Cyril Genik

Cyril Genik (* 1857 in Bereziv Nyzhnii, Galicia, Austria - Hungary, now Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, Ukraine, † February 12, 1925 in Winnipeg, Canada) was an agent of the Ukrainian- Canadian immigration and a person of historical significance to the immigration of Ukrainian immigrants in Canada.

Biography

Cyril Genik was born 1857 in Bereziv Nyzhnii, Galicia. His father was Ivan Genyk, the mayor of a village, his mother's name was Ann Pertsovych. He completed his high school education in Lvov ( Lviv ). Then Genik began his studies in Kolomyja in Ivano-Frankivsk, where he was transferred after graduating in 1879 as a teacher after Nadvirna. 1882 Genik returned back to his home village and started a school. Founded during the 1880s Genik a grain mills company and a producer cooperative that he called the " Carpathian Laden". In 1890 he was elected by his studies in the Assembly of the City Kolomyja.

Genik met at this time on Joseph Oleskiw, a man who mediated the immigration of Ukrainians to Canada. Oleskiw Genik asked to accompany him with his second contingent Ukrainians on their trip to Canada, and to help the immigrants, so that they can better foothold. Genik came with his wife and four children, together with a group of 64 Ukrainians to travel to; on June 22, 1896, they landed in Quebec City. Genik the group initially led to Winnipeg and then to Stuartburn, Manitoba, a city that is considered the first Ukrainian- Canadian community in Western Canada today.

In August 1896 Genik let himself first in Stuartburn in Manitoba, where he had his own yard. A short time later, however, he moved to Winnipeg. That same month, recommended Oleskiw the Canadian " Department of the Interior " to set Genik as immigration agents. In September 1896, Genik as a government employee for interpreting or translation, first employed on a part time basis. In his job as an immigration agent Genik met many new Ukrainian- Canadian immigrants in Quebec City; he encouraged them to use the English language and abandon their traditional Ukrainian customs. He also served as a consultant, depending on how it was used.

His workload increased dramatically by the strong increase of Ukrainian immigration to Canada. The works were so elaborate that Genik 1898 a full-time employee of the Canadian government. He was the first Ukrainian Canadian full-time employees of the government in public service.

In 1899, Genik in his house the " Taras Shevchenko Reading Hall " and 1903 the first Ukrainian newspaper in Canada, the " Canadian farmer" ( Канадійскій Фермер ). Although Genik himself was not religious, he said, that there should be an independent Christian denomination for Ukrainians in Canada, which should be independent of the Greek Orthodox and Russian Orthodox standards. He founded in the period 1903-1904, the "Independent Orthodox Church " in cooperation with the Presbyterian Church of Winnipeg. In this context, the Church of the " Seraphimiten ", the so-called " Scrap-Iron Cathedral " (English Tin Can Scrap - Iron Cathedral or Cathedral, Ukrainian Бляшена Катедра ), the support of Genik " Bishop Seraphim " was built in the period. After the general election of 1911 to the Canadian House of Commons, in which the favored Genik Liberal Party of Canada did not win, he also lost his job at the port. As a result, he withdrew from public life. He then lived for a while in the United States, but returned later to Winnipeg, where he died on 12 February 1925.

At the time of his death Genik had become in the Ukrainian Canadian community accordingly announced that he was referred to as "Tsar of Canada ".