St. John's Ukrainian Orthodox Church

St. John’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church was designed by the architect Patrick Campbell-Hope and cost $250,000 to build. It was designed in the Byzantine style and was large enough to seat 700 parishioners. The ornate bronze front doors were donated in 1980 by the Leo Krysa Family Foundation. They were created by artist Roman Kowal, who was also responsible for the colourful mosaics on the front façade. The original windows were replaced in 1994 with vibrant stained glass windows crafted by honorary church member Nick Ochotta.

The congregation of St. John’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church began in 1926 when a small group of Ukrainian immigrants purchased the former Grace Methodist Church on 96 Street. That building would suffice until 1949 at which time the congregation endorsed the construction of a new building at 110 Avenue and 107 Street. Construction began in the spring of 1950, and the cornerstone was laid in September 1952. St. John’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church served as a social and cultural hub for Edmonton’s Ukrainian community through sponsoring dances, concerts and bazaars. An auditorium and a recreation hall were added to the church in 1964 to provide a gymnasium, stage, classrooms and other multipurpose rooms. Plays, concerts, operettas and folk dancing were held in the new space in addition to a Ukrainian school that taught Ukrainian language, history and literature to children. The following year it also became the official home to the Ukrainian Canadian Archives and Museum of Alberta.