Pauline Kozak

Title

Pauline Kozak

Description

A biography of ULFTA and AUUC member Pauline Kozak.

Type

Text

Coverage

Vancouver, BC

Birth Date

1911

Birthplace

Vancouver, BC

Biographical Text

Pauline Kozak, nee Simchyshyn (Simpson or Sampson) was born in Vancouver, BC, Canada, in the Prior and Campbell Street area by the Ukrainian Hall. Her mom, Mary Kozachek, and her dad, Alec Simchyshyn came to Canada in 1905 and 1906 through Montreal, where they settled, and her sister Annie was born there in 1908. The family moved to Vancouver in 1910, and Pauline was born there in 1911.

Pauline went to school until she was 14, then worked at Woolworth's until she married. She met her husband, Steve Kozak, when he came in from Brittania Mine to attend a dance at the Ukrainian Labour Temple. They moved to Bridge River to the Pioneer Mines, then moved back to Vancouver, where Steve worked at a night club and Pauline worked at David Hunter's Garden shop at Kingsway and Rupert. She then went on to work at the Telephone Pioneer's Snack Shop at BC Tel.

Pauline remembered being taken by her parents to a store around the corner from the Waldorf Hotel where the early Ukrainians rented space to have meetings before they moved to Clinton Hall. She and Annie joined the Ukrainian Cultural Centre because their mom and dad wanted them to have some Ukrainian friends and be a part of the cultural community. Pauline and Annie, referred to as the "Simpson Sisters", sang duets and danced.

Citation

“Pauline Kozak,” Association of United Ukrainian Canadians - Vancouver, accessed April 26, 2024, https://auucvancouver.digitalhistoryhub.com/items/show/164.