Ukrainian Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception National Historic Site of Canada

The Ukrainian Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception was designated a national historic site of Canada in 1996 because:

• it is one of the most ambitious and accomplished buildings designed by the Reverend Philip Ruh, a prolific and imaginative designer of early Ukrainian Catholic churches in Canada;
• the church itself, a "Prairie Cathedral" built in the multi-domed Kievan style, is remarkable for its size, the complexity of its massing, and its delightfully painted interior and exterior surfaces.

The heritage value of the Ukrainian Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception National Historic Site of Canada lies in its illustration of the architectural work of Reverend Philip Ruh and its representation of Ukrainian-Canadian religious architecture on the Prairies. From 1930 to 1962, Cook’s Creek was the home parish of Reverend Philip Ruh (1883-1962) who was responsible for designing 33 other Ukrainian church buildings in Canada, several of them in Manitoba.

The church, one of Ruh’s most adventurous designs, is endowed with nine domes or dome-like structures, a multiplicity of stepped masses, and accommodating side aisles and chapels in keeping with the style of the multi-domed Kievan churches that served as inspiration. The warm golden tones of the exterior walls simulate Tyndall limestone, and are accentuated with rows of red and green stars at the lower cornice levels and around the arched doorways. Inside, solid-colour areas create drama in their juxtapositions of burnt oranges, periwinkle blues, yellow ochres, and dark greens, while boldly painted bands of marbling highlight distinct architectural components, such as vault ribs and the edges of pilasters, lending the building a charming vernacular quality.