Laughter in My Soul

Living in Winnipeg, cartoonist, painter, humorist, publisher, iconographer, and teacher, Jacob Maydanyk was part of the first wave of Ukrainian immigrants who arrived in Canada between 1896-1914 and settled primarily in the Prairies. But his is not a typical immigrant's story, for the comic strip character he created, "Shteef Tabachniuk," became a folk hero among the Ukrainian immigrants. Laughter in My Soul, intercut with live action, rare archival film and photographs, is not only a testament to the dignity and heroism of those early pioneers, but also a tribute to those whose spirit lives on, to those who had laughter in their souls.