Holy
Transfiguration Church, Star (Country
Churches of the Prairies, 1897-1906 Cont.)
In 1896, a committee was formed to organize
for the procurement of land on which to build
a church. On the committee were Mikhailo Melnyk,
Mikhailo Pullishy, Ivan Pylypow, Kost Newersky,
Ivan Danchuk, Ivan Sorochan and Mykola Spashensky.
It was originally built of log and used until
1913, when the church was dismantled, the logs
were planed into lumber and the church was rebuilt.
The church and cemetery have been declared a
historic site.
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Early
Shandro
Thirty-three children baptized in one day…
In May 1899, Stephan Shandro, Nikon Shandro,
Semion Hawrelak, Paul Boychuk, George Ostashek and
Anton Russ and their families immigrated to Canada
and settled in the area which later became known
as the Shandro District. This group, consisting
of twenty-eight people set themselves to work immediately.
Sod-covered dugouts called “burdai”
were built for shelter and small garden plots were
planted with seeds that had been brought back from
the Old Country…More settlers arrived in the
fall of that same year, coming from Boriwtci, Zadubriwtci
and Ispac, all neighbouring villages of Banilliw.
Since all were of the same Greek Orthodox religious
faith and all felt the need for a church, they met
on January 7, 1900 to discuss this necessity. They
met again during the Easter holidays in 1900 and
approved the site, SW quarter of section 27-range
15-west 4th for a church and cemetery…In June,
1900, Jacob Korchinsky, a traveling missionary priest,
visited the community for three days. He served
the first liturgy on the present site of the cemetery,
also blessing and consecrating it.  Thirty-three
children were baptized that day, for people had
come from miles around with horse and oxen. In the
winter of 1901-1902, the members cut logs and hauled
them to the church site…the main carpenter,
Stephan Rosychuk, was hired for a salary of one
dollar a day, the rest was volunteer labour…by
spring 1904 the outside of the church was completed.
The inside took several years more and was finished
by Stephan Gudzowaty. It was learned that a priest
of the Russo Catholic Greek Orthodox Church would
be holding a Divine Liturgy at Wostok and arrangements
were made for him to visit Shandro. On August 28,
1904 Archbishop TIKHON, accompanied by two priests,
arrived and celebrated the first holy liturgy to
a full service of worshippers. The church was consecrated,
blessed and named after the Most Holy Theotokos
and Ever-Virgin Mary.
From St. Mary’s Shandro, 75th Anniversary
booklet
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Each
Donated Something
 …Zaharia
Malchean…was very religious and knew how to read and
write in Ukrainian and Romanian. Others were Andrew Gidek,
Dmitri Cebuliak, Simeon Romanchuk, Nykola Rubuliak, Dodda
Ponich, Hrehory Kotyk and Ivan Goryniuk…Gregory Balechowsky,
who could do blacksmith work, shaped the iron crosses  that
were placed on the top of the domes…on the cross of
the larger dome, he chisel-stamped the year 1904. By the
summer of 1905 the interior was completed and painted, a
belfry was built the following year, and bells were bought
for $170. Zharia donated the Holy Shroud and two wooden
hand crosses with the year 1898 on them; Stefan Kolotyluk
and Andrew Waselashko donated the banners, Ivan Strezeboroda
gave the Book of Gospels. Ivan Gorda gave a colorful tapestry,
Ivan and Nykola Esopenko bought the chandelier…
The church was consecrated and dedicated to the Prophet
St. Elia on August 2nd, 1906. Bishop BENJAMIN came from
New York and Hieromonk Visarin (Shestakov), as its first
priest.
From Smoky Lake History Book, Our Legacy
 A
"Recycled" Church, Holy Ascension, Skaro
At Holy Ascension, Skaro,
the first log church was used until 1920 when it was dismantled
and the logs were hauled to a nearby sawmill. Then the logs
were sawn into lumber and the new church was built. Later
a bell mounted on a 20-foot high tower made of local fieldstone
was added.
 Holy
Trinity Church, Smoky Lake
In 1905, Father Jacob Skibinsky
from Wostok visited the parish that had been organizing
for two years previously, and plans were made to built a
church. Edward Anderson from Edwand was the carpenter, work
proceeded until 1909 with much help from all the parish.
On a cold day in 1909 the church was consecrated by Bishop
ALEXANDER (Nemolovsky). In 1912 a manse was built with a
thatched roof where the first priest of the parish, Father
Ivan Puchalsky lived (until 1918). A bell tower was added
in 1916. In 1928 the church burned down on Holy Saturday,
but almost immediately plans were underway for a new one.
After the completion of the building the parishioners talked
about how Father Andrew Kokolsky courageously lifted the
iron cross and elevated to the very top of the high dome,
where it was installed and to this day remains a landmark
and symbol of Orthodoxy for the Smoky Lake area.
Spring
Valley Church, Sturgis
Known as
Spring Valley Church, it was built in 1905 under the supervision
of carpenters, J. Michaluk and M. Melnyk on NW 10-36-4 W.
2. When the church was being built everyone in the district
came out to help, Orthodox, Catholics and Lutherans. The
Royal Doors and crosses were made by W. Michaluk, who came
from Zastavka, Bukovina. Three years later, in 1908, the
Church had to be moved due to flooding, and in time, a new
church was built.
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