Posts for May, 2013

Join us on Saturday, August 20 at 1:30 PM to hear author Pamela Clark (nee Kuryluk) read from her novel Kalyna. Clark grew up in Edmonton, Alberta close to Edna-Star, and lived with the story of Wasyl, Katja, and Kalyna inside of her for many years. Kalyna is her first novel and is a tribute to her Ukrainian-Canadian heritage and prairie home. She now lives in Calgary with her family. KALYNA Swept up in a whirlwind courtship, Katja and Wasyl begin life anew in a Ukrainian settlement of We...

The logo, description of the 125th logo and the artist statement are reprinted with the permission of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress. Expect to see the logo everywhere as Ukrainian-Canadians celebrate 125 years of immigration and settlement in Canada. This logo commemorates 125 years of Ukrainian immigration to Canada. The logo consists of three parts. The bottom part symbolizes four Waves of immigration to Canada. These are the waves of the ocean to be overcome, the waves of people that ...

Babas & Borshch Ukrainian Festival Coordinator Hazel Anaka is pleased to announce the line-up of talent for the 2016 Zabava to be held Saturday, August 20th in Andrew. “We’re pleased that we’ve been able to hold prices steady at $50 a ticket for the fourth straight year. As before, we have some exceptional acts ready, willing, and able to entertain our crowd, “ said Anaka. “It’s hard to know whether people come for the incredible Ukrainian banquet or the amazing entertainment,” said ...

Thanks to the talent of Townlife’s Clinton Boyda and his staff we have a fresh, new look for the Babas & Borshch Ukrainian Festival website. Our wish list was short---okay, maybe not that short: larger, quick-loading photos; a prominent easy-to-find blog with photo; a clean lined, fresh, modern look; a user-friendly backroom for easy modifications; and the ability to archive older content for those wanting to retrace our early days. We think we hit all the marks but ultimately this sit...

What’s Up? So, what’s been happening since we shut the lights on Babas & Borshch Ukrainian Festival 2014? Turns out…..quite a bit. Not all of it has been visible to the casual viewer. Most of it is paying attention to the boring (but necessary) details that separate successful events from ‘nice try.’ Making calls, sending and receiving emails, meeting, brainstorming, innovating, building and nurturing relationships, learning, writing grant applications, engaging on social media, and...

World Domination By Hazel Anaka On June 19th we welcomed media and other guests to the launch of the second annual award winning Babas and Borshch Ukrainian Festival, Lamont County’s tourism initiative. We were impressed by and grateful for the media response because we know that without their interest and promotion our efforts would far short. Without exception they are gracious: from solo guys juggling a camera and a mic to senior producers to morning show DJs to station promotion ...

By Rev. Ignatius Holowaychuk, OSBM Reprinted with permission, Vegreville News Advertiser The Holodomor, death by starvation, in Ukraine was organized by the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin and his regime. Stalin used starvation as a means of subjugating Ukraine. Between 1932 and 1933 as many as 10 million Ukrainians died in the largest human-engineered famine of the 20th century. The main victims were the Ukrainian farmers (Kulaks). The Kulaks and Ukrainian intelligentsia supported Ukraini...

Thank you to Charlie Gargus for this guest blog promoting an important event happening in Lamont County: the 9th Annual Workshop for Ukranian Music. Once again we are organizing a Workshop for Ukrainian Music at Mundare, on March 8th, 2014. This will be a one-day workshop followed by an evening concert and a Group Jam. Classes for fiddle, dulcimer, accordion and keyboards will be available, with the primary focus on fiddle music. Registered students will learn tunes that are distinctl...

If a picture is worth a thousand words this link is priceless. Check out the photos and translated text to get an up-close and personal look at the commitment shown by our Ukrainian ‘brothers and sisters’ in demanding change: the end of corruption, renewed democracy, the ouster of President Yanukovych. http://bit.ly/1fJOyPg

Ukrainians following the Julian calendar observe Christmas (Rizdvo) on January 7th. One of the most delicious aspects of the celebration of this holy time is the traditional Christmas Eve supper. The meatless dishes number twelve to represent the twelve apostles. They are prepared without animal fat, milk or milk products and follow a period of fasting. Traditional customs include: • A handful of hay is spread on the table to represent the hay of Jesus’ manger and is covered with an embr...