Taking the 115-year-old church would be like “taking a piece of Poplarfield’s soul”
Residents in Poplarfield say they’re still using St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church and are staunchly defending it after learning of attempts to have the church – and two other churches in their community – transferred to the Arborg & District Multicultural Heritage Village, a museum that showcases pioneer buildings and artefacts.
Steve Marykuca, with his kids, is the caretaker of St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church and cemetery in Poplarfield
Poplarfield resident Steve Marykuca, whose family roots in the town extend back multiple generations, told the Express that the community was stunned when it learned that some members of the Ledohowski family – Leo Ledohowski of Canad Inns and Ed Ledohowski – were allegedly behind an effort to uproot three churches and send them to the Arborg museum. The issue started over a year ago and is still continuing.
Members of the Ledohowski family once lived in Poplarfield but left the area several decades ago, and their name is for the most part unknown among current residents, said Marykuca. The family attended St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church, which is 115 years old.
Leo and Ed Ledohowski have a “personal relationship” with the folks at the Arborg Heritage Village and want to move St. Nicholas there because “they feel it will be appreciated and utilized,” said Marykuca. But the Poplarfield community is “not done” using their church, colloquially referred to as the white church, and they’re fighting to keep it right where it is on High Plains Road (Highway 68) where it has stood since 1961.
“Number one, we as a community don’t want St. Nicholas uprooted and taken away. Number two, that building is well over 100 years old. If they start to meddle with it and lift it to move it, it could implode on itself,” said Marykuca, who is the caretaker for the church and its cemetery and is speaking on behalf of residents and parishioners. “I have nothing against the Arborg museum; I think they do wonderful things there. But we’re not willing to let them have our church because for lack of a better phrase, we’re not finished with it. We still very much utilize St. Nicholas and the grounds. It’s a staple in our community. Poplarfield has very little historical sites left. Removing our church would be like taking a piece of Poplarfield’s soul.”
It’s unclear how the Ledohowskis, or anyone else for that matter, would legally be able to have St. Nicholas sent to the Arborg Heritage Village as the church is owned by the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy, said Marykuca.
St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church was moved in 1961 from its original site in the “old town” of Poplarfield to its present site on High Plains Road in the “new town.” The church and its land became a municipally designated historic site (No. 143) in 1997.
The church is an architectural gem. In addition to its large tiered dome and ornate Latin cross, it has a standalone bell tower with an arched belfry and a monument that lists the name of Ukrainian immigrants who arrived in the High Plains, Hamrlik, New Star and Poplarfield districts in the early 20th century.
According to the provincial government’s Historic Resources Branch, St. Nicholas was built from 1910-1913 under the direction of Ken Marykuca, and is the oldest surviving building in the RM of Fisher. Its log construction is a link to the old country as is its style, which represents the architectural traditions of the Boyko region of Ukraine with its three chambers – the vestibule, domed sanctuary and apse. The interior features paintings created by Manitoba iconographer Jacob Maydanyk.
Marykuca said Ed Ledohowski told them that Leo Ledohowski is willing to provide funding to have upgrades carried out on St. Nicholas – but that offer only stands if the church is removed from Poplarfield and sent to the Arborg museum.
“I respect what they’re trying to do; it’s not like Leo’s going to move the church and leave it alone. He’s actually willing to put funding towards it to upgrade and update it, which is a beautiful thing,” said Marykuca. “However, I just don’t see why you wouldn’t want to do that right where it sits and where its historical value is.”
Leo Ledohowski had donated $50,000 to the Arborg & District Multicultural Heritage Village in November 2023 in memory of the museum founder’s son whom Ledohowski knew through the Manitoba Hotel Association board (see Nov. 30, 2023 edition of the Express Weekly News online).
The idea to have St. Nicholas sent to Arborg was brought to light when a couple of Poplarfield residents told others in the community they had been approached by a person affiliated with the Ledohowskis. They were allegedly asked to consider a land-swap. One such swap would see a resident take ownership of St. Nicholas’ land (on the south side of High Plains Road) and the church would be moved on to their land on the north side of High Plains, said Marykuca. Another resident to west of the church was also allegedly asked to swap their land. Both residents said no.
It’s unclear whether moving the heritage building off its land, which is also designated a heritage site, would affect its status in any way, thus making it easier to transfer it out of the RM of Fisher.
The RM of Fisher designated the church and its land a heritage site 28 years ago.
The municipality was “satisfied that the land and buildings commonly known as the Saint Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church and Parish Hall situated on Part N.E. 12-22-2W in Poplarfield, Manitoba is of sufficient architectural, heritage or natural value or interest,” states RM of Fisher Bylaw No. 1034.
The municipality had advised the provincial government and the owners and lessees of the lands and premises that it was designating the church and the land a heritage site, according to the bylaw, which was enacted on March 5, 1997, under then Reeve Robert Green. The bylaw states the church is a valued religious, cultural and architectural landmark in the northern Interlake region.
Marykuca said the wider Poplarfield community also discovered that there were earlier plans to allegedly transfer St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church to the Arborg museum. Built in 1934 and rebuilt in 1937 after a fire, St. John’s is located east of Poplarfield. That scheme was abandoned after it was determined the church was “unmovable” because of its condition.
Parishioners at Holy Trinity Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church, also a municipal heritage site (No. 26) that was built in 1942 and is colloquially referred to as the red church in town, protested when they learned that the Ledohowskis allegedly considered it a good candidate for the Arborg museum, said Marykuca. Parishioners there are still using their church.
“With Holy Trinity, there was too much backlash from the parishioners there so [Leo] dropped that one,” said Marykuca. “St. Nicholas he won’t drop because this is a personal connection for him and he feels he has as much say as anyone else. And because he’s willing to put money towards it, he thinks he should be able to move it and renovate it.”
The Arborg Heritage Village has a collection of pioneer buildings and historical artefacts and is a designated Manitoba Star Attraction. Its buildings include a church, a school, a hall and an Icelandic family’s home among others.
In 2019, attempts were made to send the Arnes Lutheran Pioneer Memorial Church (built in 1910) in the RM of Gimli to the Arborg Heritage Museum. A transport truck showed up unannounced one day to lift the church off its foundation and take it to Arborg, but local residents called the RCMP and the transfer was stopped.
As St. Nicholas church is still being used by its community, Marykuca said they’ve tried to but failed to speak with Leo Ledohowski.
“They [the Ledohowskis] left Poplarfield as a family unit, it must be 50-plus years now,” said Marykuca, “and it baffles us out here that all these years later it has all of a sudden sparked his interest in wanting to move [St. Nicholas]. As this has been progressing, we haven’t been able to deal with Leo Ledohowski. …. Ed Ledohowski has been the spokesperson on the move.”
Marykuca says he wants people to know both sides of this story and welcomes the Ledohowskis’ sharing their thoughts and views with Poplarfield’s residents.
Marykuca said he reached out the municipality, which told him the St. Nicholas site is not “their land” and thus cannot really intervene. Ed Ledohowski attended a meeting at the RM last week – meetings noted on the RM’s website are current only to mid-May – and was told that he’d have to hold a town-hall meeting in Poplarfield with residents. As of last week, that hadn’t happened.
Poplarfield residents have also signed a petition to keep St. Nicholas where it is.
“The community as a whole is one hundred per cent against any relocation of the church,” said Marykuca. “People are still messaging me to have their names added to the petition.”
No contact information for Leo Ledohowski could be found on Canad Inns’ website. The Express left a message on the corporate office’s voice mail, spoke with a staff member, who promised to forward on a message, spoke with another staff member requesting to be transferred to Ledohowski’s office and sent an email.
The Express asked what legal authority Ledohowski has to have Poplarfield’s church(es) sent to the Arborg Heritage Village, why the community as a whole wasn’t informed of the plan, whether he attends functions held at St. Nicholas or Holy Trinity or St. John’s, what financial interests he might have in the three churches, and why he won’t provide funding for upgrades to St. Nicholas at its home site.
There was no response.
The Express contacted the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy in Winnipeg for comment on St. Nicholas.
Very Rev. Fr. Mark Gnutel, the Vicar Syncellus of church property for the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Winnipeg, said by email that “no requests for communication” regarding a potential move of St. Nicholas were received from Poplarfield residents apart from one email [last week] from a concerned resident. A priest has been assigned to reach out to the resident.
When asked if the Archeparchy will allow St. Nicholas to be removed from Poplarfield and sent to the Arborg museum, Fr. Gnutel said there have been no discussions about that with the Archeparchy.
“His Grace and this office has not been part of any discussion in this regards at this time. We also are unsure as to the state and condition of the church building as no one from the parish has requested services there for some time,” said Fr. Gnutel.
When asked what arrangement the Archeparchy may have with Leo Ledohowski, Fr. Gnutel said none.
“None at this time. His Grace and this office are unaware of any discussions,” he said.
Marykuca said anyone who wants to add their name to the petition to keep St. Nicholas from being uprooted from Poplarfield can message him on Facebook.
