|
|
Vol. 8 Issue 3 Summer
1999
************************************
Keep in touch with the Ukrainian community in British Columbia with
CONTACT! Here are the major stories from the Summer '99 issue.
********************************
UCC-BC elects new executive
President’s Message -
UCC-BC President on Ukrainian Showcase 2000
Spotlight on Bukovyna - gala
evening at Vancouver's Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Auditorium
Exhibit proves educational
- The Barbed Wire Solution Exhibit at Royal BC Museum stirs feelings of outrage in
visitors
Congratulations! Vancouver writer Vladimir Dubisskiy of
Vancouver wins the 1998-1999 Anna Pidruchney Award for New Writers.
Love &
Marriage on the Canadian prairies - an excerpt from Gena Crowston's soon to be
published book "Yes Baba! We will Remember"
Navigating the
Internet with InfoUkes - The WWW Cossack has EMaps!
Telling tales - Danny Evanishen on
Ukrainian folk tales ... and a sample
Helping the children - Children
of Chornobyl Canadian Fund needs your help
TYT… i ... TAM - who's
doing what around and about in Victoria, Nanaimo, Prince George, Langley, and Seattle
Celebrating 50 years
of dedication - Vancouver Branch of the Ukrainian Catholic Women's League
BC Ukrainian Cultural
Festival attracts youth of all ages
Voices from the Past - how
departed relatives can help with your family tree
Tips For Traveling to
Ukraine
The Art of Ukrainian
Cuisine
UCC-BC elects new executive
On May 1, 1999, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress – BC Provincial
Council elected a new executive for the 1999-2001 term, with outgoing president Robert
Herchak handing the torch to new president Julia Stashuk. Robert will continue to play an
active role as past president and expressed supreme confidence in the new executive.
President: Julia Stashuk
Vice President: Kari Moore, Secretary: George Brandak, Treasurer:
Petrusia Huc, Past President: Robert Herchak, Members at
Large (Branch presidents): Dr. Nadia Popil (Kelowna), Andrea Malysh (Vernon), Jarema Kowalchuk
(Vancouver), Audit Committee: Nadia Wakefield, Walter Pylypchuk,
Peter Chyrski
President’s
Message
On behalf of the new executive of UCC-BC, we are all
looking forward to an exciting two year term.
The past two years have been quite challenging without a full
executive, but with the support of the branch presidents, we have maintained our
communications mandate, namely Contact and the television program Echoes
of Ukraine.
As well, UCC-BC participated in the unveiling of several
commemorative plaques around the province. These included plaques in Vernon and Nanaimo
marking sites in BC where Ukrainians were unjustly interned in concentration camps during
WWI, and in Victoria commemorating all seven sites in BC In New Westminster, a plaque
honouring Ukrainian Canadian Filip Konowal, who received the Victoria Cross for bravery
and valour serving Canada during WW, was unveiled amidst ceremonial military splendour and
duly recorded.
Looking ahead, there is an exciting project in the works.
Ukrainian Showcase 2000 has been in the planning stages since the fall of 1998. This event
will rival the excitement and allure of the 1991-92 Centennial celebrations commemorating
100 years of Ukrainian settlement in Canada.
Scheduled to take place August 18-20, 2000 at the Plaza of
Nations in Vancouver, Ukrainian Showcase 2000 will feature grandstand performances on the
outdoor stage, as well as a large indoor exhibit in the Main Hall.
Performing groups from Prince George, Vernon, Victoria,
Kelowna,
Vancouver and the Fraser Valley have already indicated their interest in participating, as
have exhibitors for Main Hall, which will feature arts and folk art displays,
demonstrations, workshops, a historical corner depicting the history of Ukrainians in BC,
and audio-visual displays of the highlights of events around BC during the years since the
Centennial celebrations.
Ukrainian Showcase 2000 promises to once again bring together the
entire Ukrainian community of BC in a spectacular show of Ukrainian culture and folklore.
In order for Ukrainian Showcase 2000 to become reality, it is
essential that the Ukrainian community throughout BC support the project.
Government grants and outside funding can be forthcoming
provided BC’s Ukrainian community organizations give their support to this venture.
Individual support - i.e volunteers to help out at the Plaza of
Nations - will also be needed.
So make sure to follow Ukrainian Showcase 2000 developments in
upcoming issues of Contact and on Echoes of Ukraine, which
will resume regular broadcasting on Rogers Multicultural channel this fall.
Julia Stashuk
Spotlight on
Bukovyna
Bukovynian cuisine, music, and artifacts were in the
spotlight Saturday, May 15th at the Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox
Auditorium in Vancouver.
Guests were greeted with the joyful sound of the tysmbala, played by George
Sereda, and
welcomed by Hospodar Roman Bobrovnik and Hospodynia Maria Rusnak.
A stunning museum display was set up at the foot of the stage,
with mannequins in full Bukovynian costume standing among artifacts from the region at the
time of immigration to Canada. Other exhibits included Cascade Travel and the Ukrainian
Village Registry for those interested in travelling to Ukraine or locating their ancestral
village.
"This Bukovynian Vechir is the first in a series whose
purpose is to bring the Ukrainian community together to share our varied and rich
traditions," said MC Walter Pylypchuk. This was a very fitting first choice, as
Bukovynians were among the first Ukrainian immigrants to arrive in Canada, he added.
The dinner included traditional Ukrainian favourites of
pyrohy,
holubtsi and kovbasa, augmented with salads, Bukovynian nachynka, and a zesty Bukovynian
garlic/mashed bean dip with a selection of European breads.
The entertainment lineup included local singers, dancers, and
speakers. Augmenting the delightful, talented ad-hoc groups made up of church members were
Tropak Ukrainian Dance Theatre; the Mandolin Orchestra, directed by Vicky
Pushka; and
Zeellia singing Ukrainian-Canadian folksongs of the early immigrants.
Lecia Polujan of Tropak Ukrainian Dance Theatre spoke on the
traditions and customs of Bukovynian dress, and Muryl Geary of the Ukrainian Village
Registry gave pointers on how to locate one’s ancestral village in Bukovyna and other
areas of Ukraine.
The series of events spotlighting different regions of Ukraine
are intended to raise awareness of the diversity within Ukrainian culture, explained
Oksana Satsevich, who organized the Bukovynskiy Vechir.
The next region spotlighted will be Halynchyna, with a tentative
date set for October 16.
For more information, contact the Ukrainian Women’s
Association at (604) 876-4747.
Exhibit
proves educational
Visitors to the Royal BC Museum in Victoria April 15 - June 15
learned about a deep, dark secret in Canada’s history after seeing the The Barbed
Wire Solution: Ukrainians and Canada’s First Internment Operations, 1914-1920.
"From some of the comments recorded, it’s quite evident
that nobody knew about it, so it educated a lot of people," said Kari Moore, who
brought the exhibit to Victoria with the Ukrainian Professional and Business Association.
During May and June, about 1,000 people go through the Museum
every day. Visitors from all around North America have congratulated the museum and those
responsible for creating this exhibit and bringing it to the public. Here are a few of the
recorded comments:
- Being of Ukrainian heritage, I am appalled that as kids we were not taught this in
school. Why is this any less important than any other event in history? (Victoria)
- Important that we know about this part of our Canadian history. How paranoid and
cruel war makes people. (St. John’s, Nfld.)
- The spirit of Ukrainian people prevails. Bravo Canada for an excellent exhibit. (USA)
- Shameful but little known episode in Canadian history. I hope we learn from this and
the Japanese Canadian internment. (Toronto)
- Ditto statement above. This brought tears to my eyes and heart. My father came from
Hungary in 1924, working across Canada.
- These immigrants could have been my own forebears. Shameful treatment. (Victoria)
- Congratulations to the producers and curators of the exhibit. Let the truth be known.
(Brentwood Bay)
A plaque
commemorating internees of all seven internment camps in BC will be unveiled Sunday, July
11 at 2:00 at the Ukrainian Cultural Centre in Victoria.
"A lot of camps were work camps and there’s no physical
record now of them being there," said Kari, who is president of the Victoria
UCPBA. "This is the best way to commemorate them." The internment sites are Fernie/Morrissey, Field,
Revelstoke, Nanaimo, Vernon, Moshashee/Mara Lake, and Edgewater.
Congratulations! to Vladimir Dubisskiy of Vancouver for winning the
1998-1999 Anna Pidruchney Award for New Writers. Awarded annually to a novice writer for a
literary work that includes Ukrainian Canadian characters or is based on a Ukrainian
Canadian theme. it was granted to Vladimir for "outstanding achievement in Ukrainian
Literature".
"Honestly, I am very proud of it and take it as recognition
of the high level of academic education I have got in the Kyiv Taras Shevchenko
University," he said.
Vladimir’s submission is a story about his experience living
and working in Ukraine during and after the 1986 nuclear catastrophe at
Chornobyl.
"Believe it or not, Chornobyl, together with its makers, the
Soviets, have pushed the whole of mankind very close to the edge," says Vladimir.
"Here in Canada, I have realized that I possess some
unique experience of living on the brink of humans’ extinction."
Excerpts from Vladimir’s award-winning story Living on
the Edge will be featured in the Autumn issue of Contact.
Love & Marriage on the Canadian prairies
by Gena Crowston
An excerpt from Gena’s soon to be
published book, "Yes, Baba. We Will Remember!" about her maternal
grandparents’ emigration from Bukovina,Ukraine to Saskatchewan in 1903.
As most pioneer girls of Ukrainian origin, Katrina had an arranged marriage.
The expectation was that the girls would marry the man of their
parent’s choice. This was the tradition which they had followed in Ukraine and they
brought it to Canada with them. The girl’s parents usually found a man from a
suitable family, an arrangement was sealed between the two sets of parents, and then the
girl was told about it.
Girls married very young. A man could be much older or even a
widower but as long as he had land or money he was a suitable match.
In Ukraine, it would have been important to marry a man from your
own village; however, in Canada that option was not always available. The fact that Wasyl
Droneck came from a village not too far from Katrina’s native village was likely
helpful.
More important would have been the fact that he had saved one
thousand dollars while working on the railway in Canada. This would have made him wealthy
in the eyes of the people of that day.
Katrina recorded later in her life: "In June, 1913, when I was
fifteen and one-half years old, Wasyl Droneck came to marry me. My father thought very
favorably of him as he had saved $1,000.
I did not know the meaning of marriage. Because Wasyl had money,
I thought I would be able to dress well and go out amongst the people. And so we were
married.
I thought that things would be better when I got married. After a
year the children came along one after another. Even with small children I would have to
help out in the field.
The children would be tucked under the haystack and at times we
did not get home until ten or eleven o’clock at night. When we got home I would still
have to milk seven cows, separate the milk and feed the rest of the animals. I also had to
prepare the food for the next day and look after the children.
I can remember that often the milk I brought out to the field for
the children would go sour and they would be hungry and cry. But we had to keep on with
what we were doing as our life depended on it.
I can remember attaching a wooden apple box to the back of the
table on the binder used for cutting the grain, for one of the smallest children to ride
in. By the time the end of the day came they would be so covered with dust that all you
could see was their little eyes.
In seven years I had six children and I was only 23 years
old."
In this way Katrina, along with all the other pioneer women, struggled
to do triple duty as wife/mother/housekeeper and also as the hired farm hand.
They were an integral part of the pioneer life. In most cases,
these women were the steel backbone which kept the family together.
In her later years Katrina often related the story of her life to
her granddaughters:
"I tell for you, so you know how I lived. It was a hard life, but life like
that for all women then. We do what we can. We worked hard so our children could have a
better life.
Now they talk all the time, "Love, Love." I not know
what love was. I live with my husband because parents married me off and that was what I
supposed to do. He good man. Look after farm so
children have food.
And like that we lived together for over fifty years."
Navigating
the Internet with InfoUkes
The WWW Cossack Has E-Maps
by Dr. Andrij Ukrainec
You can’t find your way around the vast expanse of the steppe without a
good map, or these days, a Global Position System (GPS) satellite receiver with an
electronic map.
If you’re lost, help is nearby - just visit the Map
Server project at www.infoukes.com/ua-maps/
. The original purpose of this site was to provide reasonably detailed maps of Ukraine to
help you search for cities, towns, and villages that may or may not appear on conventional
maps.
Over time, it has grown to include road maps, city street maps,
and subway guides. You can also find links to other map sites on the Internet.
The first set of pages contain General Maps of Ukraine. This simple large
scale map of Ukraine is found in English and Ukrainian versions, in different resolutions,
showing oblasts and capitals and the bordering coutries to Ukraine.
The next set is Maps of Ukrainian Oblasts with
detailed, digitized topography maps of oblasts. Two of the twenty-five oblast maps are
currently on-line, with more to come. (Digitizing the maps is a laborious and time
consuming job, and we’re investigating techniques to speed this process along.)
For travellers, the Ukrainian Road Map Page is a
complete and detailed set of maps covering the highways and byways at a scale of
1:1,000,000.
The Interactive Road Atlas Maps are particularly useful in
genealogical searches. Just click on a city or town name on a menu, and the corresponding
map of the area will be displayed on the screen. This web page, programmed by Andriy
Medynets, uses a JavaScript program, so you need a recent browser with that
option enabled for this program to work for you.
The Ukrainian City Maps page shows several city
tourist maps, including Kyiv, Chernivtsi, Ivano Frankivsk, Mukachevo, Odesa, Ternopil and
Uzhorod. The Lemkivshcyna web page shows high resolution (100,000:1) maps of the present
day south-eastern corner of Poland known as Lemkivshchyna, with a small encroachment into
Ukraine and the Slovak Republic.
Future plans include expanding the number and type of maps
available, adding historical maps, and maps with geographical information. Some modern
electronic maps are available in vector formats which will allow the user to view the
information at any scale that interests them.
Also on the blackboard is a city, town, and village search engine
to aid those who are searching for towns but don’t have complete names or correct
spellings.
Now, can someone point me in the direction of the
Seech?
BC’s Ukrainian community website
The website of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress -BC Provincial
Council provides an opportunity for Ukrainian organizations throughout BC to establish an
internet presence.
The site’s diverse listings reflect the wealth of resources
in BC’s vibrant Ukrainian community - perogy suppers, Ukrainian churches, language
schools, dance troupes, Ukrainian Heritage Videos, Contact archives and more.
There’s even a listing of post-secondary scholarships for Ukrainian studies.
These lists are still being compiled, so if your organization is
not represented, please email, snail mail, or fax the details to UCC-BC and we will add
you to the list. This service is offered free to non-profit Ukrainian community
organizations throughout the province who are affiliated with UCC.
Geograpical distance is non-existent in cyberspace, and there
have been email messages from around BC, Canada, and around the world! Here are some
comments received so far:
I am very impressed
with your website. It seems to be extremely well organized and simple to utilize. It is to
be hoped that other Provincial KYK councils will follow your lead.
Will Zuzak, Grande Prairie, AB
Congratulations on the
establishment of your site - looks very good.
UCC-Saskatchewan
Congratulations on
your new design. The site is very attractive.
Mark Liss, UABA-Michigan (Ukrainian
American Bar Assoc.)
Just a great
website. I loved it!
Elaine McEwen, Vancouver
Congratulations!
Your magazine looks terrific.
Hanya Krill, Washington, DC
Here in Edmonton, we are in the
process of developing a web page. I have logged on to your page several times and am
impressed with the way it is laid out and the contents.
P. Sereda, UCC-Alberta
Congratulations!
Some of my comments are: 1) Easy to get into and relatively fast to download. 2) The
format is expressive, easy to read and professional in appearance. 3) The contents are
useful and very informative. I especially enjoyed the "links" with the variety
of topics. For your information I’ve book-marked the site for my future referencing.
A job well done.
Wally Shoemay, Parksville, BC
Wally Shoemay,
Parksville, BC
I just visited the
UCC site. I really like it. It is very informative, easy to get around in, and has
interesting info. I never knew there were perogy suppers around the Lower Mainland on a
regular basis.
Juana Veters, Abbotsford, BC
Juana Veters, Abbotsford, BC
Make sure to visit the site often – you never
know when you’ll find out something new!
Telling tales
By Danny Evanishen
In the old days, before orbiting satellites and undersea cables, storytelling was how
most people communicated, especially in agrarian societies.
In Ukraine, folk tales were a normal part of everyday life. Most parents went away to work
in the fields and left their children with Baba and Dido, who told them the stories.
These stories taught children how to behave, how to get along
with other people, why certain things in nature occurred, and about the culture,
traditions, and values of their society.
It was not only children who enjoyed the folk tales. Most people
never left the area where they were born, and unable to read, learned of the outside world
from wandering storytellers.
These wanderers adapted the stories they heard in their travels
for their audience at home (this partly explains why we find similar stories in different
cultures). The storytellers were highly-regarded, and upon their arrival, the entire
village would gather to hear the stories and the news.
Folk tales tell us much of who we are and where we come from. My
goal is to collect all the Ukrainian folk tales in Canada and retell them in English, so
today’s children can have a direct link to their Ukrainian culture.
So far, I have published several books on Ukrainian pioneers and
six volumes of folk tales. Here’s a sample from one, called Zhabka (the
frog):
Zhabka
One day long ago, Zhabka, the little frog, was hopping about in the wide world looking for
adventure.
Coming upon a wooden bucket filled with fresh cream, he jumped in
to see what kind of thing this was. He smiled to himself, because the funny white water
felt so cool and silky against his skin.
He swam and splashed and dove until he had had enough. He was
tired of the white water, and he wanted to go home and go to sleep.
But then, Zhabka found he could not get out of the bucket. The
cream was too deep for his legs to reach the bottom and jump, and the sides of the bucket
were too slippery to climb out.
Zhabka was thunderstruck. It was hard to believe that a moment
ago he was having such a good time! He could not bear the thought of drowning, so he kept
swimming, hoping that he would think of something.
The little frog swam to his left; he swam to his right; and he
swam around and around until he was too tired to move. He began to sink but, as he dropped
beneath the surface, he spluttered, "No, I will not quit!" And he began to swim
once more.
When he became too tired to move, Zhabka stopped to rest again
and, once more, he sank beneath the surface. But, once more, he rose up and carried on
swimming.
This happened several times until, one time when he sank, he felt
something beneath his legs. He pushed down and hopped straight out of the bucket.
Without knowing what he had done, Zhabka had churned the cream so
long that he had made a large, firm, yellow ball of butter beneath his legs!
– from "Zhabka and Other Ukrainian Folk Tales Retold in English,"
written by Danny Evanishen.
Published by Ethnic Enterprises, Summerland, BC (250) 494-3205. Email:
devanishen@img.net Website: www.personal.img.net/devanishen
Helping the children
The Chornobyl nuclear catastrophe of 1986 continues to have detrimental
effects on the health of millions of men, women and especially children in Ukraine.
The problems associated with the increase in cancer, blood
disorders, and other diseases related to radiation poisoning are exacerbated by grinding
poverty and a lack of basic medical supplies and equipment.
The Children of Chornobyl Canadian Fund (CCCF) is a
registered charitable organization established in 1989 to provide humanitarian aid to the
victims of this tragedy.
The Fund distributes medication, medical equipment, supplies and
food to hospitals, clinics, treatment centres and orphanages and ensures they do not end
up on the black marke. It also assists rehabilitation centres and clinics, and supports
training, education, and exchange programs.
These diverse projects are providing help, but they require
on-going funding. Please send your tax-deductible donation to Children of Chornobyl
Canadian Fund, 772 West 52 Ave. Vancouver, BC V6P 1G4.
For more information on the activities of CCCF in Ukraine,
contact Agnes Kripps, president of the Vancouver branch of CCCF, at (604) 321-6460.
TYT… i ... TAM
BC Ukrainian Dance Festival wows audiences
VICTORIA: A fashion show and art exhibit
were new features at this year’s BC Ukrainian Dance Festival May 1-2 at the
University of Victoria campus and Ukrainian Cultural Centre in Victoria.
The festival began with a series of afternoon lectures on
Saturday. Prof. Stella Hryniuk of the University of Manitoba spoke on
Ukrainians in Canada in the 21st century. She discussed the issue of
declining enrollment in Ukrainian studies programs in universities across Canada, which
are seen as indicative of a corresponding decline in interest.
Lecia Polujan of Tropak Ukrainian Dance Theatre spoke
on the history of Ukrainian dance in Canada and Bonnie Pollard of Fashion
in Motion Modelling Agency gave a workshop on stage makeup.
The evening concert was held at UVic Centre Auditorium. Early
arrivals browsed through original artwork by BC artists Sophia Morrison
and Lecia Polujan, and Edmonton artist Larissa Cembaliuk-Cheladyn.
Meanwhile, the Kids’ Art Symposium put the spotlight on five
budding BC artists working in pen and ink, pencil, and crayon.
On stage were dancers from all over BC: Tropak Ukrainian Dance
Theatre of Richmond, Langley’s Sopilka Ukrainian Dance Ensemble and Volya
Ukrainian Dance Ensemble, Yevshan Ukrainian Dancers of
Abbotsford, Zirka Ukrainian Dancers of Vancouver, Vesna Ukrainian
Dancers of Nanaimo and the festival’s hosts, the Veselka Ukrainian
Dance Ensemble of Victoria.
Master of ceremonies was Mariyka Mejias, who was
co-ordinator of the Festival for the first time. Lisa Hall, Artistic
Director of Veselka, produced the stage show, and with stage managers Taisa
Monastyrski, Paul Kowal, and Paul Sherbey was responsible for a
smooth and professional production.
After an energetic evening which included a post-performance
zabava,
members of Veselka were at the Ukrainian Cultural Centre bright and early Sunday morning
to model a stunning collection of costumes from different areas of Ukraine.
Guests were also treated to a performance by the Luna
Vocal Ensemble of Victoria during breakfast.
Mariyka and Lisa extend sincere thanks to all those who attended,
performed and volunteered to make this festival a success.
Special thanks to committee members Margaret Moccia,
Maureen Picyk, Pam Cunnin, Nelva Kurylo, Deanna Neuman, Karen Nickolich, Paul Kowal, Laura
Fedoruk, Taras Taranouka, Nedra Tremblay, Paul Sherbey, Melanie Easton, Denise Minnin and
Marilyn Roebuck.
A two-hour videocassette of festival highlights is available for
$15 through the Ukrainian Cultural Centre in Victoria (250) 475-2585.
Commemorating Ukrainians unjustly interned in Canada
during WWI
NANAIMO: On June 6th, the Ukrainian community of Nanaimo gathered in remembrance of
Ukrainian men, women and children detained under armed guard between Sept. 20, 1914 and
Sept. 15, 1915 in the old Provincial Jail in Nanaimo before being shipped off to a
concentration camp in Vernon.
They gathered in a small park just one kilometre from the site,
where a plaque commemorating the internees was unveiled in 1997.
"Every year we decide to remember," said Leona
Osowetsky, Island Co-ordinator with the Ukrainian Cultural Society in
Nanaimo. It’s
an informal gathering where the whole community gets together to remember and honour
Ukrainians and other immigrants unjustly interned in concentration camps across Canada
during WWI.
The Ukrainian Cultural Society, which includes the Vesna
Ukrainian Dancers, worked with the Ukrainian Greek Catholic parish in order to remember
this dark moment in Canada’s history and pray that it will never be repeated.
Parish priest Fr. Stephen Basarab led the prayers, followed by
Leona reading first-hand experiences recorded by actual prisoners.
Kari Moore, president of the Victoria Branch of the Ukrainian Professional and Business
Association and Vice President of UCC-BC spoke on the successful two-month internment
exhibit at the Royal BC Museum in Victoria which ended mid-June.
A potluck lunch followed the observances.
Yalenka celebrates 20th anniversary
Prince George: The Yalenka Cultural
Society of Prince George is celebrating its 20th anniversary by
continuing with a busy schedule of dance, culture, and humanitarian activities.
The Yalenka Ukrainian Dancers have had a hectic schedule, with
performances in Williams Lake and Vegreville, Alberta as well as their year-end concert
last April. A number of dancers will attend summer workshops this summer to polish their
already considerable skills – the group boasts numerous medals from various
competitions over the years.
Ongoing cultural events include embroidery, Easter Egg writing,
costume design, and Sviat Vechir. Their educational base is growing with an ever expanding
library of books and CDs. In the meantime, Yalenka Society members also manage to collect
and send shipments of humanitarian aid to an orphanage near Lviv, a group in
Kharkiv, and
a medical facility in a village near Lviv.
For more information on Yalenka, contact Diane Bihun at (250)
564-9102.
New dance group formed
Langley: A new dance group has emerged
from BC’s vibrant Fraser Valley. The Sonyashnyk Ukrainian Dancers of Langley
is a group of eight young adults celebrating their roots through dance.
Ranging in age from seventeen to twenty-five, many danced
together in their younger years with the Volya Ukrainian Society. Deciding they were too
young and energetic to hang up their dancing boots, they formed their own group.
The dancers rehearse weekly at Centennial Housing under the
direction of Diane Pona of Langley and instructor Dee Dee
Soychuke of North Vancouver.
Their first fundraiser last February earned enough money for one
set of costumes, and invitations to perform at two weddings and on local television
(VTV).
The group incorporates dances and techniques from various regions of Ukraine, and creates
most of its own choreography. The Sonyashnyk Ukrainian Dancers are Brad Brodziak,
Kristy Roberts, Candy Ashdown, Jenn Pritchard, Colleen Neal, Carolyne Woods and
Bryn Williams.
For future performance dates and rates, call Diane Pona at (604)
533-1844.
BC groups perform in Washington
Seattle: Three BC groups travelled south
Saturday May 29th to perform at Seattle’s annual Northwest Folklife Festival.
Vancouver’s Svitanok Chorus and Abbotsford’s
Yevshan Ukrainian Dancers performed during the three-hour Ukrainian
program in Mercer Arena from noon till 3:00, and the Valley Tsymbaly Ensemble of Surrey
entertained later in Exhibition Hall.
Organizer Alex Krynytsky has been bringing
Ukrainian performers to the stage at this event since 1989. Last year, because there were
so many, festival staff asked Alex to co-ordinate a Ukrainian section.
Other acts from Washington and Oregon included Za Dunayem
Folk Trio, North of the Black Sea, Chervona Kalyna and Young Ukrainian
Dancers. Bandura virtuoso Victor Mishalow of Toronto performed
during the program and also conducted workshops on Sunday.
Celebrating 50 years of dedication
On May 23rd, the Vancouver branch
of the Ukrainian Catholic Women’s League of Canada honoured founding
members at its golden anniversary celebration.
A commemorative Divine Liturgy was held at the Protection of the
Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church in Vancouver, followed by a panachyda for
UCWLC deceased members. Guest presidents from UCWLC branches around the lower mainland led
the procession with banners, taking UCWLC members into the front pews. Rev.
Ignatius Holowaychuk officiated.
Immediately following the services, the adjacent Ukrainian
Catholic Centre was the scene of a special tribute luncheon.
Organized and hosted by Yaroslava Tatarniuk,
president of the UCWLC Vancouver Branch, the event bestowed due recognition on founding
members of the Vancouver UCWLC for their longevity and dedication.
The hall was festive with silk flower arrangements hand-made by
Oksana Yeleniuk, and a banner designed by Levko Kowalchuk. Theresa
and Beverly Pacholko presided at the hostess table and handed out corsages (also
made by Mrs. Yeleniuk).
Of the ten founding members, seven were present: Julia
Stashuk, Catherine Kirk, Pearl Babiy, Rose Kuzik, Myrtle Saranchuk, Etta Jackson
(the first president 1949-50), and Tiny Zarski. Missing were Victoria
Kuzik, Alexandra Nikiforuk, and Tillie Kitura.
In commemoration of 50 years of devoted service, each of the
founding members received a unique and fitting gift – a Mass dedicated to them once a
month in perpetuity at the Senacle Sisters Convent in Vancouver. Mary Beley,
UCWLC Past Eparchial President, presented the ladies with an intricately inscribed scroll
and a bouquet of flowers.
The Eparchial Youth Chorus, directed by Sister
Ruth Aney, and the Svitanok Chorus, directed by Ann
Kvitka Kozak, performed for the audience, which included special guests Elizabeth
Hnylycia (UCWLC Eparchial President), Marianna Caldwell (President of the
Vancouver Archdiocesan Catholic Women’s League), and Sister Ambrose Stachiw.
Rt. Rev. Mitrat Bohdan Hanushevsky presented greetings
on behalf of Bishop Severian Yakymyshyn. Keynote speaker was Rev. Modeste Gnesko.
The luncheon was catered by the ladies of the UCWLC Vancouver
Branch.
BC Ukrainian Cultural Festival attracts youth of all ages
by Gladys Andreas
The fourth Annual BC Ukrainian Cultural Festival attracted everyone from dignitaries
and TV reporters to senior citizens and babes in arms.
Doug McCallum, Mayor of the City of Surrey,
proclaimed April 24th & 25, 1999 to be
"Ukrainian Festival Days" and Councilor Judy Higginbottom
brought greetings on behalf of the City of Surrey.
Lou Sekora (MP for Port Moody, Coquitlam and Port
Coquitlam), was on hand for the official opening and closing ceremonies of the Dance &
Music Dance & Music Youth Competition on Saturday April 24th at the Chandos Pattison Auditorium in Surrey.
There were 255 participants in the competition’s 47
categories. At this rate, we’ll soon have our wish that this event will become
similar to Vegreville’s Pysanka Festival or Canada’s National Ukrainian Festival
in Dauphin!
Participing were Cameron Sopilka Ukrainian Dancers of
Langley, Kvitka Ukrainian School of Dance (Surrey), Kvitka Ukrainian
Dance Club (Red Deer, Alberta), Veselka Ukranian Dance Association
(Victoria), Ukrainian Sosna Dancers (Kamloops), Volya Ukrainian
Dancers (Langley), Yevshan Ukrainian Dancers (Abbottsford), Zirka
Ukrainian Dancers (Vancouver), Zirka Ukrainian Dancers of the Okanagan
Valley (Vernon).
Guests came from Coquitlam, Red Deer, AB and Kent, WA. Master of
Ceremonies was Gordon Yakimow.
This year the number of musical entries warranted adjudication.
Participants were Barvinok Vocal Trio (Kent Washington), Za
Dunayem Ukrainian Folk Trio (Seattle, Washington). Categories were Vocal &
Instrumental - Bandura Instrumental, Voice, Violin, and Tsymbaly instrumental.
Beverly Dobrinsky was music adjudicator. Dance
adjudicators were Catherine Hauptman, Alexandra Polujan and Dee-Dee Shouchuke.
Congratulations to Tamara Pitts, who for the 4th consecutive year received the highest marks for her solo
presentation.
Meanwhile, the auditorium was the scene of several workshops by
wheat weaver Irene Topolnitsky, pysanka artists Debbie Feschuk and
Joan Brander, and embroidery demonstrations by Mary Antonishka
and Dianne Nosella. Katharyna Huryn displayed her
Ukrainian doll collection, and pencil artist Brenda Hill exhibited her
drawings depicting farm scenes. Other exhibitors included genealogist Muryl
Andrejciw-Geary of the Ukrainian Village Registry, Myrna Arychuk
of Cascade Travel, and Julia Stashuk of Ukrainian Canadian Congress, BC
Provincial Council.
Nearby, in the "Garden of Eating" visitors were greeted
with the happy sounds of the Ukrainian Dulcimer Ensemble. No one seemed
to mind waiting in line for borscht, pyrohy, holuptsi and kobassa — toes were tapping
and the young were twirling to the Ukrainian Polka, Saskatchewan Wedding March, Manitoba
Polka, and other familiar tunes.
Sunday’s musical concert at the Ukrainian Orthodox Center in
Whalley was a huge success. Lunch was prepared and served by the Ukrainian
Women’s Association. The program featured the Sonyashnyk Ukrainian
Dancers of Langley, guest performers from Red Deer, and Seattle’s Za
Dunayem Ukrainian Folk Trio - for the second year in a row singing songs that
brought tears to our eyes.
Our ancestors, who first came to Canada at the turn of the last
century, would be so very proud to see what we have preserved!
The 5th Annual BC Ukrainian Cultural Festival will be held on May
6th, 2000. For information call (604) 576-7970
or e-mail: aa7970@home.com.
VOICES FROM THE PAST
by Muryl Andrejciw Geary
How often we hear - "All my relatives have died. There is nobody left to tell me
anything". Well, did you realize that your deceased family and ancestors can still
give you information?
When they died, details of their life are stored in places we
rarely think about. Some of these sources give your ancestors another chance to tell you
about themselves.
Funeral home records contain data provided by next of kin. You
should offer to pay any charges when requesting a search, but most funeral homes now have
them in a computer file and do it free. But be sure and thank them!
Obituaries are a good place for data, especially to find a lost
female ancestor whose surname changed after marriage. Check the public library where old
newspapers are kept on microfilm.
Church records can also help. Deaths appear in church bulletins and are
recorded by the parish priest, then sent to the head consistory office.
Cemetary records confirm details of the deceased, who purchased
the grave, and their relationship to the deceased. Cemetary staff will mark the location
of the grave on a plan for you.
Memorial and headstone inscriptions often give place of birth,
especially in the case of pioneers. The BC Genealogical Society has published memorial
inscriptions for cemeteries in BC. Check their website: www.nponet.com/bcgs.
The Registration of Death, registered by the Department of Vital
Statistics in the province where it occurs, is a detailed official government document
containing a Registration Number plus other important details of the deceased’s life,
funeral, and burial.
The BC Provincial Archives provides free access to the Vital
Statistics Death Index from 1872-1976 for deaths over 20 years ago. Check their website www.bcarchives-gov.bc.ca for the registration
and BC Archives Microfilm numbers, then take your search results to the Vancouver Public
Library Genealogy Department and ask the librarian to help you get a copy of the document.
(The same procedures can be used with the Marriage Index for
1872-1921.)
For more recent deaths, records are less detailed. You can get
them from the Department of Vital Statistics in Victoria at 1-800-663-8328 for $27.
Wills and probate records are valuable genealogical records that
often contain a date of death found nowhere else, and even a list of the deceased’s
children and other relatives.
Probate records, the paper trail of the estate’s
distribution, are available for a small fee from the Surrogate or Probate Court closest to
where the person died. If they died without a will or there were no assets, there are no
probate records. To locate the court, check with the Surrogate Registrar in Victoria (250)
356-1477 or the Probate Registry in Vancouver (604) 660-2876. The Cloverdale Library (604)
576-1384 has indexes on Microfilm and wills in original books.
With luck your ancestors will have had a spouse and children who
talked about the past and their roots. They would have provided the answers that others
seek on faded forms, often finding blanks with "Not Known" to taunt us and urge
us on yet another search!
Should we try the Passenger Lists next?
Muryl Andrejciw Geary is founder of the Ukrainian Village Registry and author of the
book Finding Your Ukrainian Ancestors.
Putting "You" in Ukraine
TIPS FOR TRAVELLING TO
UKRAINE
by Myrna Arychuk
Travelling to Ukraine can be an exhilarating and rewarding experience. As a tourist
destination, it is still unspoiled by overdevelopment and allows a true feel for the land
and its people. However, as with any vacation, there are caveats and precautions to take.
Passports/Visas
Cascade Travel can arrange for your valid Canadian passport, a
Ukraine visa, and even an official invitation if you wish to stay with relatives or
friends. Allow thirty days to process a visa. An official invitation can take up to six
months.
Insurance
Medical and cancellation insurance is recommended. Bring along all
necessary medications, as they’re difficult to obtain there.
Customs Regulations
Upon entry you must fill out a customs declaration which will be
stamped and given back along with another stamped piece of paper, which must be presented
upon departure.
Articles for personal use are permitted into Ukraine duty-free. Declare and register any
jewellery, precious metals, stones, furs, and cameras upon entry if you wish to take them
with you on departure. Precious metal, stones, antiques and art objects purchased in
Ukraine require a permit and are subject to duty.
Currency
US currency is generally preferred to local currency (hryvnia). The exchange rate varies
but is around 3.55 - 4.10 to one US dollar.
There’s no limit to the amount of foreign currency you can
take in, but it must be declared upon entry. We recommend the amount not exceed $10,000.
Take approximately 50 one-dollar bills, and the rest in fives,
tens and twenties, unless you’ll be buying large ticket items.
Traveller’s cheques and credit cards are rarely accepted.
You can change your money in any number of locations, including hotels. Don’t
exchange more than $20 dollars at a time unless you plan to shop a lot in local stores.
Most people want U.S. dollars.
Beware of changing money on the street with private individuals.
It’s illegal and can be dangerous.
Electricity
Standard electrical voltage throughout Ukraine is 220 volts.
You’ll need a dual voltage appliance or a converter, and an adapter plug for European
outlets.
Food
Three meals a day are included in your tour, but you may want to
bring along a small jar of your favourite instant coffee or tea if you prefer to start
your day with a beverage you’re accustomed to.
Water
Tap water is not recommended, even for brushing teeth. Bottled water
and pop are always on the tables during meals and in stores and bars. Occasionally, hot
water may not be available.
Clothing
Ukraine’s climate is very similar to Canada’s. Bring
comfortable clothes, especially comfortable walking shoes. Hotel maids are happy to take
care of your laundry (check the cost prior to having items laundered). Or pack detergent
to do your own.
Toiletries
Pack a bar of your favourite soap and Kleenex. Face cloths are not
provided, and bath towels are similar to our tea towels.
Gifts
Gifts are a must on the first visit. Children like gum, western
candy, pens, pencils, Canadian tee-shirts, flags, pins. Crayons and colouring books are
also a big hit.
Most Important
Bring an open mind and plan to be flexible. Ukraine is an
educational experience. It’s a country under going tremendous changes and
adjustments, with friendly people who are proud of their rich culture and history.
Let Myrna Arychuk help you make your trip to Ukraine a memorable
experience! Call (604) 430-5454.
THE ART OF UKRAINIAN CUISINE
by Sylvia Molnar
Every family has favourite traditional dishes from different regions of Ukraine and
Canada. I have a great passion for really old, traditional Ukrainian
recipes. You never know what you’ll find! For example, did you know that in the old
days, mashed turnip was used as a perogy filling?
If you’d like to share your family recipes with the readers
of Contact - please call us at (604) 871-0962 or email uccbc
@infoukes.com . In the meantime, here are
some of my family summer-time favourites.
Recipes this issue:
- Sorrel Borsch
- Sorrel and Vegetable Borsch
- Cottage Cheese and Sour Cream Salad
Editor’s
Note: Look for Sylvia on CBC TV this fall!
UCC-BC sincerely thanks the following donors. Your generosity help support Contact
and the television program Echoes of Ukraine.
Salij, Mr. M. ..........$200
Sofiak, M. .............$ 75
Sojonky, A.............$ 50
[Newsletter] [Archives]
[Home] [Subscribe] |
