Eastern Ukrainian cultural village museum, situated east of Edmonton, will remain shut this year following a ruinous fire.
Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village Remains Closed for 2025 Summer Season Following Wildfire
The Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village, an outdoor living history museum east of Edmonton, will not reopen this year due to a devastating grass fire that occurred on April 18, 2025. The fire destroyed several buildings that made up the visitor centre of the museum, including reception, gift shop, exhibition galleries, offices, conservation lab, collections and curatorial storage, and public washrooms.
The Alberta government's ministry of arts, culture and the status of women made the announcement in a media release on Monday, confirming the closure of all summer events scheduled for the centre. The fire also resulted in the loss of many irreplaceable artifacts, furnishings for historical buildings stored in the visitor centre, and original research files tied to the historic buildings.
Restoration efforts are actively underway to clean up the site and re-establish services to resume cultural and educational experiences for visitors. However, no reopening date has yet been announced. The village director, David Makowsky, expressed a strong commitment to reopening as soon as possible despite the significant loss, stating it is a “profound loss for our team and the community.”
Fortunately, several key structures were saved from destruction, including buildings adjacent to the visitor centre housing the restoration workshop, interpretation offices, costume storage, the infrastructure workshop, band shell, the silska domiwka (red barn used for food services), and the farm program buildings at the rear of the property. Additionally, artifacts and furnishings stored within the historical buildings themselves or kept at off-site warehouses managed by the Royal Alberta Museum remain intact.
The Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village, founded in 1971 by the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village Society, commemorates the history of Ukrainians who settled in east-central Alberta in the early 1900s. The centre, located 42 kilometres east of the Edmonton city limit on Highway 16, has been closed since the fire.
David Makowsky, the director of the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village, has stated that the team is committed to reopening the village as soon as possible. The province of Alberta acquired the village in 1975, and the centre was due to open for the season on May 19.
The loss of the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village is a significant blow to the cultural and educational landscape of Alberta. The village offers a unique and immersive experience, allowing visitors to step back in time and learn about the history and traditions of the Ukrainian settlers in the area. The community and the province are working diligently to restore the village and reopen it as soon as possible, ensuring that this important piece of Alberta's history can continue to be shared with future generations.
- Despite the closure of the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village for the 2025 summer season, news of its dedication to restarting operations as soon as possible continues to circulate.
- Apart from the loss of several buildings and priceless artifacts, the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village's outdoor-living exhibits, home-and-garden displays, and travel-focused cultural experiences remain undamaged, offering a glimmer of hope for its future.
- In the meantime, followers of lifestyle and cultural travel eagerly await updates on the reopening date for the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village, keep their eyes peeled for any travel-worthy announcements, and maintain support for the cultural preservation efforts being made in Alberta.
