The New Pathway presents these biographical sketches of individuals who through their service to the community and outstanding achievements were recognized as Nation Builders by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress-Saskatchewan Provincial Council at a November 4 gala banquet in Regina.

Dr. Alexander Danylchuk

b Sept 8, 1910 (Zhoda, MB) d 1986. Dr Danylchuk graduated from the University of Manitoba’s medical school in 1940 and with Dr Emil Kusey established a medical practice in Canora in 1941. One time Citizen of the Year, Alexander served for 25 years as chair of the Canora School Board, played an important role in establishing a 50-bed hospital there and was an active member of the Chamber of Commerce. In 1981 the College of Physicians and Surgeons presented him with a Senior Life Membership. He helped organize the Ukrainian Orthodox church camp "Tryzub" on Crystal Lake and served as president of the Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Church for ten years. Dr Danylchuk was at different times president of the provincial and local branch of the Ukrainian Self-Reliance League of Canada and the prestigious Order of St. Andrew in Canora. From 1958-1969, Danylchuk was president of the Mohyla Institute in Saskatoon and during his tenure the new Institute building was constructed.

Eileen Grace (Shewchuk) Klopoushak

b March 27, 1930 (Wakaw, SK) d April 3, 2000 (Regina, SK) Eileen taught in schools in rural Saskatchewan, in Edmonton and Regina. She was an In-School tutor for the Regina School Board, was named their Primary Consultant and developed and taught the initial Grades 1-8 Ukrainian language program. Eileen was an active member of the Ukrainian Women's Association of Canada, serving as vice-president and president at the local level and two terms as president of the provincial council. She was the deputy-ambassador and ambassador of the Kyiv Pavilion as well a member of the Regina UCC Centennial Choir. Throughout her life Eileen was an ardent supporter of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Regina. She was a long-standing member of the choir, served as treasurer, a member of the Hospital Visitation Committee, a member of the Sisterhood, and delegate to two Church Sobors.

Roman Kroitor

b 1926 (Yorkton, SK) Roman Kroitor, co-founder of IMAX, began his career with the National Film Board of Canada and is one of Canada's leading filmmakers. One of his first films, Paul Tomkowicz, focused on a Canadian railway worker. It was featured as the opening work on the NFB at New York's Museum of Modern Art. NASA used Kroitor’s film, Universe, for astronaut training and strongly influenced Stanley Kubrik's 2001: A Space Odyssey. In 1982 he co-produced Hail Columbia!, the first large-format film about space and the shuttle program. Kroitor's multi-image film Labyrinth was a hit at Montreal's Expo '67. This film, and Polar Life, led Kroitor, with others, to form Multiscreen Corporation (later IMAX). Together with engineer William Shaw they designed the IMAX® motion picture system. Roman produced the first IMAX film, Tiger Child, for Expo '70 in Osaka, Japan.

Walter Mysak

b February 18, 1913 (Wynyard, SK) dMarch 4, 1997 (Canora, SK). Upon graduating from the University of Saskatchewan with a degree in Agriculture (with distinction), Walter moved to the Buchanan-Canora district where in three decades he served in the two communities as Councilor, Overseer and Mayor. He was also president of the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association. In 1941 he was elected national president of the Ukrainian Youth Association. He served as director of the Mohyla Institute board, editor of its newsletter, president of the Canora Ukrainian Canadian Congress, member of the executive of the Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Church and was instrumental in having one of Canora's streets named Shevchenko Crescent. Over the years Walter received numerous awards and acknowledgments such as the Shevchenko Medal (1989), the Canadian Commemorative Medal (1992), Canora Citizen of the Year (1988) and the designation of a Canora street as Mysak Drive.

Hanka Romanchych

b February 14, 1907 (Kosiw, near Dauphin, MB) dOctober 18, 1984 (St. Catharines, ON).

Hanka completed her education at the University of Manitoba and later found work with the Department of Agriculture as a community development worker. Hanka was the first executive secretary of the Ukrainian Women's Association of Canada (UWAC), founded in Saskatoon in 1926. In 1934, she was a delegate to the Congress of Ukrainian Women held in Stanislaviv in western Ukraine. In 1936, she traveled to Switzerland to participate in a League of Nations panel on the status of women and in 1947, attended the International Conference on Women's Councils. In 1936, Hanka became a founding member of the Saskatoon-based Ukrainian Museum of Canada (UMC) of the UWAC. She sat on the Museum Board of Trustees continuously until 1982. In 1977, the American Association for State and Local History presented her with its Award of Merit for her work in establishing the UMC and was similarly honoured in 1981 by the Canadian Museums Association.