‘Profound loss’: Many show support after fire ravages Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village

Alberta’s Ukrainian community is expressing grief and support on social media after a devastating grass fire rampaged through the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village.

Mounties say calls about a fire east of Elk Island National Park, behind the village, about 25 minutes east of Edmonton, came in around 5 p.m. Friday.

The fire was declared under control late that day, and an Alberta emergency alert asking residents to prepare to evacuate was cancelled shortly after.

While details on the extent of the damage haven’t been shared, the Alberta government said Saturday that the Visitor Centre buildings, which included exhibit spaces that housed irreplaceable artifacts, were lost.

“This is a profound loss—not only for the Ukrainian community, but for all Albertans who value and honour our province’s diverse cultural heritage,” Minister Tanya Fir and MLA Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk said in a joint statement.

The Consulate General of Ukraine in Edmonton says the village holds a special place in Ukrainian-Canadians’ hearts and is a vital link between their culture and history.

“The damage sustained is a profound loss to the community and to all who value the preservation of Ukrainian heritage. We appreciate the efforts of local authorities, firefighters, and volunteers who acted swiftly to protect this treasured site,” a statement reads.

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC), while also expressing deep gratitude for emergency crews, say the Ukrainian community in Alberta and across Canada are “devastated by the damage … which holds deep cultural and emotional significance for so many.”

“Our foremost concern right now is the extent of the damage to the historic buildings and the irreplaceable archives. These structures are not just buildings–they are vessels of memory, identity, and heritage,” a statement reads.

“We are anxiously awaiting a full assessment and are hoping, with all our hearts, that the damage has been minimized.”

The Prairie Centre for the Study of Ukrainian Heritage also mourned the loss, saying a “mind-boggling” amount of research went into creating the historic village, which not only documents the past and legacy of Ukrainians in Canada, but is “a place of continued identity-creation for so many, who visit annually.”

“Our community will, once again, need to galvanize in support of the UCHV and its founding mission of documenting the invaluable contributions of Ukrainians in Canada,” it said.

The UCC has begun collecting donations to help with restorations.

The site was closed for the season and was expected to open for Victoria Day. The Alberta government says more information about its reopening, once it’s safe, will be available in the coming weeks.

The Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village, founded in 1971, features 40 restored buildings commemorating the Ukrainian settlement of east central Alberta.

According to the village site, the Alberta government acquired it in 1975, and maintains a theme of “Early Ukrainian Settlement in East Central Alberta to 1930.”

Officials with Alberta Wildfire say the wildfire risk in several forest management areas has been elevated due to warmer temperatures and wind.

Fire crews also extinguished a grass fire near the Banff townsite west of Vermilion Lakes Friday afternoon. Parks Canada believes that one was human-caused, potentially by a cigarette.