September 19

My name is Leonard Baron and I presently working on my family genealogy. One important aspect of my families history was their arrival but brief stay in Seymour Arm during 1920 - 1922. Recently, during my research of the Seymour Arm area, I came across an article, " History of Seymour Arm", "Historical Outline of Seymour Arm 1860 - 1970: Written and Published by The Bradleys: 2nd edition Feb. 19798. Since 1920 -1922, fell within this time span I was

keenly interested. However, there was no mention of the Ukrainian families who had arrived between 1920 -1922. I have wrritten a short version of the events which briefly outline the move of the Ukrainians from the prairie provinces to Seymour Arm and later to Grindrod.

My Grandparents and family were one of the Ukrainian families who were convinced by a land speculation company.. The Schwab Land Development Co. to leave their home in Manitoba and to move to Seymour Arm. This company's head office was in Winnipeg, Manitoba and were the A. Schwap & Argue Brothers Co. This company convinced them to move, aided by Ukrainian agents, convincing advertisements and prochures which debicted Seymour Arm as a place of year round pleasing climate and excellent agricultural land similar to the Ukraine from which they had immigrated in 1897 . This company had convinced many Ukrainian families in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba to make this move. The company paid these families $25 an acre for their home land and charged them $200 an acre for the land in Seymour Arm. Upon arrival at Seymour Arm,via a steam ship, it became evident to these families that the land was not what they had been convinced that it would be. They demanded some sort of restituion, either return their Manitoba property or resettle them in a more

appropriate place. The Schwap Co.had purchased land from A. Carlin who owned a large tract of land in Grindrod and these families were moved in the summer of 1922. They were given 18 acre lots which had to be cleared of trees and shrubs, build homes and to rebiuld their lives. The Schwab Co. had given Carlin a down payment and had paid him interest on the outstanding loan. The Ukrainisn families in Grindrod had worked hard over several years devloping their acreages. A. Carlin in a meeting with the Ukrainian families informed them that the Schwap Co. had gone bankrupt and had not paid him for the land and since they did not

have titles for the land, he was charging them $30 and acre and they would receive their land titles. If they could not pay they would have to leave. Unfortunately, some of the families were unable to pay for the land.