, years ago, we were the mover and seconder for the motion, at an annual RM meeting, that the cement bridge, built by a Barr Colonist on a now abandoned public road north of Waseca over Big Jelly Creek, be made a historic site. The motion was passed, easily, but nothing was done. We knew it wouldn’t. It has to be the right people, one has to have a band wagon.
Christine Pike
Waseca
