Sask Ukrainian Historical Society activity

Karen Pidskalny, SUHS Project Coordinator

Researching Your Eastern European Roots Workshop

The Saskatoon Genealogy Society sponsored a workshop on Researching Your Eastern European Roots presented by Dave Obee, president of the Federation of East European Family History Societies.

The day was filled with history, places to find information, and how history affects the information to be discovered. His session dealt with “Finding Places in Germany and Eastern Europe,” “Stalin’s Secret Files,” “Discoveries in the EWZ microfilms” and “Destination: Canada.”

“Stalin’s Secret Files” was most interesting. The socialist system was notorious for creating a paper trail for every deed. Whether one was charged with a crime, committed to death, or already executed, a paper document confirmed each action. What I found most to my surprise is that many of these files still exist and can be viewed. If you have a relative in Ukraine who did suddenly disappear, you just may be able to find out what happened to them.

Dave came with a wealth of information during his sessions and with an array of books. The selection of books included the best resource material in aiding a genealogist’s research in Eastern Europe. He is the genealogy specialist in this area, having travelled extensively to do his research to Ukraine, Poland, Russia and Germany. If you would be interested in more information about this workshop or would like to have the Saskatchewan Ukrainian Historical Society host a workshop, please contact me at 306-652-5850.

Our Library is Growing

New and very interesting books have been added to our collection. They are Atlas of Saskatchewan, Tracing Your Saskatchewan Ancestors: A Guide to the Records and How to Use Them, Unearthing Our Ancestors: Finding the Skeletons!, Historical Atlas of East Central Europe, Finding Your Ukrainian Ancestors..., Destination Canada: A Guide to 20th Century Immigration Records and Back to the Land: A Genealogical Guide to Finding Farms on the Canadian Prairies.

If there are any other interesting titles you would like to see in our collection, please pass them along to our office. If you think you may have some books you would like to donate to our library, please contact the office.

Saskatchewan Ukrainian Historical Society’s Centennial Project

I am very excited to announce our Centennial Project. It is a travel-guide brochure to Saskatchewan’s Ukrainian Ecotourism Communities. This project is aimed at the historical, heritage and cultural icons built by one of Saskatchewan’s largest ethnic immigrant groups, the Ukrainian pioneers. The brochure will highlight the physical monuments that still stand: churches, cemeteries, community halls, schools, homesteads and places of business in six regions. It will also recognize the places that have disappeared, such as the Eaton Saskatchewan Internment Camp, west of Saskatoon.

The six regions reflect the six ethnic bloc settlements of Ukrainian origin. They are Regina-Montmartre-Grenfell settlement (1896), Yorkton-Canora-Melville bloc settlement (1897-1911), Saskatoon-Wakaw-Fish Creek bloc settlement (1987-1898), Melfort-Gronlid-Nipawin bloc settlement (1906- ), Prince Albert-Meath Park-Garden River settlement (1906-1907) and Battleford-Red Berry Lake bloc settlement (1904-1914).

The Ukrainian pioneers were one of the province’s most prominent nation builders. Their desire to become their own landlords in a county which offered “free land” brought them to the wilderness of Canada. They were determined to build a better life for themselves and for the generations to come. Though the evidence of their dreams still exists today, it is sad to discover that some of that evidence has disappeared and with very little knowledge of its existence. As the number of pioneers dwindles, the timing to collect and record this information has become even more crucial.

Coming from villages in the old country, the earliest of Ukrainian immigrants settled on 160 acres of land purchased for $10. In the new country, there was no community to come to; there was no house to move into, no school to send their children to, no church to celebrate in and no place to gather in to socialize. They built and shaped these communities into what they are today. The agricultural industry in Saskatchewan was born from the first furrow in a virgin land by many Ukrainian farmers.

The brochure’s label, “Saskatchewan’s Ukrainian Ecotourism Communities,” invites tourists to travel to a host community where they would be enlightened by the ethnic, cultural and geographic history of that region. Each of the six areas offers a common thread of Ukrainian history, but yet offers very diverse unique experience.

A few samples of what one would discover in each of the ecotourism regions: Saskatoon’s Ukrainian Professional & Business Club hosts the “King of the Kovbasa,” a joint venture with the Saskatoon Symphony of tasting and picking the best-tasting sausage. Regina’s Ukrainian Professional & Business Club hosts a springtime ritual of gathering mushrooms. Canora Ukrainian Museum is a treasure-trove of local history, filled with local artifacts, old photographs, documents and plenty of stories of about the early settlers. A community hall in Meacham, once the social gathering of the Ukrainian community, is now a popular dinner theatre.

Hafford has a phenomenon of crooked trees. The trees in this small groove grow curly and crooked. The story goes that if you take out a tree it will grow straight anywhere else but if you plant a straight tree there it will grow like the others -- crooked.

The small Saskatchewan communities and rural areas would benefit economically and have the opportunity to host guests with their warm hospitality. These places would see long lost relatives researching family ties, friends from their past or the chance to meet someone from far away who came to experience Ukrainian culture and history in Saskatchewan.

Many of the small country parishes still exist and continue to celebrate the feast day of their parish with what is called “praznyk,” The church feast day is a fixed day on the calendar. These small parishes look forward to their feast day with anticipation because both the local people join them for the celebration and relatives and friends from long ago return for this special day. The tradition of blessing the graves is done on the Praznyk. The social gathering is complete with a dinner and an afternoon of visiting. Everyone is welcome to join in the celebration and the brochure could be used as a tour of parish Praznyk.

People are becoming interested in the origins of their ancestors. When they discover their roots are Ukrainian, they know that the opportunity to experience being Ukrainian can be found here in Saskatchewan. The travel guide will lead them to the many places where they can enjoy the culture, language, food, dance, music and faith.

From February to April, collection of sites and history research will be done for each of the areas. In May and June, I will be visiting each of the areas to photograph the churches, cemeteries, homesteads, businesses, halls, and any other places of worthy mention. Before I come out for a visit, I invite you to send in the places in your area you would like to see in the brochure. I would love to have a tour guide when I come out for the visit so if any of you can spare some time and show me around your community, please give me a call. The brochure will be ready in October and will be launched at the fall conference.

Looking forward to my visit with you in your backyard!