Andy McCracken, a septuagenarian, takes a moment before dialing his late father’s number on an old rotary phone on a sunny day in July. Speaking into the disconnected landline housed in a small wooden structure near a graveyard in the Rocky Mountain foothills of Alberta, he engages with what is known as a “wind phone” – a symbolic means of connecting the living with the departed, enabling visitors to have one-way conversations with their loved ones who have passed away.
Positioned at Mountain Park Cemetery in Yellowhead County, the highest elevated cemetery in Canada, the wind phone stands at nearly 1,900 meters above sea level, making it the highest elevation wind phone in North America. Yellowhead County recently installed this unique communication device at Mountain Park towards the end of July.
Andy and his wife, Anne McCracken, currently residing in Edson, Alberta, have selected Mountain Park as their final resting place. Qualifying for a plot due to Andy’s origins in a Coal Branch town close to Mountain Park, where his father served as the mine doctor, the McCrackens have chosen to have their ashes interred at this serene location. Expressing gratitude to his father for his birth in Luscar, Alberta, in 1953, Andy McCracken bids farewell and sends love, asking his father to convey greetings to his late mother.
Established in 1911 as the terminus of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway line, Mountain Park thrived until 1950 when the coal mine ceased operations permanently. At its peak, the community housed around 1,000 residents in 100 homes. Today, only the cemetery remains, hosting 269 documented burials from as early as 1913. The townsite nestled amidst Cheviot Mountain and Mount Baldy boasted various amenities such as a school, hospital, library, butcher shop, hockey rink, and hotel, all of which were dismantled or relocated to Robb and Edson when the mine closed.
During an interview at the cemetery, Madison Sharman, the heritage co-ordinator for Yellowhead County, highlighted the historical significance of the area, pointing out remnants of the former railway tracks that once connected Mountain Park to the outside world. She reminisced about the town’s reliance on the railway for supplies and the community’s resourcefulness in creating entertainment in the remote setting.
Reflecting on the cemetery’s poignant history, Pat Rausch, a visitor since 1963, noted the hardships faced by early residents, particularly evident in the infant burial sites and the tragic losses during the Spanish flu pandemic and mining accidents. She emphasized the importance of preserving and honoring the past through cemetery restoration efforts.
Renewed by volunteers, including former Mountain Park inhabitants like Mary Salzsauler, the cemetery now stands as a testament to the town’s legacy. The McCrackens, actively involved in the restoration, have chosen a burial plot overlooking Cheviot Mountain, finding solace in the thought of resting in a beautiful setting.
Anne McCracken views the cemetery visits as uplifting rather than somber, expressing contentment at the prospect of a peaceful resting place. Andy McCracken, whose life comes full circle back to the mountains of his birth and his father’s exploration, anticipates finding closure in this serene setting. With Yellowhead County now overseeing the cemetery’s management, the legacy of those buried there continues to be honored.
New interments at Mountain Park Cemetery include notable figures like Frank and Agnes Lovsin, founders of Freson Bros grocery chain, and John Mitchell, a D-Day veteran bestowed with France’s highest decoration. Madison Sharman, emphasizing the community’s welcoming spirit towards visitors, underlines the significance of preserving the memories and stories of those who once lived vibrant lives in Mountain Park.
Inscribed within the wind phone booth is a poem by Sharman, symbolizing the enduring nature of love and memories, as every spoken story becomes part of the landscape once more, echoing the tranquility and rich history of Mountain Park Cemetery.