We have been asked to share the following information with our members:
On July 3, 4, and 5th, the 53rd Pysanka Festival in the city of Vegreville, Alberta, Mykola Vorotylenko will be having an exhibition “Ukrainian Civilization 7500+ years”. The exhibition covers events that have taken place on the territory of Ukraine over the last 10,000+ years. This is the first and only such exhibition in the world that is mainly based on foreign sources. There are over 1500 of them. All materials are in English. But there will be accompaniment in Ukrainian. The exhibition was exhibited in Edmonton, Regina and Toronto. For me, the most interesting and surprising thing was that the educated representatives of Iran, India (Punjab) and Afghanistan said that they were familiar with some of the material of this exhibition. For the vast majority of foreign politicians, Ukraine in their imagination is a part of Russia. It is a great surprise for them that the territory of Ukraine is the cradle of the Indo-European civilization, and the foundations of the English language were laid on the territory of Ukraine. But we, Ukrainians, also, probably 99 percent don’t know it. This exhibit was created by me and my wife Tamara. It took almost 25 years for our research of Ukrainian and foreign sources. We invite you to visit this exhibition. Especially young historians who in the future can conduct more detailed research and promote our history. This exhibition shows the REAL REASONS of the current Moscow war in Ukraine. It will be on the upper level of Yarmarok Marketplace. https://www.facebook.com/groups/298340710371684/user/100007834776230 and https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=4433991073538675&set=pcb.10174954793870343
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Also note that the Pioneer Churches on the Prairies project will be having a display at the Pysanka Festival of our canvas prints, photographs and cards of historic churches established by early settlers in northeastern Alberta. In 2025 we photographed an additional 30 churches. Come and see these new photographs. Our booth will be in the Folk Arts Building at the Pysanka Festival held on the Vegreville Agricultural Society Fair Grounds on July 3, 4 and 5, 2026. The hours are Friday 12 – 8 pm; Saturday 10 – 8 pm; and Sunday 10 – 4 pm. We are also pleased to announce that our photography collection of Ukrainian Catholic Churches will be exhibited at the Basilian Fathers Museum in Mundare. The grand opening for this exhibit will be held on Sunday, September 20, 2026 at 2:00 pm at the Museum. After the exhibit is over, these canvas prints will become part of their permanent collection. https://pioneerchurches.ca/
Finally, after many years of work, our Memories of Alberta Ukrainian Orthodox Churches book is ready to be sent to the printer. Hard copies of this 308 page book with the histories of 66 pioneer churches and some 500 color photographs will be available this September. We will have a print version of the book available at our exhibit for your viewing. If you cannot make it to the festival, you can view the PDF version of the book at: https://pioneerchurches.ca/index.php/resources/ab-histories
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Also in the Folk Arts Building, the “Chasing Gophers Barefoot” exhibit from the Kule Folklore Centre. The exhibit uses the recollections of adults to re-create the worlds of childhood. It tells stories about everyday life of children on a farm and on the streets of a small town, at the school, the church, and the community hall. It explores the clothing that formed the most personal aspect of ‘making do’ in the 1930s, scarcity of food and rare and unforgettable treats, but also toys, games, reading, music, and sports. https://www.ualberta.ca/en/kule-folklore-centre/research/current-projects/chasing-gophers-barefoot-exhibit.html
For more information: https://www.pysankafestival.com/
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July 5 – 12, 2026, is the 30th Annual Historic Festival & Doors Open Edmonton. Presented by the Edmonton and District Historical Society. Many different tours and presentations to take in. For example, the City of Edmonton Archives: Behind the Scenes Tour from July 10 & 11, Provincial Archives of Alberta: Behind the Scenes from July 10 & 11, Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village: Museum Tour from July 5 & 8 and the Ukrainian Museum UCWLC (Alberta) Society: Historical Tour on July 8th.https://historicedmonton.ca/events/historic-festival/ and https://historicedmonton.ca/events/historic-festival/historic-festival-2026/
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August 1-3, Edmonton Heritage Festival, the world’s largest three-day celebration of multiculturalism with Ukrainian, Polish and Romanian pavilions plus many other countries. Back at Hawrelak Park in the city of Edmonton. The Ukrainian Pavilion is right now looking for more volunteers, including food service, cashier positions, cultural exhibits, setup, takedown, and general pavilion support. No previous experience is needed, and we’ll make sure you have everything you need before your shift. https://www.heritagefest.ca/ To volunteer, sign up below or contact UKR HERITAGE ukrheritageyeg@gmail.com
General Volunteer Sign Up: https://signup.com/client/invitation2/secure/77895230055/#/invitation
Arts & Culture Pavilion Sign Up: https://signup.com/client/invitation2/secure/6113326660111/#/invitation
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On August 15, (Liturgies start at 9:30 am, program is 10 am to 5 pm) Ukrainian Day is an annual celebration of Ukrainian culture and heritage, featuring a vibrant afternoon of traditional music, song and dance. A cherished event co-hosted with the Ukrainian Canadian Congress–Alberta Provincial Council (UCC-APC) at the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village (25 minutes east of Edmonton along Hwy 16). Join us as we come together to celebrate the rich history, traditions, and contributions of the Ukrainian community in Alberta. More details will be posted closer to the date. Elaine and our board members will have a display table in the Community Pavilion. https://www.ukrainianvillage.ca/ukrainian-day-2026 And they have other events at https://www.ukrainianvillage.ca/events
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This summer, the Basilian Fathers Museum in Mundare has numerous exhibits, including:
- Ukrainian Churches and Their Choirs
- The 1952 Master Farm Family: John and Mary Skrypitsky
- Women’s Faces, Women’s Places
- School Days: What Do You Remember?
- Peter Lipinski: Large and Small Canvases
- Philip Pawluk: Pioneer Carpenter
- Iconostasis Installation
Source: https://basilianmuseum.ca/exhibits/ Mundare is located 45 minutes east of Edmonton on Highway 16. https://basilianmuseum.ca/a-day-in-mundare/
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Free Canadian Census Records and U.S. City Directories on MyHeritage but Only Until July 5. Thanks to Thomas MacEntee for this information.
https://genealogybargains.com/free-canadian-census-records/
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You can now register for Michelle Chubenko’s September 8 and November 3rd, Have Questions? Get Answers for Genealogy in Galicia, Austria-Hungary Zoom sessions. A quarterly Q&A session focusing on genealogical research in Galicia, Austria-Hungary. These sessions are held live and the Zoom chat is available to all attendees. Recordings are available for paid Community members.
Sept 8: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/qiSD5JAuSMGM43VmDYq-fw#/registration
Nov. 3: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/gGOF46BUS9qDmCg5Ru9BBw#/registration
https://genealogy.chubenko.us/
