GLENSIDE - Dedicated readers of The Outlook may remember when we brought you the story of efforts that were being made to preserve the Jan Hus United Church located near the village of Glenside in September 2020. Now, a second part to this story has put a sizable spotlight on the work being done to maintain a part of local history and remember one's roots.
In an effort to further highlight the importance of knowing their roots and to illustrate just how far they'd be willing to go to show it, local residents of the village of Glenside who have Czech heritage welcomed an honorary and distinguished guest to the community on Wednesday, April 27.
Borek Lizec, the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Canada, made an appearance at the Glenside Activity Center to speak with guests and learn all that he could about the area's deep-rooted Czech backgrounds. In a visit to Outlook earlier in the day, Lizec visited the Outlook & District Heritage Museum, where he was greeted by board member Sally Laidlaw and Town of Outlook Deputy Mayor Justin Turton while he took in the assortment of artifacts and photos that help tell some of the history of Czech descendents.
Lizec was on a tour of both Saskatchewan and Manitoba, wanting to connect with communities that have a rich Czech immigrant backstory.
On his visit to Glenside and area, Lizec stopped at the Jan Hus United Church to see the work being done to preserve the building and maintain the property. The church, originally established in 1913 as the Bohemian Presbyterian Church and then named after the Czech reformer and martyr Jan Hus in 1929, holds fond memories for descendants of the Czech settlers who first came into the Glenside district generations ago.
Speaking with area residents, Lizec was all smiles as he took in all the local history, facts, and stories as he could, undoubtedly broadening his horizons and learning a thing or two about Czech heritage as it relates to people on the Prairies.
Larry Mikulcik, President of the Glenside Jan Hus Society, says the events of the day were certainly one to remember.
"Today's just been a fantastic experience," he said. "Having a chance to bring in a diplomat from the old country, the Czech Republic, to come all the way out to our small communities and to take such great pride in our communities from afar, and for our locals to take pride in their community and their heritage is something that's kind of once in a lifetime. I would've never imagined an ambassador would be visiting me in the town I grew up in and visiting the Jan Hus church that we've been working on. It was actually through sending some pictures and connecting with the previous ambassador in about 2019 that the embassy found out about the Jan Hus church. They contacted me about three weeks ago and said that the ambassador wants to travel and learn more about the immigration process into the West and talk to descendents of immigrants. That's sort of how the day came about, and it's so exciting to see people who I haven't seen in a while."
Seeing the Ambassador mingling with the local people of Glenside and area was a major highlight for Larry.
"Yes, my favorite part of the day is seeing the people here and seeing them respond to Mr. Ambassador's visit," he said. "That's just the best, and it's my favorite part."
When asked if he felt like today's milestone event was perhaps the culmination of everything that he and others have been doing to shed light on the Glenside area's rich Czech, Mikulcik highlighted that there is still work to be done and that he looks forward to what chapter may be written next in this community story.
"I wouldn't say it's the culmination, but it's definitely a peak," he said. "The journey's not over yet. I've got some ideas for bringing the Czech community together in the future, maybe at Jan Hus Church once we get the restoration further along the way. One of my goals is to have a Sunday where we have a dedication service and maybe an old-style family picnic. The Ambassador is encouraging us to put together a Czech festival out here as he talks about the ones that take place in the States, which are celebrations that celebrate the past and present."
Restorations on the Jan Hus church property continue today, and Mikulcik says events like this are a fantastic way to bring attention to what the community is trying to accomplish with its restoration and preservation.
"Last year, we got a great start with getting the shingling done," he said. "We got the building pressure-washed to get rid of the old paint, and we got a coat of primer, and then harvest was early and so that put the brakes on any more work with the building. We're expecting to get it painted this year, and there are some things to do to improve the foundation. So it's started, and we're happy with the start, but like anything else, it takes time and money."
Speaking with the man himself, Mr. Ambassador said his visit to both Glenside and Outlook was enjoyable, affording him the opportunity to learn more about the area's Czech heritage.
"It's been wonderful," said Lizec. "I'm really honored by how many people came to see me, and I'm very grateful to Larry Mikulcik who's helping to turn the Jan Hus Church into a museum, which is wonderful. I stayed in Outlook and I visited their museum, where I was warmly received. I'm glad that so many people are interested in seeing me, and so I thank them."
Lizec says it's important that the area still has buildings such as the Jan Hus church as it allows for people to learn a thing or two about their own peoples' history.
"I think it's wonderful that we still have places like this," he said. "Jan Hus is a very important figure in our history. He was a reformist and a university professor who, unfortunately, lost his life by being burned at the stake in Germany after he was promised that he would be given safe passage. He was such an important figure as far as history goes."
Lizec is pleased to see that even in 2022, in an age where digital worlds and social media seem to look only toward the future, a significant amount of people are working to spotlight their heritage. Reconnecting people with the historical events that helped shape their lineage has been very important in his travels.
"Unfortunately, the 40 years of communism, especially when it comes to Czech heritage, caused a major disruption," said Borek. "People were not able to freely travel, visit each other, and sometimes even correspond at the times. Today, I'm seeing that some of these historical communities are inviting Czech students and are interested to create partnerships with high schools, and this is something wonderful. If I can help a little bit with that, then I will try to reconnect and get it done. To do this reconnection is something that's very, very important for us."
Visiting the small towns and communities along the rural landscape of Western Canada has been an eye-opening experience for the Ambassador. He says he's inspired and fascinated with everything, from the people to the very land of which he travels, making him grateful for the opportunity.
"It's very interesting for me, and I've been looking forward to coming to the Canadian Prairies," he said. "When I drive through it, I'm inspired and I think about how it was for people who were first arriving here. I heard that people would take horses and plot and make their way when looking for a place to start a farm. On my drive tomorrow, I'm going to be thinking of that! I very much like it. I've been taking some wonderful photos, and I'm looking forward to meeting more people and learning about what we can do more of when it comes to business and our efforts. I'm fascinated and quite grateful for all of this."
It's talking with the people and learning their particular backgrounds and personal histories that have been a major highlight of Lizec's visit to this part of the country. He says he's inspired by his talks with the current generation of Czech people.
"I think today is really wonderful, to be able to see the museum and the church, to see those pieces of the past and see the current Czech generations," he said. "I've been loving asking them their traditions and finding out what they find interesting, such as recipes and traditional Czech dishes. Those are the kinds of conversations that I look forward to."
The Czech Republic may be a small nation, but Lizec says that he's happy to see a lot of the same traditions are being maintained by many of the people that he's been meeting on his visit to Canada. That, to him, is a great indicator that the strength of his fellow Czechs is one that just may hold strong for generations to come.
"Well, we're a small nation," he said. "In a European perspective, maybe not SO small, but in comparable to Canada, we are. I truly believe that a lot of the traditions that were kept alive to today help us to get to better know ourselves."
