Description of Historic Place

St. Hubert’s Cemetery is a Municipal Heritage Property located within the Rural Municipality of Silverwood No. 123, approximately 15 km southwest of the Town of Whitewood. The property features ten grave sites and a large wooden cross situated on a hillside overlooking the Pipestone Valley.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the St. Hubert’s Cemetery lies in its age and connection to the first settlers in the area. The area was settled by a group of French and Belgian aristocrats, collectively referred to as "the Counts", who came to Saskatchewan to escape adverse conditions in their native countries. While the economic ventures of the Counts in Saskatchewan proved unsuccessful, causing their return to Europe, many of their employees and followers remained in the district and established the community of St. Hubert. The grave yard holds the remains of the earliest of these pioneers, as it is situated next to the site of the first Catholic Church in the area. The grave yard symbolizes the link between these original pioneers and the people of the area. In the years since the cemetery became inactive, local residents have continued to recognize this association through the construction of a large wooden cross mounted on a stone cairn, iron fence, cemetery crosses and commemorative plaque.

The heritage value of the property also lies in its relation to the surrounding landscape. The cemetery is situated on a hillside overlooking the Pipestone Valley. This site was chosen for its commanding view of the countryside and gives the property great visibility and prominence over a great distance, thus symbolizing its importance to the early community.

Source:

Rural Municipality of Silverwood No. 123 Bylaw No. 72.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the St. Hubert’s Cemetery resides in the following character-defining elements:
-the unmarked grave sites and cemetery signage;
-the religious symbols, such as the cemetery crosses, stone cairn with wooden cross;
-the cemetery’s position on its original site overlooking the Pipestone Valley and its proximity to the original church site.