Thank you, Ken Romaniuk. Thank you for helping keep the Ukrainian culture alive and well in Canada. Romaniuk is president of the board of directors at Oseredok, the Ukrainian Cultural and Educational Centre located in the heart of Winnipeg.

Like me, Romaniuk is of Ukrainian heritage. But unlike me, Romaniuk has been devoting countless hours to keep that heritage alive. “It’s a labour of love to be here,” says Romaniuk, who has been volunteering for the centre for the past three years by laying out the gallery exhibits, purchasing items to be sold in the centre’s stunning boutique, building sets and making cultural items for the displays in the centre’s museum.

The fifth floor museum celebrates the coming to Canada of the first Ukrainian immigrants at the turn of the 20^th century. It also includes to the millions of Ukrainians who perished in their homeland as a result of a man-made famine in 1932-33 and educates us about the internment of Ukrainian Canadians from 1914 to 1920. There are also some Leo Mol sculptures and a tribute to former mayor of Winnipeg, Steve Juba (both of Ukrainian decent.) It was Romaniuk’s vision that helped see the museum to fruition.

But Romaniuk’s involvement with the Ukrainian community is not limited to the activities of Oseredok. The 39-year-old Winnipeg teacher couldn’t bear the thought of his family parish in Dauphin being demolished in favour of a larger, newer one. So he collected names on a petition and was able to garner community support to save the old church. He then made application to the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada to ensure the church would be preserved by having it named a National Historic Site.

It took more than 10 years of effort and waiting, but on July 29, 2004, the Church of the Resurrection formally unveiled its historic site designation, during a special ceremony held prior to the opening of the community’s annual Ukrainian Festival. “It was a very moving moment for me,” said Romaniuk.

The Church of the Resurrection is best known for its breathtaking interior and is a striking example of Ukrainian iconography. “I remember sitting in the church as a young child, and being in awe at the beauty on the walls around me, and being scolded by the nuns for being distracted and not paying attention to the service. I wonder what those nuns would say now, if they knew I had a big hand in preserving the church," says Romaniuk, founder of the preservation committee to save the church.

With that successful task completed, Romaniuk has turned his efforts to building the legacy at Oseredok. “A very wise Brigadier General, Isadore Popowich said, ‘The work in cultural preservation and identity is never ending because the minute it does end, so does the culture.’ My goal is to ensure that spirit always continues here at the Cultural Centre,” said Romaniuk.

As with most other non-profit organizations, Oseredok relies on the devotion of its pool of about 50 volunteers and suffers from a perpetual lack of funding. The centre presently can only afford 1.4 paid staff – a full-time senior administrator to oversee operations and a part-time archivist, who manages the 4,200 boxes that make up the centre’s precious archives ... page 2.

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