![\"Tourism](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eafa8bf6ef49560621649cb5b9c6f0ce.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\nThe Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village east of Edmonton will be celebrating its reopening this weekend after a devastating fire last spring forced it to close.<\/p>\n
The open-air museum, founded in 1971, details the history and contributions of Ukrainian immigrants who began settling in Alberta in the late 1800s.<\/p>\n
But the museum was forced to close for a year after a wildfire breached the property in April 2025, levelling several buildings, including the reception centre. The flames also devoured some artifacts and original research files.<\/p>\n
Efforts thus far have been focused on clean-up and clearing debris with construction expected to begin on a new visitor centre later this year.<\/p>\n
Juliana Rodriguez, press secretary to Alberta Finance Minister Nate Horner, said insurance has approved the entire expense budget of roughly $14 million for the government to undertake the necessary repairs to restore the site.<\/p>\n
“The restoration of the visitor centre continues as we prepare for the reconstruction phase, and we are hopeful to have the centre fully restored in 2028,” Rodriguez said in an email.<\/p>\n
Gail Fenton, president of the Friends of the Ukrainian Village Society, was emotional while speaking to reporters at a news conference at the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village on Friday as she expressed her gratitude to all those who first arrived at the scene when the fire happened, and to those who have helped the site recover.<\/p>\n
“We are grateful to the first responders and fire departments that helped save the village,” she said.<\/p>\n
“We are grateful to the province of Alberta for working with us as we experienced our own recovery. The Friends [of the Ukrainian Village Society] were very fortunate and overwhelmed by the support community provided through continued membership and donations made through matching programs.”<\/p>\n
Andrew Boitchenko, the Alberta government’s first-ever Ukrainian-born cabinet minister, who immigrated to Canada with his parents and siblings in 1992, reflected on the impact of the fire for a community already dealing with so much hardship.<\/p>\n
“When you have a country devastated by war, and then you come here and we had this just shut down because of the fires, you always feel like, ‘What’s going on?'” Boitchenko, Alberta’s minister of tourism and sport, told CBC News.<\/p>\n
He also spoke about the importance of the museum to Ukrainian-Albertans. He said he plans to return to the site this summer with family and friends.<\/p>\n
“Bringing them here, explaining where we grew up, where we’re coming from, the roots, the heritage, is very important for us,” Boitchenko said.<\/p>\n
The Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village is located off Highway 16, east of Edmonton, in Lamont County.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
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