Description of Historic Place

St. Michael's Ukrainian Catholic Church is a Municipal Heritage Property situated on a 8093 square metre parcel of land located 13 kilometres west of the Village of Fosston. The property features a wood-sided church with central dome, constructed between 1910 and 1911, and a detached belfry and cemetery.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of St. Michael's Ukrainian Catholic Church lies in its status as the first church built in the district. The impetus to build the church came from the Ukrainian immigrants who settled in the area. Constructed in 1910-1911, the building, with a typical central dome, is modeled on the churches built in the Ukraine. The construction of this church demonstrated the desire of the Ukrainian settlers in the region to continue their religious practices in their new home. The cemetery adjacent to the church contains the graves of many of the church founders.

The heritage value of St. Michael's Ukrainian Catholic Church also resides in its architecture. Although designed with a typical central dome, this church differs from the majority of Ukrainian Catholic churches built in Saskatchewan as it does not have a transept roof to form the traditional cruciform plan. The log construction of the church also differs from the majority of churches built in Saskatchewan. Also notable is the detached wood-frame belfry, which is situated to the side of the church building.

Source:

Rural Municipality of Ponass Lake No. 367 Bylaw No. 3, 1992.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the St. Michael's Ukrainian Catholic Church resides in the following character-defining elements:
-those features reflecting the building's use as a place of worship, including the interior arcades and pilasters and the cross on the roof;
-the headstones and the defined open green space of the cemetery;
-those elements that reflect the property's status as a rural church, including the simple form, log construction and the limited massing and exterior ornamentation;
-those elements that relate to Ukrainian church architecture, including the vaulted ceiling, cruciform layout and the central dome;
-the simple form and wood-frame construction of the detached belfry.