“Done and delivered to the Museum in St. Paul, AB. BIRDS were very common motifs painted and stenciled on walls among immigrants from Bukovyna. This Pattern is originally from Borivtsi, Ukraine. It was inspired by embroidery on a blouse by "Mrs Peter Zukiwsky nee Zojitsa Watamaniuk" c 1935 while living near Shandro, AB.”
This warranted a trip to St. Paul. I checked out their website and saw that they are open on Wednesday and Thursday, 10 am to 4 pm, during the off-season. Note that they are closed in January and February. Admission is $10 per adult. They also provide personal tours if you call or email them in advance.
I was expecting a small room, but was surprised and taken aback. It was a very cold day, so we did not check out the other buildings on the site. This is for another trip in the spring of 2026. I also want to spend more time looking at each of the items in the Ukrainian display and other sights.
They have two museums in one. The Musée Historique de St. Paul Historical Museum and the Peoples’ Museum Society of/de St. Paul & District. We saw the School House, St. Paul de Metis display, Wanchuk Lumber Camp Model, Hair Salon, Vintage Dental Display etc.
This area of our province of Alberta (previously known as NWT) “was important to First Nations groups and fur traders. The important Winnipeg Trail from Fort Winnipeg to Fort Edmonton passed through here. Father Lacombe established a Metis settlement on the shore of the local lake in 1896. The Peoples’ Museum Society of St. Paul & District uses a variety of displays to illustrate how farming has changed since the first homesteaders settled here.”
A new display is the “Ukrainian Display”. “Dr. Amil Shapka has worked hard to update their Ukrainian Cultural Display. This display honors our Ukrainian Immigrants with their stories of survival, photos, artifacts, traditions, etc. You will not be disappointed!”
So true. This project is a legacy of the St. Paul & District Ukrainian Cultural Society, created by a dedicated and talented team. I was truly impressed by the scope of the collection and the thoughtful effort that went into assembling this display. It is exceptionally well-researched and stands as an artistic masterpiece, featuring original documents, handmade implements, and more.
The handout includes sections on:
• Why did they come?
• Who were they?
• Journey to Canada
• Heading West
• Almost There
• The Farm
• By the sweat of their brows
• Immigrant Women
• Health and Medicine
• Faith and the New Church
• Education and the Ukrainian Press
• World War I and “Enemy Aliens”
This matches to the historical panels in the display rooms. They have these handouts in English, French and Ukrainian!
Dr. Amil Shapka and Larisa Sembaliuk Cheladyn are second cousins! Some of the Ukrainian settlers in the display are their ancestors, relatives, or neighbors. I was really excited to see the focus more on Bukovyna, as Galicia seems to take so much of the spotlight in general. This exhibit is focused on local history, and more of the early settlers in this area just happen to be from Bukovyna, which is reflected in their content. Surnames include Pylipiw, Eleniak, Ruptash, Eliuk, Fakas, Zacharuk, Taschuk, Kuzyk, Sembaliuk, Delawski, Kordowski, Pawliuk … (note that I am related to the Pawliuk family through my Baba's family branch).
“Mother dug a plot of land and planted the wheat she had brought from the old country in a small, brittle bundle. Every day, she watered it with her tears.”
For more information:
Musée St. Paul Museum
https://stpaulmuseum.ca/
Musée St. Paul Museum, Go East of Edmonton.com
https://goeastofedmonton.com/places/st-paul/musee-st-paul-museum/
I was expecting a small room, but was surprised and taken aback. It was a very cold day, so we did not check out the other buildings on the site. This is for another trip in the spring of 2026. I also want to spend more time looking at each of the items in the Ukrainian display and other sights.
They have two museums in one. The Musée Historique de St. Paul Historical Museum and the Peoples’ Museum Society of/de St. Paul & District. We saw the School House, St. Paul de Metis display, Wanchuk Lumber Camp Model, Hair Salon, Vintage Dental Display etc.
This area of our province of Alberta (previously known as NWT) “was important to First Nations groups and fur traders. The important Winnipeg Trail from Fort Winnipeg to Fort Edmonton passed through here. Father Lacombe established a Metis settlement on the shore of the local lake in 1896. The Peoples’ Museum Society of St. Paul & District uses a variety of displays to illustrate how farming has changed since the first homesteaders settled here.”
A new display is the “Ukrainian Display”. “Dr. Amil Shapka has worked hard to update their Ukrainian Cultural Display. This display honors our Ukrainian Immigrants with their stories of survival, photos, artifacts, traditions, etc. You will not be disappointed!”
So true. This project is a legacy of the St. Paul & District Ukrainian Cultural Society, created by a dedicated and talented team. I was truly impressed by the scope of the collection and the thoughtful effort that went into assembling this display. It is exceptionally well-researched and stands as an artistic masterpiece, featuring original documents, handmade implements, and more.
The handout includes sections on:
• Why did they come?
• Who were they?
• Journey to Canada
• Heading West
• Almost There
• The Farm
• By the sweat of their brows
• Immigrant Women
• Health and Medicine
• Faith and the New Church
• Education and the Ukrainian Press
• World War I and “Enemy Aliens”
This matches to the historical panels in the display rooms. They have these handouts in English, French and Ukrainian!
Dr. Amil Shapka and Larisa Sembaliuk Cheladyn are second cousins! Some of the Ukrainian settlers in the display are their ancestors, relatives, or neighbors. I was really excited to see the focus more on Bukovyna, as Galicia seems to take so much of the spotlight in general. This exhibit is focused on local history, and more of the early settlers in this area just happen to be from Bukovyna, which is reflected in their content. Surnames include Pylipiw, Eleniak, Ruptash, Eliuk, Fakas, Zacharuk, Taschuk, Kuzyk, Sembaliuk, Delawski, Kordowski, Pawliuk … (note that I am related to the Pawliuk family through my Baba's family branch).
“Mother dug a plot of land and planted the wheat she had brought from the old country in a small, brittle bundle. Every day, she watered it with her tears.”
~ Memories of Maria Adamowska ~
This photo does not show everything. The display is bigger than this!
For more information:
Musée St. Paul Museum
https://stpaulmuseum.ca/
Musée St. Paul Museum, Go East of Edmonton.com
https://goeastofedmonton.com/places/st-paul/musee-st-paul-museum/
It was a picture that caught my attention, so I hope that some of these photos attract your interest! Definitely worth a drive to St. Paul, Alberta, Canada.
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