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LEVEL OF DESCRIPTION: Series
No.: PR0671.0001
TITLE: Community Involvement Records
CREATOR: Peter and Olga Savaryn
DATE RANGE: [193-?]-2013
EXTENT: 19.20 m of textual records and other material.
Includes 582 photographs. -- 52 negatives. -- 6 CDs [ca. 6 Hrs].
ADMINISTRATIVE
HISTORY/BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH:

Peter Savaryn was born to Mykhaylo and Anna (Atamaniuk) Savaryn in Zubretz, Ukraine, on September 17, 1926. After immigrating to Canada in 1949, Peter graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1955 and a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1956, both from the University of Alberta. He established his own Edmonton law practice in 1959.

Olga Savaryn was born June 4, 1930 to parents Joseph and Olena Prystajecky in the village of Zhyznomyr, near Buczacz in Ternopil province of Ukraine. She started her education in Ukraine and in 1948 she, her parents, and her brother were sponsored by an aunt and moved to Spirit River, Alberta. Olga finished her grade 11 and 12 in Spirit River, Alberta and completed a 2 year diploma at Alberta College.

In 1951 Peter Savaryn married Olga (Olya) Prystajecky and together they had three children: Vera, Michael and Halia.

Peter Savaryn was active in the Senate and Board of Governors at the University of Alberta, the Office of the Chancellor of the University of Alberta, the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta, the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Alberta as well as the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, the Ukrainian Village, the Multicultural Commission, as well as numerous Ukrainian community organizations in Alberta and Canada.

In 1987, Savaryn received an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Alberta and was made an Order of Canada for his exceptional contributions to the community.

In the 1990s, Peter Savaryn continued to actively participate in community life. At the University of Alberta, he participated in the Friends organization and served at the CIUS Advisory Council. He continued provide leadership in the Ukrainian community by serving on the board of the Alberta Ukrainian Commemorative Society, Shevchenko Scientific Society, Plast (Ukrainian youth organization), and Friends of the Ukrainian Village Society. During this period, Peter Savaryn also wrote numerous articles in the Ukrainian press and took active part in local and federal political campaigns. On the international stage, Peter Savaryn was a delegate at the Ukrainian World Congress conventions.

Olga was active in the Ukrainian Youth scouting organization, Plast in Edmonton, in the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, Edmonton Branch, the Ukrainian Catholic Women’s League of Canada (UCWLC), the Alberta Commemorative Society, the Budka Charitable Society, Friends of the Ukrainian Village Society, Professional and Business Club, Edmonton Branch, and the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta, Gold Bar constituency. She worked in the office of her husband’s law firm, sang in the Dnipro Choir, and co-hosted a Ukrainian program on CKUA for over 20 years. Olga Savaryn received several recognition awards from the Ukrainian Congress (Shevchenko medal, Hetman award), from the UCWLC and the Alberta Government and CKUA (Alberta Service Award) for her work on the radio program.

SCOPE AND CONTENT: The series consists of records generated by Peter and Olga Savaryn’s participation as an executive member in various community, provincial, national and international organizations including: Canadian Foundation for Ukrainian Studies, Ukrainian Professional and Business Clubs, Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, Plast, Ukrainian Canadian Congress, Ukrainian National Assembly, Rukh, Alberta Ukrainian Commemorative Society, World Congress of Free Ukrainians, and Ukrainian Community Development Committee, Shevchenko Scientific Society, Huculak Chair, Bilingual Education, Trail Foundation, St. Michael’s Extended Care Centre, Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village, Northern Alberta Heritage Languages Association. The series includes speeches, newsletters, minutes, correspondence, reports, photographs, newspaper articles, conference material, brochures and pamphlets, as well as records pertaining to Pater Savaryn’s Order of Canada.
LANGUAGE NOTE: Records are both in Ukrainian and English. Some files contain Polish.
RELATED FONDS: PR0671 (Peter and Olga Savaryn Family fonds)


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