3 minute read
Unique Presentation by Harvey Spak and Marango Pie
Unique Presentation by Harvey Spak and Marango Pie
Kalyna Country Ecomuseum Society - Submitted
The Basilian Fathers Museum in Mundare, Alberta, was the perfect setting on October 26, 2024 for a theatrical trip into history about early Ukrainian settlement in Western Canada and the local Mundare district. The event featured internationally renowned artist, poet and filmmaker Harvey Spak. The unique presentation was comprised of a mix of historical stories and display of videos all of which were enriched with the music of the Ukrainian musicians, the Murango Trio
Spak’s presentation was a reminder of the challenges faced by the early settlers. But it also illustrated how they overcame numerous barriers and obstacles to achieve a new life in a new country. Spak’s emotional stories captivated the attention of the crowd for over 2 hours with topics like: Wilderness Terror/Prairie Liberation; Weeping and Wailing; Toiling in Cold and Hunger, they cleared the forests and converted a wilderness into fertile fields; and Romance at the Basilian Father’s Church.
Stories Chapter 5 Dangerous Work--I was 15 years old and at harvest time it way my job to haul water for the threshing outfit’s steam engine. I drove a team pulling a wagon loaded with tin water barrels. On a trip to a neighbour’s well tore fill the barrels; a gust of wind blew some sheets of newspaper across my team’s path. The horses spooked. I pulled on the reins with all my might to no avail. The clatter of the empty barrels made them gallop all the faster. I screamed and screamed in terror A Vain Effort. By Maria Adamoska.
The event was sponsored by the Kalyna Country Ecomuseum Society. Vice Chair Barry McDonald stated, “Our Society is proud to be a sponsor of this event as it so closely aligns with the values and purpose of our organization. We are a group of volunteers dedicated to promoting heritage and eco-tourism in rural North East/Central Alberta. This event is very illustrative of efforts that will inform visitors and the public-at-large about the history of early settlers in this region. The Society is also dedicated to promoting and preserving a vast array of current opportunities available to visitors in Kalyna Country”
The Kalyna Country Ecomuseum was established in 1991 – 1992 on the initiative of the Alberta Historic Sites and Archives Service, and the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Alberta.
McDonald concluded by saying, “Today we witnessed the type of event that clearly illustrates our values. Hosted in the perfect type of facility, the Basilian Fathers Museum; historical stories and films by Harvey Spak illustrating both a historical and artistic feature and entertaining Ukrainian music by the Marango Trio.”
