St. Nicholas Program 2012 (St. Vlads)

And who, who, loves St. Nicholas!  Put a little sunshine into your life and come to see the children - they do!

St. Nicholas the Wonder-worker is the patron of children.  On Sunday, December 16th the children in St. Vladimir's Ukrainian Bilingual Sadochok and the Ukrainian School (Ridna Shkola Рідна Школа) and the Church School will all join in singing for St. Nicholas.

There will be a short program on Sunday, December 16th at noon at St. Vladimir's Cultural Center. The Sadochok parents are graciously bringing coffee fellowship snacks, and after there will be a sweet little program of singing and verses in honor of Svyatey Mikolay Святий Миколай!

All children are welcome to come and join in honoring the Saint!
Thanks to the Ukrainian Women's Association of Canada, Calgary Branch for supporting this event.  

And to help you get in the mood, sing something special with this karaoke version for Mikolay!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYGHgAWWNAY

and for the grownups - - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4cNnZgMW18

A Hetman Award Winner- Pauline Lysak

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It's all about the kids and the future!

Introducing Mrs. Pauline Lysak of Edmonton, one of Ukrainian Alberta's stellar volunteers in service to the community. In 1998, the UCC-Alberta Provincial Council initiated an Annual Hetman Awards to acknowledge significant volunteer achievements of outstanding Ukrainian Albertans. And Pauline Lysak certainly fits the bill. She is a long time member of the Ukrainian Woman's Association of Canada, currently involved at St. Andrew's Ukrainian Orthodox Ladies Auxiliary-Soyuz Ukrainok Kanadi in Edmonton. (UWAC)

A person of deep spirituality and moral conviction, her employment as a social worker in child protection and adoption for the province was more than a job, it is her mission. It led to her involvement with the Pochaiv Orphanage and helping youth in Ukraine. Seeing the need for child protection, and reading The Natasha's by Victor Malarek, (an important read if you haven't already done so - about the issue of Eastern Bloc human trafficking - including Ukrainian girls and boys) she was drawn to become involved in the Maple Leaf Project of the Nashi organization. Nashi: Our Children is actually helping to divert children at risk from human trafficking. She is also inspired by the important work being done by HART - led by Lloyd Cenaiko - another Ukrainian Canadian activist from la belle province of Saskatchewan!

Pauline says the Maple Leaf Alberta Projects works in conjunction with Nashi of Saskatoon and on October 26, 2012 hosted their 4th annual fundraiser for the Maple Leaf/Klenovi Lyst Safe House in Ukraine. Other events in the past have included presentations by Victor Malarek, Benjamin Perrin, Joy Smith MP and fashion shows which have featured the handiwork of girls who have been rescued from risk and learning a trade - sewing skills.

Congratulations Pauline and thank you for leadership in helping to protect the most vulnerable - our children - combating modern day slavery! Diakuyemo! Mnohaya lita!

In the picture above you will see Pauline with the Speaker of the Alberta Provincial Legislature - her nephew - MLA Gene Zwozdesky, and Genia Leskiw MLA for Bonnyville who is also her neice - close family! Also in the photo is the Provincial President of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress - Daria Luciw.  

For a video of One Pyrogy at a Time - a documentary by Nashi: Our Children - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2bi74rb6ME

and information about the Maple Leaf/Klenovi Lyst Safe House http://mapleleafap.wordpress.com/.

Another Great Ukrainian Cookbook!

Another great Ukrainian Cookbook to tell you about!

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This is the most recent publication of the Ukrainian Women's Association of Canada, Hanka Romanchych Branch in Saskatoon!  This is the home organization of the Savella Stechishin of Traditional Ukrainian Cookery fame.  And now the ladies have continued in the fine tradition, and published a beautiful, new collection entitled From Baba, With Love.

From Baba,With Love is truly a lovely recipe book.  With full colour pictures, and ethno-cultural background, it is full of newly adapted recipes that use contemporary methods and technologies.

Because I know you will want to get yours quickly, here is the contact information to the only store in Calgary that carries the book! You may want to order several to have as gifts to share the whole year long!!

Contact the lovely ladies at - The Ukrainian Museum of Canada - Calgary Collection -

St. Vladimir’s Ukrainian Orthodox Cultural Centre

404 Meredith Road NE

Calgary, Alberta T2E 5A6

For more Information, phone 403 264 3437.

The Most Loved Ukrainian Cookbook!

Cooking is soul work, at least in a Ukrainian home.  You can always order in pizza, or get a bucket of chicken, but traditional Ukrainian foods are a trip down nostalgia lane.  Making pyrohy, kolach (braided circle bread), holubtsi (cabbage rolls), no matter whether you are using instant ingredients, or a stand mixer, still require tender loving care, lots of handiwork and an admiring audience.

So, for the best known and perhaps the best loved Ukrainian cookbook I reach for my Savella Stechishin cookbook.  Traditional Ukrainian Cookery by Savella Stechishin was published by Trident Press in Winnipeg, Canada in 1984. (ISBN 0 919490-36-0) So, I have the Fourteenth Edition!

Interestingly enough, the book was initiated by the Ukrainian Women's Association of Canada as a national organization project, and first published in 1957.  But it was the product of much love and dedication, and took a long while from conception to publication.

The way I heard it, Savella Stechishin was among the first Ukrainian women to attend University in Saskatchewan, earning a Bachelor in Home Economics.  She was also an early leader in the Ukrainian Women's Association of Canada, and felt the importance of sharing modern cooking techniques to the rural Ukrainian women on the prairies.  Safe methods, sanitation, canning, preserves, entertaining, and displaying foods for bake sales or banquets - these were her lecture and presentation topics.  In turn, these women shared their fabulous recipes, lovingly passed down from generation to generation.  So the cookbook, is the product of endless hours of fieldwork among the UWAC of the day.  And with the publication of this book, community organizations could sell their wares and fund the building of many community halls, gathering places, and churches.

Truly a person with a vision, Savella Stechishin can be honored for being the first, most popular Ukrainian Cookbook writer in North America.  Since then, Ukrainian food has come out of the farm kitchen and into the supermarkets everywhere in North America.

Have you ever found another cookbook like it?  Which are your favorite recipe books?  Where can you get the most authentic recipes? I am hopeful you have some gem in your cookbook collection to recommend!

ps  I just checked Amazon and perhaps you might be amazed to know a book in new condition costs $516 and a used one for $116.  So, take care of yours - it is a collectors item!! I know my mom's is already in shreds!.

http://www.ukrcdn.com/2009/12/07/a-ukrainian-canadian-julia-child-and-more-savella-stechishin/

Soyuz Ukrainok Kanadi - UWAC-Calgary

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Calgary's Ukrainian Women's Association of Canada is celebrating its 80 anniversary!  Since before 1932-33 UWAC Calgary has been an essential partner in service at St. Vladimir's Ukrainian Orthodox Congregation, but oh, so much more.  Through their community work,  the women of UWAC have helped celebrate Ukrainian culture here in Calgary, share it with fellow Canadians, and promote the Ukrainian idea to many generations. 

Viewing the amazingly organized UWAC Calgary Archives, one can appreciate the lively and stimulating core of activity in UWAC Calgary over these 80 plus years. And UWAC Calgary is continuing to develop its enduring legacy.  Honoring this special anniversary, UWAC Calgary has initiated an innovative social media project by which to capture these rich and diverse perspectives.

Images of UWAC Calgary, its relationships in Calgary, its Ukrainian community, and its spiritual home at St. Vladimir's Congregation capture part of the story.  However a picture tells a thousand words - or perhaps more.  And though each image tells an exciting chapter, and each chapter contains multiple characters, and each character has a point of view, these stories are yet to be written. 

Calgary's Soyuzianky encourage you to visit the website, view the images, and comment, contribute stories, memories, anecdotes connected with the images.  Visit often as the site develops over time.  Take the opportunity to "flesh out" the background story, the laughter, tears, faith, love and friendships! 

So many stories to tell, and little opportunity?  Welcome to an innovative collaboration in writing the story of Calgary's Soyuz Ukrainok Kanadi.   www.uwac-Calgary.ca



Calgary's Annual Canada Day/Dominion Day at Heritage Park - July 1, 2012

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A lady I know has recently been awarded the Order of Canada.  She now has the honor and privilege to preside over the Citizenship ceremonies welcoming new Canadian citizens from widely different homelands.  Mrs. Orysia Sushko (editor of the Ukrainian Women's Association of Canada newspaper "Promin"), as Presiding Official spoke about the importance of active citizenship, responsibilities and obligations which new Canadians accept with the privilege of citizenship.  Administering the oath, she spoke about the equality of men and women, our shared traditions and values, obeying the laws, and protecting and enjoying our heritage and environment.  Welcoming new citizens in the name of Her Majesty, the Queen, she concluded her comments saying "From this day forward, our history is now your history.  Our laws are your laws.  Our identity is your identity.  Our responsibility to be a good and faithful citizen, loyal to Canada, is now your responsibility.  The future of Canada, our freedom, our democracy, our peaceful society, equality under the law, our properity - the future of all these things now depend on you.  As a great Canadian soldier poet, Dr. John McCrea wrote, "To you we throw the torch; Be yours to hold it high".  Be a proud Canadian - honour and respect the rights you have received at today's citizenship ceremony." (Promin - June-July 2012)

What heartwarming and positive words, from our newest Ukrainian Canadian recipient of the Order of Canada.  Congratulations Orysia and to all the most recent inductees.

Calgary will celebrate our Canada Day/Dominion Day with a great roster of performers at Celebration Field Stage in Heritage Park!  Make sure you come to enjoy the company of guests, recent Canadians, and the representatives of our First Nations, Canadians celebrating Canadian culture from coast to coast, our cultural inheritance, all at Heritage Park Historical Village this weekend!

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With over 120 years of Ukrainian-Canadian-ness to celebrate - The Tryzub Ukrainian Dance Ensemble and Junior Tryzub will be performing as part of Heritage Park's Dominion Day (Canada Day) Celebrations. Tryzub will be performing on the Celebration Field Stage at 3:00pm. 
For more information, please see: www.heritagepark.ca/special-events/canadaDay.php

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