Kalyna Country
Encyclopedia
The Kalyna Country ecomuseum
is a heritage and eco-tourism district in East Central Alberta
, Canada, named after the highbush cranberry plant
, pronounced (Ka-lyn-na) in the Ukrainian language
.
Kalyna Country bills itself as the "World's Largest Ecomuseum" at 20,000 square kilometers, or more than three times the size of Prince Edward Island
. Its boundaries stretch across a broad area of Alberta east and north of Edmonton
, including nearly all the areas traditionally considered part of Canada's first Ukrainian Block Settlement
, the Edna-Star
colony. The area has been described as being to Ukrainian Canadians what Cajun Country is to Cajun
culture. At its peak, the area was the largest settlement of Ukrainians in the world outside of Eastern Europe.
Officially, Kalyna Country comprises Sturgeon
, Thorhild
, Smoky Lake County, St. Paul
, Vermillion River, Two Hills
, Minburn
, Beaver
, Lamont
, and Strathcona
counties, and many of the neighbouring cities and Native Reserves and Metis Settlements.
Kalyna berries were a popular source of food amongst the early pioneers, fur traders and natives. Kalyna Country is a year round playground with culture as diverse as the landscape that offers it. Here the Aspen Parkland
and the Boreal Forest converge, split by the scenic North Saskatchewan River
Valley, all amidst thousands of hectares of prime agricultural land.
Throughout the region you will see natural rolling hills, abundant livestock and wildlife, beautiful crops and farmland, parks and wilderness areas, unique roadside attractions, scenic hilltop views, pioneer homesteads and picturesque valleys.
The main attractions include:
The area is also famous for the Giants of the Prairies
, a series of roadside attraction
s (usually Ukrainian-themed).
, CHIN
, and Virtual Museum of Canada
.
Ecomuseum
Ecomuseums originated in France, the concept being developed by George Henri Rivière and Hugues de Varine, who coined the term ‘ecomusée’ in 1971...
is a heritage and eco-tourism district in East Central Alberta
Central Alberta
Central Alberta is a region located in the Canadian province of Alberta.Central Alberta is the most densely populated rural area in the province...
, Canada, named after the highbush cranberry plant
Viburnum trilobum
Viburnum trilobum is a species of Viburnum native to northern North America, from Newfoundland west to British Columbia, south to Washington state and east to northern Virginia, with an isolated population in New Mexico...
, pronounced (Ka-lyn-na) in the Ukrainian language
Ukrainian language
Ukrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....
.
Kalyna Country bills itself as the "World's Largest Ecomuseum" at 20,000 square kilometers, or more than three times the size of Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
. Its boundaries stretch across a broad area of Alberta east and north of Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, including nearly all the areas traditionally considered part of Canada's first Ukrainian Block Settlement
Block Settlement
A block settlement is particular type of land distribution which allows settlers with the same ethnicity to form small colonies.This settlement type was used throughout western Canada between the late 19th and early 20th centuries...
, the Edna-Star
Edna-Star, Alberta
The Edna-Star colony is the largest and oldest of the Ukrainian Canadian block settlements. Located east of Edmonton, in east-central Alberta, the boundaries of the block settlement include all or part of multiple counties and municipal districts, census divisions numbers 12 and 10.- Background :A...
colony. The area has been described as being to Ukrainian Canadians what Cajun Country is to Cajun
Cajun
Cajuns are an ethnic group mainly living in the U.S. state of Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles...
culture. At its peak, the area was the largest settlement of Ukrainians in the world outside of Eastern Europe.
Officially, Kalyna Country comprises Sturgeon
Sturgeon County, Alberta
Sturgeon County is a municipal district in Alberta's Edmonton Capital Region, Canada.It begins at the north end of Edmonton, with 97th street turning into Highway 28. It extends east to Fort Saskatchewan and west to Calahoo. It is located in Division No. 11....
, Thorhild
Thorhild County No. 7, Alberta
The County of Thorhild No. 7, Alberta is a municipal district located in the central part of northern Alberta, Canada in Census Division 13. It was incorporated as a county in 1955....
, Smoky Lake County, St. Paul
St. Paul County No. 19, Alberta
The County of St. Paul No. 19 is a municipal district in northeast Alberta, Canada.It is located in Census Division 12. It was previously known as the Municipal District of St. Paul No. 86 until January 1, 1962 when it became the County of St. Paul No. 19. The municipal seat is in the Town of St....
, Vermillion River, Two Hills
Two Hills County No. 21, Alberta
The County of Two Hills No. 21 is a municipal district in east-central Alberta, Canada.It is located in Census Division 10. The county was formed in 1963, from the Municipal District of Eagle No. 81 and the Two Hills School Division. The seat of the county is in the Town of Two...
, Minburn
Minburn County No. 27, Alberta
The County of Minburn No. 27 is a municipal district in east central Alberta, Canada.It is located in Census Division 10. It was established as a county on Jan 01, 1965 from the former Municipal District of Minburn No. 72. The municipal seat is set in the Town of Vegreville.-Demographics:In 2006,...
, Beaver
Beaver County, Alberta
Beaver County is a municipal district in central-east Alberta, Canada. It is centred around Holden, and has the municipal seat in Ryley, in the western part of Census Division No. 10....
, Lamont
Lamont County, Alberta
Lamont County is a municipal district in central Alberta, Canada, located in Census Division Number 10, northeast of Edmonton. The county contains 27 Townships. Its seat of government is Lamont.-History:...
, and Strathcona
Strathcona County, Alberta
Strathcona County is a specialized municipality in central Alberta, Canada between Edmonton and Elk Island National Park.It is located in Division No. 11 and is also part of the Edmonton Census Metropolitan Area. More than half of the population lives in Sherwood Park, a large community east of...
counties, and many of the neighbouring cities and Native Reserves and Metis Settlements.
Kalyna berries were a popular source of food amongst the early pioneers, fur traders and natives. Kalyna Country is a year round playground with culture as diverse as the landscape that offers it. Here the Aspen Parkland
Aspen parkland
Aspen parkland refers to a very large area of transitional biome between prairie and boreal forest in two sections; the Peace River Country of northwestern Alberta crossing the border into British Columbia, and a much larger area stretching from central Alberta, all across central Saskatchewan to...
and the Boreal Forest converge, split by the scenic North Saskatchewan River
North Saskatchewan River
The North Saskatchewan River is a glacier-fed river that flows east from the Canadian Rockies to central Saskatchewan. It is one of two major rivers that join to make up the Saskatchewan River....
Valley, all amidst thousands of hectares of prime agricultural land.
Throughout the region you will see natural rolling hills, abundant livestock and wildlife, beautiful crops and farmland, parks and wilderness areas, unique roadside attractions, scenic hilltop views, pioneer homesteads and picturesque valleys.
The main attractions include:
- Elk Island National ParkElk Island National ParkElk Island National Park , is one of 43 national parks and park reserves administered by the Parks Canada Agency. This “island of conservation” is located 35 km east of Edmonton, Alberta along the Yellowhead Highway, which nearly bisects the park...
famous for its work with BisonBisonMembers of the genus Bison are large, even-toed ungulates within the subfamily Bovinae. Two extant and four extinct species are recognized...
conservation. - North America's Church Capital - Lamont County claims this title, with nearly 40 churches declared historic sites, despite the small and thinly spread population. Tours are available.
- Alberta's oldest remaining Pool Hall, in the Village of Vilna. This attraction still boasts its pool and billiards tables, as well as a barber shop and soem food service.SmokyMark (talk) 06:43, 11 October 2011 (UTC)
- Ukrainian Cultural Heritage VillageUkrainian Cultural Heritage VillageThe Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village is an open-air museum that uses costumed historical interpreters to recreate pioneer settlements in east central Alberta, Canada. In particular it shows the lives of Ukrainian Canadian settlers from the years 1899 to 1930...
- a living history open-air museum showcasing East-Central Alberta's unique culture from 1892 - 1930. - Vegreville Ukrainian Pysanka Festival - a huge Ukrainian cultural festival held every year in Vegreville, AlbertaVegreville, Alberta-Notable Vegrevillans :*Brent Severyn, former NHL defenseman*Cam Cole, Canadian sports writer*Laurence Decore, lawyer, former mayor of Edmonton, Alberta, and former leader of the Alberta Liberal Party*Roderick Fraser, former president of the University of Alberta...
and named after that town's giant model of a Ukrainian easter egg or pysankaPysankaA pysanka is a Ukrainian Easter egg, decorated using a wax-resist method. The word comes from the verb pysaty, "to write", as the designs are not painted on, but written with beeswax...
. - Great White North Pumpkin Fair and Weigh-Off - the first Saturday of October in the town of Smoky Lake. This is part of the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth, and searches for the largest pumpkin in North America each year.
- Fort Victoria - a former fur-trading post, and missionary centre, home to the oldest building in Alberta.
- Metis Crossing - A celebration of Metis culture in Alberta and home to Alberta's first Zip-Line attraction. Located 2 km from Fort Victoria.
The area is also famous for the Giants of the Prairies
Giants of the Prairies
Giants of the Prairies is a song by the Canadian polka band, the Kubasonics.It tells the story of the numerous "world's biggest" roadside attractions to be found in Western Canada, especially in small towns populated mostly by Ukrainian Canadians....
, a series of roadside attraction
Roadside attraction
A roadside attraction is a feature along the side of a road, that is frequently advertised with billboards to attract tourists. In general, these are places one might stop on the way to somewhere else, rather than being a final or primary destination in and of themselves. The modern...
s (usually Ukrainian-themed).
- World's Largest Mushrooms, Vilna, AlbertaVilna, AlbertaVilna is a historic village in central Alberta, Canada.Vilna is located in Smoky Lake County, on Highway 28, northeast of the city of Edmonton...
- World's Largest 'Pumpkin Patch', [(downtown Smoky Lake, Alberta)]
- World's Largest Perogy (Ukrainian dumpling), Glendon, AlbertaGlendon, AlbertaGlendon is a village in northern Alberta north of St. Paul.In 1993, the town unveiled its roadside tribute to the perogy. Their "Giant Perogy," complete with fork, is 25 feet tall. It is one of the Giants of the Prairies. Next to the roadside attraction is the Perogy Cafe, which serves...
- World's Largest Kubasa (Ukrainian garlic sausage), Mundare, AlbertaMundare, AlbertaMundare is a small town in central Alberta, Canada. It is located east of Edmonton and west of Vegreville, at the intersection of Highway 15 and Highway 855, north of the Yellowhead Highway...
- World's Largest PysankaPysankaA pysanka is a Ukrainian Easter egg, decorated using a wax-resist method. The word comes from the verb pysaty, "to write", as the designs are not painted on, but written with beeswax...
(Ukrainian easter egg), Vegreville, AlbertaVegreville, Alberta-Notable Vegrevillans :*Brent Severyn, former NHL defenseman*Cam Cole, Canadian sports writer*Laurence Decore, lawyer, former mayor of Edmonton, Alberta, and former leader of the Alberta Liberal Party*Roderick Fraser, former president of the University of Alberta... - World's Largest UFO Landing Pad, St. Paul, AlbertaSt. Paul, AlbertaSt. Paul is a town in east-central Alberta, Canada. It was formerly called St. Paul de Métis and was originally a French-Catholic settlement and mission to the Metis people....
- World's Largest Duck, Andrew, AlbertaAndrew, Alberta-External links:**...
External links
Affiliations
The Museum is affiliated with: CMACanadian Museums Association
The Canadian Museums Association is a national organization for the promotion of museums in Canada.The Canadian Museums Association is the national organization for the advancement of the Canadian museum sector, representing Canadian museum professionals both within Canada and internationally. The...
, CHIN
Canadian Heritage Information Network
The Canadian Heritage Information Network is a Canadian government-supported organization that provides a networked interface to Canada's heritage, largely through the World Wide Web. It aims to give access to Canada's heritage for both Canadians and a worldwide audience, by supporting the...
, and Virtual Museum of Canada
Virtual Museum of Canada
The Virtual Museum of Canada is Canada's national virtual museum. With a directory of over 3,000 Canadian heritage institutions and a database of over 600 virtual exhibits, the VMC brings together Canada's museums regardless of size or geographical location.The VMC includes virtual exhibits,...
.