Fences make good neighbours

In Waskesiu, there are no fences around people’s cabins and cottages.  However, the lots are surveyed and iron pins or stakes can be found driven into the ground to mark the property line.  Cindercrete blocks like the one pictured here were also sunk level into the ground to show the property line.

Although pegs and blocks like these have been used to indicate property lines, people had to learn to get along with each other.  Shack tents (on 30 foot lots) and portable cabins (on 40 foot lots) are very close together.  Staying on good terms with your neighbours is very important when you are in such close proximity.

A strong sense of community grew up as people shared community washrooms and camp kitchens.  People greeted their neighbours many times a day, coming and going to the “biffies” or bathrooms.  They cooked together in the camp kitchens, often sharing a meal, having impromptu “pot luck”, or playing cards.  The sharing of these public spaces lead to a close knit community.