Timeline

 

June 1965 - graduated from the University of Alberta DDS

June 1965 - April 1970 - Solo Practice, Fairview, AB

May 1970 - August 1977 - McCallum Group, Abbotsford, BC

June 1973 - September 1989 - Orthodontic Consultant, Riverside Dental Group, Surrey, BC

August 1977 - May 1981 - Abbotsford Dental Group, Abbotsford, BC

May 1981 - November 1998 - Solo Private Practice, Abbotsford, BC

September 1989 - April 1993 - Vancouver Prosthodontic Practice, Vancouver, BC

September 1991 - June 1993 - Visiting clinician at Pearl Dental Clinics, Maple Ridge, Coquitlam, and Houston, BC

May 1993- October 1995 - Visiting clinician at Dentrix, Calgary, AB

April 1993 to present - Clearbrook Dental Practice, Abbotsford, BC

 

 My grandfathers Fedor Stelmaschuk and Moses Maschuk both immigrated to Canada from the Ukraine in 1929 along with their wives and children. Although they did not know each other in the old country, they settled in the same area of northern Alberta called Highland Park. This was located some 22 miles west of the town of Fairview where I was born.

I pay tribute to the vision of both Grandfathers and recall with pride their involvement in the First World War in which they both served as Russian cavalry soldiers. Both sustained battle wounds in action. They were proud of thier part in the Allied effort to defeat the Kaiser and his axis powers.

Stelmaschuk, loosely translated means steel maker: and Machuk, gentle warrior.

I grew up on the farm in Highland Park as a young child helped my mother Pearl around the house where I learned to cook, make ice cream etc. As I got older, about 7 or 8, my dad Peter started taking me out to work with him. I recall me and my cousin Ed both driving small pony tractors with star binders in tow with Grandfather Stelmaschuk on the binder with either my dad or Ed's dad Lawrence on the other machine. We worked hard but it was fun and work is never hard when your having fun.

My mother encouraged me and my two younger brothers to study, as this would be the ticket off the farm. She had a dear friend, Dr. Merose Woronuk who was a dentist. Dr. Woronuk practiced in Rycroft, Alberta but eventually moved to Fairview. His brother John joined him in 1957. These men influenced my career choice plus my mother always wanted me to be a dentist. My dad Peter decided against farming and we moved into the town of Fairview in 1955. Dad made ice in the curling rink that first year and also acquired and agency as Livestock buyer and shipper.

I worked with dad weekends and after school. Dad added to his efforts a Bulk Oil Franchise, then a farm equipment dealership and also a retail gas station. Dad died on February 21, 1964. He was 46 years and succumbed to rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare cancer of striated muscle. For a man with grade three education, I am proud of what my dad accomplished in his short life. My mother Pearl was there to support him all the way. Despite having her education cut short with the move from the Ukraine at age 11 and with little formal schooling through the great depression of the 1930’s, she became fluent in both Ukrainian and English.

My early schooling in Highland Park started in a one room school with one teacher managing grades 1 to 9. I did not speak any English as Ukrainian was the language of home and of our small community. When we moved to Fairview in 1955, I was now fluent in English and approaching high school. I thrived under the the tutelage of Ian Armstrong, Bernard Roe, Earle Guertin, Marcella Proctor, Margaret Carley, Lou Gazdarica and others. Actually, Ian only taught me as a sub but his influence was remarkable and there was never a more clever teacher than B.J. Roe. Because of these and others, I graduated first in my high school class in June 1960 earning the W.P. Loggie scholarship.

Dentistry was not on the horizon as I entered the faculty of Engineering at the University of Alberta in the fall of 1960. I lasted six weeks. Realizing this was not my forte, I sought assistance from Student counseling. There, Dr. A J Cook, a very kind man, helped with the switch to Arts and Science. Said Dr. Cook..."you will be successful in any field you choose as long as you apply yourself" . At the time the campus was experiencing a wonderful Indian summer and I remember seeing the most dashing men on campus wearing crisp clinic whites under their sports coats. These were junior and senior dental students. Still a haberdasher today - this is how it all began. I was accepted into the Faculty of Dentistry in Sept. 1961 at age 18. I received my DDS in June of 1965 at the age of 22. I went back to Fairview in 1965 to associate with Dr. M.M. Woronuk, who was in his first term as president of the Alberta Dental Association. It was a great start in dentistry.

Being a dentist in my home town allowed for me to participate in family events plus activities in the community. Dr. John Woronuk, Merose’s brother was practicing in Dawson Creek, BC. He was a leading light in promoting a high level of continuing dental education as he brought copious clinicians from Oregon, Seattle and Vancouver up north to enhance our formal education.

We left Fairview in May 1970 and moved to Abbotsford BC. I helped establish a dental group with two colleagues and this progressed to seven practitioners within four years.

Early in my career, I discovered that it was essential for me to up on the latest dentistry techniques. I have taken thousands of hours on continuing dental education to ensure that my patients get the most advanced treatment and care.

In the 1980’s, I was President of the Western Canada Orthodonics Association. I have served as president of the Peace River Dental Society (District 6), the Fraser Valley Dental Society and the International Organization for Orthdontics (Western Canada).

My knowledge of cosmetic dentistry, orthodontics, bleaching and implants are all leading edge today. Today, I enjoy placing and restoring Dental Itra-osseos implants as well as performing metal-free dentistry both conventional and Cad-Cam.

I have no plans for retirement and plan to be practicing in 2015, which will be 50 years in practice. I am deeply indebted to the many teachers who have helped me over the years, to my family of five children and now seven grandchildren whose support has enabled me to trudge my road to happy dentistry.

Dr. Clark Stelmaschuk. 2005