For a Ukrainian-Canadian like Aubree Worobetz, Sunday is hardly a day of rest. Instead, it’s a chance to reconnect with her ancestral roots.
“Being Ukrainian is pride,” said Worobetz, speaking to CTV News between her dance and choir practices. “It’s a sense of community with other people. It’s an all-encompassing way to identify myself.”
It’s an identity shared by roughly 130,000 Ukrainian-Canadians in Saskatchewan, and an identity Worobetz continues to forge through dance and song.
The 26-year-old sings in Saskatoon’s Lastiwka Ukrainian Orthodox Choir and dances with the Pavlychenko Folklorique Ensemble.
“Aubree is a great reflection of the young generation of people who keep the traditions going,” said Serhij Koroliuk, artistic director for Pavlychenko and Aubree’s dance teacher. “I’m sure she will pass it on.”
A fourth-generation Ukrainian-Canadian, Worobetz’s story is more common than one may think on the Canadian Prairies — where multiculturalism thrives.
“When the first immigration began a little over 125 years ago, there were very strong Ukrainian traditions brought to Canada,” said Larry Klopoushak, musical director of the Lastiwka choir. “Those were maintained well, passed on to the children.”
Klopoushak is living proof. The son of a Ukrainian immigrant, he is now a grandfather to a fourth generation Ukrainian-Canadian.
“He’s only nine months old, but he’s in a family that’s Ukrainian on both sides, so he’s already immersed in the traditions.”
On the other end of the spectrum sits Koroliuk, who moved to Canada in 1993.
“Hard to believe,” said the dance teacher. “This year it’s a quarter of a century living in Canada, and being Canadian” he added with a smile.
In those 25 years, he says he’s felt at home, at least when it comes to the traditions and culture he holds dear.
“I would say it’s pretty much like home here. Yes, there are different lifestyles and different languages, but that’s something you can adjust to and learn.”
Both he and Klopoushak revel in the successes of their students and are ready to pass the torch to the new generation.
“Tradition plays a really important role in culture,” said Worobetz, who both Klopoushak and Koroliuk say is one of their best students. “I feel that it helps relate to that sense of pride.”
It’s a pride that Worobetz said lives within.
“You may not be born in Ukraine, but Ukraine is born in you. You don’t have to be from that place, you don’t have to have ancestors to enjoy their traditions or their cultures. They’re meant to be shared. Traditions are passed down, and there’s no rules on who they can be passed down to.”
