In the years 1898-1902 some of the immigrant families to this area were in need of a place of worship and a place to bury their loved ones. Some of the families were responsible for the organization and construction of the first little chapel in the area of SE-18-18-20(-W1), where one can find the old parish cemetery. At the time it was the John Klym farm but formerly that of Dan Lilley. It was a log structure with a cemetery nearby in which earlier pioneers and Métis were buried.

Records show that in 1911 this cemetery was left and the chapel was moved to the site of the present church, the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox on NW-16-18-20(-W1). The old chapel was used as the porch and a new addition to accommodate the parishoners was added. A church residence and bell tower were built in 1917. 

The first marriage on record was Teenie Shindruk and Philip Coulson on November (25)th, 1913, married by Rev. M. Hunchak. The first christening in the church was Annie Mizenchuk (Mrs. Tanas Babiak) also baptised by Rev. M. Hunchak. There were earlier baptisms in the record book but they were held in private homes, due to the inconvenience in the small chapel, cold weather. etc. The first person to be buried in the new cemetery was Paul Gregorash, 18-year-old son of Safroni and Maria Gregorash.

(Source: Sandy Lake – Our Roots -- A History of Sandy Lake and District, 1984, p 16)

The cemetery is right behind the church and is well kept.

(Source: Manitoba Genealogical Society [Adapted])

Dominion Land Survey coordinates: LSD07-18-18-20-W1

In the Rural Municipality of Harrison Park

As noted above, a part of the town's story and those of its inhabitants from the early days of European settlement through roughly 1984 is told in the volume "Sandy Lake – Our Roots -- A History of Sandy Lake and District, 1984", especially starting on page 16. 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 #0862), transcribed by a member or members in 1994 and updated in 2009. 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, 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.