By Shane O'Neill

P.A. raises flag for the ‘Week of Saskatchewan Ukrainians’

Sep 26, 2016 | 5:00 PM

It’s officially the ‘Week of Saskatchewan Ukrainians’ in Prince Albert.

The proclamation was made at a special flag raising at Memorial Square during the lunch hour today. The week runs from Monday Sept. 26, to Monday Oct. 3.

“If I could I would thank our ancestors who came, many of them on cattle boats, years ago to hardships they didn’t know, leaving a place, to [come to] the unknown,” deputy reeve of the R.M. of P.A. Eugene Matwishyn said.

The proclamations mark the first wave of Ukrainian immigration to Canada 125 years ago.

Jan Olesko, president of Veselka, the Prince Albert and district Ukrainian culture and heritage club, said seeing youth embracing Ukrainian traditions makes her optimistic for the future of Ukrainian culture and heritage in Canada.

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“I find that many of the youth, including our Veselka club, they’re finding their place and they’re proud, which makes me even prouder,” she said.

Veselka vice-president Sonya Jahn is a first-generation Canadian and for her, Ukrainian heritage has always been a part of her life. She has fond memories of growing up and being involved in her local Ukrainian church youth group and speaking Ukrainian with her grandparents.

“I’ve always enjoyed and felt that it was important to be proud of your heritage and culture,” she said.

As part of celebrations, Jahn will participate in next week’s Congress of Canadian Ukrainians meeting in Regina and present about engaging youth and newcomers to Canada.

“Volunteering is a way for newcomers to be able to start a resume and really get to know people in the community,” she explained.

Ukrainian immigration to Canada started small in 1891 with a few farming families looking for new lands and opportunities in the West. By 1914, more than 180,000 Ukrainians had settled in Canada, mostly in what would become Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

Today, Canada is home to the world’s largest Ukrainian diaspora. More than 1.3 million Canadians are of Ukrainian descent. 

shane.oneill@paNOW.com

On Twitter: @stroneill