ALEX GABER  as told by Peter Gaber

Just as the Klondike Gold Rush attracted people from all over in search of gold so did the news of free land in Canada attract people from all over Europe in search of riches and freedom.

In the village of Corovia, Bucovina, within sight of Cernatz, lived a family of better than average means ,the family of Gregory Gaber. Being highly respected in the community, Gregory was elected by the elders as “vornic’ or as we would call “mayor” here. His future there seemed secure but his children who had heard of Canada began pleading with him saying that they wanted to
go to Canada. Much to their surprise he came home one evening and said, “Pack up your belongings, I have sold my land and we are leaving for Canada.’

So in the spring of 1903, Gregory Gaber, aged 40, his second wife Dominica, aged 25, and his children, (Endochia, aged 19; Alexander, aged 17; Efruzina, aged 13 ;Marina, aged 6 and Magdalena, aged 4) boarded the train in Cernantz and left the homeland for Canada. Their destination was Edmonton, Alta. They embarked in Hamburg and landed in Halifax 16 days later.

There were many other families from the same village making the same trip - Jacob Iftodi, son-in-law, Nick Walchuk, Mikai Holunga, Ted Keeper, Simion Bulbuck, Steve Flundra, John Bulezuik, John Bobbie, John Hudema, Geo. Mosoranchean, Vasile Romanuik, Alex Slusarchuk, Merinuk.

They were taken off the train in Saltcoats and put in a quarantine camp where they stayed for over three weeks. While there, they lived in tents and their guards used to throw loaves of bread
to them over the fence for their meals.

Alex Gaber and two of his friends, Nick Walchuk and George Harek, not liking being kept confined, escaped from camp one night and walked to Calder where they heard about a Romanian
settlement. They got there and soon found jobs. Alex hired himself to work for Marteniuk family at a wage of $4.00 per month and a pipe and tobacco. The police were not long in finding them and
brought them back to camp, where they were fined $9.00 each or three months in jail for leaving camp. However, the fines were paid and when they were released from camp they went to Lennard where they heard there was another Romanian settlement.

Gregory Gaber homesteaded on the S.E. 1/4 of 22-23-28 east of the Shell River.

In 1905, at the age of 42, Gregory decided to build himself a bigger and better house, so he called together a “bee”, a custom from Romania, where everybody comes to help for one day. While the helpers were carrying logs for the walls, he was pinned down by a log that they had thrown down and he died within two hours, not living to see the house he planned. He was one of the first to be buried at the cemetery at the Lennard Orthodox Church.

After Gregory’s death, it was left to Alex Gaber, aged 19, to look after his step-mother and sisters. First Efruzina got married to Geo. Paulenko in 1906. Alex Gaber, at 21, married Grapina Burla, 14 years old, daughter of Eli Burla; then Marina married John Mintenko and
lastly Magdalena married Wasyl Holunga.

Alex Gaber and his wife Grapina had five sons and five daughters. The sons:Peter married Lena Bezan (Inglis); George and his wife Carol (Kitchener, Ont.); Jim married Lena Nevistock (Inglis); John married Mary Onofreichuk (Hamilton, Ont.); and Gerry, of Burlington. The daughters: Mabel, Mrs. John Galatiuk (Russell); Dora, Mrs. Tom Storey (Fort McLeod); Annie, Mrs. Fred Poole (Russell); Mary, Mrs. Peter Titian (Hamilton); and Margaret,
Mrs. Bill Threader (Burlington).