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This item is a recording of an interview conducted with Maria von Rosenbach, the daughter of Colonel Orest Durnovol, a writer and philosopher. He wrote a book in Russia, but his interpretation of religion was different than the State's and was therefore forbidden. This book was published in 1913 in Germany. The family left Russia in 1918 and Maria discusses this journey in the interview. She talks about her life and meeting her husband. Her family's occupations during the Depression are also discussed.

This item is a recording of an interview with Mr. and Mrs. Fenske, recorded February 13, 1982. Mrs. Fenske discusses how a whole community came to Canada by boat because of the Depression and were pressed to join the Orthodox Russian Church, but did not want to. The church was the centre of all activities with service three times per day. They used the German language at home, and their parents went to German school back in Russia. Mr. Fenske's father came to Canada alone in 1893, Mr. Fenske was born in 1902.

This item contains two interviews, one conducted with Mr. and Mrs. German, and another with Mr. Eichele. M. German was born in 1909 in Odesa, although originally the family came from Germany and spoke German. His parents were farmers. They came on a steam boat from Liverpool to Halifax, they then came to Regina on a train from Halifax where he had an uncle, and moved to Alberta in the Spring of 1910, to Bow Island, an area with many Germans. His dad built a house, which was more like a shack, where they had some animals. His dad grew wheat. He took over his dad’s farm. During WWI, when they already lived in Canada, his family did not have problems because they were Germans, although they did experience tough times during the Depression. Mr. and Mrs. German got married in 1924, then bought the land. In 1940, they came to Calgary. Then sold it and bought the lot and built the place they were being interviewed. Retired in 1968. Have 2 children. Mrs. German's parents came from Russia, too ([Menheim] near Odesa). She was born in the USA, in Mackintosh, North Dakota in 1907. Her parents had a homestead over there. Then they moved into Alberta in about 1908. Her father got a homestead in Alberta. They moved together with a big German community. She had 6 siblings and was the youngest, 2 from the previous marriage of her dad. Her family was Catholic and spoke German.

This item contains an interview conducted with Mr. and Mrs. Sommer. Mrs. and Mr. Sommer are talking about the farm life and their lack of money until the end of the 1930s. They bought their farm taking out a loan with the help of his brother and it paid back step by step. It was a difficult time for them. Their children learned English quickly at school, but Mrs. Sommer mentions that she did
not have any lessons, and could only learn English by herself which took some time. Children went to a German school. Later the children and grandchildren were able to speak English better than German. Mr. and Mrs. Sommer say that they did not had any problems during their journey to Canada because of being Germans.
Mr. and Mrs. Sommer talk about going to church (Lutheran Church, later Protestant). Sermon was preached by a teacher because the German pastor came only once in six weeks.
They came to Edmonton in 1957. Mrs Sommer compares life in Russia with their life in Canada and says that they needed about five years to feel at home in Canada. Later they learned to enjoy their freedom and didn’t want to get back again. They became
Canadian after a few years living in Canada.
Mrs. Sommer talks about speaking German and learning English language. German remained her main language. Mrs. Sommer says that she still cooks the way she learned it in Russia (sauerkraut and borscht).
Mr. Sommer has one sister living in Germany and they have many grandchildren living in Canada.

This item contains an interview with Mr. Eichele and Mr. Louis Oel, conducted in Calgary, AB in German on August 25, 1982. Content of the interview contains discussion on their school years – walking about 3 km to the school. The important role of the priest and church – every morning had to go first to the church. On weekends, visited the church twice or even thrice, The Albert Cattle Association, paying big taxes while being unemployed, and taking over an agency in Calgary

This item contains two recordings of interviews conducted in the summer of 1982 in Edmonton, AB. The first interview was conducted in English with Eugene Weber. Mr. Weber was born in Scott, SK in 1932 and the interview discusses the history of his family before and after his birth, and the importance of German community.

The second interview was conducted with Mr. and Mrs. Sommer in Polish, German and English. In the interview, they discuss Mr. Sommer's history of being born in Rivne (Volyn), where his mother also born. His grandfather worked as a basket maker, his father was a farmer in Volyn (Poland). The name of the village was [Maschk]. The father of Mrs. Sommer died after the WW1 and she grew up in another family. In the year 1914, when the WW1 started, Russians took all Germans from Volyn to Siberia. In the year 1916, at the age of 19 he was taken from Siberia to the Russian army. He had to fight at the Russo-Turkish war. In the year 1918, he came from the war to Kostanay after serving in the Russian army. In 1921 he came back to Volyn. His wife and him grew up in the same village and got married in 1923, first lived at her uncle´s place. His older brother lived in Canada and helped his brothers move there too. They came to Canada in June 1929. They came from Maschk to Rivne by train, came to Halifax from Danzig by ship. After they took the train to Edmonton and New Sarepta. After the arrival they stayed at the immigration camp. At the time of immigration they already had three children (born in 1924, 1926 and in 1928). Later they had one more baby (daughter) in Canada.

This item is an interview with Fred Prybysh conducted in Ukrainian on February 19, 1976. In the interview Mr. Prybysh discusses immigration to Canada and the Russian Orthodox Church in Edmonton.

This item contains an interview recorded with George Webber and Mrs. Henny Webber on October 15, 1976 in Stoney Plain, AB. George came to Canada in 1898 to Stoney Plain. Came over with his parents by boat (boarded in Riga). His family was German, lived in Saratov on Volga River. 40 miles west of Saratov, place [Norka] – all German settlers. The family decided to come to Canada. Catherine II brought Germans to Russia and gave them 100 years of relief from military service. In 1882/3 Russian-Turkish was broke out and his dad had to go to that war, but he did not want to. A relative was at Duma, came to [Norka] and advised them to leave. The family then went to Lincoln, Nebraska. His father and 2 uncles worked together, had mills and farmed at the same time. They did not like it in the USA. So they came to Canada in 1898, when land was $3 an acre. His wife came after him, in 1910, with one of his cousins. He knew his wife’s mother but not Henny. Problems with settling in Stony Plain: clearing land, WWI broke out. People were nice to them and helpful.

Henny was born in [Norka], Russia. Came to Canada in 1925 with her husband. Came to Stony Plain because had friends over there. Did not speak English when arrived. Early life in Canada was difficult. Had sisters in the Old Country, in the Siberia. Some relatives went back to Russia in few years. Speaking German in Russia, attending a Russian school – she understood Russian. She had 7 children; they spoke German at home.
Life in Stony Plain during WWII was not easy – Germans were suspects.

This item is an interview conducted on June 15, 1981. Veronica Whitfield interviewed Mr. Herklotz. Mer. Herklotz talks about his family, being in the Soviet Army in WWII, and coming to Canada in 1948 and learning English.

This file contains an interview with Tom Peterson that was conducted in English on October 4, 1976. Tom Peterson was 77 years old at the time of the interview. He immigrated to Canada from Latvia, arriving at the end of April 1928. He first settled at Pigeon Lake in 1929. During the interview he talks about his process of immigrating and learning English, and meeting other Latvians in Edmonton. He purchased his homestead from the CP and his wife joined him in Canada 6 months later. They farmed until 1951, when he gave his land to his eldest son and moved to Edmonton to become a decorator. He was very active in the Latvian community and discusses this involvement and the immigration and development of Latvians in Canada. Aside from his family and the Latvian community, Tom also discusses politics in the 1930s and 1970s.