For three days this coming weekend, a six block one kilometer stretch of Bloor Street West in Toronto will turn into a Ukrainian village or “selo”. Hundreds of thousands of people will descend upon this “selo” to enjoy Ukrainian food, entertainment, arts, culture and all-around fun in a celebration that is testimony to the dynamic presence of Ukrainians, not only in Toronto, but throughout Canada in general.
The Toronto Ukrainian Festival, now in its 22nd year, is North America’s largest Ukrainian festival, though by no means the only one. Similar events are held annually in almost every major city in Canada. Remarkably, even after more than 125 years since the first Ukrainian settlers found their way across the ocean to plant new roots in this country, the dynamism, energy and spirit of Ukrainian culture remains strong. It is also testimony to the organizational strength and dedication that the Ukrainian Canadian community can muster,
I have little doubt that the 19th century predominantly Anglo-Saxon Canadian establishment that encouraged those original men and women “in sheepskin coats” to settle in the wild open prairies of western Canada, did not exactly envision that those ancestors of ours would establish such a strong cultural legacy. The assumption was that within a generation or two, they would assimilate into an anglicized Canadian society and adopts its language, values and culture. In fact, it was generally believed that these “Rusyns” were basically a peasant people without any real “culture” of their own. In that, history has shown that they were sorely mistaken.
While it is true that many of the descendants of those original waves of Ukrainian immigrants did in fact assimilate into the Canadian mainstream, a significant number of them fought hard to preserve their ethnic identity. They built their own churches and community halls. They created Ukrainian schools, formed choral, theatrical and dancing groups. They became politically and socially active. Through hard work and education, they entered the professions and became prominent in almost every sector of Canadian society. Canadian sports, arts, business, entertainment and politics have all been significantly enriched by the contributions of Ukrainian Canadians. They became a driving force in establishing multiculturalism as a fundamental cornerstone of Canada’s social and constitutional framework.
There have been four distinct waves of Ukrainian immigration to Canada, and each has contributed in its own unique way to enriching Ukrainian community life in Canada. This is particularly important because culture is not a static thing but evolves with each passing generation, being influenced by exposure to constantly changing environmental, political, scientific, social and artistic developments.
What is both interesting and significant is that Ukrainian culture within this country has also developed its own distinctive character, starting with a base foundation brought here from Ukraine, but then evolving into something distinctively Canadian. The experiences garnered from life in the “new world” has affected every aspect of artistic and cultural life of the Ukrainian Canadian community. Ukrainian groups of all kinds now routinely tour the world and Ukraine and are recognized for their individualistic talent and creativity. “Ukrainian Canadian” is now recognized as a “brand” in its own right.
A lot of that “brand” will be on display this weekend at the Toronto Ukrainian Festival. Attendees will be able to enjoy not only some of the best talent coming to perform at the festival from Ukraine, but also marvel at the creativity and professionalism of our own Canadian stars of song, music and dance. Each succeeding generation of Ukrainian Canadians has built upon the artistic legacy of its predecessors, and we are blessed in terms of both quantity and quality, with a deep and rich community of artists and performers like never before.
I think it is safe to say that nowhere in the world do Ukrainians have the kind of quality of life and scope of opportunity to express their identity and culture as they do here in Canada. That reality was hard earned through the efforts of our predecessors that came to this country. It is something worth celebrating, and the Toronto Ukrainian Festival is a good time and place to do just that.
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