A2 Thursday, April 23, 2020
West Kootenay Advertiser
History
Sweet spot: the Doukhobor jam-making enterprise by JONATHAN KALMAKOFF
First of five parts etween 1908 and 1912, Doukhobors of the Christian Community of Universal Brotherhood purchased 15,320 acres of land in the Kootenay-Boundary, where at least 5,724 members resettled from the Prairies. Working communally, they rapidly cleared the undeveloped tracts, constructed villages and established fruit-growing orchards. By 1912, they had planted over 70,000 fruit trees — apples, pears, plums and cherries along with tremendous quantities of small fruits — grapes, strawberries, raspberries and currants. More land purchases, settlers and orchards would follow. While a portion of the fruit was grown for the domestic use of CCUB families, the surplus was grown for commercial sale. It soon became apparent, however, that the local market for fresh fruit was extremely limited. It became necessary to find a means to preserve the highly-perishable fruit so that it could be transported and sold beyond the British Columbia Interior, where
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a large market existed. The secondary manufacturing of produce would also lead to a higher value product than the fruit could bring in its natural state. To this end, the CCUB embarked on a large-scale canning and preserving enterprise. This series examines that enterprise — the Kootenay-Columbia Preserving Works — its corporate, operational and product history between 1911 and 1938. Founding and organization The Kootenay-Columbia Preserving Works was founded in April 1911 as an unincorporated subsidiary of the Christian Community of Universal Brotherhood. Its purpose was the preserving and canning of produce communally grown by the CCUB and the packaging, distribution and sale of the resulting products. Its name reflected the source of its produce ingredients: the Kootenay and Columbia River valleys where the CCUB fruit orchards and berry farms were located. Although wholly-owned and controlled by its parent company, the Kootenay-Columbia Pre-
Kootenay-Columbia Preserving Works fruit packing shed, Brilliant, 1925. Courtesy Doukhobor Discovery Centre serving Works main- jam-making enterprise business agent in 1911. igan (1911-14), Peter tained its own identity hired several managThe remaining of- P. Zibin (1928, 1935), for business purposes, ers of the former Nel- ficers and managers Peter A. Katasonoff with its own head of- son-based Kootenay were drawn from the (1929-30), William J. fice, officers, staff and Jam Company (1909- ranks of the CCUB Makaeff (1936-38). employees, books and 11) experienced in the and included: Pres- All office staff rerecords, banking and industry, including ident – Peter V. Ver- ceived salaries. financing facilities, Harry Beach, the for- igin (1911-24), Peter The Kootenay-Coletterheads, invoices mer head jam-maker P. Verigin (1927-38); lumbia Preserving and advertisements. who served as super- Secretary-treasurer Works used a workIts property and as- intendent from 1911 – Larion W. Verigin force comprised alsets, however, were to 1912 and again in (1914-22); Manag- most entirely of Doukregistered in the name 1914, and R.C. Teviot- er – Peter V. Verigin hobors belonging to of its first president, dale, the former book- (1911-13); John W. the CCUB. From 1911 Peter V. Verigin, keeper and accountant Sherbinin (1913-19), to 1928, these commuuntil April 1917, and who served as secre- Joseph P. Shukin nal labourers were not thereafter, under the tary-treasurer from (1919, 1921), John F. paid wages, but were federally-chartered 1911 to 1913. Jennie Masloff (1922), Mi- supplied with food, Christian Community E. Harris, proprietress chael M. Koftinoff clothing, lodging and of Universal Brother- of the Empire Hotel (1920-21, 1923), Lar- basic necessities. hood Ltd. in Nelson and owner ion W. Verigin (1924Arriving from across During its first years of the Harris group 26, 1928), George M. the Kootenays, they of operation, the new of mineral claims Hadikin (1927), John were furnished with on the east shore of J. Sherbinin (1935); accommodations at WE ARE FULLY OPEN FOR Kootenay Lake, was Foreman/superinten- or near the factory YOUR HEALTHCARE also briefly retained as dent – Daniel E. Kan- during the production season, then returned Are you currently using a CPAP Device? to their homes in the Are you on home oxygen? off-season. After the A GOOD SLEEP IS ESSENTIAL TO YOUR Monday - Saturday: 9 am - 5 pm • Sunday: 10 am - 4 pm reorganization of the HEALTH AND IMMUNE SYSTEM Grocery • Garden Centre • Fruit & Produce • Locally Grown CCUB in 1928, they WE ARE TAKING ALL SAFETY PRECAUTIONS FOR Long English $ 00 GREENHOUSE NOW OPEN worked for market YOUR HEALTH, BY APPOINTMENT /each • Bedding Plants & Basket Stuffers Cucumbers wages. From time to LUMIN CPAP Ready to go ¢ • Here to Help witH all Sleep Gala Apples mask and 69 time, English Cana/lb • Cabbage, Cauliflower, Broccoli, APNEA NEEDS AND HOME accessory Kale and Lettuce Plants $1.49/pack Large Beefsteak dians were also hired. sterilizer OXYGEN ASSISTANCE $ 75 • Onion Plants $2.49/pack /lb Tomatoes The factory retained • Home viSitS for tHoSe • Mix & Match (Lobelia, Dianthus & ON OXYGEN WITH MOBILITY ¢ 12 permanent workers, Fresh Cilantro 79 /bunch Gazania) Bedding Plants CONCERNS $ and at peak season, 17.99/flat of 48 plants, reg. $24.99 100% Pure Manure, Black Top • Fruit Trees and Shrubs – In stock • Direct billing anD financial employed from 60 to Soil, Lava Rock, Bark Chips, optionS available for your Bark Mulch, Peat Moss 75 persons. Complete Hydroponic Supplies, convenience
RILKOFF’S STORE
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of the Waneta Plaza, Hwy 3B, Trail BC Open Mon–Fri 8:30 - 4:30
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Ph: 250-364-0277 TollFree: 1-844-440-0277
All in Stock
Vegetable and Flower Garden Seeds, Berry Roots and Plants, Asparagus Roots, Onion Sets, Potato Seeds, Bulk Garden Seeds
In Stock
Seedling Starter Soil, Sunshine Mix #1, 4 & 7, Trays, Pots, Plant Foods, Insecticide, Fungicide, Lights & Heat Mats and much more
In Stock
250-442-2510 4415 Hwy 3 West of Grand Forks
Produce and ingredients The produce ingredients used by the Kootenay-Columbia
Preserving Works were principally sourced from the CCUB orchards and farms at Brilliant, Ootischenia, Lugovoye (Pass Creek), Plodorodnoye (Glade), Prekrasnoye (Shoreacres) and the Slocan Valley. After 1921, rail shipments of fruit from the company packing house at Fruktova (Grand Forks) in the Boundary were also used. Fruit was purchased from the CCUB for cash at local rates. From the outset, the company was capable of processing a substantially larger quantity of produce than the CCUB properties could supply. It therefore became necessary to purchase fruit and berries from other Kootenay growers as distant as the West Arm of Kootenay Lake, Creston and the Arrow Lakes. This was a welcome economic stimulus for local farmers and ranchers, who were often unable to find a market for their excess produce at any price. Throughout the growing season, from April to September, the Kootenay-Columbia Preserving Works publicly advertised and solicited local farmers to purchase their fruit and berries. It frequently entered into three to five-year contracts to buy and pick their produce (with its own pickers, primarily Doukhobor women and children) for use in its factory, and paid a higher price than local growers could secure if they hired their own labour for picking, which was often in short supply during the picking season. For instance, during the 1911 to 1913 period, when the local price of strawberries was 5½ cents per pound picked, the company offered six cents per pound for standing crops; or in other words, the equiv-
alent of approximately seven to 7½ cents per pound with picking costs taken into account. It also offered to pay the freight to the factory, which was the equivalent of approximately eight cents per pound. The local price of fruit remained relatively stable over the years; in 1931, the company still paid six cents per pound of strawberries. Occasionally, the amount of produce obtainable in the Kootenay was insufficient and the Kootenay-Columbia Preserving Works purchased whole crops from growers as distant as Penticton in the Okanagan district and Mission and Hatzic in the central Fraser Valley as well as Puyallup in Pierce County, Wash. During the picking season, the company had thousands of fruit pails continually in transit between its factory and local ranches. Streams of wagons (by the ‘30s, trucks) laden with wooden buckets of freshly-picked fruit and berries, each weighing 16 to 18 pounds, arrived at the packing houses, where the produce was received, unloaded, weighed at the scales, strictly graded and briefly stored for processing. Other shipments from more distant points were received at the packing house via rail or river boat. Granulated cane sugar, used in the jam-making and fruit-canning process, was purchased wholesale by the railcar load from the BC Sugar Refinery in Vancouver. Each carload contained 20,000 to 24,000 pounds of bagged sugar. The 100-pound sacks were unpacked and weighed at the packing house scales before being stacked in the warehouse for later use. Next: The factories