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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 contains a recording from a CEESSA Meeting on March 6, 1976.
Conference meeting (working group)
Opening comments: Central and East European Studies and Research including Cultural Heritage in Edmonton
127 pages
Committee that looks after the University interests in studies related to this topic
Small budget and space but University research is funded from outside the University; University focuses on its relevance to the community of Edmonton. Looking for ways of working with the community. Ukrainian community was successful for getting budget for Ukrainian studies. CEESSA would like to provide leadership.
A need to go out and meet the community people.
Project for historians and high school teachers to write the history of people from Eastern Europe (for the book for schools). Oral history recorded interviews. The project should proceed; advertising it via radio.
Students writing Master’s and PhD thesis on this topic and getting scholarships for that purpose. Getting ethnic groups active.
Not competing with ethnic organizations but making the University useful for the community.
East European Studies achieved a purpose of getting known – they are listed in the directory for the community to find them.
Researching with Dr. Gulutsan in 1966 on cultural orientation of Ukrainians in Alberta/Canada – it was published.
Ukrainian Studies Institute – why is it separated from CEESSA? It would be a part of activities of CEESSA. Mission of the Ukrainian Studies Institute – to compliment the work on CEESSA, not to compete. It focuses on the national level. Hungarian Institute in Toronto.
No established library for CEESSA (Dr. Suchowersky). No demand on books in Hungarian. No budget for buying books. A need for financial aid from the group. Problems with donated books of sets that are incomplete.
The questions of books acquisition depends on whether UofA is going to be committed to CEESSA.
Present: Bill [Shukanovich] – Alberta Heritage Council; Ausma Birzgalis – Latvian community; Tom Priestly – Chair of Slavic Languages; Steven [Yurachek] - President of the Ukrainian Self-Reliance League of Canada; Peter Chartoryski; [Maren Kustro] – representing Baltic Germans; [Mongovsky] – representing Canadian-Polish Council(?); Joanna Matejko
Coming up with the agenda. CEESSA comes to the jurisdiction of the UofA’s Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, Special Council. Building a bridge between the University and the community.
CKUA radio plans to broadcast a series of interviews with early pioneers (in English): trying to get 1 person from each country + DPs.
Matejko, Sokolovsky and [??] went to Calgary to investigate the [?] Foundation Archives + to talk to people from the University of Calgary about the project. They have 2 people who work on the journal Ethnic Studies (Dr. Palmer & Dr. [Malytskyi]). University of South California conducting a research project on various ethnic groups, and asked for the bibliography for Alberta province.
An exceptional Ukrainian old gentleman as a candidate for the CKUA radio interview.
Oral history archives should collect interviews in ethnic languages.
Agenda items (not programs ideas): 1) mechanisms for the liaison between UofA and community; 2) proposal for the Research and Studies Foundation to have access to funds to the university people who work on the project; 3) planning and development committee.
A feedback to the UofA is needed. A newsletter idea within the UofA and community for those interested in CEESSA activities. Journal would be better than a newsletter but it needs higher funding.
Proposal: 1) to have a skeleton of a financial committee for the foundation; 2) for the government funding, a financial committee is needed – anyone volunteer? Ethnic groups should also make contributions. Do not go to the communities with the word “Soviet” – no money and no interest in that research. Canadian content in research.
Alberta Heritage Council has a legal status - it should be contacted.
Deciding on the name of the committee that would include “Central and East European Studies” – Central and East European Ways and Means Committee.
How to get people and organizations interested in this committee? Honorary membership should be introduced/considered.
Central and East European Studies Foundation Association – a proposed name. The word “Foundation” is criticized because it means “raising money purpose”.
Central and East European Studies Association of Alberta.
Establishing a smaller working committee.
There are 2 needs: people in the foundation to raise money, and people on board to set policies.
Subcommittees meeting and informing the general committees.

Invitation and meeting agenda.