Canora's Ukrainian roots run strong, 125 years later

If it wasn't made clear by the outpouring of support for the people of Ukraine over the course of the Russian invasion, Saskatchewan’s Ukrainian ties are strong.

But there's one town in east central Saskatchewan with an especially prominent presence of Ukrainian culture.

That is Canora, a town of around 2,500, just off Highway 9.

The first thing you see when entering the community is a 15 foot statue, Lesia is her name, coined by the locals in the Ukrainian-rich community.

“It shows the warm community that’s willing to welcome people, and we show it off any chance we get,” said Dorothy Korol, who is in charge of the upkeep of the community’s Ukrainian museum and on its executive.

“We never thought of it as being the biggest or the best or anything,” Korol explained. “We think of it being a warm, welcoming symbol.”

Canora’s Heritage Ukrainian Museum houses countless Ukrainian artifacts, keepsakes, tools, clothing, books, maps and pictures. It’s a genuine look back in time.

“They wanted to leave a legacy of where they came from and what they stood for,” said Korol. “It’s a small way of showing what they stood for. Their homeland and some of the traditions here.”

The museum began as a mall exhibit, a representation of how the community was created, back in 1897, when 180 families settled in Canora from west Ukraine, eventually creating the town.

Dorothy Korol’s husband, Terry, is a Canadian-Ukrainian historian, and also a part of the executive of the museum.

“We did have Ukrainian taught at the schools,” Terry explained. “We have Ukrainian taught at the various churches. People were proud to retain what they brought from the old country, and there was nothing to be ashamed of, so they kept it.”

It's not just within this museum where Canora celebrates its culture.

There's the Heritage Orthodox Church, and the new Orthodox Church. There’s also the Park of Hope and street signs, which show off Lesia.

Terry has another reason why the community continues with its traditions.

“People are stubborn, I guess,” he said with a chuckle.

Jokes aside, the community has offered its help financially to those in the war.

And now, they're preparing to open their doors to displaced Ukrainians.

When asked how many people of Ukrainian decent are in the community, Dorothy couldn't quite put her finger on it, but still summed it up.

“I couldn’t even guess,” she said. “Then there’s those who just like perogies.”