There are 4 cemeteries in the RM of Minto-Odanah, which are governed and maintained by the municipality; Smoland Cemetery, established in 1908, is one of them.

 In 1958 the Smoland church (called the Swedish Mission Covenant Church) was struck by lightning and burned to the ground. A new church building was erected in Minnedosa at 4th Avenue SW which is still used today. 

(Source: RM of Minto-Odanah website [2023/09])

Immigrants from the Scandinavian countries arriving in Winnipeg during the latter part of the 1800s and early 1900s were often contacted by the 'Swedish Church' of Winnipeg, Manitoba. This church was organized in 1885 and was the only Scandinavian church in Canada at that time. Mr. Victor Wallin, at one time the pastor of the Winnipeg church, working with his brother Elmer, who was in the Real Estate business was also instrumental in settling the newly arrived immigrants in groups. One of these communities was formed just south of Minnedosa, Manitoba and, because a number of families came from a province in Sweden with the same name, it was called Smoland.

The Scandinavian Mission Covenant was formed in Winnipeg, Manitoba on February 20, 1904. Through its efforts several travelling ministers, among them, Superintendent JE Bjorklund and GA Quarnstrom

held meetings in the homes in the Smoland District. Often travelling on foot, they were always assured of a warm welcome.

In October 1908, at the home of John Berg, under the leadership of the Rev. JE Bjorklund and the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church, later the Smoland Mission Covenant Church, and presently the Evangelical Covenant Church, was organized with the following charter members: Mr and Mrs C.A. Tjader, Mr and Mrs I Borgstrom, Mr and Mrs Oscar Strahl, Mr and Mrs O Holmberg, Mr Elmer Johnson and Mr John Berg. Others present at the meeting who joined later were: Hilma Berg (Mrs Elmer Johnson), CE Larson and Carl Ericson.

Most of this information has been taken from the history of the Church's 50th Anniversary booklet, which was compiled and written by Edward Frost in 1958. This history has been checked by the diaconate in February 1981.

(Source: "Minnedosa Valley Views", pp 62ff [Adapted])

This cemetery was established in 1908. At its edge is a monument, erected in 1971, that commemorates the Smoland Mission Covenant Church that operated here from 1909 to 1957.

(Source: Manitoba Historical Society [Adapted])

Dominion Land Survey coordinates: LSD13-15-14-18-W1

As noted above, a part of the town's story and those of its inhabitants from the early days of European settlement through roughly 1982 is told in the volume "Minnedosa Valley Views", especially starting on page 62. A free digital version of this and many other Manitoba local history books can be found online in the University of Manitoba Digital Collections. There is also a list of such books organized by district and town name on the Manitoba Historical Society's website on their page entitled "Finding Aid: Manitoba Local History Books".

A list of burials in this cemetery is available from the Manitoba Genealogical Society (reference #1081), transcribed by a member or members in NNNN and updated in NNNN. Also available to MGS members is a searchable online database named the "MGS Manitoba Name Index" (or MANI). Some additional information is contained in the 1996 MGS publication "Carved in Stone: Manitoba Cemeteries and Burial Sites" (revised edition, Special Projects Publication, 106 pages).