When the Ukrainian Women's Association of Canada (UWAC) as formed in 1926, one of its aims was to preserve the embroidery, weaving and folk dress of the early Ukrainian settlers. UWAC branches began collecting artifacts and holding spring exhibits of Ukrainian folk crafts. The first Ukrainian museum in Canada was established in 1936 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, by the Ukrainian Women's Association of Canada, and was opened to the public in 1941 at the Peter Mohyla Institute. At the national UWAC convention held in Winnipeg on December 23-25, 1944, it was decided that branch museums should be established in Toronto and Edmonton. As a result, the first Ukrainian museum in Alberta was created: The Ukrainian Museum of Canada, Alberta Branch (UMCAB).
It is hard to imagine Alberta today without the influence of the Ukrainian immigrants of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, who helped pioneer our province. The UMCAB displays some of the beautiful folk artifacts from that time, such as blouses, rugs, embroidered towels, ceramic art and toys, as well as tools and instruments that the settlers used, which depict different aspects of the life of this hard-working and resilient culture.
We preserve these artifacts to strengthen our connection to our homeland and its traditions. The Ukrainian settlers brought with them their native crafts, techniques, and talents which have developed through the centuries and even up to today. Canada helped our people find a place to keep our own traditions that may have disappeared and helps us continue our traditions in a multicultural sphere. The past is our guide to our future; by retaining our history and culture, Ukrainian Canadians are always able rediscover their past, using it to build a stronger future.
To visit the museum, please see our Visitor Information page.
UMC Alberta Branch Executive - 2016–2018
| Position | Held By |
|---|---|
| Past President | Eugene Topolnisky |
| President | Elaine Verchomin Harasymiw |
| 1st Vice President | Sylvia Gray |
| 2nd Vice President | Donna Kowalishin |
| Secretary | Shirley Wozimirsky |
| Treasurer | Nadia Opyr |
| Membership Convenor | Eileen Yewchuk |
| Gift Shop Convenor | Donna Kowalishin |
| Publicity Convenor | Vacant |
| Acquisitions Convenor | Larysa Chomiak |
| Members At Large | Sandy Sawchuk |
| Iris Olinek | |
| Larysa Chomiak | |
| Cathie Gordey | |
| Marion Ostapchuk | |
| Lorna Stefaniuk | |
| Kathy Buchanan | |
| Branch Representatives | Sylvia Gray (St. Anthony) |
| Betty Corlett (St. Elia) | |
| Donna Kowalishin (St. John) | |
| Shirley Wozimirsky (St. Michael) | |
| Johanna Dzenick (St. Andrew) |
Past Presidents of the UMC Alberta Branch
| Year(s) | President |
|---|---|
| 1945-1953 | Emma Verchomin |
| 1954-1957 | Doris Yanda |
| 1958 | Kalyna Zaseybida |
| 1959 | Anna Melnyk |
| 1960-1966 | Olia Semchuk |
| 1967-1972 | Anastasia Seniw |
| 1973-1975 | Emma Verchomin |
| 1976-1979 | Anastasia Seniw |
| 1980 | Sofia Skrypnyk |
| 1981-1982 | Nadia Bodnar |
| 1983-1986 | Anastasia Seniw |
| 1987 | Mary Lazaruk |
| 1988-1990 | Nadia Bodnar |
| 1991-1995 | Chester Kuc |
| 1996 | Elaine Harasymiw |
| 1997 | Luba Yaremchuk |
| 1998-2000 | Oksana Ensslen |
| 2001-2002 | Nadia Hymanyk |
| 2003-2004 | Anastasia Seniw |
| 2005-2008 | Zonia Lazarowich |
| 2009 | Eugene Topolnisky |
| 2010-2018 | Elaine Harasymiw |