1. About This Directory
This directory was contributed to by members of the Ukrainian community at large and the InfoUkes Genealogy List (genealogy@infoukes.com) who were willing to do lookups of family names from the local histories of various settlements in Canada.
Although the history books still exist, unfortunately for one reason or another many of the volunteer researchers are no longer able to do lookups. This directory remains as a valuable resource so that you will know what community history books exist and can search further for them.
Be aware that many of these community history books were not assigned ISBN numbers and are hard to trace. Use Google, check with local libraries and town halls. We continue to accept information regarding materials and will post them here.
2. Alberta Communities
Alberta received some of the earliest Ukrainian settlers in Canada, and the province has a rich collection of community history books documenting their experiences.
Provincial Resources
The Alberta GenWeb Site has a “Local History Book Project” with more than 240 local history book indexes online. There are also cemetery listings in the archives of various counties that would be of interest to Ukrainian researchers. A search engine is available from the main GenWeb site for ease of searching.
Community History Books — Alberta
| Community | Book Title | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Andrew and District | Dreams & Destinies | Covers the Andrew area settlement |
| Bellis | Bellis History | Local settlement history |
| Bruderheim | From Bush to Bushells | History of Bruderheim and District |
| Chipman | Pride in Progress | Chipman, St Michael, Edna/Star Districts |
| Elk Point | Reflections | History of Elk Point and District (plus 1977 Supplement) |
| Falun | Freeway West | Local history |
| Frog Lake | Land of Red and White | Frog Lake and District to 1976 |
| Innisfree | Through the Years | History of Innisfree and District |
| Landonville | Trails | History of Landonville and Surrounding Districts |
| Mannville | Trails to Mannville and Districts | Indexed and available |
| Mundare | Memories of Mundare | History of Mundare and District |
| Redwater | Memories | Compiled by Audrey Hrynchuk and Jean Klufas, 1980 |
| Smoky Lake | Our Legacy | Local settlement history |
| Two Hills | Down Memory Trails | Two Hills and Surrounding Area, 1986 |
| Vermilion | Vermilion Memories | Volumes I and II |
| Vilna | Voices of Yesteryear | Vilna and District history |
| Wandering River | Wandering River History | Local history |
| Warspite | Between River and Lake | Warspite and area history |
| Waskatenau | By River and Trail | Waskatenau and District |
| Wetaskiwin | Pioneer Pathways | Local settlement records |
Special Alberta Resources
- Shadows of the Past by Bohdan I. Shulakewych — Ukrainian residents in St. Michael’s Extended Care Centre, Edmonton
- Ukrainians in Alberta (Dictionary of) — Pioneer Settlers of Alberta 1891-1900, Volume II, compiled by Ukrainian Pioneers Association of Alberta, 1981
- Ukrainian Pioneers in Alberta — “Land of Pain, Land of Promise” — first person accounts by Ukrainian Pioneers 1891-1914
- Proof-of-Age Documents in Alberta — A Surname Index 1863 to 1969, compiled by Documentary Heritage Society of Alberta, 1998
- Landonville Cemetery — alphabetical list of burials and monumental inscriptions for all visible headstones, including many Ukrainian names
3. Canada-Wide Resources
Several important resources cover Ukrainian communities across all of Canada:
- “Appendix A” Index of Names to Sailing Lists — prepared by V.J. Kaye, listing Ukrainian settlers arriving in Canada at the ports of Quebec and Halifax, 1891-1900
- A Delicate and Difficult Question — Documents in the History of Ukrainians in Canada 1899-1962, by Bohdan Kordan and Lubomyr Luciuk, 1986
- Dictionary of Ukrainian Canadian Biography of Pioneer Settlers of Alberta 1891-1900 — compiled by Vladimir J. Kaye
- Dictionary of Ukrainian Surnames in Canada by F. Bogdan
- Early Ukrainian Settlements in Canada 1895-1900 — Dr. Josef Oleskow’s Role in the Settlement of the Canadian Northwest
- Ukrainian Canadian, Eh? — The Ukrainians of Canada and Elsewhere as Perceived by Themselves and Others, by Michael Czuboka, 1983
- Immigration Records, Canada, 1925-1935 — online database from the National Archives of Canada
- East European Genealogical Society (EEGS) — covers Galicia, Volhynia, Bukovina and many ethnic groups including Ukrainian, Polish, Czech, Jewish, and Mennonite communities
4. Manitoba Communities
Manitoba holds a special place in Ukrainian-Canadian history, as some of the earliest settlements were established there.
Community History Books — Manitoba
| Community | Book Title | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Cooks Creek | St. Michaels RC Church Jubilee 1899-1999 | Published by St. Michaels Roman Catholic Church |
| Garson | Then and Now | Local settlement history |
| Gimli | Spruce, Swamp and Stone | Pioneer Ukrainian Settlements in the Gimli Area, by Michael Ewanchuk |
| Grandview & District | Pioneers of Grandview, 1976 | District history |
| Meleb | MPC Flashbacks | Local family history of the Meleb area |
| Springfield | The First Rural Municipality in Manitoba 1873-1973 | Published by the Dugald Women’s Institute, 1974 |
The Kulbaba Family History
The Kulbabas: From Skalat to Sand Hill by Edward Lomatski (ISBN 0-9681813-0-9, published 1997) documents over 900 individuals descended from the original two Kulbaba families from Kam’ianky, Skalat, Ternopil who settled at Sand Hill in the RM of Brokenhead, Manitoba.
Manitoba Cemetery Transcriptions
Extensive cemetery transcriptions are available for Ukrainian communities in Manitoba:
RM of Brokenhead:
- Sand Hill Greek Orthodox Cemetery (Transcribed 1990)
- Ladywood Cemetery, St Demetrius Ukrainian Catholic (Transcribed 1987)
- Tyndall, St Michael’s & the Angels Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery (Transcribed 1993)
- Tyndall, Greek Orthodox Cemetery (Transcribed 1993)
- St. Vladimir Greek Orthodox Cemetery
- Brokenhead Holy Trinity Greek Catholic Cemetery
RM of Springfield:
- Cook Creek St. Michaels RC Cemetery (New and Old)
- Sapton St. Mary’s Ukrainian Orthodox Cemetery
- Sapton St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery
- Cook’s Creek Immaculate Conception UC Cemetery
- Cook’s Creek St. John the Baptist UC Cemetery
RM of Franklin:
- Tolstoi Sacred Heart Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery
- Tolstoi Holy Ghost Ukrainian Orthodox Cemetery
- Plankey Plains Descent of the Holy Spirit Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery
Other Manitoba Cemeteries:
- Meleb, Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary Ruthenian Catholic (Transcribed 1992)
- Gardenton, former churchyard of St. Nicholas Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church
- West St. Paul Holy Ghost Catholic Cemetery (Old and New)
The Manitoba Genealogical Society has for sale transcripts of over 1,400 cemeteries in the province.
5. Saskatchewan Communities
Saskatchewan’s Ukrainian bloc settlements represent some of the most significant concentrations of Ukrainian settlers in Canada.
Community History Books — Saskatchewan
| Community | Book Title | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Carrot River area | As the Carrot Flows | NE Saskatchewan, includes Fairy Glen District |
| Foam Lake | They Came from Many Lands | Settlement history |
| Gronlid | Our Courageous Pioneers | Includes Argus, Athol, Edenbridge, Freedom, and surrounding districts |
| Rosthern | Old & New Furrows | Settlement history |
| Theodore | Theodore & District History | Local records |
| Wolverine, RM of | Wolverine, Humboldt, Burr, etc. | Published approximately 1989 |
| Wood Mountain | They Came to Wood Mountain | Settlement history |
Special Saskatchewan Resources
- Saskatchewan’s Ukrainian Legacy — A travel guide to the cultural and historical sites in the Ukrainian bloc settlement communities, available as a PDF
- Ukrainian Catholic Churches in Saskatchewan by Anna Maria Baran
6. Family Histories and Genealogy Links
Notable Family Histories
- Lomatski, Kulbaba & Mysko Families — 873 individuals in 275 family groups from Western Canada
- Teron Family — documented family history online
Related Organizations
- Ukrainian Genealogy Group, National Capital Region — has links of interest to genealogists as well as “how-to” documents with resources for Ukrainian researchers
- East European Genealogical Society — covers popular areas including Galicia, Volhynia, Bukovina, and many ethnic groups
- Galician Villagers and the Ukrainian National Movement in the Nineteenth Century by John-Paul Himka — important historical context for genealogical research
Ukrainian community organizations across Canada continue to preserve this heritage. In Ontario, the Ukrainian community in Toronto maintains an active network supporting cultural events and genealogical research for Ukrainian Canadians.
Ukrainian Family History Books by Province
Ukrainian community history books in Canada were largely produced by local organizations, churches, and settlement organizations to mark anniversaries and preserve the stories of founding families. Knowing where to find these books by province can save researchers years of searching.
Alberta: The Provincial Archives of Alberta holds hundreds of Ukrainian community books from the Vegreville, Two Hills, and Chipman areas — the heart of early Ukrainian settlement in the province. The Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village near Edmonton also maintains a collection of community histories and family books donated by local families.
Saskatchewan: The Saskatchewan Archives Board in Regina and Saskatoon holds community histories for the Yorkton, Canora, and Saskatoon areas. The Multicultural Council of Saskatchewan has a library of ethnic community histories that includes extensive Ukrainian holdings.
Manitoba: The Archives of Manitoba and the University of Manitoba Elizabeth Dafoe Library hold the largest collection of Ukrainian-Canadian family histories in the country. The Ukrainian Cultural and Educational Centre (Oseredok) in Winnipeg is a specialized repository of Ukrainian community books, directories, and anniversary publications.
Ontario: The Ukrainian Canadian Archives and Museum of Alberta (UCAMA) and the Ontario Archives in Toronto hold community histories for postwar Ukrainian communities, particularly third-wave DP arrivals. For genealogical databases complementing community histories, see our guide to the 15 best free Ukrainian genealogy websites and databases.
Frequently Asked Questions
Many Ukrainian community history books were published by local historical societies but were not assigned ISBN numbers, making them hard to trace. Check local libraries, town halls, and use Google to search for specific settlement histories. Provincial archives also hold copies of many local history publications.
Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan have the most extensive Ukrainian community history resources, as these provinces received the largest numbers of Ukrainian settlers from 1891 onwards. Alberta alone has over 20 documented community history books with Ukrainian family records.
Yes, extensive cemetery transcriptions are available for Ukrainian communities, particularly in Manitoba. These include records from Ukrainian Catholic, Ukrainian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, and Greek Catholic cemeteries across multiple rural municipalities.
The first Ukrainian settlers arrived at Montreal on September 7th, 1891. However, Ukrainians first entered Manitoba as early as 1817, serving as mercenary troops in Lord Selkirk's hired Swiss de Meuron Regiment.
Ukrainian community history books are held at provincial archives (Archives of Manitoba, Saskatchewan Archives Board, Provincial Archives of Alberta), university libraries (University of Manitoba, University of Alberta), and specialized Ukrainian repositories such as the Ukrainian Cultural and Educational Centre (Oseredok) in Winnipeg and the Ukrainian Canadian Archives and Museum of Alberta (UCAMA). Online, some community histories have been digitized and are available at FamilySearch.org, the Internet Archive, and individual church websites.
Contact the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) branch in your province, as they often coordinate community history publishing projects, particularly around anniversaries. Individual Ukrainian churches also periodically produce parish jubilee books (yuvileini knyhy) that include family histories — contact your parish to express interest. For family history already written, you can donate a copy to repositories such as the Ukrainian Cultural and Educational Centre (Oseredok) in Winnipeg, which actively collects Ukrainian-Canadian family histories.
