The original name of the parish of the Immaculate Conception Church of Cooks Creek was St. John the Baptist. It was organized around the year 1904. A large number of Ukrainian-speaking settlers had taken up land south of the Polish parish of St. Michael's and on the west side of Cooks Creek. It was quite difficult for the people to attend church at St. Nicholas and therefore St. John the Baptist parish was organized. The first services in this parish were held in the homes of the settlers but by 1906 the church was erected on a one-acre site provided by Michael Pundy. Fred Spewak was the head carpenter.

Some of the original settlers in this area were Fred Kozie, Simon Nimchuk, John and Vincent Thrush, Michael Onsowich, John Prokopenko, Michael Ushkoski, John and Harry Belluk, Michael Pundy and Fred Spewak.

The old St. John the Baptist (building) was moved to Cloverleaf.

(Source: Springfield - First Rural Municipality in Manitoba, 1873 - 1973, pp 156ff [1991; Adapted])

The Immaculate Conception Church Of the Virgin Mary, is the third Church of the parish.

Four cemeteries in the area belong to the parish of Cooks Creek. The first church, built in 1904 was named St. John the Baptist.

Ukrainian settlement started in the Cooks Creek area in 1897. In 1904 the parish united and, with Fred Spiwak, built their first church. Participants in the building of the first church were: Michael Uskowsky, Fred Kozie, Simon Nymchuk, John Trush and ? Prokopenko. With the help of Michael Yanchynsky, Victor Garbert, and much volunteer work by the parishioners. When the parish was founded there were 30 members, in 1941 there were 250 members and many school-aged children. At this time [1991], there are 250 members, of which 100 were born in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Catholic parish in Cooks Creek with the church of the Immaculate Conception of the Mother of God, the "Prairie Cathedral" and its Grotto, are a pilgrimage centre and serves Ukrainians in the communities of Dugald, Oakbank, Hazelridge and Pine Ridge.

(Source: Ukrainian Catholic Churches of Winnipeg Archeparchy, pp 156ff [1991; Adapted])

The church, a nationally and provincially designated historic site, was renovated as part of the Manitoba Prairie Churches Project.

(Source: Manitoba Historical Society [Adapted])

Dominion Land Survey coordinates: LSD05-18-12-06-E1

In the Rural Municipality of Springfield

As noted above, a part of the area's story and those of its inhabitants from the early days of European settlement through roughly 1973 is told in the volume "Springfield - First Rural Municipality in Manitoba, 1873 - 1973", especially starting on page 431. 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 #0848), transcribed by a member or members in 1994. 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).

Additionally, as noted above, the volume "Ukrainian Catholic Churches of Winnipeg Archeparchy", also freely available online via the U of Manitoba Digital Archives, provides information about the parish, especially starting on page 156. That one book is from Volume IV in the set entitled "History of Ukrainian Catholic Churches in Canada".

Additionally, the Ukrainian Museum of Canada (Manitoba Branch) centralizes, curates and makes available extensive records from various groups related to the communities established by the families of Ukrainian descent who settled lived in, died in, or contributed to the story of Manitoba.