UBOBU

 There was an unique club that had its roots right here in the West Kootenays. It all started with the reconstruction of an authentic Doukhobor Village across from the Castlegar Airport along Highway 3A back in 1971.

The two (2) double storied buildings along with the U-shaped construction of family quarters had a barn, blacksmith, along with a bathhouse (baunya), all comprised a typical Doukhobor Village design of 1908 that dotted the landscape in the West Kootenay and Boundary areas to house the migrant Doukhobors from Saskatchewan.

The baunya was split into two sections, where historically laundry took place on one side and bathing on the other utilizing a large heating drum that was used to heat water for both. There were grants and donations for most of the restoration process but it was the Doukhobor Cultural Association (DCA) that volunteered to supply the labor and expertise to reconstruct the baunya in and about 1975.

Once constructed, the Health Inspector placed a condition on the facility that it would only be used for display purposes. No actual steam baths could take place by the public. Therein was the issue, why not? The position of the PHO was that a shower would have to be in place along with some type of disinfecting footbath in order to meet the Public Health Act. This would render the restoration of an historic building a non-starter.

After a great deal of discussion regarding the use of this type of steam bath by Ukrainians and Russians in  those countries and their historical record of staying healthy, the PHO decided that if he did not hear about it, then he would not need to take any action unless there would be a complaint. If such a complaint came from the public, then he would have to shut it down.

This became the foundation for the clandestine formation of the United Brotherhood of Bathhouse Users (UBOBU). In keeping with other secretive organizations, it became necessary for the membership to meet under extremely carefully planned occasions by inviting only the trusted few that would be able to keep the secret under an unwritten code and Rules of Conduct. So what would be the code and the secret pass word ?

After a great deal of soul-searching, it was decided that there should be an initiation process where all new members would need to be recommended by existing members in good standing and that they would need to answer a skill testing question as part of the entry requirements into the club. And so it was decided:

After a drink of vodka, the candidate would need to spell UBOBU backwards (no prompting allowed). Failure to do so the first time would mean that the hapless candidate would need to return another time and repeat the process until the ritual was correctly completed.

Yes, there were people that needed to come several times until they could do the recital and spelling of UBOBU backwards. It had very little to do with muscles in the tongue and its relationship to any prior refreshment taken into the body.

Since membership remains a secret, I cannot reveal the actual names of the various members but I can suggest that some of the more prominent members included:

• Practicing Lawyers
• Judges from the bench
• Schoolteachers
• Building Contractors
• Tradesmen of all types
• Professional people
• Union Business Agents
• Visiting Dignitaries from abroad
• The occasional American that may have wandered over the border
• Ordinary folk
• Undertakers (or someone undertaking something or another)
• Caretakers and Curators at the Village

All were permitted entry, regardless of Race, Color or Creed; however, the entry rules were the same for everyone.

As with the Rotary and other service clubs, the female gender became jealous of the goings on in the UBOBU and wanted entry like everyone else; however, thanks to our wives, this never became an issue to have females join the males for a baunya, but it was rumored that, on occasion, women, only, would meet for a steam bath at an undisclosed time not to conflict with the men.

So what is a baunya anyway? The Swedes have a sauna and it is dry heat or a limited amount of steam. The baunya differs only in that there are benches or platforms at different heights that allow bathers to lie or sit up and enjoy different levels of heated steam that is usually created by dashing warm water on rocks that cover a wood-fired stove in the corner of the steam room. As the room cools, someone will throw more water unto the rocks and the steamed atmosphere is refreshed. Stoking the fire is an essential chore that a rookie had to do.

A veynick (broom) made from hazelnut bushes or oak branches, is cut in late spring and allowed to hang dry. Before use, the veynick is soaked in hot water to soften the leaves. This veynick is then patted over the back and body of one of the Bathers, undergoing a steaming and then cold water is dumped over to get a tingling sensation before that bather gets a rub down with soap and water at a lower bench. Turns are taken by the Bathers until all  get similar treatment.

After this everyone “takes a break” by drinking refreshments of their choice in the adjacent room which is used as a dressing room (perhaps “Club Room”) and a rest area while telling various stories, true and untrue of whatever subject may come to the mind of the teller.

Usually, during the second sequence of bathing and steaming, the group runs outside and rolls in the snow (in winter time) or stands outside for a few minutes to cool off in the summer.

Traditionally, the baunya was built by a river or pond so that bathers could jump in to cool off. Unfortunately the Columbia River, in this location, is quite a challenge to utilize for such an action.

There are many stories that can be related here to illustrate the notoriety of this facility and its popularity within the select community: I will outline just a few:

After a competitive Curling Match, I was asked by one astute gentleman as to how a citizen of the community could gain access to the baunya. My response was “you need to know the right people” The retort was “I think I am talking to one of them” So it was decided that after a designated curling game, his team and mine would attend at the baunya.

Everyone cooperated and the entry rituals were completed without a hitch and the orientation process continued with the steaming, veynick slapping, cold water dumping, washing and the new members slowly accustomed to the routine. As we sat there on the upper bench philosophizing, it was noted that some of the Bathers had gone outside and had brought in snow on their bodies, back unto the bench.

“What are they doing?” my learned friend asked me.

“Rolling in the snow”, I responded.

“No way”, he retorted. “No one is that stupid”, he added.

“The next time they go out, let’s have a look”. I suggested.

And so it came to pass that there was another exodus by the chosen few, to run outside and roll in the snow as my friend cautiously peered out through the open door.

“Go out further and prove to yourself that they are really rolling in the snow”, I coaxed and he went a bit further through the door.

God forgive me, but temptations aside, I gave him a swift push with my foot onto his rear end and there he was, in the snow bank, muttering and threatening to sue me and all those other unmentionable statements.

Yes, he returned beside me on that upper bench as a new batch of steam floated up to us. “Hey, this is not all that bad. This is great!” We had another advocate and committed member of the UBOBU.

What was really unique about the UBOBU is that at any time there could be Business Agents, Judges, Open Shop Advocates, Special Agents, Union Men, Non-Union Men all together and enjoying the pleasures of a baunya without any debate or intimidation of any sort whatsoever. To this day, this dysfunctional assembly of acquaintances still are close friends although we have spread all over Canada

Years went by and these Bathing friends mellowed but memories are still rich with the genuine fellowship of a good old-fashioned baunya.

Perhaps a reunion of the surviving members may be in order! There are many epilogues to be written about all these fine friends and my later encounters but we will leave that to another time.

Hey………… what about using this technique in the Israeli / Palestinian negotiations? Yes I know…they don’t have snow there!

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