Martin Bobowsky came from the village of Howilow in the Kingdom of Galicia, part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the time Martin emigrated to Canada. On today’s maps Howilow is located in western Ukraine, south east of Lviv. When Martin arrived in Canada he lived initially in Winnipeg, then worked as a coal miner for a few years in Crows Nest Pass, and finally settle permanently in Winnipeg. His wife and children eventually moved to Toronto during the Great Depression but Martin elected to stay in Winnipeg.
This section of the Bobowsky family history website describes what we know about the places inhabited by our ancestors over the past 120 years. In part it simply provides geographic orientation for those of us not familiar with Galicia, Winnpeg and Toronto. In part it describes the neighbourhoods, streets, houses, workplaces, churches and cemeteries that are part of the family’s story. In many cases the descriptions include maps and/or contemporary photographs showing what the places look like today.