Ukrainians reflect on 1st immigrants to live in Alberta 125 years ago

Ukrainians are known for delicious food, impressive dancing and devout religion – but on the 125th anniversary of the first immigrants to live in Alberta, it’s their perseverance that’s being remembered.

Over the years, there have been five waves of Ukrainian immigrants to the province and many chose to settle in east-central Alberta.

The first families came in the 1890s by boat, then took a train to the area near the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village by Elk Island National Park.

“They came for the black soil, the richness of our province. For freedom and the prosperity of our children,” said Olesia Luciw-Andryjowycz, the president of the Alberta Council of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress.

“They would come to a barren land full of forests, full of rock, it was scary.”

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Once they arrived, they worked hard to clear the land and build homesteads out of rudimentary materials.

They had to overcome isolation, a language barrier and harsh winters.

Former Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach’s grandparents built their house on what would become a farm near Andrew, Alta.

The restored home has since been transported to the Ukrainian village and restored as a learning centre.

“This house will be representative of all the settlers that came during the period, the 1890s into the early 1900s,” said Stelmach.

“It will tell a story for generations to come of the hardships, the obstacles.”

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Stelmach was emotional as he watched his grandchildren and great-grandchildren pose in front of the house for pictures.

He remembers picking herbs for his favourite soup with his grandmother as a child.

“She would pick the sorrel, chop it up very fine and put it in potato soup with, of course, cream.”

The house now features its first paint colour, a vibrant yellow, as well as original copper hardware.

“The house before you here is more than just an important piece of family heritage,” Stelmach said as he addressed a crowd gathered for a ribbon cutting.

“It’s a symbol of what can be accomplished in a land that’s truly a land of opportunity.”

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Stelmach House will open to the public in 2017, after antiques and interpretive panels are added to the interior.

Alberta Minister of Economic Development and Trade Deron Bilous said the celebration is a proud day for his family – as he, too, has Ukrainian grandparents.

“Ukrainians were here before Alberta was a province–before we joined Confederation–and have contributed significantly to Alberta’s rich cultural heritage and the fabric of our society and the prosperity that we now enjoy.”

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