Andy McCracken, a septuagenarian, takes a moment before dialing his late father’s old number on a vintage rotary phone on a bright day in late July. Standing inside a small wooden structure next to a graveyard in Alberta’s Rocky Mountain foothills, he uses a “wind phone” – a symbolic device allowing one-way conversations between the living and the deceased.

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, the wind phone holds sentimental value for McCracken, who plans for both him and his wife, Anne, to be laid to rest at Mountain Park, where their ashes will be interred.

Reflecting on his roots in a former coal mining community, McCracken expresses gratitude to his father for his birth in Luscar, Alberta, in 1953, and for the shared love of the mountains. The McCrackens, now residents of Edson, Alberta, have chosen a burial plot with a view of Cheviot Mountain at Mountain Park Cemetery, where the couple hopes to spend many more years before their final rest.

Established in 1911 as the terminus of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway line, Mountain Park once thrived with a peak population of 1,000 residents in 100 homes before the coal mine ceased operations in 1950. Today, only the cemetery remains, with 269 documented interments dating back to 1913. Madison Sharman, heritage co-ordinator for Yellowhead County, shares insights about the town’s history, emphasizing the railway’s vital role as the community’s lifeline.

While the nostalgic allure of a secluded life in the subalpine is apparent, the gravestones at Mountain Park Cemetery reveal the harsh realities faced by early settlers. Pat Rausch, a long-time visitor to the cemetery, recounts emotional encounters with infant burial sites, reflecting on the hardships endured by previous generations. Tragic stories, such as three miners’ deaths from consuming wood alcohol during the Spanish flu pandemic, and mining accidents resulting in 17 fatalities, underscore the town’s challenging past.

With efforts to preserve Mountain Park Cemetery’s history, former residents and volunteers, including the McCrackens, have contributed to the restoration of the burial ground. Anne McCracken finds solace in visiting their chosen plot, viewing it as a peaceful resting place. For Andy McCracken, a connection to his birthplace and his father’s explorations in the mountains completes a full circle of life.

Managed by Yellowhead County, Mountain Park Cemetery continues to honor its legacy while accommodating new cremation burials for local residents. Recent interments include notable figures like the founders of Freson Bros. grocery chain and a D-Day veteran, emphasizing the diverse stories held within the cemetery’s grounds.

Madison Sharman’s vision for every cemetery in Yellowhead County to feature a wind phone symbolizes the enduring nature of love, memories, and storytelling. The wind phone at Mountain Park, with Sharman’s poignant poem inside, serves as a reminder that every spoken word echoes through the landscape, connecting past and present generations.