CA-K567History

Josef Oleskiw and Ukrainian settlement on the Prairies

Josef Oleskiw, 1895. Jósef Olesków · Unknown author · Photo source · Photo licence: Public domain. Resized for display; item previews may be cropped. The image remains under the licence shown.

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Josef Oleskiw (Olesków), a Ukrainian agronomist concerned about his people’s economic problems, visited Canada in 1895 and assessed its farming potential. Back home he lectured, wrote about the best farmland and helped prospective settlers, setting in motion the mass immigration of Ukrainian pioneers to the Prairies and helping build an enduring Ukrainian community in Canada.

Scope & context

Oleskiw as described in his designation.

Sources behind this record

Joséf Olesków National Historic Person ↗

Parks Canada (Directory of Federal Heritage Designations)

Importance; plaque text