Moses of Rabbit Hill (Nisku)

By Deborah Sarnecki

It was Sunday, March 15, 1897, and Stanislaw and Victoria Sarnecki, their children Anne, Michael, twin boys Franz and Josef and Stanislaw's sister Theresa attended a special Mass in their village of Laszki, Poland. As the family approached the altar to receive the blessing of the Priest, the whole Parish wept. They were tears of sorrow, for they felt they would not see this adventurous family again. They were also tears of joy, for their friends were about to embark on a journey to bountiful Canada, where there was hope and opportunity for those that dared to dream. With their friends went a bit of each of them, and a part of this family would always be in this little village of Laszki.

Being an avid reader, Stanislaw had read in newspapers that land in Canada was free and plentiful. The decision was made to venture forth to the new land amid pessimistic friends and family. Stanislaw and his family sailed from Hamburg, Germany and landed at Saint John, New Brunswick about four weeks later. The ocean voyage usually took two weeks but the poor weather and dodging of icebergs doubled the time. Everyone on the ship suffered from sea sickness except Stanislaw. Perhaps his enthusiasm and excitement made him immune to the fury of the ocean and effects of the rough waters.

The family travelled to Calgary by train, then Strathcona via horse and cart, and finally settled on a farm three miles west and one mile north of Nisku.

Meanwhile, in Laszki, relatives and friends waited for word from the Sarneckis. Although they regarded the Sarneckis to be excessively optimistic, they were anxious to hear from their friends. The optimism flowed from the letters Stanislaw wrote and within a year about 20 more families arrived in Canada and headed for land south-west of Edmonton. They were welcomed and directed by the Sarneckis toward homesteads in what is now the Nisku-Devon district. Stanislaw was fondly called the "Moses of Rabbit Hill" because like Moses, he led the Polish people from the "Galicia of Want" to the "Canada of Plenty".

Among the many wonderful stories my great-uncles would tell me, one of great interest was that Stanislaw named Nisku. CPR representatives approached Stanislaw and asked him to name the station and area he was working so hard to improve and develop. Since he was still learning English, Stanislaw misunderstood and thought they wanted him to describe the land, so he said ‘nisko tu’ meaning low, flat land. To the representatives it translated to Nisku. This account has been corroborated by a very reliable source, The Honourable Allan H. Wachowich, Chief Justice who shared that he often heard this same story from Father Stanley Wachowicz and his uncle Tom Wachowicz, who were also pioneers in this new land. How excited and proud my great grandfather would be today, to see the area thriving and growing even more prosperous.

Stanislaw and Victoria were blessed with twelve children; Anne, Michael (my grandfather), Jacob who died in Poland, Frank and Josef (twins), Peter, Martin, John, Stephen, Kate, Frank and Joseph.

Each generation tries to improve and enhance their way of life so their descendants, in turn, will have an easier path to happiness and prosperity. Stanislaw taught his children his love of knowledge, music and his church. He, along with the hard working early settlers helped lay the cornerstones of the community, and strived to provide the opportunity to all descendants of the community, the ability to gain as much knowledge as possible.

Our ancestors have left us a legacy that is made up of triumphs and tragedies, achievements and misfortunes, distinctive characteristics and habits, as well as customs and traditions that we still share and practice. I am so thankful to our ancestors and so proud of our heritage – all part of our great Alberta!