Ukrainians are one of the larger ethnic groups in Western Canada, so ever since I started collecting local medallions and tokens I have been assembling a sub-collection of exonumia with Ukrainian themes. In one of those wacky coincidences, the Ukrainian population of Edmonton is almost exactly equal to the total population of Kerch. Here's my collection:
Local Trade TokensVegreville - Originally founded as a French-speaking community, Vegreville quickly became a regional centre for the Ukrainian homesteads in east-central Alberta that came to surround it. Statistics Canada only publishes ethnic origin information for communities with more than 5,000 people, and of these, Vegreville is the most Ukrainian by far (at 41%).
Vegreville is best-known for its giant Ukrainian easter egg sculpture, completed in 1975. This roadside attraction was, for some reason, the first structure in the world to be designed entirely by computer. Despite being 9 meters tall, it pivots freely in the wind. These commemorative medallions were sold as souvenirs following the completion of the structure.
Like most towns in Canada, Vegreville also issued many souvenir dollars - I have only included ones with explicitly Ukrainian themes here. (The rest can be found on Numista, where I have been dutifully adding them.)
Dauphin - Manitoba has the greatest concentration of Ukrainians of any Canadian province, at 15%, so apparently Dauphin stepped up and claimed the title of "Host of Canada's National Ukrainian Festival". Many of these souvenir dollars were issued, but I only have two.
Bilingual Medallions75th Anniversary of Ukrainian Settlement in Alberta Medallion
I don't know much about this medallion, but the tryzub-on-maple-leaf design seems to be very popular.
50th Anniversary of the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of Canada Medallion
This is a nice religious medallion. Ukrainian Canadians belong to multiple religious denominations, as many Ukrainian immigrants came from areas where the Ukrainian Catholic Church was predominant, which is apparently not exactly the same as the Roman Catholic Church: however, Ukrainian and French Catholic missionaries in Western Canada often co-operated and worked for the same religious orders.
Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village Medallion
The Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village is a few kilometers east of Edmonton and is a fairly popular tourist attraction. Historically significant buildings from Ukrainian settlements across the province were transported to one location, creating a facsimile Ukrainian pioneer village with elements from many different eras. The Village also boasts a decent collection of outdoor statues, monuments, and memorials, one of which is depicted here.
Posted 10/11/2015 1:36 pm
