This document summarizes the history of three Ukrainian pioneer communities in southeastern Saskatchewan from their early history in the 1800s through the present day. It details the arrival of settlers from Eastern Europe in 1897, the establishment of homesteads, schools, churches, and cultural traditions. It also outlines milestones like church anniversaries, publications produced, and the online documentation of pioneer cemeteries. The decline of these communities is noted from the closure of rural schools in 1963 and ongoing depopulation of the farms.

1. (Based on the research of three active Bukovynian
communities in southeastern Saskatchewan, Drobot,
Mamornytsya and Uspenska and two inactive Ruthenian
Catholic and Khabajlo cemetery conducted
by Dr. Jennie Dutchak)

2.  1804 Early history of the area
 1876 Dominion of Canada survey teams
 1885 Ranchers
 1897 Mass Immigration to Canada
 Pattern of homestead settlements
 Community building 1897-1910
 Nature & form of pioneer dwellings
 Cultural heritage
 War years 1939-1945
 Documenting Church Anniversaries – 70th, 75th, 80th, 90th, 95th
 Publication books 1995, 1998, 2002, 2010, DVD 2010
 Profile - Centenarian Pioneer
 Centennial Celebrations of Pioneer Churches, Historic Milestones
 On-line documentation of cemeteries. Ruthenian Greek Catholic, Chabajlo
and Mamornytsya, Saskatchewan Cemeteries Project.
 Decline of pioneer Communities – Closure of rural schools (1963)
 Final note

3. The era of the buffalo, Assiniboia and Cree Indian tribes,
the NWT fur traders. Source, the travel diaries of NWT
fur trader Daniel Harmon.
March 17, 1804, Daniel Harmon camped with his
men on the North West side of Devil’s Lake. Before
the arrival of the settlers, this area had been
uninhabited save by the Cree and Assiniboine
Indians “whom no historian has ever been able to
record the time they came, nor the place from
where they came”, writes Daniel Harmon in his
journal.

4. Dominion of Canada sent
out surveyors to the
rugged wilderness to
survey the land into
ranges, townships and
sections. Field survey
notes, diagrams and maps
of land surveyors G.C.
Rainboth, Lindsay Russel,
John Bourgeois,
Source Saskatchewan provincial
archives.
1876 Dominion of Canada Land SurveyTeams

5. 1885 Ranchers
Ranchers drove their herds into
this rich grazing prairie land
from Manitoba and the Fort
Qu’Appelle valley, travelling on
the same trails used by the
Indians and fur traders,” writes
Paul Barschel, who in 1909 was in
charge of the Dominion Land
Office in Canora, Saskatchewan.
In 1889, prominent Rancher
Robert Buchanan drove his herd
of 150 cattle and band of Clysdale
horses from the Qu’Applle Valley
to the northern tip of Devils
Lake.

6. Dr. Thomas Alfred Patrick, MLA of Yorkton, Eastern Assiniboia , NWT in 1901, a
horse and buggy doctor, who pounded over old Indian trails to treat the sick and
injured immigrants.
1897 Yorkton

7. 1897 Mass Immigration from Eastern Europe
First wave of immigration from the two western provinces of Halychyna and Bukovyna lured by
promises of free land, marked the end of ranching in the area. An important year in Canadian
immigration history.
Source, Department of the Interior, National Archives.
“The year 1897 saw the first large immigration of Ruthenians nearly 4000 arrive in Yorkton, NWT,”
reported the Yorkton Enterprise. “They brought a whole trainload of “those Galatians,” reported
one incensed rancher, “ writes Dr. Thomas Alfred Patrick, MLA for Yorkton, Eastern Assiniboia, in
1901.
May 6th, 1897, W.F. McCreary, Commissioner of Immigration in Winnipeg, reported to I.W. Fortier,
Superintendent of Immigration in Ottawa, that 1100 souls had just arrived in Winnipeg, within six
hours of each other, and it was no easy task to mange them. They were destitute, stubborn and
obnoxious. They demanded the “free land” that had been promised.
May 29th, 1897, McCreary made special arrangements with Manitoba and Northwestern Railway
Company to take the bulk of the immigrants and all those forthcoming to Yorkton, Eastern
Assininoia, NWT, to take up surveyed land at once, bringing an end to ranching in the area

8. Pattern of Homestead Settlement
Path of Galician and Bukovynian
immigration extended into townships
28-31, ranges 6-8, west of the 2nd.
Meridian forming a large bloc settlement
based on kinship ties. Families joined
families; fellow countrymen joined
fellow countrymen. Names of early
settlers; maps of main villages of
emigration 1897-1910, Cummins rural
directory maps 1917-1922. Source records
of Homestead applications, entries,
patents, naturalization and declaration
of abandonment Provincial archives,
Prairie Census.

9. 1897-1910 Community Building. A Crucial Need
Organization of rural one-room school districts
played a key role in the Canadianization of
immigrant children. “Joseph Megas first
officialschool organizer for the Ruthenians in
Saskatchewan, “reported the Canora Advertiser.
Maps of school districts, poll books, declaration of
ratepayers, lists of school trustees, teachers and
superintendent reports. Department of Education
records. Provincial Archives, building of churches,
belfrys, parish halls, donation of land, founding
church fathers, church membership, church
officials. Lists of priests, birth, marriage and death
records, cemeteries, grave inscriptions, church
interior, icons, liturgical books, crosses,
processional banners, Source, Church archives and
CHIRP National Museum of Civilization, Ottawa.
Organization of rural post offices, postmasters,
maps.
Source National Archives of Canada

11. Natureand Form of Pioneer Dwellings
Burdeis (sod huts), straw-thatched roof houses and barns, “horse and buggy”
transportation, steam-powered threshing machines and early farm plow

12. Cultural Heritage
Parish Feast days, Easter and
other holy days; wedding and
funeral traditions, traditional
Bukovynian folkdress, folksongs
and dance, ceremonial ritual
breads.

13. 1939-1945 WarYears – Call to Arms
Contributions of our young
men, sons of the pioneers,
to Canada’s war efforts.
Source Military records National
Archives

14. Church Anniversaries – 70th, 75th, 80th, 85th, 90th, 95th

15. Publications - 1995, 1998, 2002, 2010, DVD 2010

16. Profile of
Centenarian
Pioneer
Author’s Note:
She lived for two more years after
the birthday visit. She died in
2010, age 102, the year of the
church’s 100th Anniversary.

17. Centennial Celebrations of Pioneer Churches,
Historic Milestones
Uspenska 2002, Drobot 2009, Mamornytsya 2010. Pioneer cemeteries fully transcribed and
photographed on line, Saskatchewan Cemeteries Project. The experience of the pioneers
was universal and the experience of one community speaks for all similar communities.

18. On-Line Publications

19. On-Line Publications - Saskatchewan CemeteriesProject
Chabajlo Ukrainian Orthodox Cemetery

20. On-Line Publications - Saskatchewan CemeteriesProject
The Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church

21. 1963 Decline of Pioneer Communities
Closure of rural schools, farm abandonment, rural depopulation, exodus from the farms,
shrinking church membership, the changing face of the communities. A vanishing era in
Saskatchewan history.

22. Final Note