Assyrians, North Battleford drama group, 1933. Left to right: Robert George, Sargis George, Solomon Backus, Samuel Robin, Joseph Backus, Elia Backus. Photo submitted
ishtartv.com - newsoptimist.ca
May
3, 2017
Recently,
long-time North Battleford resident, Margaret Beach – a direct descendent of
the original Assyrians who migrated from the Middle East to Battleford in 1903
– suggested that 114 years after they arrived in this area might be a good time
to write an article for the general public about their early struggles,
dauntless courage in the face of overwhelming obstacles, wonderful successes,
and many contributions to the Battlefords social and economic life. And, on the
occasion of Canada’s 150th birthday, that we should reflect on the many
advances made by the Assyrian people in our communities and nation. I agreed.
Here is their story:
The
News-Optimist (June 22, 1979) noted that, “The Canadian West has no greater
settlement story than that of the Assyrians who landed on Canadian soil on
January 1, 1903.” They were interviewed by officials at Pier 21 in Halifax (as
were all newcomers to Canada) before they were permitted to leave for their
destination thousands of miles across a largely primitive and unbroken land in
the interior – to Battleford (North Battleford did not yet exist; it was
granted village status in 1906), North West Territories.
The
Assyrians were among Battleford’s very first settlers. Their stalwart leader,
the Reverend Dr. Isaac Adams, organized two resettlement projects in Canada,
one in 1903 near Battleford, and one in 1906 about eight miles northeast of the
first settlement. Importantly, unlike many other ethnic groups, these
settlements were composed of families, not men only. The goal was permanent
settlement. But the story of our Assyrian brothers and sisters begins long
before their arrival on the shores of our great nation. It begins in the old
country – in Turkey and Iran. “The name of the Reverend Isaac Adams will always
be cherished here (in the Battlefords). He is enshrined in their hearts as one
who gave them ‘new lamps for old’ on these Western Plains, and guided their
footsteps in the strangers’ land” (North Battleford News Optimist, June 22,
1979).
Isaac
Adams was born in the village of Sangar, near the town of Urmia, in 1872. At
the age of six, his father passed away, so his mother and five siblings were
left in the care of relatives. Early in life Isaac came under the influence of
the Presbyterian mission where he attended school. At the age of sixteen, he
made his way to the United States, and with the help of the Presbyterian Board
of Foreign Missions, studied to become a minister. After graduating, Isaac
traveled throughout the United States on a 45-day lecture tour dressed in his
‘exotic’ native costumes. He gave lectures and sold his photographs and used
the money to open schools in various Assyrian towns in Iran. In 1897, Rev.
Adams entered Grand Rapids Medical College and graduated with a degree in
medicine three years later. He promptly returned to homeland and married Sarah,
the daughter of a prominent physician. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Adams began to
organize groups of his countrymen for settlement in North America. Their
primary motivation to emigrate was to escape religious persecution. But where
to settle? Canada’s immigration policy was to settle and develop Western Canada
into a major wheat- and cereal-producing region. The government did not
discriminate against immigrants of a different ethnic background or creed. It
was interested primarily in settlers who had agricultural skills and a strong
work ethic. The Assyrians had both.
In
the fall of 1902, the Adams led a column of six horse-drawn carts with 36 men,
women and children from Sangar (near Tehran, Iran) towards the Turkish border.
Their destination: Canada, the North West Territories, and Battleford. The
family names of these remarkable adventurers included Adams, Backus, Shabaz,
Odishoo, Jacobs, George, Baba, Badal, Robin, Lazar and Tamraz. The wagons made
it across the robber-infested Turkish-Iranian border without incident (the
prayers of Reverend Adams and his followers were answered). From Turkey, they
took a train to Hamburg, Germany where they boarded a steamship, the “Assyria,”
and sailed to Halifax, Nova Scotia. From there, the settlers took a train
to Winnipeg where they spent the winter. In the spring, they travelled by train
to Saskatoon. After purchasing carts and oxen to pull them, and other necessary
pieces of agricultural equipment, they followed the old Battleford Trail along
the south side of the North Saskatchewan River to Battleford, at which
point they ferried the river to the North Bank. Reverend Adams and his
congregation knelt and gave thanks to God for His bounties and mercies, and for
preserving their lives during their arduous journey.
The
Assyrian settlers had travelled thousands of miles. They were home, even if
home was only an encampment of tents where today stands the Saskatchewan
Hospital. To house them through the winter, the settlers built a one story
stone structure 30 by 50 feet, with two-foot-thick walls on Dr. Adam’s
homestead. The settlers lived here communally as one large family during the
winter of 1904-1905. Construction began on individual houses the following
spring.
The
Assyrians filed for homesteads shortly after their arrival. A quarter section
could be purchased for $10. In 1903, the area was sparsely populated.
Battleford, the closest town, was a few miles away from the Assyrian
settlement. For the first few years, the Assyrians engaged in subsistence
farming to provide for their basic food requirements. To bring in cash, the men
worked in town at any labour jobs they could find. The colony prospered during
the first few years. The land was virgin and gardens produced much more than
the farms in the old country. Sarah Adams remarked that the cabbages grew so
large that they could not fit within a person’s arms. Moreover, a workman’s
wages in Battleford were considerably higher than they were in Persia.
When
it became apparent that that the Canadian Northern Railway would build a rail
line north of the river (to the dismay of the citizens of Battleford),
settlers, businessmen and speculators (largely Anglo-Saxons from the United
Kingdom and Eastern Canada) poured into the area. In March of 1906, North
Battleford acquired the status of village. Four months later, it became a town
(it gained city status in 1913). All of this meant more, and better, work
opportunities for the Assyrians, particularly on the railway and in the booming
construction trade.
By
1906, the settlers had saved enough money to bring their relatives to
Canada. In the same year, Dr. Adams went to Persia and returned with forty
Assyrians. The new settlers purchased homesteads in the White Wood area about
eight miles north-east of North Battleford. The soil was excellent, and the
land was flat and free of rocks. But good land was not a sufficient remedy for
the Canadian farmer’s situation in those days. Quarter-section farms were
inadequate for dry land farming; half-sections were viable but often needed
more labour than one family could muster. On top of that, crops were hit by
frost year after year before farmers could take them off. As a consequence, six
out of ten farms failed. The Assyrian farms were no exception. By 1914, most
Assyrian farmers and their families had moved off their lands and settled in a
section of North Battleford referred to as “Chisholm Town.” In subsequent
years, more Assyrians joined the colony in North Battleford, either on their
own, or with the help of relatives already established.
The
Assyrians worked hard and with determination and perseverance, they farmed,
established businesses, and educated their children so they could enrich the
fibre and strength of their adopted homeland (The News Optimist, n.d.)
They
were in possession of an entrepreneurial spirit and had a talent for business.
For example, the founder of the candy industry in North Battleford was Esakan
Shabaz, who opened the Olympia Candy Store where he made his own candies. There
were many other Assyrian-owned and operated businesses in the Battlefords.
These included: Madison Billiards (owner Moses Backus and sons Joseph and
Donald); Picadily Grill (Eli Backus); Bob’s Barber Shop (Robert Backus);
Patricia Confectionary Owner (Sam Esaw); Lazar Dry Cleaning and Tailor Shop
(Daniel and Sulton Lazar); North Battleford Tannery (Fred Lazar); Beaver Billiards
(Tom Yonan); Modern Billiards (Bob Shabaz); Battleford Furniture (Richard and
Chris Odishaw); People’s Cab (William and Albert George); J. R.’s Distributors,
Dispensing and Catering (Robert Odishaw); Korner Store (Shirley Robin) and
Capital Grocery Owners (John and Thirza Odishaw). Finally, Margaret Beach noted
that her brother, Edward Robin, refereed hockey in North Battleford. He
relocated to Knoxville, Tennessee and refereed hockey there for 30 years. After
he passed away, the organization raised a banner in the coliseum with his name
on it. It was a great honour.
Assyrians
also contributed in other important ways. Johnny Esaw was vice-president of
sports for the CTV television network. Moe and Jeep George coached and managed
some of the most successful hockey teams in North Battleford’s history. They
also assisted many young hockey players with their hockey careers. Mike Odishaw
was reeve of the Rural Municipality of North Battleford for many years. Dick
Robin was a member of the North Battleford Public School Board for many years.
Chris Odishaw served terms as President of the Battlefords Chamber of Commerce
and as Mayor of Battleford. David Odishaw was a director with the Chamber of
Commerce. This list is by no means exhaustive.
A
fundamental defining point of the Assyrians was their religion, which sustained
them when they left their homeland and during the hard, early years of
settlement. The Assyrians, led by their minister, were the first Presbyterians
in the region. When Dr. Adams left for California, they brought in a new
minister, Reverend Eshoo, who provided church services in the Assyrian language
well into the 1940s. At this point, the Assyrians joined St. Andrews
Presbyterian Church and have remained its backbone throughout the years. They
served in various capacities as treasurers, ushers and elders of the church.
There were many Assyrian youth in the church. Assyrian women were active in
church work as members of the church ladies auxiliary and their handiwork and
baked goods were in high demand. In a special church ceremony on the occasion
of the 80th anniversary of the arrival of the Assyrians to the Battlefords,
Lieutenant-Governor C. Irwin Mcintosh noted, “It is a matter of record today
that almost half of the elders of St. Andrews are descendants of those first
settlers. They have made a contribution to our city that belies their numbers”
(The News Optimist, 1983).
Like
so many of our pioneers, the Assyrians came to Canada to escape religious
persecution and oppression. The idea of freedom and owning their own land was
irresistible. They were willing to endure any hardships to attain the promised
land. The Assyrians contributed much to their new land. They were solid,
law-abiding citizens. They were talented and hard-working and added much to the
social and economic fabric of their adopted country. Finally, they remained
steadfast in the support of their Christian faith. (Sources: Dr. Arianne
Ishaya, Margaret Beach, The News Optimist).
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