RUNNYMEDE — The church of SS. Vladimir and Olga was the first church of the paris.

In 1928 the founding members of this parish purchased a school and altered it to the requirements of the Ukrainian Rite. Archbishop Basil Ladyka visited the parish in 1938; Bishop Andrew Roborecki served a pontifical Moleben in the church on September 8, 1957.

The church was a very small wood constructed structure with a cross at the summit of the gable roof and contained but the main altar in its interior. The faithful purchased the building for $500, which they raised through private donations, and made all the necessary alterations through their combined voluntary labour.

Ukrainian settlers began arriving in this area approx. 1913 from Halychyna and Bukovyna. The founders of this parish were: Mykh. Nowitski, Hr. Shastko, Mykh. Ivachevsky (Ewacheski), S. Ewacheski, Albin Sokolowski, And. Nestor, Iv.Stratuliak, Mirko Kulchytsky, and 01. Franchuk. The first holy services were held in a National Home, which Ukrainian settlers constructed near the settlement Cote, and were served by Rev. Clavieu of Dauphin, Manitoba, Rev. Nestor Drohomyrecki and the Redemptorist Fathers from Yorkton. With the assistance of Rev. Damascen Po-powich, OSBM, the parish was organized in 1927; the church was acquired a year later and was placed on a site one mile west of Runnymede.

The parish had 9 founding members in 1927; in 1941 there were 12 families with 10 children (Prop. Knyha), in 1961 there were 35 souls (Directory). In the past ten years the parish membership completely diminished and the remaining few parishioners registered at the Kamsack parish. Consequently the church structure was sold and the Runnymede parish closed.

The Ukrainian Catholic parish of SS. Vladimir and Olga, Runnymede, was under the pastoral charge of Kamsack.