History of Banff, Alberta

Mounds at Castle Mountain may hold tragic victim of First World War
by Johnnie Bachusky
for the Outlook

Under the shadow of spectacular Castle Mountain in Banff National Park, ghosts refuse to fade away.

Based on new historical information, the Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Association is seeking the support of Parks Canada to re-open an investigation into a suspected grave at the former site of the First World War internment camp - one that may yield a homicide victim.

"With the help of Parks Canada, our community hopes to resolve the mystery of the Castle Mountain mounds, for if any internees are buried there, the time has come for them to become known again so they can finally rest in peace," says Borys Sydoruk, director of special projects for association.

In 1994, Parks Canada allowed the association to perform archeological ground penetrating radar scans on two suspicious mounds at the site, where hundreds of Ukrainian-Canadians, considered "illegal aliens", were detained from 1915 to 1917.

The tests, performed by the University of Calgary's Richard Meyers, showed the mounds contained materials different than what was in the surrounding area. However, Meyers concluded he could not "positively" say whether the mounds contained human remains. He added further investigation was warranted.

Immediately following Meyers' report, Sydoruk requested a follow-up archaeological study but Parks Canada replied it would be "premature" as a detailed survey site map and historic photographs were needed to confirm the mounds' presence when the camp was operational from 1915 to 1917.

Gwyn Langemann, Parks Canada archaeologist, says the association has not made a formal request to further investigate the site, however, she adds the government agency was satisfied in 1994 the tests did not prove any presence of human remains.

"What else can we do short of digging? And we don't won't to do that," says Langemann. "If there is another non-evasive way, I'd sooner do that."

However, Sydoruk says a footnote in the book, "In the Shadow of the Rockies, Diary of the Castle Mountain Internment Camp 1915 - 1917", details the death of George Luka Budak, a 35-year-old Romanian prisoner of war, who died on December 24, 1916 after "apparently (falling) prey to the inter-ethnic tensions evident within the prison barracks."

The footnote, which relies on information from the Provincial Archives of Alberta, says camp officials found Budak's throat cut through the larynx, abdomen slashed open and bowels cut out. A Coroner's Inquest ruled Budak "came to his death by wounds self inflicted, cause unknown." The report says Budak was buried four days alter but does not state where.

"I find it interesting that Budak's death was called a suicide," says Sydoruk. "I don't know how a man can both disembowel himself and also cut his throat open through the larynx."

Marjorie Huculak, manager of executive services for Parks Canada in Banff, says she and other Parks Canada officials were not aware of the information about the Romanian prisoner of war.

"From the people I was able to contact, this information was not provided," says Huculak. "One can't speculate what our next step will be as we have not been formally asked by the association to investigate."

The suspected Castle Mountain grave would not be the first in recent years Parks Canada has given priority attention. In 1998, following news reports, the agency was prompted to investigate a suspected burial site of a century-old child drowning victim at the former townsite of Anthracite, five kilometres northeast of Banff. Following radar scans, the agency determined it was a "probable grave" and erected a commemorative plaque at the site as well as at a previously known pioneer Anthracite cemetery.

This article was first published in the October 25, 2001 edition of the Rocky Mountain Outlook.

Johnnie Bachusky is a freelance Canmore writer and photographer who for the past two years has travelled throughout western Canada exploring and documenting ghost towns. He is committed to heritage preservation and has launched Ghost Towns of Western Canada and co-launched the Ghost Towns of Alberta web site with Ontario web designer Susan Foster. He is currently co-constructing Saskatchewan and B.C. sites. He has written several magazine articles, and contributed and exhibited scores of photographs depicting Western Canada's pioneer history.

B&W photos courtesy and copyright © The Centennial Museum Society of Canmore.
Colour photos courtesy and copyright © Ghost Towns of Western Canada