Ukrainians in Galicia were solicited by the Canadian Government only because of the efforts and work of Dr. Joseph Oleskiw from L'viv, Ukraine, a professor at the University. I am not really sure why he did it but one reason was to protect his fellow countrymen because of some really bad scams and dealings Ukrainians had when they emigrated to Brazil earlier. Dr. Oleskiw organized Ukrainians into large party groups to prepare them for emigration to Canada. I find it interesting that almost whole villages packed their belongings and up and left for Canada. That is why, were my ancestors settled in Rabbit Hill, Alberta, all the people around them they already knew for they came from the same villages in the old country. Dr. Oleskiw was so good at organizing these parties of settlers that I understand the Austrian and Ukraine Governments wanted to ban him from his activities because he was taking all the peasants away that kept the Landlords wealthy.
Dr. Oleskiw then appointed or found sub-leaders to take these large settler groups across the ocean to Canada. One of these sub-leaders was Theodore Fuhr, a distant relative of mine. He was in charge of the Rabbit Hill Settlement, which was 50 km south west of Edmonton. The Rabbit Hill Settlement was an isolated Ukrainian settlement somewhat distant from the main Ukrainian settlements of the day at Edna-Star, north east of Edmonton. The reason it was isolated, I found out later, was that this area use to be an Indian Reserve which was given up (taken away?) by the Indians, therefore, an isolated pocket of uncultivated land became available to settle. I remember my Grandfather saying a long time ago that when his Dad found his homestead there were Indians on the land living in tepees. They didn't know what to do with them or what say to them (didn't speak the same language any ways) so they just co-existed for awhile until the Indians went away. Theodore Fuhr first came with his family and ten other families. Over the next four years he greeted and helped all other Ukrainian settlers coming to the Rabbit Hill area.
My ancestors all immigrated as farmers to the Leduc, Nisku, Calmar, Thorsby and Devon area of Alberta, Canada though in 1898, the Town of Devon and Calmar did not exist yet and Leduc and Nisku were just train stops. The Devon area was then called the Gildehurst District. The district just west of Nisku was called the Sprucedale District. They all arrived by CPR train to the town of Strathcona (South Edmonton), in Alberta, Canada on the dates shown below. Some more distant relatives (sisters and brothers of Great Grandparents) also immigrated to Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. A few relatives (sisters of Great Great Grandfathers) stayed in Galicia, Austria and very distant relatives of mine probably still live there now; they did as of 1970. So what are the names of my ancestors relatives who settled in Alberta, Canada?
My
Paternal side
FEDOR, Andreas & young
son Michael from the village of Wysocko
- arrived April 1898.
BIGUS, Katherine, wife of Andrew Fedor, from the village of Wysocko
- arrived April 1898.
BORYS, Ivan, age 55, from the village of Wietlin - arrived
December
1897
GILARSKI, Anna, wife of Ivan Borys, from the village of Wietlin -
arrived
December 1897
BORYS, Simon, son of Ivan Borys, from the village of Wietlin - arrived
December 1897
DOMSZY(DOMSHY), Ahafia, wife of Simon Borys, from the village of Laszki
- arrived December 1897
My
Maternal Side
BORYS, Peter, age 54, from the village of Wysocko - arrived August
1898
FUHR, Mary, wife of Peter Borys, from the village of Wysocko - arrived
August 1898. Sister of Theodore Fhur.
BORYS, Wasyl, son of Peter Borys, with his young son Harry from the
village of Wysocko - arrived 1899
OLEKSHY, Katherine, wife of Wasyl Borys from the village of Wysochu
- arrived 1899
POWLIK(PAWLYK), John from the village of Laszki - arrived 1906
KUZMICHA, Annie, wife of John Powlik, from the village of Laszki -
arrived 1906
My Grandmothers, Mary Borys daughter of Simon and
Ahafia Borys, and
Mary Powlik, daughter of John and Annie Powlik, were born in Canada a
couple of years after their parents arrived.
To clarify further, Andreas Fedor, Ivan Borys, Peter
Borys and John Powlik
came to Canada with additional family members (daughters and/or sons)
but
the ones listed above are my direct ancestors.
And to clarify even further, Ivan Borys and Peter
Borys are not
directly
related that I have found out yet. But considering they only lived a
few
kilometres apart in the old district of Jarolsaw, I would say there is
a link somewhere. I just have to find it.
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