Alberta
Contact Us
 |
View Report!
LEVEL OF DESCRIPTION: Fonds
No.: PR2427
TITLE: Michael Gowda Fonds
CREATOR: Michael Gowda
DATE RANGE: 1901 - [1993]
EXTENT: 0.15 m of textual records.
ADMINISTRATIVE
HISTORY/BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH: Michael Gowda (Mykhailo Gowda) was born in 1874 in the village of Veletyn, Jarosalw County, Galicia. After completing school, he worked as teacher. He then immigrated to Canada in the spring of 1898, and settled in Edmonton. He was the first Ukrainian citizen to become a permanent resident of the city. While in Edmonton, he worked as an interpreter with the Bellamy Agricultural Implement Company. Gowda began publishing poetry in 1899. He published in a variety of venues including literary journals and newspapers such as the Boston Evening Transcript. In 1901, he helped establish the first secular Ukrainian society in Edmonton: the Taras Shevchenko Chytalnia. In 1910, he also helped establish a weekly newspaper, Ukrains'kyi holos (Ukrainian Voice) in Winnipeg. In addition, he helped found of the Ukrainian Publishing Company. In 1910, he became one of the leaders of the Federation of Ukrainian Social Democrats of Canada (FUSD). In 1913, Gowda ran as independent in the provincial election, and won the Victoria constituency, but lost in a runoff. Following his political career, he opened a warehouse in Mundare, Alberta and sold farm implements. Gowda then worked as a Dominion Lands administrator. In 1924, Canadian Pacific Steamships appointed him as a representative to recruit more Ukrainian immigrants to Canada. In 1903, Gowda married Vera Babiuk of Kysylvi, Bukovyna, and Willingdon, Alberta. They had four children: Mildred, Fuast, Edison, and Leo. Michael Gowda died in 1953 in Edmonton.
SCOPE AND CONTENT: The fonds consists of the records used, created, and maintained by Michael Gowda including correspondence, literary manuscripts, financial records, diaries, news paper clippings, and notebooks. Michael Gowda's records date from 1901- 1946. The fonds also contains research notes on Michael Gowda and photocopies of Michael Gowda's correspondence compiled by Jars Balan.
GENERAL NOTE: Information for the administrative history/biographical sketch sourced from the Gowda Family fonds accession file at the Provincial Archives of Alberta, and "Discovering Michael Gowda" by Jars Balan: http://www.edmontonhistory.ca/prelaunch/citycalledhome/remember/i_page_balan.php?SSKey=5551&SectionKey=299&ScreenKey=2527 (Accessed August 9, 2007).
Back to search results


Freedom to Create. Spirit to Achieve.



Home    About the Provincial Archives   Login

© 1995 - 2024   Government of Alberta    Copyright and Disclaimer    Privacy    Accessibility