Family recognizes 100 years since patriarch Matus Janega emigrated to Canada
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More than 150 members of the Janega family gathered near Halifax this summer, traveling from across Canada, Slovakia, Australia, Italy, the Czech Republic, England and the United States to celebrate a remarkable milestone: 100 years since their family first came to Canada.
The international Janega family reunion, held at Falls Lake, was more than a gathering of relatives. It was a celebration of family, Slovak heritage, faith and the generations that followed Matus and Jozefina Janega.
The weekend was filled with stories, memories and traditions. Family members shared the history of their journey from Slovakia to Cape Breton, sang Slovak songs around the campfire, enjoyed traditional foods and gathered for a memorable Cape Breton crab feast. An outdoor lakeside Mass and a memorial honoring relatives who have passed away provided opportunities for reflection and remembrance.
For some, the reunion meant reconnecting with cousins they had known throughout their lives. For others, it was the first opportunity to meet relatives they had previously known only by name. Children and grandchildren formed new friendships while older generations shared stories and memories that might otherwise have been lost.
A detailed Janega family tree, compiled by Susan Janega-Baird with the help of Miriam Janegova of Ilava, Slovakia, helped connect those generations. The tree documents the descendants of Matus Janega and his seven siblings, providing a valuable record for Janega family members throughout North America and around the world.
From Slovakia to Canada
The story being celebrated began in August 1926, when Matus Janega left Nozdrovice, Czechoslovakia, and arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia, aboard the Veendam. He had traveled from the mountains of Slovakia to Canada in search of a brighter future for his family.
Matus eventually settled in Whitney Pier, an industrial community in Cape Breton that became home to immigrants from many countries. A strong Slovak community developed there, providing a connection to the heritage Matus had left behind. A century later, his descendants returned to Halifax to celebrate the journey that began with that arrival.
A Family Story Connected to Pier 21
The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 is often described as Canada’s Ellis Island. It served as an important entry point for European immigrants arriving in Canada. The Janega family’s visit carried an additional personal connection.
In August 2001, the Slovak community in Canada was honored with the dedication and blessing of a symbolic bench at Pier 21. The ceremony was attended by Slovak President Rudolf Schuster, and Anna Micak Janega (Matus’ daughter-in-law), who was invited to participate and cut the ribbon. The dedication recognized the important contributions of Slovaks to Canada’s multicultural history.
Anna’s connection to the bench made the Janega family’s return in 2026 especially meaningful. Twenty-five years after she participated in its dedication, her children and other family members gathered around the bench during the centennial reunion to remember their family’s journey to Canada.
Anna, who passed away in 2007, had her own remarkable immigration story. Born in Budkovce in eastern Slovakia, near the Ukrainian border, she was separated from her family as a young child when health circumstances required her to remain behind while her mother and other family members left Europe. At age 7, Anna came to Canada through Ellis Island in the care of the Red Cross and was reunited with her family in Montreal in 1937.
Although the 2026 reunion centered on the Janega family, the Pier 21 bench created a meaningful connection between both sides of the family and the larger story of the Slovak diaspora in Canada.
Celebrating a Legacy That Continues
The family was also honored during the reunion with congratulatory messages from the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, the Premier of Nova Scotia, a local Member of Parliament and the Mayor of Halifax. Their messages recognized the determination, optimism and courage of Matus and Jozefina (Suchar) Janega as they began a new life and raised their family in Canada.
A century after his arrival in Canada, more than 150 Janega descendants and relatives came together to celebrate where their family came from and what it has become. Through family, faith, heritage and shared memories, the Janegas are keeping that story alive, and passing it on to another generation.
