It's a fascinating piece of local history and now residents will have the opportunity to catch a glimpse of it first hand.
If you have ever heard of Canora's Professor N.P. Lew'chuk and his travelling vaudeville show you will know what this is about and you won't want to miss out. For decades, Lew'chuk brought the world of magic and fun to communities across the prairies, and namely to Canora.
The Western Development Museum in Yorkton has announced it is presenting a showcase exhibit featuring the story of Lew'chuk's shows and midway.
Born in Ukraine in 1896, Nicholas Lew'chuk came with his family to Saskatchewan in 1902. Captivated by a magic show he saw as a teenager, Lew'chuk discovered his calling - he would master the magician's skills and create his own shows. In 1918, "Lew'chuk the Magician" made his stage debut.
Lew'chuk's vaudeville shows were a potpourri of pantomime, hypnosis, illusion, dramas, song and dance, and magic. The troupe, including his wife Nellie and their children, held audiences spellbound, treating them to a new show every year.
In the 1940s, Lew'chuk created his own travelling midway, complete with "freaks of nature," wild animals, and rides like the Flying Saucer he designed himself. And what would a midway be without candy apples, popcorn, and ice cream? Lew'chuk and his family sold it all.
Nicholas Lew'chuk's interests ranged far and wide; he was printer and publisher of his New Era magazine, producer and recorder of local music, garden seed grower, seller of herbal medicines, and maker of lawn ornaments. In the 1960s when his travelling days were over, Lew'chuk set up the Fun Spot amusement park next to his Canora home.
Perhaps Professor Lew'chuk's most enduring legacy is the familiar statue of Lesia, the Ukrainian woman that welcomes visitors when you enter Canora. With the help of his son Orest, Lew'chuk designed and built the popular roadside attraction which was unveiled in 1980.
The Yorkton Western Development Museum invites you to visit and discover the Lew'chuk story.
