Hardy Mountain Doukhobor Village facts for kids

Hardy Mountain Doukhobor Village is a special place located in the Boundary area of south-central British Columbia. It used to be a community where Doukhobor people lived. You can find it about 4.3 kilometers (2.7 miles) northwest of Grand Forks on Hardy Mountain Road.

Who Lived on Hardy Mountain?

The area around Hardy Mountain got its name from Thomas Hardy, who owned a hotel nearby in 1894. Later, in 1910, a road was built up the mountain, making it easier to reach.

Around 1912, Doukhobor settlers built a large communal house here. It was a two-storey building made of wood and brick, with porches at the front and back. The first floor had a kitchen and dining area, while the second floor had many small bedrooms. This community was known as the Makortoff Doukhobor village. The people who lived here were very self-sufficient, meaning they grew their own food and made many of the things they needed. However, by the 1960s, things changed, and the community eventually closed down and the property was sold.

The name "Hardy" is still seen in the area today, like in Hardy Mountain Road and Hardy Creek.

The Mountain View Doukhobor Museum

In 1971, a man named Peter Gritchen bought the 16.9-acre property. The very next year, in 1972, he opened the Mountain View Doukhobor Museum. This museum displayed many items from Doukhobor life, including tools, household goods, and farm equipment. These items were kept in the different farm buildings on the property.

After Peter Gritchen passed away in 2000, a group called The Land Conservancy of BC (TLC) bought the site in 2004. Another group, the Boundary Museum Society (BM), bought most of the museum's collection. The museum stayed open for a while, but over the years, many of the original buildings were changed a lot or became run down. Because of this, some had to be taken down. Today, only five of the original buildings are still standing.

Saving the Historic Site

The Land Conservancy of BC (TLC) faced financial problems and couldn't do the important work needed to fix up the buildings. By 2012, the museum had to close. To keep them safe, the Boundary Museum Society (BM) moved two large storage containers filled with artifacts away from the site.

In 2015, the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary (RDKB) bought the property. They hoped to work with other groups to restore this important tourist attraction. The site has been officially recognized as a historic place by the National Trust for Canada and the RDKB. It's very special because it's the only Doukhobor "great house" in British Columbia that is still on its original land. From the site, you can see beautiful views of the Kettle River and Granby River valleys.

Other Doukhobor Sites in Grand Forks

The Doukhobor people had a strong presence in the Grand Forks area. In 1909, a group called the Christian Community of Universal Brotherhood (CCUB) bought 4,000 acres of land there.

Fructova Heritage Site

About 2.9 kilometers (1.8 miles) south of the former Hardy Mountain village, on Reservoir Road, is the Fructova Heritage Site. This property includes a former Doukhobor school that was open from 1929 to 1949. There was also a brick factory nearby that made the bricks used for building. In the early 1990s, the Doukhobor Historical Society of BC renovated the site and changed its name from Fruitova to Fructova, which is the correct Russian spelling. Since 2009, this site has also been home to the Boundary Museum & Interpretive Centre.

The brick factory operated from 1909 to 1932. It produced bricks not only for the Doukhobor community but also for sale to others. The factory used steam-powered machines to make bricks on a large scale. It closed during the Great Depression and never reopened after the CCUB faced difficulties in 1938.

Pride of the Valley Flour Mill

Another important site was the Pride of the Valley Flour Mill, built in 1915. It used steam power until 1945, when it closed. The mill reopened in 1962, using an electric hammer mill, but stopped production in the late 2010s.