Showing 170 results

Michael Sopulak was Head of the Department of Social Care of the UCC, later a professor at the Ukrainian Theological Seminary in Hirschberg (Germany) and Kulemborg (Holland), since 1949 chancellor of the diocese in Edmonton (Canada), and director and co-editor of the "Ukrainian News" publishing house.

Michael Sopulak graduated from the Seminary of the Holy Spirit in Lviv with a bachelor's degree in Theological Studies, M.A., and Ph.D. in Theological Studies in Innsbruck, Austria.

After graduation, he was ordained a priest in 1936 by the Auxiliary bishop Ivan Buchko. The subdiaconate was conferred on him by the Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky.In Lviv he was a director of the Vocational School, and therefore director of the Publishing House "Biblos".

During World War II, Michael went west and began working in Krakow for the Ukrainian Central Committee as the head of its Social Welfare Department. There he provided important assistance to Ukrainians in need and, especially, Ukrainian political prisoners.

During the Surrender of Germany in 1945 Michael was in Nuremberg. After the arrival of the Americans, he began to work in the committee in Fürth near Nuremberg. Later he was called to become a professor of dogmatics at the Ukrainian Theological Seminary in Hirschberg, Germany, where he also served as deputy rector.

In 1949 Dr. Sopulak moved to Canada for permanent residence in the Edmonton Eparchy, Alberta. Michael served as a Chancellor of the Eparchy and the Director of the “Ukrainian News” Publishing House. He worked in this position for more than 30 years, later serving as an editor-in-chief and as the head of the “Ukrainian News” publishing house.

Michael Sopulak founded the Ukrainian Catholic Church of the Eucharist in North Edmonton in 1950, and St. Michael's Ukrainian Cemetery in 1955. Among other achievements, on the initiative of Dr.Sopulak, was purchased and built the Ukrainian Village, which annually hosts summer camps for Ukrainian school children.
Dr. Sopulak was struck down with a serious illness in 1981. The last 24th issue of the weekly “Ukrainian News” newspaper was already edited on his hospital bed.

Joan Margel, a Canadian folklore collector, educator, volunteer, and community activist, has dedicated her life to preserving cultural heritage, promoting education, and positively impacting her community. Born Joan Bayers in 1932 in the Prestville area east of Rycroft, Alberta, she has deep roots in Kulivtsi and Verenchanka in Bukovyna, Ukraine. Her ancestors, the Rudeichuk, Kushneryk, and Bayers families, made their journey from that region to Canada in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. With immense pride, Joan refers to herself as the proud granddaughter of the pioneering homesteaders who opened up the Peace River country in the mid-1920s, playing a crucial role in establishing a new province.
Joan's early years were marked by personal loss when her father, John Bayers, a Bukovynian German, tragically passed away from pneumonia when she was only two and a half years old. Her mother, later marrying Jack Sandul, relocated the family to Jack's Yellow Creek homestead. In 1942, they moved to the Village of Rycroft, where Jack Sandul was involved in the trucking business, contributing to the construction of the Alaska Highway through his company, "Sandul's Transport."
Joan's passion for education and her commitment to learning began early in life. After attending Naramata Bible School in 1950 and graduating, she enrolled in the one-year teaching course at the University of Alberta in 1951. Joan began her first teaching position in 1952 at the age of 19 at the one-room Blueberry Mountain School in the Peace River Country. This small school, located ten kilometres from her childhood home, presented unique challenges. Joan taught students of all grades, ranging from 1 to 7, living in the back room of the school without running water and environmental hardships.
Joan wrote to the Ministry of Education requesting a teaching position in Ontario. Her request was granted, and in 1953, at the age of 20, she began teaching grade 2 at John McCrae Elementary School in Windsor, Ontario, till 1957, when her first son Donald was born. During this time, she met her future husband, Joseph (Joe) Margel, a former refugee from the Hungarian socialistic regime. He left the country after WWII in 1946 and came to Canada shortly after. In August 1956, Joan and Joseph married in Rycroft and returned to Windsor. After having two sons and ten years living in Windsor, the Margel family returned to Rycroft, where they started a small but successful T.V. business. During this time, Joan continued to pursue her passion for teaching, dedicating a year to teaching grade 2. Two daughters were born there.
In 1967, the Margel family made another move, settling in Edmonton, Alberta. Joan and Joseph pursued their studies at the University of Alberta full-time from 1967 to 1968. In the fall of 1968, Joan returned to the field after a 12-year hiatus from the teaching profession, joining Afton Elementary School. Joseph got a job teaching High school electronics. They both got teaching jobs while still completing their 4-year education degrees. Joan graduated in 1971, and Joseph in May 1973 or 1974. In 1981, Joan furthered her educational pursuits by attending the University of Alberta's Elementary Library Education program. She then embarked on a remarkable journey, teaching as a Multicultural Library teacher at both Princeton Elementary School and Norwood Elementary School for a year (1982-1983). Her dedication to fostering cultural diversity continued as she taught full-time at Norwood for two more years (1983-1985). Joan's expertise led her to Glenrose Hospital School in 1985, where she served as a Teacher Librarian until her well-deserved retirement in December 1986.
Retirement didn't slow Joan Margel's fervour for collecting folklore and oral history narratives. In the 1990s, she immersed herself in gathering stories of the Rycroft area and her family. Inspired by the teachings of Dr. Andriy Nahachewsky and Radomir Bilash on Ukrainian culture and folklore at the University of Alberta, Joan expanded her knowledge of fieldwork methods, interview indexing, storytelling skills, and archiving communication. Volunteering at the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village open-air museum and contributing to the Local Culture and Diversity on the Prairies project, she played an instrumental role in preserving and celebrating cultural heritage. Joan Margel's unwavering commitment to community involvement extended beyond her teaching career.
Active in numerous projects from 1990 to 2010, she contributed her time and expertise to initiatives such as the Alberta Women's Memory Project, Northern Alberta Women's Archival Association, Alberta Genealogical Society, Federation of East European Family History Societies, Ukrainian Pioneers Association of Alberta, Treaty 8 Centennial Commemoration, and various ecological and mental health projects. Furthermore, Joan showcased her musical talents by participating in the Ukrainian Choir Dnipro and spearheading the Edmonton chapter of the Raging Grannies after hearing about the Vancouver group. In 2022, Joan Margel continued to reside in Edmonton, Alberta, using her professional experience to inspire and enlighten others through presentations like "Leave a Verbal Legacy."

Wadym Dobrolige was born on December 7, 1913 in Nizhyn, Chernihiv region of the present day Ukraine. He was an artist and decorator. He graduated from the Kyiv Art Institute in 1935, and also studied at the Leningrad Institute of Sculpture and Architecture (1936). After coming back to Kyiv, he worked as a book illustrator. He was arrested, sent to Kolyma in Khabarovsk region of Russia, and was released in 1938. He worked as a film decorator under the supervision of Oleksandr Dovzhenko. During WWII he was captured by the Germans. In 1942 he fled the concentration camp and returned to Kyiv where he worked as a mechanic. However, Wadym Dobrolige was taken by the Germans to Germany and ended up at a DP camp Heidenau near Hamburg where he organized an art studio. There he created over 20 portraits, three icons for the camp church, peisages, still lifes, and decorated most of the camp plays for the Ukrainian theatre.

In 1948, Dobrolige moved to Canada. He painted many icons and Iconostasis. He created the iconostasis for the St. John's Cathedral in Edmonton in baroque style. A lot of Orthodox churches mainly in Alberta, but also in Saskatchewan and Quebec have Dobrolige’s Iconostasis, icons and church paintings. He decorated multiple theatre performances, created numerous portraits and still lifes, posters, external and internal decorations. Wadym Dobrolige was responsible for creating the portrait of Princess Elizabeth and different decorations for the procession to honour her visit to Edmonton in 1951. He died on October 4, 1973 in Edmonton, Alberta.

Myron grew up in Kozava a town near Ternopil. He and his sister joined UPA, and eventually he had to flee to the west. His sister stayed behind and was arrested and sent to Siberia. Myron made it to the west, and lived in England, Montreal and finally Kelowna BC. He passed away in 2021.

Mykhailo Bilas was a prominent Ukrainian artist, weaver, and an important person in the history of Ukrainian art overall. He had three art degrees: in theatre and choreography, vocal, and fine art. He was born in Ukraine then under Poland. When he was 15, the territory where he lived was occupied by Germans, and later by Soviets. Bilas lived most of his life in the Soviet Union.

In 1992, the Mykhailo Bilas museum was opened in Truskavets'. In 1995, he became recognized as the People's Artist of Ukraine. Bilas died in Truskavets' in 2016.

He had deep interest in the world cultures - music, cinema, fashion. Aside from his achievements as an artist, he was also a talented designer. According to Dmytro Pavlychko, Bilas was great in transforming the folk art energy into new forms, new artistic artifacts, those that every person would like to have at home.

Михайло Білас (1924 - 2016), видатний український художник, майстр ткацтва, дуже важлива фігура для історії українського мистецтва, нетипова і парадоксальна - народний художник з трьома мистецькими освітами - театрально-хореографічною, вокальною і художньою. В житті і творчості Біласа, як в гобелені, переплелися головні сюжети культурного і політичного життя України ХХ століття.

Білас народився в Україні, окупованій Польщею, а коли йому виповнилося 15 років він пережив страшну німецьку окупацію і потім ще страшнішу радянську. Більшу частину життя Біласу довелося прожити у Радянському Союзі. Білас так написав про своє життя в радянській Україні в листі Любі і Мирославу Куцам 26.11.1989 року:

“…що ми можемо бачити тут, будучи стільки років відірваними від цивілізації і культурного світу за сталевою стіною застою, яка знищувала все добре, гарне і розумне. Яка навчала нас до замкнення всіх почуттів, навчила мовчати і боятися власного погляду. Це не жарт і Вам цього не зрозуміти ніколи!”

В 1991 році Україна здобула незалежність. В 1992 році відкрився музей Михайла Біласа в Трускавці, в 1995 році йому було присвоєне почесне звання Народного художника України.

Помер і похований Білас у Трускавці в 2016 році.

Художник з великим світоглядом, який завжди цікавився сучасною світовою культурою – музикою, кіно, модою. Його внесок в українську культуру не обмежується ткацтвом, масштаб його творчості ширший, бо він ще талановитий експозиціонер, який не боявся простору, модельєр.

Як сказав видатний український поет Дмитро Павличко, М. Білас є, власне, великим трансформатором народної мистецької енергії в нові форми, нові художні предмети, причому в такі саме, які хочеться мати кожній людині дома.

Автор тексту: Ірина Воробйова

З листа Біласа Куцям від 8 березня 1994 року:

“Чомусь не вміють показати цей чарівний світ Михайла Біласа, так само як не вміють написати моєї біографії, не можуть збагнути мойого “я”, того загадкового світу меланхолії, яку я проніс через все життя від малої дитини, того чогось незбагненного і загадкового, якого я сам не розумію, хіба зараз, коли задумуюся над собою і пройденим шляхом життя, я бачу, як нелегко мені було естетично, інтелектуально, якого другі не розуміли. Розуміла одинова моя Мама - інтуїтивно, підсвідомо - пестила, носила на руках вже досить великого, колисала і співала колискову, яку я запамʼятав донині і яку співають сестри Байки. Мій загадковий, ніжний, меланхолійний мікро світ важко комусь збагнути, бо це все в мені, це є я - неподібний ні до чого. Мені з тим і легко, і важко. Легко, коли я сам з собою, і важко, коли я в оточенні прозаїчних людей, обставин, коли мушу грати ролю власне тих людей і скривати моє “я”. І в мене все подвійне - то я веселий, то сумний. Немає “золотої середини”, бо дав мені Бог те, чого інші не мають і не додумуються.”

Колискова "Поперушко" в виконанні сестер Байко: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1HbKrxMh8M

“Мої твори оперті на українських народних традиціях, піснях, танцях, музиці, фольклорі. Все це я вивчив, запамʼятав, полюбив, зарисував і не знаю, чи за своє скромне життя зможу це все показати у своїх творах (а шкода!)”

Helen Kozicky was born on February 6, 1916, in Calgary. Her mother came to Canada as a 2 year old child, and her father was 18 when he came. Her family was Greek-Catholic. During the Russian revolution her uncles and father came first to the USA and then to Canada; her father was a president of the Ukrainian church. Her mother grew up in Vegreville; she belonged to the Ukrainian Catholic Women’s League.

During the WWII, in November 1942, Helen Kozicky went overseas as a Sergeant. There were 8 women from each province. She took a course on driving a vehicle and repairing it. She was part of the Alberta Women’s Service Corp, first female contingent overseas to provide services for the Headquarters. Ukrainian Canadian Services Association was established in 1944; Ukrainian Club in London. Kozicky was the Secretary of the Club for 2 years.

Helen Kozicky died in Calgary in 2007.

Lagola Ivan is a public figure born in 1923, in the Zolochiv region of Western Ukraine. He passed away in Edmonton on November 14th, 2001. In 1943, he was arrested and sent to Nazi prisons and concentration camps (Zolochiv, Lviv, Birkenau, Auschwitz, Mattenhausen, Melk, Ebenze). On May 6th, 1945 he was released by American troops and lived in Germany until he moved to Canada in 1948. He lived in Edmonton and was a member of the Ukrainian Youth Association, secular Catholic organizations, the Committee of Ukrainian Political Prisoners.

This biography was composed by Fiona Pelech in January 1990

A. PERSONAL
Born in Duvernay, Alberta on 10 July, 1914 in a family of four girls and two boys. Had been married for 15 years. Husband passed away in 1955 during a heart attack. Fiona raised four children (Betty, Patricia, Johann, and Andrew).

B. EDUCATION

• After high school, took one year of business training at McDougall Commercial High School
• B.Ed. Degree from the University of Alberta plus an additional year towards a Master's as well as summer courses in Business Education and Languages
• Bilingual (English and Ukrainian) - speak, read and type in both
• Took several interest courses throughout the years in leadership, photography, crafts, pottery, weaving, gardening, etc.

C. TEACHING EXPERIENCE

• 15 years in rural Alberta - elementary 4 yrs., Junior High 11 yrs.
• 1 year in the North Edmonton Junior High School
• 5 years at McCauley Junior High, Edmonton
• 14 years at Victoria Composite High School
  Retired early after completing 35 years of teaching when the family was more or less through university. Throughout the years, taught Ukrainian classes in rural and urban communities as well as credited courses at the Victoria Composite High School.

D. MEMBERSHIPS

• Alberta Teachers' Association (ATA)
• Modern Language Council of the Alberta Teachers' Association
• Member of the Ukrainian Women's Association of Canada since 1941. Served on the local, provincial and national levels
• Honorary Life Member of St. John's Cathedral
• One of the Founding Members of the Canadian Association of Teachers of Ukrainian
• A Founding Member of the Ukrainian Kindergarten classes in Edmonton (First meeting in August, 1972)
• Ukrainian Language Association (ATA) in Edmonton – secretary till May 1975
• Council of Ukrainian Schools – secretary for twelve years
• Edmonton Multicultural Society (EMS)
• Canadian Ethnic Studies Association
• Saskatchewan Multicultural Council
• Saskatchewan Organization for Heritage Languages
• Pacific Northwest Council on Foreign Languages
• Central & East European Studies Society of Alberta (CEESSA) - on the Board for five years
• Alberta Ethnic Language Teachers' Association (now the Northern Alberta Heritage Language Association (NAHLA) - Charter member, President for the first two years, then secretary and now on Board of Directors.

E. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENTS

1. Since retirement, 1976, all work has been voluntary and dedicated to assisting various non-profit organizations. Secretary for the national executive of the Ukrainian Self-Reliance League of Canada since retiring.
2. Served in a number of positions on the local, provincial and national levels in the Ukrainian Women's Association of Canada mostly as an educational representative or secretary for the past 45 years.
3. Participated in various Multicultural Conferences in Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Toronto; language tour to New York; the International Symposium in Montreal in 1985; and many others connected with the language issue or cultural retention.
4. Prepared or assisted in preparing press reports, radio talks and television programs on topics of cultural importance.
5. Travelled to various parts of the province (Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Evansburg, Bonnyville, Smoky Lake, Calgary, and Barrhead to mention only a few) in answer to requests by directors from the Parks & Recreational Department arranging workshops, displays, demonstrations, etc. on cultural themes. Had displays and workshops at:
   • Strathcona Place for Senior Citizens
   • Multicultural Heritage Centre at Stony Plain
   • Provincial Museum in Edmonton Commonwealth Games presentations at Edson (Yellowhead School Division 26/1/77); Robertson-Wesley Church 16/3/77; and others.
6. Initiated an overseas project which gave the Edmonton Canadian Ukrainian Youth Choir a chance to participate in the International Music Festival in Vienna as Canadian representatives. The project was most successful and rewarding in providing excellent public relations. A similar tour is being planned for 1991.
7. Arranged for an exchange of a Hindi language class with a Ukrainian class. Report filed with Alberta Culture. The experiment was most interesting. Shortly after, a German language class was hosted by a Japanese class.
8. Served on Planning Committees of many conferences among them the CCMIE (Canadian Council for Multicultural & Intercultural Education) held in 1987 in Edmonton. Co-ordinated the conference "Heritage Languages in a Multicultural Society - Present and Future" held on October 3-4/86 at the Chateau Lacombe, Edmonton.
9. Representative from the Northern Alberta Heritage Language Association to the Alberta Cultural Heritage Council since 1985. Served as secretary to the 56 members of the Edmonton & District Regional Council and as a member of the Educational Committee helped to prepare recommendations to the Minister of Culture and Multiculturalism. The Institute was initiated with the help of the Northern Alberta Heritage Language Association and the Alberta Cultural Heritage Council.

F. PUBLICATIONS

1. While teaching, was staff adviser to school publications at both McCauley Junior High and Victoria Composite High School.
2. Prepared booklets and pamphlet materials on cultural topics for use in high schools and community organizations - most recent was a cultural project at the Victoria Composite High School in Jan./83.
3. Researched, translated and prepared lessons and numerous slides for the very first six years of Ukrainian weaving initiated at the Banff School of Fine Arts in 1976.
4. Prepared papers on languages and delivered them at conferences:
   (a) "Heritage Language Programs in Alberta" appears in the book ROOTS AND REALITIES AMONG EASTERN AND CENTRAL EUROPEANS edited by Dr. Martin L. Kovacs, 1983 (Pp. 267-286).
   (b) "Status of Heritage Languages in Canada” was prepared for a conference in Toronto.
   (c) "Heritage Languages" delivered at a panel in a conference in Edmonton sponsored by the Canadian Council for Multicultural and Intercultural Education (CCMIE).
5. Involved in editing and typing:
   (a) Commonwealth Games. Using a Typing 30 class, prepared
   (from rough materials) a Teachers' Reference Manual and a Student Workbook for use in Alberta schools. Also traveled to various schools and organizations showing slides.
   (b) the publications of "Pioneers in Alberta" as well as the reference book "Ukrainian Canadiana."
   (c) the 1981 Revised Edition of the Kindergarten Guide for the Ukrainian Bilingual Program, Edmonton Public Schools.
   (d) supplementary books by S. Wasylyshyn and A. Danelovich for beginners in learning Ukrainian.
6. Constantly translate, edit and type in English and Ukrainian at the local, provincial and national levels such publications as directories, programs, scripts for plays, annual reports, and newsletters connected with cultural activities.
7. Contribute articles on multiculturalism, especially languages, and on the different organizations to ethnic papers and magazines.

G. HONORS AND AWARDS
1964 Edmonton Women Teachers' Club scholarship.
1975 Honored member marking the International Women's Year.
1976 One of five finalists in 'Mother of the Year" award sponsored by the Ladies Auxiliary of the Fraternal Order of Eagles.
1978 Certificate of appreciation for volunteer service in the Commonwealth Games.
1979 Trophy for "Motivation” in a Leadership Course at Banff, Alberta 1980 Alberta Achievement Award for community services from the province presented by Premier Lougheed.
1980 Honorary life-member of St. John's Cathedral.
1983 Honorary life-member of the Ukrainian Self-Reliance League of Canada.
1983 Certificate of Merit for services in the Universiade Games 1985 Certificate of Appreciation for outstanding contribution to the advancement of Ukrainian language and culture in Alberta schools presented by the Alberta Parents of Ukrainian Education.
1985 Life-member in the SUS Foundation for contributions.
1986 Recipient of the Shevchenko Medal given by the National organization of the Ukrainian Canadian Committee for community services rendered throughout the years.
1986 Multicultural Education Council Award presented in Lethbridge by the Alberta Teachers' Association.
1987 Heritage Language Development -- Outstanding Alberta Achievement Award presented October 17/87 in Calgary by Hon. Greg Stevens.
1987 Certificate of Appreciation presented by the Canadian Council for Multicultural and Intercultural Education (CCMIE) in recognition of valuable contributions to multicultural education in Canada.
1988 an award for outstanding services and contribution to the preservation of heritage languages presented by the Northern Alberta Heritage Language Association on June 4/88 on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of NAHLA.

Fiona Pelech passed away on March 13, 2002

Doris E. Yanda, community leader and author, was born on March 16,1905 in Gimli, Manitoba to Anthony and Anna Konashevich, Ukrainian pioneers who arrived in Canada in 1900. The family moved to southwestern Saskatchewan and Doris completed her secondary education in Saskatoon where she attended the P.Mohyla Institute. Throughout her life and career, she continued her education at the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Alberta.

She began to write at an early age and wrote poems, articles and stories under the names of Dorothy Yanda, Elizabeth Young and Daria Mohylianka. She was editor of the Women’s Page in the newspapers, Ukrainian Voice and Ukrainian Farmer. She was also on the editorial committee of the Ukrainian Voice.

In 1923, she was one of the organizers of the Ukrainian Ladies Society of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and she held various executive positions including vice-president and president. n June, 1926 she married DmytroYanda, a lawyer. In 1926 she was one of the founders of the Ukrainian Women’s Association of Canada (UWAC) and held various executive positions at the local, provincial and national levels for many years. In 1933 and 1934 she was National Vice-President and Provincial President of Alberta and in 1935 and 1936, she was National President of the Ukrainian Women’s Association of Canada. She convened the Ukrainian National Handicraft Exhibit in 1935. In 1952, Mrs. Yanda was honoured with an honorary life membership in the UWAC. She was also active in the National Council of Women and the Women’s Council of Canada.

She was a member of the Canadian Authors’ Association since 1934. She has published numerous articles including books of poetry, in Ukrainian and in English. She has published twelve books on various literary subjects under several pen names.

During the Second World War, she was very active in voluntary war work in Edmonton. She was involved in numerous organizations such as Red Cross, War Savings Stamps, Regional Advisory Committee of the Wartime Price Control Board and others.

In 1948 she was involved with the British Columbia Flood Relief Fund and she also wrote on this disaster for the popular press.

She was also active in the Local Council of Women in Edmonton. Through her work she facilitated the immigration of many Ukrainian Displaced Persons and Refugees to Canada. In 1949 she visited over twenty Displaced Persons Camps in Germany with her husband for three months and they made speaking tours on their return to Canada. She was also involved in voluntary work to assist the newly arrived Ukrainian Displaced Persons.

She was widowed in 1969 and then married John McMullan. She is recognized as a master weaver and taught weaving in Edmonton and organized courses at the Banff Centre - School of Fine Arts from 1976 to 1987.

During her life, she received many awards and distinctions from various national organizations and from the Ukrainian community including the Taras Shevchenko Medal.

Ivan Keywan was born on September 16, 1907 in the village of Karliv (now called Prutivka) in Western Ukraine. He began his art studies at the O. Novakivsky Art School in Lviv, and continued at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow and the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, from which he graduated in 1937. He also studied art history at the University of Warsaw and qualified as a teacher of art and art history. After his studies, he taught painting and drawing in Kolomea at the Ukrainian high school and technical school, while also pursuing an artistic career. As a member of several artists' associations, he exhibited his works, starting in 1933, in Warsaw, Lviv, different cities in Germany, Paris and Amsterdam. In 1943, he married Maria Adriana Krupska, a physican, in Kolomea (Kolomyia).

In 1944, he fled Western Ukraine in advance of the Soviet occupation. After the end of the war, he lived with his family in a displaced persons (DP) camp in Mittenwald, Bavaria, Germany. There he taught art and art history in the camp high school and at the People's University and produced many landscape paintings of the Alps. In 1949, Ivan Keywan, with his wife and two children, Orest and Zonia, immigrated to Canada and settled in Edmonton, Alberta.

In Canada, Keywan continued his artistic work. A co-founder of the Ukrainian Artists Association of Canada (USOM = Українська спілка образотворчих мистців Канади), he participated in the association's exhibitions, as well as other exhibitions in Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, Detroit and New York. Increasingly turning his attention to art history and criticism, he authored countless articles for the Ukrainian press and published four monographs on Ukrainian artists, including Taras Shevchenko, the Artist (1964). For this work, he was awarded the Shevchenko Medal, the highest form of recognition granted by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (KUK). He researched and wrote a two-volume history of Ukrainian art, of which only one section has been published in 1996 in Edmonton by Clio Editions titled Українські мистці поза Батьківщиною (Ukrainian Artists outside Ukraine). In 1967, Keywan received an honorary appointment as professor of art history at the Ukrainian Catholic University in Rome. Ivan Keywan died in Edmonton on September 18, 1992.

Danny Evanishen is a Canadian of Ukrainian descent, a world traveller and a writer. He was born on February 17, 1945 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Danny graduated from the Nutana Collegiate Institute, Saskatoon in 1962, and then attended the University of Saskatchewan between 1962 and 1968 where he received degrees in both drama and education, while also being a writer and poet for the university’s student newspaper The Sheaf along with membership in other student organizations. Danny was also a member of a variety of cultural groups during this time, including the Mohyla Ukrainian Institute, CYMK (of which he was a president in 1964-65), and the dance group Yevshan and Lusia Pavlychenko's group, Saskatoon (1964-68). With Yevshan he danced in a Saskatchewan Jubilee movie in 1965, at Expo 67 several times, at the Canadian National Exhibition and for Queen Elizabeth in Ottawa in 1967. With Mary Tkachuk's youth choir he sang and played guitar in Toronto, Ottawa and Montréal at Expo 67, all in 1967.

Shortly after graduation, Danny began teaching English and art in Australia and New Zealand, but returned to Canada in 1971 to work as a Forest Officer in Yukon and British Columbia until 1978. During this time he briefly worked as an editor and publisher at a newspaper in Ross River, Yukon. In 1978, he became an owner and operator of a movie theatre and the manager of a freight co-operative in Salt Spring Island, BC. He also began pursuing freelance writing, which he continues to this day. From 1991 to 1993 Danny worked as a freelance forest fire suppression in BC. Since 1991, he has worked as a writer/publisher. Danny also worked at a mine in the Australian desert, fixed yachts on the Spanish island of Ibiza, repaired Volkswagens in Nigeria, tended bar in Canada, Spain and New Zealand, played guitar in a restaurant in Australia, drove a van in England, and crossed the Sahara in an old army truck.

Danny Evanishen's father stimulated his interest by translating some stories he found in an old Ukrainian book handed down by his father; his mother provided one story and encouraged him; and his niece and sister did the artwork. When Evanishen started to investigate, he discovered thousands of Ukrainian folktales. Danny started collecting stories in 1991. In 1994, he started going to Ukrainian and multiethnic festivals to collect stories there. He was interested in collecting stories of two types: Ukrainian folk tales and funny Ukrainian pioneer stories. With time, he started collected stories from descendants of pioneers. Danny would record verbal stories and would also invite people to send them to him by email, on paper, floppy disk, cassette, audio reel, fax, video, 8mm film. In 1994, he sent an announcement about collecting stories to many newspapers. If at the beginning of 1990s he would collect 2-3 stories per year, in 1999 he collected near to 40.

In 1993 he founded “Ethnic Enterprises, Publishing Division” to publish these stories, and his own writings around the character Vuiko Yurko which had received an award in a writers’ contest shortly after being published. Since then Ethnic Enterprises has published over twenty books containing stories of Danny’s own creation, and of Ukrainian folk tales he has collected and translated.