Joseph Oleskiw
Encyclopedia
Dr. Joseph Oleskiw or Jósef Olesków was a Ukrainian
professor who promoted Ukrainian immigration
to the Canadian prairies
. His efforts helped encourage the initial wave of settlers which began the Ukrainian Canadian
community.
After hearing of the struggles of Ukrainian immigrants in Brazil
, Oleskiw investigated alternative choices. He determined that the Canadian prairies were the most suitable for the Ukrainian farmers. This led to two pamphlets in Ukrainian
– "About Free Lands" (Pro Vilni Zemli, spring 1895), and "On Emigration" (O emigratsiy, December 1895) – and one in Polish
. Oleskiw believed in selective emigration. His first group of settlers were thirty hand-picked families, led by his brother Vladymir, who arrived in Canada in Quebec City
on April 30, 1896. The majority of these immigrants settled in Edna, Alberta.
Due in part to the widespread distribution of Oleskiw's literature, Ukrainians became the largest Slavic group in Canada, with a population of 170,000 by 1914. Although Oleskiw promoted emigrants based on their assimilationist tendencies, the mass of Ukrainians
that followed them tended to retain their cultural heritage
.
Oleskiw was born in the village of Skvariava Nova (Skwarzawa Nowa), near Zhovkva
, in the Austro-Hungarian
province of Galicia (now western Ukraine) and died suddenly in Sokal
at the age of 43. He was married twice and had two sons and two daughters from his first marriage.
Today Oleskiw Park and the Oleskiw neighbourhood
in Edmonton
, Alberta
are named after him.
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
professor who promoted Ukrainian immigration
Ukrainian diaspora
The Ukrainian diaspora is the global community of ethnic Ukrainians, especially those who maintain some kind of connection, even if ephemeral, to the land of their ancestors and maintain their feeling of Ukrainian national identity within their own local community.-1608 To 1880:After the loss...
to the Canadian prairies
Canadian Prairies
The Canadian Prairies is a region of Canada, specifically in western Canada, which may correspond to several different definitions, natural or political. Notably, the Prairie provinces or simply the Prairies comprise the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, as they are largely covered...
. His efforts helped encourage the initial wave of settlers which began the Ukrainian Canadian
Ukrainian Canadian
A Ukrainian Canadian is a person of Ukrainian descent or origin who was born in or immigrated to Canada. In 2006, there were an estimated 1,209,085 persons residing in Canada of Ukrainian origin, making them Canada's ninth largest ethnic group; and giving Canada the world's third-largest...
community.
After hearing of the struggles of Ukrainian immigrants in Brazil
Ukrainians of Brazil
Ukrainians of Brazil are Brazilian citizens born in Ukraine, or Brazilians of Ukrainian descent who remain connected, in some degree, to Ukrainian culture...
, Oleskiw investigated alternative choices. He determined that the Canadian prairies were the most suitable for the Ukrainian farmers. This led to two pamphlets in Ukrainian
Ukrainian language
Ukrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....
– "About Free Lands" (Pro Vilni Zemli, spring 1895), and "On Emigration" (O emigratsiy, December 1895) – and one in Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
. Oleskiw believed in selective emigration. His first group of settlers were thirty hand-picked families, led by his brother Vladymir, who arrived in Canada in Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
on April 30, 1896. The majority of these immigrants settled in Edna, Alberta.
Due in part to the widespread distribution of Oleskiw's literature, Ukrainians became the largest Slavic group in Canada, with a population of 170,000 by 1914. Although Oleskiw promoted emigrants based on their assimilationist tendencies, the mass of Ukrainians
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
that followed them tended to retain their cultural heritage
Canadian Ukrainian
Canadian Ukrainian is a variety of the Ukrainian language specific to the Ukrainian Canadian community descended from the first two waves of historical Ukrainian emigration to Western Canada.Canadian Ukrainian was widely spoken from the beginning of Ukrainian...
.
Oleskiw was born in the village of Skvariava Nova (Skwarzawa Nowa), near Zhovkva
Zhovkva
Zhovkva is a city in the Lviv Oblast of western Ukraine, north of Lviv. It is the administrative center of the Zhovkivskyi Raion . The current estimated population is 13,500.-History:...
, in the Austro-Hungarian
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
province of Galicia (now western Ukraine) and died suddenly in Sokal
Sokal
Sokal is a town located on the banks of the Bug River in the Lviv Oblast of western Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Sokal Raion , the city itself also ranks as a separate raion within the oblast.- History :...
at the age of 43. He was married twice and had two sons and two daughters from his first marriage.
Today Oleskiw Park and the Oleskiw neighbourhood
Oleskiw, Edmonton
Oleskiw is a residential neighbourhood in west Edmonton, Alberta, Canada that overlooks the North Saskatchewan River valley to the east and south...
in Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
are named after him.
See also
- Iwan PylypowIwan PylypowIvan Pylypiv or Iwan Pylypow and Vasyl Eleniak were the first Ukrainian immigrants to Canada in 1891–93.Pylypow was born in the village of Nebyliv in Kalush county in Austrian Galicia. He was a peasant logging contractor, and after falling on hard times considered finding a better life abroad,...
- Block settlementBlock SettlementA block settlement is particular type of land distribution which allows settlers with the same ethnicity to form small colonies.This settlement type was used throughout western Canada between the late 19th and early 20th centuries...
- Ukrainian Canadian
- Clifford SiftonClifford SiftonSir Clifford Sifton, PC, KCMG was a Canadian politician best known for being Minister of the Interior under Sir Wilfrid Laurier...
- List of Canadian place names of Ukrainian origin
External links
- Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
- CKUACKUACKUA is a Canadian radio station. Originally located at the University of Alberta in Edmonton , it now broadcasts from studios in downtown Edmonton and south Calgary. CKUA was created in 1927 through a provincial grant which allowed the University of Alberta's Extension Department to purchase the...
heritage trails article - Section from Micheal Ewanchuk's book: Reflections and reminiscences: Ukrainians in Canada, 1892-1992