Jake Baerg (photo courtesy/Charlene Propp)

By Ben Tompkins

Jake Baerg

Community members remembering the ‘man who built Hudson Bay’

Mar 8, 2023 | 3:25 PM

A community Facebook group for a northeast town is remembering the person who they refer to as “the man who built Hudson Bay”.

They remember him more as Jake, as he passed away peacefully this past Saturday, with his family by his side.

Jake Baerg was born in El Trebol, Durango on April 7, 1931, and brought his family to Canada in 1953.

He started his construction company in Estevan, Sask. before moving to Hudson Bay in 1973, bringing along his brother, a wife and five kids, as well as many workmen.

Baerg’s family lived in a mobile home, with a porch full of bunk beds and a modified school bus, before he eventually built them a beautiful home, which still stands today.

difficult work

'Hats off to them': Crews continue to fight 'monster' wildfire in La Ronge

7h ago

FOR A BETTER FUTURE

Chief Moosomin School named Sask.'s sole recipient of 2025 Indigo literacy grant

13h ago

Kars 4 K9's

North East SPCA hosting car show in Melfort

19h ago

Baerg was also contracted by the town to build numerous other homes for people, 50 to be exact, as part of the ‘new development area.’

According to his daughter, Charlene Propp, “the real question is what didn’t he build in Hudson Bay?”

Baerg continued on with his construction company, called ‘Jake’s Construction,’ throughout his years in the community.

He is responsible for building the town office and hall (which he fell off and hurt himself during construction), the public swimming pool, Lewellins Sales and Service, the SARCAN building, several churches, the Treeline Motel and Restaurant, as well as many homes and garages in Hudson Bay and Ruby Lake.

Baerg also poured many sidewalks in the town, working until he was 87 years old.

Propp described her father as a “hardworking man who took great pride in his work.”

“Many people in the town called it the Town that Jake built for all the things he built and did there,” she explained. “When we first moved there the town was very small until he started building it up. He also did home renovations but preferred starting from the beginning. People in the town respected him as he was an old soul with a big heart and always a smile on his face. He enjoyed people stopping in to see him and always was waiting to share a drink with them.”

Others shared their thoughts and stories on Hudson Bay Happenings, reminiscing about the things he built for them.

“Everyone in the town knew who ‘Jake’ was,” Propp added.

–

news@northeastnow.com

On Twitter @BenTompkins_8