by the way
is truly stuck in the
middle: It’s sandwiched between four lanes of
north- and southbound traffic along Highway 75.
Rebuilt after a 1939 fire, the church originally
dates to the 1880s when the village of Union
Point buzzed with commercial activity from
Red River steamboats and railway locomotives.
Though nearly all traces of the historic town
have been lost to time, the church remains and
is now recognized as a municipal historic site.
The Union PoinT ChUrCh
66
spring 2019
CAA MAniTOBA
Highway construction during the 1980s might’ve
steamrolled it too, were it not for the cemetery
beside the old structure. Planners made the wise
decision not to pave over the final resting place
of the local souls buried here. Those voices of
the past—along with the ardent support of living
residents—kept the church standing. Though
it’s middle of the road, geographically speaking,
there is nothing boring about this religious
roadside attraction. —Paddy McGee
middle of the road