Celebrating the 150^th Anniversary of Dr. Josef Olesków’s Birth

Descendants of Dr. Josef Oleskw’s first organized group of Ukrainian homesteaders converged on the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village, east of Edmonton, on Sunday, August 8^th, 2010 at Ukrainian Day celebrations to recognize the 150^th anniversary of Oleskw’s birth.

In  1895, Dr. Josef Oleskw toured Canada with a plan of organizing groups of homesteaders from present-day Western Ukraine and sending them to Canada.  The first group of 24 families arrived in Canada in April, 1896 aboard the S.S. Christiania, and settled in the Edmonton district in early May.

In recognition of the 150^th anniversary of Oleskw’s birth, the Honourable Ray Danyluk, Alberta Minister of Infrastructure and MLA for Lac La Biche-St. Paul, Mrs. Genia Leskiw, MLA for Bonnyville and Cold Lake, and Daria Luciw, President of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress - Alberta Provincial Council participated in a wreath laying ceremony at his monument, located at the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village.  Other community organizations also laid wreaths or flowers at the monument, as well as descendants of Oleskw’s first group of homesteaders. Later, these descendants were acknowledged with commemorative certificates, and a group photo was taken.

This celebration marks the beginning of year-long recognition of Dr. Josef Oleskw as the father of organized Ukrainian immigration to Canada.  A display in his honour has been prepared by the Alberta-Ukraine Genealogical Project and will tour across Alberta during the next year.

For more information about this program, please call the Alberta-Ukraine Genealogical Project office at 780-431-2324, by e-mail at AB-Ukraine.Genealogy@gov.ab.ca, or by mail, Alberta-Ukraine Genealogical Project, 3^rd Floor, Old St. Stephen’s College, 8820 - 112 Street, Edmonton, AB  T6G 2P8

Photos by Roman Petriw

PHOTOS

1 - Display tableau of Dr. Josef Olesków and wreaths before Olesków Monument ceremony

2 - Descendants of Dr. Josef Olesków’s first group of Ukrainian homesteaders receive commemorative certificates from Alberta MLA’s Genia Leskiw, the Hon. Ray Danyluk, and UCC Alberta Provincial Council President Daria Luciw

3 - Alberta MLA’s the Hon. Ray Danyluk and Genia Leskiw lay a wreath at the monument to Dr. Josef Olesków