There is nothing quite like walking through a cemetery to bring life into perspective. I have driven past the Moyie Cemetery my entire life and have never stopped to visit. I say visit because you always feel like you are a guest or an intruder when standing over a stranger’s grave. This gravesite is more than a hundred years old and is a monument to the history of Moyie, B.C., a small mining and railroad town located on the shore of Moyie Lake, 30 km south of Cranbrook, BC. The community was born when silver was discovered in 1893. St. Eugene Mine became one of the riches silver-lead mines in Canada employing over 450 men by 1909. Moyie ‘city’ exploded to 1,200 residents and was host five large hotels. This marble cross marks Victor Desaulniers’ (1861-1925) grave. Victor was the owner of the Central Hotel, which was destroyed by fire in 1931. In the 1920’s the silver supply ran out and the community dwindled to 100. Today the picturesque town is home to 450 residents and a great local pub named Kokanee Cove.
