BOOK REVIEW: Ewanchuk's 12th book on Ukainian Canadian settlers

"Vertical Development A New Generation of Ukrainian Canadian," by Michael Ewanchuk, Winnipeg, Manitoba: Michael Ewanchuk Publishing, 2000, 129 pages, ill.

by Wolodymyr T. Zyla

The Ukrainian Canadian author Michael Ewanchuk of Winnipeg, who is 92 years old, recently published his 12th book on Ukrainian settlement in Canada. Titled "Vertical Development: A New Generation of Ukrainian Canadian," the book appeared in the series on the lives of descendants of the Ukrainian pioneer farmers and railroad workers who through education rose from a pioneer background to become educated Ukrainian Canadians.

This change was not easy because the life of the settlers in Manitoba was difficult. They settled on inferior land in the Parkland region, where they faced the arduous task of clearing the land of trees, stumps and stones. But despite these hardships and great disappointment, they remained there, building schools, churches and community halls. At the same time, they instilled in their children the belief that education was the major factor that could improve their lives. The children followed their parents' advice.

Mr. Ewanchuk's book consists of the following seven parts: "Reaching for the Heights," "Teachers," "Educational Administrators," "Servants of the Church," "In the Field of Science," "Seeking An Opportunity to Advance" and "Women Strove to Succeed." The work provides a valuable introduction and a conclusion; it also contains two appendices and an index.

The author presents 73 accounts of the lives and work of educated Ukrainian Canadians. Being a scholar Mr. Ewanchuk admits that this sample is small. To those whose names are not mentioned he offers an apology and a promise that the next volume will be more inclusive.

Among those who reached the heights are scholars with doctorates in education, medicine, the sciences and engineering. The most outstanding in that group is Dr. Harry Messel, son of a railway worker (who later became section foreman) living in Rivers, Manitoba. There he finished high school. A very talented boy, he was awarded a scholarship to the Royal Military Academy in Kingston, Ontario. During the second world war he served as a paratrooper.

On his discharge from the military, Mr. Messel obtained his Ph.D. at the university in Dublin and became a senior lecturer in mathematical physics at Australia's Adelaide University. When he was 30 years old he was asked to join the science staff at the University of Sydney. There he demonstrated exceptional leadership and scientific competence. His academic rise was meteoric. At the university he was elected director of the Science Foundation for Physics. Under his organization new programs were soon added to the university curriculum. The construction of the first electronic computer and solar energy research attracted students and teaching scientists to the university.

His next important step was undertaken in 1962 with the organization of the first Science School for high school students. A few years later it took on an international character when students came from the United Kingdom, Japan and the United States. In 1966 President Lyndon B. Johnson of the United States visited Sydney and soon 10 American science students were sent to the Science School in Australia. Dr. Messel later visited at the White House for further discussions of the science projects with the president.

Dr. Messel has been recognized with the Commander of the British Empire award. As an Australian citizen and outstanding scientist, he was always in touch with the community. He retired in 1987 after having established 30 international science schools. Though he has long been removed from the Ukrainian Canadian milieu, Dr. Messel never distanced himself from his people. In one of the interviews, he stressed his origin by saying that he is "a pure-bred Ukrainian born in Canada."

Another personality of Ukrainian extraction who has reached the zenith of his profession is Dr. Peter T. Smylski, born in Dauphin, Manitoba, in 1915. Dr. Smylski was engaged in corrective processes for oral deformations. In 1973 the Toronto Star devoted a full page to the work he was accomplishing as an oral/dental surgeon. Now he is retired, lives in Toronto and participates actively in Ukrainian cultural organizations. He is chairman of the St. Volodymyr Institute.

Special mention should be made of the Kondras, who gave the Ukrainian community three generations of university professors. A century has passed since the Kondras arrived in Canada, and the vertical development of their descendants appears beyond comparison.

The pioneer teachers and many who followed them provided leadership among the rural communities. They encouraged the building of community halls, where cultural enrichment took place, and they provided guidance and encouraged young people to attend high schools and universities to study law, medicine, engineering and other disciplines. The success of the first few influenced other young people to follow. A serious change occurred after World War II, when Ukrainian Canadian teachers received placement in town and city schools. This movement contributed to a rapid growth of the vertical development of Ukrainian Canadian teachers.

A good example of a dedicated teacher is Luba Fedoriw, B.A., B.Ed. and M.A. She worked very hard and achieved many important positions. Her teaching ability and dedication were always recognized at all levels. For four years she was a lecturer at the Faculty of Education, University of Manitoba.

Another very competent and dedicated teacher was Ollie Hawryluk. Through the years of her professional work, Mrs. Hawryluk improved her teaching competency in education and music by taking courses at the University of Manitoba. Mrs. Hawryluk attended the Ukrainian Free University in Munich, and the Taras Shevchenko University in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Finally one more very dedicated person needs to be mentioned. Mark G. Smerchanski, B.Sc. (Hon.), M.Sc., made a very impressive contribution to society as a professional engineer, entrepreneur and benefactor. He also contributed significantly to the University of Manitoba However, his most important contribution, a real monument to his memory, is the foundation of the Ukrainian Holy Family Nursing Home in Winnipeg. He was also interested in politics, contested and won as a liberal member for Provencher. Mr. Smerchanski was the Canadian representative to the United Nations and a member of the prime minister's trade mission to Moscow. He served on several state commissions and boards. Mr. Smerchanski - a son of a Molonton merchant, was well aware of the needs and aspirations of the Ukrainian people in the area. He never lost contact with his Ukrainian organizations. He was a modest man whose efforts always ended in success.

In the last part of the book, the author deals with a select group of women who had the will to work and the ability to surmount difficulties. The author included in this part those women who had the determination to go to faraway places for self-improvement or in order to see the world.

"Conclusion - The Author" deals with the life and works of Dr. Ewanchuk. Its author, Dr. Borislaw N. Bilas, provides the reader with a colorful picture of a teacher, RCAF instructor of navigation, officer in charge of airmanship and the first Ukrainian Manitoban who received a permanent appointment as inspector of schools.

In each field Dr. Ewanchuk worked with love and great dedication. His contributions are immense in each category. As a teacher he has been recognized as an honorary life member of the Canadian Association of School Administrators and the Canadian College of Teachers. He has received recognition from the Manitoba Modern Language Association, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress and the Ukrainian Academy of Arts and Sciences.

For his many books he has received the Margaret McWilliams Award from the Manitoba Historical Society. For his contribution to education he was awarded a Doctor of Law degree by the University of Winnipeg and a Doctor of Canon Law degree by St. John's College of the University of Manitoba.

In his "Vertical Development: A New Generation of Ukrainian Canadians," Mr. Ewanchuk raises many important questions and provides many significant insights. This latest book is an impressive achievement as it combines solid scholarship and exhaustive research with a love for Ukrainian settlers that reveals itself in the details at which he excels. A short review cannot do full justice to the provocative intelligence and great erudition that characterizes Mr. Ewanchuk's most recent work.

In a recent letter to a colleague Mr. Ewanchuk writes that he has already begun working on the sequel to his latest book: his 13th book will concentrate on the lives of people growing up in a bush homestead.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, July 8, 2001, No. 27, Vol. LXIX

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