97 To Edmonton

Canada
Québec & New Brunswick
Nova Scotia & Newfoundland
Québec & Ontario
Manitoba to the Pacific

91 To Winnipeg
92 Winnipeg
93 Wasagaming
94 On to Yorkton
95 Manitoba Beach
96 Wanuskewin
97 To Edmonton
98 Edmonton
99 To Hinton
100 To Jasper
101 The Rockies
102 Snowy roads
103 To Drumheller
104 Dinosaurs
105 To Banff
106 Banff
107 Banff
108 Lake Louise
109 Farewell Rockies
110 To Vancouver
111 Go Canucks
112 Morty & Harry
113 Where next?
114 Visas and Picasso
115 Downtown
116 Catch up
117 Vancouver Island
118 To Tofino
119 Pacific Rim
120 Surfers and big trees
121 Last Legislature
122 Farewell to Morty
123 Mile zero, again

Canada: Alberta

Tuesday 8 November 2005

Before leaving Saskatoon we went into the downtown to the Ukrainian Museum. It is a small museum run by the Ukrainian Women’s organisation. In the first room they had a display of kylymy, rugs and wall hangings, simple patterns but still highly decorative. There was also a collection of paintings commissioned by the Ukrainian women’s association. They made a fabulous tableau showing the hardships that the immigrants faced when they first arrived. While the men were out hunting, the women cleared the land, built the houses, raised children and fed and watered everyone. It was tough. As time progressed and the communities established themselves more they developed the range of activities they supported. They grew more crops, added livestock, started schools and built churches and community centres.

The main gallery tells how Canada attracted the immigrants because they needed to people to populate Saskatchewan and Alberta. For the Ukrainians, most of who came from the Austro/Hungarian Empire, it brought the promise of a new way of life. At home they had no political or religious freedom and with the aristocracy not allowing them to be educated they were destined for a life of poverty as peasants. For $300 dollars, a family of four could emigrate. This sum would cover the cost of a train to Antwerp or Hamburg, the boat across the Atlantic and the costs of travelling across Canada to their destination. The latter part of their journey was made in locked rail cars.

Once in Canada, they bought the right to earn ownership of a plot of land. They were allocated a plot and had to cultivate a certain proportion within a year to qualify for ownership. Often the immigrants knew little about farming and would take the first land offered ending up with poor quality plots. Nationalisation as British citizens of Canada would come a few years late.

They were tough times as these people came into a country with no ability to speak the local language. In the early 1900’s a school was established to train teachers so that they could teach their children in both English and Ukrainian. With wars brewing in Europe though many of the immigrants were deemed to be potentially dangerous and restrictions were placed on them teaching children in Ukrainian in schools.

The museum also had displays of traditional dress, musical instruments and some fantastic wooden boxes. But for me one of the best parts was the pysanka’s, decorated eggs. They came in all colours and patterns and they had one display with a series of eggs showing the process they go through to decorate them. Firstly the egg is marked into sections and then the pattern is drawn on. Next comes a series of waxings and paintings until the final result is obtained. Some were very simply, others complex patterns and mixes of colours, but they were all mini works of art in their own right.

Leaving Saskatoon behind we headed on towards Edmonton through more vast open fields. About an hour down the road we were back into snowy landscapes and white/grey skies that looked heavily laden with snow. Crossing the border into Alberta there was an initial change in landscape with trees along the route. It is almost as if the border, and the one on the other side of Saskatchewan, have been set by changes in landscape.

We reached Edmonton in the early evening. Our first option hotel, the Comfort Inn for our free night, is closed for refurbishment. A few others were also fully booked. Town is busy as the Canadian Finals Rodeo start tomorrow and runs to the end of the weekend. We tried the Inn on 7^th and not only did they have a room but Stef worked his magic and we got one for the rate they charge the Government, their lowest rate. It was a large, comfy room with a big, thick duvet on the bed. Rather than going out we opted to eat in the hotel and having booked tickets for the rodeo we went to bed.

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