St. Nicholas Parish – St. Michael

St. Nicholas Parish in St. Michael is one of the oldest Ukrainian Catholic communities in the region, founded by the first settlers who arrived in 1896 from western Ukraine. The parish began with homes, chapels, and the faithful gathering in the Wostok area before the first church was built in 1904 and was later replaced by a larger red-brick church, the first of its kind in Northern Alberta. Through years of struggle, court battles, and pressure from outside forces, the parishioners remained steadfast and preserved their Ukrainian Catholic identity.

The parish grew into a strong centre of worship, culture, and community life. It supported a National Hall, parish organizations, and a cemetery near the church, while also giving the Church several vocations to the Basilian Fathers and Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate. For many decades, the parish was served by Basilian Fathers and later by Fr. Eugene Dmytruk, whose long ministry helped sustain the parish into the modern era.