Proclamation - Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Year

At the August 9, 2016 council meeting council passed the following proclamation:

WHEREAS September 9, 2016, marks the 125th year since the arrival of the first Ukrainians to Canada; and

WHEREAS the Ukrainian Bloc Settlement in East Central Alberta encompasses all of Lamont County; and

WHEREAS in 1898 the first Ukrainian Greek Catholic church was built at Star, Alberta; and

WHEREAS the first permanent Ukrainian settlement in Canada was in the Star/Edna area; and

WHEREAS every fifth Albertan can claim Ukrainian ancestry; and

WHEREAS Ukrainians have been a significant piece of the Alberta mosaic since the late 1800s, their immigration to Alberta serving as a catalyst for the formation of the province and its rapid development,

NOW THEREFORE, I, Wayne Woldanski, Reeve of Lamont County, Alberta, do hereby proclaim September 2016 to September 2017 to be designated as “Lamont County Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Year” and do invite all the residents of our county to celebrate this milestone with us throughout the year.