Canadian Emigrants

[Velo Vol]

General discussion thread.

To what extent did migrants from particular regions in the Ukraine tend to cluster together in Canada?

My sense is that it occurred to some degree, but I'm not sure how it typically happened.

I assume that a number of people from the same village might make the journey together, or in some instances initial settlers would write back to relatives or friends and eventually they would reunite in the new world.

On the other hand, I read in a book that settlers (early ones, at least) did not know their destination. They might think they were bound for Edmonton, for instance, but the powers that be on the train might arbitrarily drop them off in Saskatchewan.

[Cokie2]

In western Canada it's generally the case the the Ukrainian immigrants like any other ethnic group would settle together for reasons of familiarity of culture etc. Of course it's much easier for an immigrant to have a community and relatives to go to once they arrived in a new country. In Canada the government had an active campaign to attract immigrants from Europe for the purposes of settling the west in the late 1800's as it was devoid of people, excepting the Native Americans, and there was a great potential for agriculture. There were large Ukrainian communties in east-central Alberta generally east of Edmonton, and also large Ukrainian communities in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

[Velo Vol]

I'm more specifically asking if Ukrainian settlers in Canada tended to live near people from their own village/oblast (in the old country).

This is from the church/cemetery my great, great grandparents are buried at.



It suggests that a number of emigrants who lived near Wostok, Alberta came from Bukovina (even though my ancestors apparently did not).

[Cokie2]

Velo,
I can't answer that too specifically except people from large extended families would probably settle together at first and thus yes in that regard people from one village would initally settle together but land grants may not have been available close by so an individual might have to relocate to where he got land or for other reasons. If I'm not mistaken I beleive that there were large parties of emigrants from one area or village who would travel together when they emigrated. I've been through Wostok several times.

[Jiggy]

It was common (from what I have read from various history books) for Ukrainian settlers (to follow one another from the same village and settle together in Canada or USA (in the late 19th and early 20th century immigration waves). Doesn't mean eveyrone from the same village ended up in the same place 100% of the time nor does it mean that a Ukrainian settlement/town/village in Canada would have everyone coming from the same village in Ukraine but it did happen often.

Both sides of my family immigrated this way. One family/villager followng the other one.

Sandra

[Kathy]

When the first immigrants arrived in Canada, they did try to "rebuild" their villages. Ivan Pylypiw, one of the first Ukrainian immigrants is remembered in history not only for his role as the first immigrant, but for going back to Ukraine and telling those he encountered they could get free land and "rebuild" their villages in Canada. He stated by doing this, Ukrainians would not feel as isolated in Canada.

Immigrants could choose their lands. Pylypiw, for example, rejected the first homestead he was offered.

This is an older book, but very good, on the early Ukrainian immigrant experience -

Ukrainians in Canada: The Formative Years, 1891Б─⌠1924 | CIUS Press

[Velo Vol]

I wish I could remember which book I was looking at (on Google books) but it painted a picture of emigrants less in control of their destination.

This is probably an extreme case, but in at least one example the authorities stopped the train out in the middle of no where, expecting the travelers to settle there, but the Ukrainians refused to leave the train. They occupied the cars for a day or two until someone came back and got them.