Curator
Netta Zebroff
Netta Florette Zeberoff was born into a Doukhobor family on a beautiful spring day in the city of Nelson, which is located in the West Kootenays region of British Columbia, Canada. Her parents, Mary and Cecil Fominoff, were also born in the Kootenays. She is the second oldest of five industrious children.
The Fominoff family lived in a community in Winlaw, which once had a brick factory and was called Claybrick. With the Doukhobor trek in 1962, Netta found herself migrating to Agassiz for 6 years, then back to the Kootenays where she still resides.
Her parents are fine examples of people sustaining family life while cultivating their potential with ingenious creativity. Mary, a domestic engineer, is an excellent chef, gracious hostess and compassionate woman. The ever entertaining Cecil is renowned for his melodic voice and guitar playing skills. Prayer in song always fills their home. In the 40′s Cecil sang on the radio with his band and was asked to go to Nashville to become a country music star. Starting at a young age he worked on railroads, mills, camps, bakeries and the Department of Highways. Mary and Cecil enjoy cultivating their togetherness with meditations, prayer, gardening, rockhounding and celebrating with their family.
Netta is an avid reader and a perpetual student. She would read to her siblings as soon as she knew how. She attended schools in Agassiz, Winlaw, Slocan, South Slocan, took courses at Selkirk College, University of Victoria, and has her Masters in Herbology (Dominion Herbal College) and has studied the Russian language for 10 years with Master Lapinsky. She enjoys broadening her scope of life through ongoing education and sharing her knowledge and the gifts it brings.
The love of traditional life and its preservation has always fascinated and inspired her to learn. Through the gracious teachings of her parents and grandparents Netta learned life skills at an early age. She worked as a babysitter, homemaker, waitress, caterer, office assistant and singer/performer before she married and became a proficient domestic engineer. While she was married and raising two splendid sons, she facilitated workshops and Dominion Herbal College course accredited apprenticeships, and lectured at DTUC in Nelson on Doukhobor History to Japanese students. She also developed the Botany section of Dominion’s Clinical course, created forums for sustainable living, volunteered with KRUNA and the Passcreek ladies cooking group and began volunteering at the Doukhobor Discovery Center in the spring of 2008.
There is a saying that the Doukhobor soul is steeped in music. Doukhobor music is rich in harmony. Netta`s soul is no exception. Whether she sings solo, with her sister, in a choir, or with mother nature; harmony is key.
The Doukhobor Discovery Centre is located across from the Airport in Castlegar and is open 10am – 5pm daily from May 1 to September 30.
Admission:
Students: $5.00
Adults: $10.00
Seniors: $8.00
Contact Us to arrange your tour, bus tours, corporate tours, or school tours today!
