Edmonton’s Ukrainian National Federation hall made a municipal historic resource

The Ukrainian National Federation of Canada building in Edmonton has been designated a municipal historic resource by the city.

The Ukrainian National Federation of Canada (UNF) building in Edmonton has been designated a municipal historic resource.

The UNF was created in 1932 to support and protect Ukrainian cultural identity. Edmonton and Saskatoon were its first branches.

The non-profit’s early years were focused on helping its community through the era’s hardships, including the depression. In Edmonton, the group also helped establish schools, create technical training opportunities, and build the St. Josaphat’s Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral.

By 1941, Edmonton’s Ukrainian population had grown to approximately 6,000 and the UNF needed to new headquarters.

The building on 98 Street, which was finished in 1947, was designed by Patrick Campbell-Hope, who also designed Edmonton’s St. John’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Beth Israel Synagogue and Mill Creek Swimming Pool.

Chester Kuc founded Shumka Dancers in the hall in 1959 and the Cheremosh Ukrainian Dance Company in 1969, teaching dance there for 25 years.

“This part of downtown was historically occupied by businesses and residents of Ukrainian origin and other nationalities like Croatians and Chinese. The UNF Hall was built by its members with its own financial resources and is one of the last original structures still standing from that time in Chinatown. Presently, the UNF hall is a very important cultural and social venue for many non-for-profit organizations and is a social meeting place for quite a number of new Ukrainian newcomers,” said George Yopyk, a director on the UNF board and manager of the hall.

The building was added to the city’s inventory of historic reasons in 2010, according to David Johnston, a principal heritage planner with the city. Receiving municipal historic resource status protects it from demolition and earmarks it for repair funding.

“It’s a real, established presence,” Johnston said of protecting historic buildings.

“Contributions sometimes can get overlooked as a city grows and that’s why these built, tangible recognitions can be really important.”

Wood Residence also receives designation

On Wednesday, city council approved the same designation for Wood Residence, a craftsman-style home in Westmount located at 12530 109A Ave.

The city calls it an example of Westmount’s development.

Although demand in the area was high during the First World War, resources were limited and the neighbourhood wasn’t fully built out until after the Second World War.

Construction on the Wood Residence started in 1923.

Two houses to the east are also designated municipal historic resources. Together with the Wood Residence, the trio are the only such arrangement in the city, according to Johnston.

In total, 197 buildings in Edmonton have been designated municipal historic resources.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Miriam Valdes-Carletti