Walking into this open-air museum experience is quite literally like stepping back to the turn of the century. Staff aren't just in costume, they perform in roles of real-life immigrants from Ukraine and go about their day as if they really are the hotelier, the farmer, the schoolteacher or the blacksmith. Some speak only Ukrainian; others speak English with heavy accents. The buildings are all original, moved here and refurbished to their original state – from sod houses to Byzantine churches.
By visiting, you are paying homage to the 250,000 Ukrainian immigrants who came to Canada in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Many settled in central Alberta, where the landscape reminded them of the snowy steppes of home. You'll find it 50km east of Edmonton on Hwy 16. Before you leave, visit the kiosk for some of the best pierogies (or pyrohy, if we want to get technical) and cabbage rolls this side of Lviv.
