REGINA – “My mom got really nostalgic when I was talking about how some of these pictures had old wood sidewalks,” said Kathleen Wilson, Heritage Community Association Executive Director as she admired a shot taken in 1957 by a local hobbyist photographer.
Vassil Zaharik was born in Regina in 1923 and lived most of his life – more than 80 years – in the 900 block of 11th Avenue. For more than six decades, he owned and operated the corner grocery store and documented life in this neighbourhood.
Four years ago, Zaharik’s enormous collection of archival photos grabbed the attention of a budding Regina journalist.
To Wilson, Kresnyak points to a group photo: “There’s Vassil in the back corner and he was just the one who chose to take pictures of it all.”
Over a period of six months, Kresnyak went through hundreds of photos and selected more than a dozen for an art show in 2011 – two weeks before Zaharik’s death. Since then, Kresnyak has kept the photos in his home, but now he wants to make it a public exhibit.
“I felt more people should see his work,” he said.
“I got really excited when I heard about the photographs and that they exist. This neighbourhood has a really rich history,” Wilson said.
The photos will be on permanent display at the Exchange and the Heritage Community Association office (located at the old Number One Fire Hall on 11th Avenue).
“I think they’re just such a good record of the neighbourhood. We want people to come in and look at them and tell us stories and share some of that history before it gets lost,” Wilson said.
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