Ken's Journal Edmonton, Alberta, Canada |
| Lamont County - Church Capital of North America - |
Lamont County, Alberta, lies just to the east of Edmonton and bills itself as the Church Capital of North America, ". . . with 47, more per capita than anywhere else in North America." Lamont County is also, ". . . the birthplace of the oldest and largest agricultural settlement of Ukrainians in Canada." Beginning in the mid-1890s, Ukrainians began fleeing their homeland and through about 1930, settled in this area of Canada. They brought their religious convictions and practices with them and established the many Greek and Russian Orthodox churches in the area. The churches are uniquely identified by their typically Byzantine style of architecture with distinctive "onion domes" and freestanding bell-towers. In 1971, the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village Society was formed with the purpose of developing a heritage village commemorating the settlement of central Alberta by Ukrainians. Subsequently, the Society bought, moved and renovated some 30 historic structures from the surrounding countryside. Even though the day was dreary - heavy overcast with occasional light showers - I'd committed to seeing the village and touring the country to see some of the churches. |
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This thatched roof barn is typical of the two-roomed barns built by the early Ukrainian settlers. This one was originally built in 1912 and was restored to it's 1918 condition. The walls are log and are coated with a mud mix to further insulate and waterproof the structure. |
This house was originally built in 1915 and was restored to it's 1918 condition. This one is typical of the first permanent homes built by the settlers. The roof is split shakes and the walls are of the same construction as the barn. |
St Vladimir's Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church. This church was originally built in 1934 and was restored to the same period. This church still has an active membership and holds services every week. |
The signboard by the entrance of the church announces the times of the services in the Ukrainian Cyrillic character set. |
St Nicholas Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. Originally built in 1912 and restored to 1928. The separate bell-tower can be seen to the right. |
The Bellis Canadian National Railway Station. Built in 1923 and restored to 1928. Typical of the rail stations located in the area before 1930, the station agent and his family lived in the back of the building and on the second floor. |
The schoolmaster's desk. The little jar on the left contains grains of wheat. This was used to punish tardiness. If you were late to class, a handful of wheat was scattered on the floor and you had to kneel on the grains of wheat one minute for each minute you were late. The books are originals from the period. Many are written in the Cyrillic character set to accomodate the immigrants. |
This home is that of one of the more well-to-do farmers. There are three rooms inside. One in the rear is the kitchen, the one in front of that is the sleeping room. The whole right side of the house is one room reserved for devotions and special events like weddings and funerals. |
The Nativity of the Mother of God (St Mary's) Ukrainian Catholic Church in Chipman, Alberta. This is an active church and was built in 1901. |
St Mary's Holy Dormition Russo-Greek orthodox Catholic Church (Shishkovitzi). I found this one about 10 miles down a dirt road - the nearest house was a mile away. |
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Located in Mundare, Alberta, further words describing this masterpiece fail me so I'll give you the words from the commemoration plaque. "Commemorating a Century of Sausage-Making. A little over one hundred years ago, shiploads of immigrants arrived in Canada in search of a new life. Many of them, particularly from eastern Europe, chose to settle the Canadian West, establishing communities such as Mundare. With them came traditions and customs that had been important in their homeland and the legacy of those early pioneers is evident in the traditional clothing, music and dance, language, and celebrations still popular today, Nowhere is this more evident than in their food. One such food is the kubassa or sausage, popular with several ethnic groups, taking a variety of forms unique to each of them. The sausage was not only a staple of the pioneers' diet but was an integral part of their cultural traditions. Early settlers made their own sausage, following time-worn family recipes; it wasn't until modern times that sausage-making was left to a few professionals who honed their skills and sold the much-demanded product. In Mundare and surrounding areas, various individuals became well-known for their expertise in sausage-making, and over the years, several businesses took root, based on those kitchen recipes, They have been successful in marking this unique foodstuff, making sausage readily available to everyone. The enjoyment of this meat product is no longer limited to special occasions or to the families of those individuals who still make it in their homes. The success of businesses such as Stawnichy's Meat Processing has brought the art of sausage-Making to a new level and has made the name of Mundare synonymous with "sausage". This it is with pride that this monument is dedicated to the culinary experts who perfected the sausage."
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So, ok, what is it? Well, it's the worlds largest sausage, of course!!This is just one of the many "roadside attractions" in the area. Because it was getting late and I had to get back to Edmonton (and the weather was still crappy), I passed on the world's largest Pysanka (Ukrainian Easter Egg - 25 feet long!) in Vegreville, the worlds largest Pyrogy in Glendon, the worlds largest Mushooms in Vilna and the worlds largest Mallard. I also found a fiberglass bison painted purple but didn't get a good picture because it was in a glass case. If nothing else, this area has to qualify for having the largest concentration of wackos in NA. |
Next - On the Alaska Highway! |
Page 6 |