The Russians
 Although those of Russian descent made up nearly
three percent of Alberta's population
by 1916, they were very difficult to identify. Many people of various
nationalities were registered by immigration and census officials as Russians;
for example, many Ukrainians considered themselves to be Russians, as did the
Dukhobours. In the minds of some, the Russians were simply grouped
together with the other central and eastern Europeans into one, large, catch-all
group - the Slavs.
Those of Russian origin generally included Estonians, Rumenians and
Bulgarians, spread out all over the province. There was some concentration
of these groups around the Redwater area, northeast of Edmonton, and around the
Acme-Beiseker area northeast of Calgary. As with many other groups, the
Russians traveled to Alberta after 1900. Before the turn of the century
there were less than 2,000 Russians living in the province. Over the
next decade and a half, however, their numbers had expanded to nearly 13,000.
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