The first Ukrainian pioneers to settle in the Olha area arrived in 1898. These hapless people became the victims of one of the worst tragedies to befall Ukrainian pioneers. Arriving from Ukraine, they had disembarked from the train in Strathclair located north-west of Winnipeg and just south of the Riding Mountains. Prior to leaving the train, three children died, and in Strathclair another twelve were buried. But the worst was yet to come. After leaving Strathclair in wagons on their way to their new homesteads, they pitched their tents on the cold, damp shores of Lake Patterson. That night there was a bad rainfall, the temperature dropped below freezing and the rains turned to snow. With inadequate shelter, forty more children and two adults died over the next two weeks. All were victims of a Scarlet Fever epidemic. Only four children in the group survived the journey.

In 1904, a couple of miles northeast of the tragic site, St. Michael's Church was built on six acres of land donated by Wasyl Luhowy. John and Peter Koltutsky were the main construction foremen. A priest's residence and spacious horse stable were also built on the grounds. In 1927, the well-known church painter Jacob Maydan painted many of the icons contained in the church.

Initially, the parish at Olha was an strong and influential religious and cultural centre for the area. A reading room, "Prosvita", and amateur arts club were established. In 1908, the community school was named Olha; the local Post office subsequently adopted the same name. The parishes at Seech and Dolyny were placed under the pastoral charge of Olha. Over the years, the congregation was blessed with many prestigious visits from the various bishops.

The parish and surrounding settlements, however, shared the fate of many other prairie settlements. Survival, let alone growth, was discouraged, in this case by rocky, unproductive land. The seat of the pastoral district was transferred from Olha to Rossburn in 1946 at which time the residence was sold and the stable dismantled. Slowly, community centres in the area were closed; the last of them including the school at Olha in 1964.

Although Olha`s fortunes have waned, there is still an annual commemorative funeral service for the victims of the Lake Patterson tragedy.