From stained glass to printed page

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This article was published 23/05/2019 (2544 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s one thing to study history. It’s another thing to bring that history to life.

For the past year, students in the River East Transcona School Division’s English-Ukrainian Bilingual Program have been hard at work learning about and chronicling Winnipeg’s Ukrainian stained glass heritage. 

Then, on May 16, students and staff celebrated at Oseredok Ukrainian Cultural and Educational Centre (184 Alexander Ave. E) with the launch of an 80 page colouring book of their reproductions of the city’s stained glass treasures. Norbert K. Iwan, a photographer and teacher at Bernie Wolfe Community School, was on hand to document the event.

“What we were trying to do is mark 40 years of Ukrainian education in River East Transcona,” explained Ingrid Moehlmann, language consultant for the division and a teacher at Miles Macdonell Collegiate who led the project. “I think this is something that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.”

Moehlmann connected with stained glass artist Ben Wasylyshen, who worked with the students in the program, both in the classroom and in his studio. Students also visited Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral, Sts. Vladimir and Olga Ukrainian Catholic Church and spent time in the archives at the University of Manitoba.

“It was wonderful to see the student engagement in the process, and also the artist engagement,” Moehlmann said. “I believe they’ve learned a lot about the heritage of stained glass and what it means for the city of Winnipeg, and I think they have a heightened understanding of colour and lines. I found it remarkable how much the students worked their Ukrainian heritage into the images.”

For Moehlmann, the project provided an opportunity to provide students with hands-on learning with a tangible outcome.

“It’s an integrated approach to education that really embodies the spirit of new curricula in Manitoba,” she said. “There’s a real public looking at the final product. They’ve helped shape something that will be turned into real art.”

The book was released in time for the National Conference for Ukrainian Educators, which is being held in Winnipeg May 23 to 25 at the Canadian Human Rights Museum. During the conference, students in the Ukrainian program at Chief Peguis Junior High School put the information they’d gathered researching the book to further use in developing a tour for visiting teachers.

“They’ll take educators from throughout the country to see some Leo Mol windows  before finishing the tour at the Leo Mol Sculpture Garden in Assiniboine Park,” Moehlmann said.

Now that the book is out, Moehlmann is looking to secure funding for the second part of the project.

“The idea is (Wasylyshen) will pick best images from the book and turn them into heritage windows to celebrate the 40 years of Ukrainian education in River East Transcona,” she said.

The cost of the second phase is expected to be around $13,000. The first phase was accomplished at a cost of $15,000, with support from parent advisory councils and a number of community sponsors contributing funds.

“We still have lots of work to do,” she said.

Sheldon Birnie
Community Journalist

Sheldon Birnie is a reporter/photographer for the Free Press Community Review. Email him at sheldon.birnie@freepress.mb.ca or call him at 204-697-7112

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