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Soltykewych, Stephanie
UF2023.013 · Family · 1931-

Stephanie Soltykewych was born on August 14, 1931 in the town of Saint-Éloy-les-Mines, France. Her parents Konstantyn and Julia (née Doloszycka) Derech immigrated from Ulucz, Poland to France in 1928 and 1930 respectively. After completing her education in 1952, Stephanie decided to visit her brother, who had already immigrated to Canada, and ended up settling in Edmonton. Because of her knowledge of French, she started working on the second day of her arrival - at the Edmonton General Hospital, where speaking French was an asset at the time.
In 1954, she started to work for the Government of Alberta, where she worked full time as an office clerk until 1972. In 1955, she married Roman Soltykewych and raised 3 children: son Orest, and twin daughters Vera and Nadia. In 1974, Stephanie went back to work for Employment and Immigration Canada, first as a bilingual receptionist, then as a customer service officer, referring customers to employment or training. She particularly enjoyed helping new immigrants with obtaining new jobs or enrolling in English classes.
For several years, Stephanie taught play school (sadochok) at the Ukrainian National Federation Hall.
After the passing of her husband Roman in 1976. Stephanie dedicated herself to voluntary work. At St George Ukrainian Catholic Parish, she was one of the founding members of the newly established branch, in 1955, of the Ukrainian Catholic Women's League of Canada. She held several executive positions, including president for many years.
Stephanie served on the executive of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy in Edmonton. She was president of Plast Pryjat (parent's support organization with Plast - Ukrainian scouts) for which she received a certificate of recognition. She assisted the Edmonton CYMK (Ukrainian Orthodox Youth) Choir in fundraising for a trip to perform at a music festival in Vienna. For many years she canvassed for the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
In 2017, Stephanie received a Hetman Award from the Ukrainian Canadian Congress - Alberta Provincial Council.
Stephanie loved to travel and had the opportunity to visit many countries around the world. She was an avid stamp collector. She also loved flowers, and would dry them and create arrangements from them.

Margel, Joan
Person · 1932-

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."

Dobrolige, Wadym
Person · 1913-1973

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.

Corporate body · 1996 -

The Society of Friends of the Ukrainian Folklore Centre is a non-profit society that was established to support the work of the Ukrainian Folklore Centre (Ukrainian Folklore Programme) at the University of Alberta. The Friends actively publicize the activities of the Centre, increase community awareness and raise funds for future projects. The organization has produced a video highlighting Ukrainian Culture studies at the University of Alberta as well as promoting outreach in the community.

The Friends' mission is to:
"Morally and financially support the Ukrainian Folklore Programme at the University of Alberta and to increase its capacity to study and communicate the complexities of the Ukrainian experience in the world.

To facilitate the growth of Ukrainian ethnology, which is the discovery of knowledge about Ukrainian culture and identify through the study of arts, customs, beliefs, songs, crafts and other traditions, as well as the people who partake in them, by providing support to the Ukrainian Folklore Programme in public relations, communications, fundraising, administration, and special projects."

The Friends Society has also contributed financially to student research scholarships, archival projects, infrastructure and publications. In addition, the Friends Society has successfully received grants from Canada's Digital Collections Initiative grant through Industry Canada (the Ukrainian Folklore Photo Archives and the Ukrainian Wedding Web Exhibit), federal and provincial government grants for Local Culture and Diversity on the Prairies Research Project (Department of Multiculturalism and Community Initiatives Program).
The Society was initially formed in December 1993, as the Society of Friends of the Chair of Ukrainian Culture at the University of Alberta. In 1996 the Friends of the Chair…. Registered as a Society in the Societies Act of Alberta and a year later registered as a Registered Charitable Society. In 1998 the Society had a membership base of over 120 people. In 2003 the Society formally changed its name to Friends of the Ukrainian Folklore Centre.