Canada celebrates Ukrainian heritage (05/04/97)

Canada celebrates Ukrainian heritage

by Christopher Guly

OTTAWA - At 24 years old, Saskatoon's Vesna Festival bills itself as the oldest Ukrainian Canadian summer fair in western Canada. Yet, in nearby Manitoba, Canada's National Ukrainian Festival in Dauphin has been running since 1966.

"We just don't consider Manitoba part of western Canada," laughed Don Gabruch, chairperson of Vesna's organizing committee.

If there's any competition between who holds veteran status in the summer festival league, there isn't any when it comes to vying for an audience - one festival is in May, the other in August.

Vesna is first off the mark, running on May 9-10 at Saskatoon's Centennial Auditorium.

This year's event celebrates Ukrainian youth. Mr. Gabruch said the admission prices ($14 for adults, free for children 14 and under) are meant to encourage family participation.

Certainly, there's plenty to do. Dance troupes and choirs will entertain. An artisan's area will sell trinkets and pottery, while another area will serve traditional food.

But Vesna's major feature continues to be its evening cabaret, which operates from 6 p.m. until 1:30 a.m.

"There's a lot of dancing, from polkas to kolymyikas, going on," said Mr. Gabruch.

Later in the summer, during the August 1-3 Civic Holiday long weekend, Dauphin rolls out its red carpet.

This year, the annual northwest Manitoba festival is going to have to extend the welcome mat even further, with crowds expected to exceed 10,000 - which is equal to the population of Dauphin itself. Last year, attendance peaked at just over 6,000.

"People are already booking accommodations for communities 40 minutes outside of Dauphin," noted Ken Romaniuk, volunteer director of promotions for the festival.

Canada's National Ukrainian Festival is permanently housed at Selo Ukraina, a site in Riding Mountain National Park eight miles south of Dauphin. The location includes a 10,000-seat outdoor amphitheater where five grandstand shows will be featured over the three-day event.

Toronto comic Ihor Bacynskyj will host all shows, which will offer performances by Winnipeg vocalist Alexis Kochan, Calgary's Tryzub Dance Ensemble and Dauphin's own Zirka Ukrainian Dance Ensemble.

The festival also includes a folk and visual arts pavilion, tours of Dauphin's historic Ukrainian sites, traditional outdoor bake ovens, a heritage village, a children's festival, a "zabava" (dance) and a post office issuing a special "Ukraina" cancellation.

A parade will also be held in downtown Dauphin on Saturday, August 3, at 10 a.m. featuring floats, bands, dancers and marchers bedecked in traditional Ukrainian garb.

Adult weekend passes are $35; $15 for children age 6-12.

And, like Vesna's claim to uniqueness, Dauphin touts its own individuality. "We started saying we are one of Canada's oldest and most exciting cultural events," said Mr. Romaniuk.

"And, certainly one of the longest running cultural events of our size," he added.

Another Ukrainian Canadian summer festival to look out for is the Vegreville Pysanka Festival in Alberta, which runs from July 4 to 6.

For more information on Vegreville, phone (403) 632-2777; on Dauphin, phone (204) 638-5645; and on Saskatoon, phone (306) 931-8659.

| Home Page |