Bucovinian Canadian Heritage in Manitoba

The St. Elijah Pioneer Museum was developed by community members and surviving descendents of Romanian and Ukrainian immigrants from Bucovina (Bukovina) who settled in Manitoba at the turn of the 20th Century and created a community that later became Lennard. This web site describes and promotes the museum's collection, and the community's history. It also seeks to provide a gathering place for archival materials documenting and interpreting the role of the Bucovinian pioneers in Canadian history.

We invite you to explore, learn more, contribute, plan a visit, donate and shop with us.

Three Main Attractions

The Museum presently has three main attractions. Two restored examples of vernacular peasant architecture in the traditional Carpathian style constructed by the pioneers:

• the Paulencu House built in 1906 restored in 1992-1999
• the Romanian Orthodox Pioneer Church completed in 1908 and restored in the early 1980s

The third attraction is the Bucovinian Pioneer Cemetery established in 1904, with over 150 original and restored headstones, many in the orthodox iconographic style. In addition, a common memorial and a number of cairns and plaques are located around the site.

Learn and Contribute

You will find information, photographs and documents describing each of the museum's three main attractions by clicking on the above links. As well, the site contains more-general information about the history of the region and the pioneers.

We encourage anyone who has archival materials, oral histories, artifacts and even snap shots related to the St. Elijah Pioneer Museum to contribute and share these with a larger community through this web site. Find out more. Because our work is done almost exclusively by volunteers, your support through donations is of utmost importance.

If you enjoy what you see here. Why not plan a visit to the St. Elijah Pioneer Museum and the many other attractions in this beautiful prairie region. We look forward to seeing you.