Looking for descendants of Canada's first Ukrainian settlers

The Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village is celebrating the 150th anniversary of Dr. Josef Oleskow’s birth during this year's Ukrainian Day on August 8, 2010.

Who was Dr. Josef Oleskow?

In 1895, Dr. Josef Oleskow toured Canada with a plan of organizing groups of homesteaders from present-day Western Ukraine and sending them to Canada. The first group arrived in Canada in April, 1896 aboard the S.S. Christiania, and settled in the Edmonton district in early May.

Are you a descendant of this group?

While Oleskow will be honoured, so will this first group of settlers. Their descendants will be acknowledged with commemorative certificates and take part in a wreath laying ceremony at his monument at the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village.

Adult members of the first group:

Andruchow, Gregor & Anna, Petro, Wasyl, 2 children (Slobidka Dzhurynska)
Chorny, Oleksa & Maria, 2 children (Semykivtsi)
Danchuk, Ivan & Maria, Tekla, 4 children (Zavydche)
Danyluk,
Dziwenka, Joseph & Magdalena, 2 children (Slobidka Dzhurynska)
Fuhr, Fedor (Vysotsko)
Guberski, Pawlo (Lazy)
Halkow, Ivan & Anna, 4 children (Horozhanna Mala)
Hawrylenko, Ivan & Anna, 5 children (Nyzhniv)
Keryk, Lucian & Melania, 3 children
Lakusta, Ivan Andreja & Kataryna, Anna, Ivan (Zavallia)
Lakusta, Ivan Theodora (Zavallia)
Maciborski, Demeter & Adolphine, Mykhailo, 5 children
Nemirsky, Konstantin & Maria, Wasyl, 4 children (Bilche Zolote)
Peskliwec, Wasyl & Pelagia, 2 children (Trybukhivtsi)
Procinsky, Josef & Daria, 2 children (Leshniv)
Procinsky, Leon & Eva, 3 children (Leshniv)
Roskosz, Petro & Kaska, 1 child (Trybukhivtsi)
Rudyk, Teodor & Maria, 1 child (Shchurovychi)
Samborski, Hnat; Sawka, Anton & Rosalia, Olga, 2 children (Ritchytsia)
Stecky, Nichola & Maria, 2 children
Tichuk, Anton & Anna, Maria, Anastasia, 6 children
Yadlowski, Ivan

If you are one of these people, or know someone who is a descendant of this first group, please contact the Alberta-Ukraine Genealogical Project office immediately at 780-431-2324, or by e-mail