[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Immigrants to Manitoba c 1900

[Jim & Muriel Gambrel]

While this may not apply to German settlers that came from Volhynia,
it was done to settlers coming to Canada from Ukraine and Poland

They were channelled into the Interlake area of Manitoba, which was
mainly ridges and swamps.  The CPR wanted to extend the railway
from Selkirk north to Winnipeg Beach.  In order to do this, they
needed
settlers in this area.  So, many Ukrainians were sent up into this
area.
There were no roads, hence no ditches.  Many lost horses going through
the swamps.  Travel was mainly  along the ridges, but then one had to
cross a swamp to get to the next ridge And if it was a wet year, it
was
hideous with mosquitoes. These people waited for 10 years for roads
and ditches.  To make matters worse, a lumber company owned the
timber "rights" through the area.  They were to leave 10 acres of
timber
on each quarter section, for settlers to use.  So the company went
through and cut the biggest trees, but did not relinquish their
permit,
in case they wanted to come back for the smaller timber.  A man and
his
wife chopped and dragged trees out to build a house, and the lumber
company came and took the trees.  Trees were cut to build a church,
and the lumber company came and took the trees.  The settlers finally
petitioned Ottawa, and the lumber company was told to leave the
settlers
lands alone.

Read about this in "Spruce, Swamp and Stone" by Michael Ewanchuk.