Andy McCracken, a septuagenarian, takes a moment before dialing his late father’s number on a vintage rotary phone one sunny day in late July. Positioned inside a small wooden structure adjacent to a graveyard in the Rocky Mountain foothills of Alberta, he utilizes what is known as a “wind phone” – an emblematic device enabling living individuals to engage in one-sided conversations with departed loved ones.
Located at Mountain Park Cemetery in Yellowhead County, the highest elevation burial ground in Canada, the wind phone stands at nearly 1,900 meters above sea level, making it the highest in North America. Recently installed by Yellowhead County, Andy and his wife Anne McCracken have already chosen their final resting place at Mountain Park. Eligible for burial due to Andy’s birth in a nearby town where his father served as the mine doctor, the couple currently resides in Edson, Alberta.
Expressing gratitude to his father for his birth in Luscar, Alberta, in 1953 and for the continued enjoyment of the mountains, Andy McCracken bids farewell through the wind phone, ending with a message to his mother.
Established in 1911 as the terminus of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway line, Mountain Park thrived until the closure of the coal mine in 1950. At its peak, the town accommodated about 1,000 residents residing in 100 homes. Today, only the cemetery remains, housing 269 documented burials dating back to 1913.
During an interview at the cemetery, Madison Sharman, the heritage co-ordinator for Yellowhead County, pointed out remnants of the past, like the former railway tracks that once split in a faint “Y” shape. With no road access during the mine’s operation, the train served as the town’s vital link to the outside world.
Residents of Mountain Park created their own entertainment in the secluded wilderness, engaging in foot races up Mount Baldy and embarking on long weekend journeys to neighboring communities for dances. Sharman described the area as exuding a profound sense of tranquility, solitude, and reflection on what was once a vibrant community.
Despite the romanticized notion of a life detached from the outside world, Mountain Park Cemetery narrates tales of frontier challenges and hardship. Infant burial sites, remnants of the Spanish flu pandemic, and tragic mining accidents that claimed the lives of 17 workers serve as poignant reminders of the town’s history.
Pat Rausch, a longtime visitor to the cemetery, reflected on the difficult past, particularly recalling the infant graves and tragic losses due to the Spanish flu and mining accidents. Mary Salzsauler, a former Mountain Park resident, led efforts to restore the cemetery with the help of volunteers, including the McCrackens.
Choosing a burial plot with a view of Cheviot Mountain, the McCrackens find solace in visiting their future resting place, viewing it as a joyful prospect rather than a somber one. Andy McCracken, an outdoor enthusiast and former park ranger, views this final resting place as a return to his roots in the mountains.
Managed by Yellowhead County, Mountain Park Cemetery continues to preserve the history of its interred individuals, accommodating new cremation burials for those with ties to the area. Notable figures laid to rest include Frank and Agnes Lovsin, founders of Freson Bros. grocery chain, and John Mitchell, a D-Day hero decorated by France.
Madison Sharman, emphasizing the welcoming nature of the residents of Mountain Park, encourages visitors to engage with the history and stories of the cemetery. She envisions every cemetery under her jurisdiction featuring a wind phone, with Mountain Park now boasting the highest elevation wind phone in North America. A poem inside the wind phone booth, penned by Sharman, encapsulates the enduring power of love, memories, and storytelling within the landscape.