Researching Your Heritage -an example

For those who are looking for histories of the Ukrainian people in parts of the Yorkton region, the book The History of R.M. of Sliding Hills (Mikado) is a very good resource. The author, Theodore Onufrijchuk compiled it in 1967. While it is not a "family history" type of book, there are many names of the pioneers and numerous photos. From around 1890, Anglo Canadians, British, Poles, Germans and others started to settle that area, but starting in 1897 it became heavily settled by Ukrainians, and then in 1899 by groups of Doukhobors. This book can be viewed at the City of Yorkton Archives, and is available through interlibrary loans through your local library. I need to draw attention to 2 errors: Page 12 states that a homestead could be purchased for $10.00. Not so! A homestead (160 acres) was free land. The applicant had to pay a $10.00 fee to register his entry on a quarter section he chose. If you bought land, one could obtain title as soon as it was paid in full, while it took three years to prove that you could farm the free homestead in order to obtain title. Page 13, has an error in a date. John Sklaruk made his entry on his homestead Nov. 18, 1899, not 1889. (Verified by homestead records.)

Another error seen in too many Yorkton writings is that Ukrainians arrived here in 1891, while in fact it was in 1897! The only Ukrainian folks - a very small group who arrived in Canada in 1891 never came close to the Yorkton region, but settled in an area east of Edmonton.

Ukrainian people, and other ethnic groups arrived in Yorkton by train, but did not stay in the community. The great majority came for the FREE homesteads. Thus, their early history - for decades, is rural, or in the region's villages and towns. For Ukrainians, the gradual migration from rural settings to Yorkton proper, began with the establishment of diocesan religious institutions, starting in 1914 - 32 years after the founding of Yorkton/York Colony by a corporation - the York Farmers' Colonization Company of Toronto - a prominent part of our history.

Another book that provides some stories of Ukrainian people is Dr. Stephanie Potoski's "Canadian Ukrainian Centennial" (1991), authored by P. Maluga C.Ss.R. This book can be researcher at the City Archives Reference Room and at the Yorkton Public Library.

Contact Terri Lefebvre Prince,
Heritage Researcher,
City of Yorkton, Box 400
37 Third Avenue North
Yorkton, Sask. S3N 2W3
306-786-1722
[email protected]