Rachel Caklos For NP-UN.
Ukrainians have resided in Canada since the late 19th century and have participated in the growth of the country immensely. Initially, many Ukrainians tended to Canada’s prairies, however, during the 20th century, a large wave of Ukrainians relocated to larger towns and cities. This movement created established communities and developed various Ukrainian churches and organizations fostering Ukrainian culture. Known as the largest Ukrainian festival in Canada, Bloor West Village (BWV) has been home to Toronto’s celebration of Ukrainian culture since 1995 (https://ukrainianfestival.com/our-story/).
In her article, The history of Bloor West Village in Toronto (2024), Anastasiya Romanska explains the history of BWV. The area became a hotspot for Ukrainians, particularly during and after WWII. In the early 1900s, BWV was a developing area alongside the building of Bloor Street. This included the paving of roads such as Runnymede Road and an increase in the building of residential areas. With the expansion of the city, the Toronto Railway Company alongside the City of Toronto built a streetcar line. This project took three years and extended the project to Jane Street. The streetcar line was named Bloor West. Interestingly, Bloor was named after Joseph Bloor, a 19th century brewer and founder of Yorkville in Toronto.
Bloor Street West, 1950s
Together with the active participation and support of community leaders, Jurij Roman Klufas created the Toronto festival. Jurij continues to be a major contributor to its success today as the festival’s chairman. After attending the Ukrainian festival in Dauphin Manitoba as a special guest, he was overwhelmed by the beautiful way Ukrainian culture was celebrated and honoured. Before the festival took place, indicators of the celebration were all around the city. It is an event that the community and many others travel for each year and cannot wait to enjoy. At that time in Toronto, many small Ukrainian celebrations took place, but nothing matched the scale of the Dauphin festival. Jurij remembers attending a Ukrainian Independence Day celebration in Oakville during that time, but it did not resonate strongly with Ukrainian identity or truly showcase the beauty of Ukrainian heritage.
With the idea of creating a Ukrainian festival, Jurij hosted the first-ever Ukrainian event in Bloor West. The celebration was a small one-day gathering that took place over two hours in a nearby parking lot at Jane and Bloor (https://ukrainianfestival.com/facts-about-the-bloor-west-village-toronto-ukrainian-festival/). With the help of local businesses such as Coffee Time who donated coffee and doughnuts, Jurij prayed that the community would attend. Roughly 300 visitors were estimated to attend, however, attendees exceeded over 1000. Jurij was beyond words to find that hundreds of community members and their families visited the festival and from that point on, he knew that what he had created was something special.
Toronto Star, August 21, 1997
As the festival developed, there were challenges that the team of organizers experienced and some doubts of the event’s success. Jurij believed in the project. He saw the potential for the festival and continued to work for its expansion and future. With the help of the community partners such as the Toronto Police and financial sponsors, the Ukrainian festival was able to expand into the successful street celebration it is today. The festival now takes place over three-days with streets full of people, vendors for food and Ukrainian products, beer gardens to enjoy a drink with friends and family, and stages to watch traditional dancing and music shows. In more recent years, a major focal point of the festival has become providing educational opportunities to learn more about the country and the current war. The festival has made a space for the community to unify their cultural identity, provide a platform to share traditions and highlight the work of groups and individuals that continue to develop and disseminate Ukrainian culture through art, products and conversations.
The festival has a lasting impact on its attendees and truly is an embodiment of proudly being Ukrainian. Virlana Martino moved to the city in 1997 from Winnipeg and was thrilled to find a thriving Ukrainian community that she could connect with:
“Hailing from Winnipeg, Manitoba where Ukrainian cultural events abounded, I was pleased to attend the Bloor West Ukrainian festival upon my move to Toronto in 1997. Having heard about this new festival through friends and members of the Ukrainian community who had either attended or performed at the festival, I was impressed with the scale of the stage, variety of performers and vendor kiosks for such a new festival. I have attended nearly every year since (rain or shine) and have witnessed its exponential growth, increased educational initiatives and acceptance by the outside community. I am very proud to be of Ukrainian heritage and I wish to see continued support of the Bloor West Ukrainian festival for many years to come.”
Canadians from across the country come to celebrate their Ukrainian heritage and enjoy the celebration at this largest Ukrainian festival in Canada. Andriy Bobelyak is a 24 year-old Ukrainian Canadian residing in Winnipeg, and is a very active member of his Ukrainian community.
From participating in organizations such as PLAST Ukrainian Youth Organization and his local Ukrainian choral group, Andriy finds himself attending Toronto’s Ukrainian festival to perform on the central stage and visit friends to celebrate Ukrainian culture and life in Canada.
“I had the privilege of performing at the Bloor West Village Ukrainian Festival two years ago with my choral group, Hoosli Ukrainian Male Chorus. I enjoyed my time at the festival performing, and convinced my good friend Alexander to join me this year. Embracing our Ukrainian roots and culture is so important for me, and being surrounded by food, music, culture, and friends made it a no-brainer to visit the festival again. I look forward to coming back next year!”
The BWV Toronto Ukrainian Festival website describes the festival as offering “the largest celebration of Ukrainian spirit in the world – showcasing the best of Ukrainian arts and culture and thereby strengthening the multicultural fabric of Canada (https://m.ukrainianfestival.com/about-the-festival.html).”
Jurij R. Klufas, BWV Toronto Ukrainian Festival’s Chair
Celebrating its 28th anniversary, there was no shortage of performances. Alongside numerous traditional Ukrainian dance groups such as Gerdan, Cheremosh and Hromovytsia, musicians such as Vasyl Popadiuk (violinist), Nastasia Y and headliner PATSYKI Z FRANEKA. The acts took over the weekend filling the streets of BWV with Ukrainian music from traditional to modern styles. The weekend also provides a platform for youth performers to showcase and gain hands-on experience.
Prime Minister Justine Trudeau speaks at the Festival in 2018
Over the course of the festival, many noteworthy artists have taken to the stage in BWV such as Ruslana, the 2004 Eurovision winner. The weekend also brings prominent public figures such as Prime Ministers and political representatives to meet the Ukrainian local community to show their support for Ukraine (https://ukrainianfestival.com/our-story/). Each year, the festival designates a parade marshal, a member of the community who is honoured for their quality, distinction and personal achievements. It is a way to bring the vibrant life of the community to the forefront of the festival, thanking Canadians for their tremendous work in the community and pursuing the Ukrainian interest. This year the parade marshal was Dr. Stan Kutcher who is a Canadian Senator who has created medical facilities and programs supporting the wellness of youth and children.
The festival has also included exhibitions and art installations where individuals can learn about the impact of the war. Doors – Through the Horror of War is an installation of doors from Ukraine during the war to show the reality of the millions of people who fled their homes to escape the war. Another exhibit included the Brainwashing Machine which informed visitors of the effects of the information war of Russia against Ukraine and the impacts and power of disinformation. This year, a speaker’s corner was brought to the festival, with discussions and presentations held by academics, authors, and individuals addressing the war in Ukraine such as Marcus Kolga, an international award winning documentary filmmaker and leading Canadian expert on Russian and European issues (https://ukrainianfestival.com/festival-feature/).
When asked what Jurij wants attendees to take away from the festival, he wants people to see that it is fun to be Ukrainian, and that people should be proud of their Ukrainian heritage:
“I remember walking around one of the first festivals with my daughter on my shoulders and I remember her saying that she was having fun and she coined it by saying it’s fun being Ukrainian…I hope by now that it is not only fun, but proud, proud to be Ukrainian… The festival now has an empowering element and when people come to the festival, they leave with the feeling of empowerment. I’m hoping that the festival can continue doing that in bigger and better ways.”
Dedicated to the event, Jurji has been the Chair of the organization since its inception in 1996. He always strongly believed that this festival is special for the local community encompassing all of the GTA’s population and the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada. What he takes away from this project is that anything is possible and to not be afraid of the unknown:
“Our community is so rich. We all got to bask in the success of the festival. It was a great idea… the real point of it is… all we did was just bring together what’s already out there. Whether it’s the Shumka dancers, the choir that is practicing in a church basement every week. It’s not the festival’s achievement, it’s the achievement of our community.”
The festival has become a major event that brings individuals from all backgrounds to learn and experience Ukrainian culture and traditions. The project is a non-profit organization that requires extensive volunteer and sponsor support. It’s success continues to thrive from the generosity of people who value the festival and the importance of sharing Ukrainian heritage to the Ukrainian community and the residence of Toronto. With over one million yearly visitors, the BWV Ukrainian festival is one that has Ukrainians coming from all over Canada and internationally, making it a space where people can be proud of their heritage and teach others the significance of their culture and its history. The future of the festival lies in its organization, and as the 30th anniversary of the festival quickly approaches in the coming years, Jurij and his team are excited to see the flourishing of new ideas and the continued success of the festival.
Thank you to Jurij for taking the time to speak to me and allowing me to add the depth of his experience to this article. Please find links to the Ukrainian festival and how you can get involved in the coming year.
With the richness of the acts that perform each year, recordings have been made since 2017 which can be found at this web link: https://m.ukrainianfestival.com/live-broadcast.html
Links:
● https://www.instagram.com/bwvtuf/
● https://www.facebook.com/torontoukrainianfestival
● https://ukrainianfestival.com/our-story/
● https://ukrainianfestival.com/volunteer/
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