From the Our Legacy History
Book. Used with permission.
St. Elias Russo Greek Orthodox Church
With the arrival of a few Ukrainian and Romanian families in the Pakan district as early as 1898 and 1899, they soon needed a place of worship and a cemetery in case of a death. In the summer they made a decision on a location for a cemetery and a church to be built in the near future. The committee that was involved was Zaharia Mahalchean, the initiator of this activity, who was very religious and knew how to read and write very well in Ukrainian and Romanian. Others were Andrew Gidek, Dimitri Cebuliak, Simeon Romanchuk, Nykoly Rubuliak, Dodda Ponich, Hrehory Kotyk, Hrehory Nykolichuk and Ivan Goryniuk.
This location was on the S.E. 1/4-25-28-17-W4th about 1½ miles east of the present site.
As the homesteaders were occupied with tier own place of settlement, work did not start sooner than in the winter of 1900, when logs were cut and hauled to the site.
In the summer of 1902, work began on the church by carpenter Ivan Stacharuk and they had built it about 5 feet off the ground, when some of the members decided it was not very well centralized as a lot of families had taken up land to the west of this township. During this timeth eland was surveyed and it was found that this building was close to the middle of the section and was on another, N.E., 1/4 of section 25. I would be about half a mile to the nearest road and the church and cemetery would be on two different quarters of land.
Work was stalled again for a while and plans were made for another location. Approximately eleven acres of land were purchased at two different times from the Hudson's Bay Co. Block 1, Tsp 58, Rge 17, west of 4th M. After this parcel of land was surveyed, work was started on transferring the material to the new site. This time the carpenters were Stefan Kolotyluk and Deordi Chahley who were hired at $1.25 a day. Gregory Balechowsky, who could do blacksmith work, shaped the iron crosses that were placed on the top of the domes. On the cross of the larger dome, he chisel-stamped the year 1904.
By this time there were a lot more pioneer members who were willing to help with this project. They were: Kosten Kotyk, Deordy Chetek, Ivan Gorda, Wasyl Morgoch, Ivan Gurmeza, Ivan Basaraba, Gregory Viteychuk, Gora Kozma, Audrey Wennek, Stefan Ratsoy, Wasyl Dwernychuk, Tanasko Dwernychuk, Sahary Starchuk, Ivan Kuziemsky, Mehaylo Yaraslowsky, Kondra Dubetz, Ivan Mihalchean, Ivan Stryzyboroda, Nykoly Esopenko, Ivan Esopenko, Petro Kozub, Metro Olynyk, Deordy Olynyk, Maftey Koutzun, Toder Sarafinchan, Kozma Elkowich, Elia Brusanowsky, Ivan Rusnak, Mykoly Yakimchuk, Partmey Chizewsky, Nykoly Koshalek, Deordy George, Ivan Kraytor, Wasyl Hackman, Mihaylo Suprovich, Nikolay Semeniuk, Ilia and Ichtemy Esopenko, Wasyl Pongur, Wasyl Dmetruk, Carol Hashovsky, Aksenty Karpo, Metro Karpo, Petro Andruchow, Fred Andruchow, Jim Goryniuk, Nykoly Basaraba, Ivan Makarenko, Toder Cebuliak, Ivan Kozub, Elia Thomas, Tony Seminuk, Alex Ponich, and Stefan Pawliuk.
Zahari Mihalchean and Andrey Gidek made a five day return trip in cold weather to Fort Saskatchewan to plane some lumber. The inside off the church was finished and painted by Nykoly Woycenko in the late summer of 1905. In the summer of 1906 a belfry was built by Ivan Starcharuk and tow bells were installed which were imported at the cost of $170.00. The sound of these bells was heard for miles around.
Zahari Mihalchean donated the Holy Shroud and two wooden hand crosses; all three articles had the year 1898 inscribed on them. Stefan Kolotyluk and Andrew Waselashko donated the banners, Ivan Strezeboroda gave the Book of Gospels, Ivan Gorda gave a colorful tapestry, Ivan and Nykoly Esopenko bought the chandelier and many more articles were donated to dress up the church.
During the first few years the religious needs were served by missionaries from Wostok, Shandrow, and Kyseliw churches and were conducted in farm residences. In the year 1908 a parsonage and a barn were built and a well was dug. The church was consecrated and dedicated to the Prophet St. Elia on August 2, 1906. Bishop Benjamin came from New York for this ceremony and appointed Hiermonk Visarin Shestakov, a missionary of the Russian Greek Orthodox Church as its first minister (1906 - 1911).
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