Ukrainian Independence Day marked with events in Calgary and Edmonton
Newcomers from Ukraine were among the performers at Calgary's Ukrainian Day in the Park Saturday.
The event was one of several marking Ukrainian Independence Day in the city.
Food and Ukrainian items were also on sale, with proceeds going to support groups in Ukraine.
The day serves as an educational one for people wanting to know more about the local community, and how to get involved.
Around the same time, hundreds of people ran around Prince's Island Park to mark Ukrainian Independence Day.
Running across the Peace Bridge, the 3.2 "Forward to Victory" charity run honoured 32 years of Ukrainian independence.
Forward to Victory charity run for Ukraine, Calgary, Aug. 26, 2023
Some of the people who organized the run have husbands fighting in the war back home.
Proceeds from the event will go towards non-lethal defensive supplies for the Ukrainian armed forces.
"In Canada, there is big community which supports not only us but supports the newcomers coming here," said run co-ordinator Yuriy Zabava. "Or are still coming here to find a safer place and to try to build new life here.
This is the first year of the "Forward to Victory" run in Calgary.
For Calgarians looking for some Ukrainian culture on Sunday, the Collector's Gallery of Art in Inglewood has an art show showcasing the works of 10 Ukrainian artists who have relocated to Calgary because of the war. It's at 1332 Ninth Avenue S.E.
All of the proceeds from the sale of the art goes to the Ukrainian artists and there's also a silent auction featuring donated works by other Calgary artists that runs until Sept. 3.
Meantime, in Edmonton, members of the Ukrainian community gathered at the Alberta legislature for a somber celebration.
A rally was held for Ukrainian Independence Day. Demonstrators arranged themselves into a trident, the symbol from the Ukrainian coat of arms.
An organizer said it was a show of unity and support for those keeping the country free.
"We gathered to commemorate those thanks to whom we get to call Ukraine independent today," she said. "And that's those who have sacrificed their lives for Ukraine, as well as those who continue to fight in Ukraine at this very moment.
Rally for Ukrainian Independence Day, Edmonton, Aug. 26, 2023
"Everything we do today is really symbolic," she added, "and around that symbol, to show our unity."
The rally was followed by a bikathon, with more than two dozen cyclists following a route tracing out the national symbol on Edmonton's streets.
An exhibition of work by Ukrainian artists who have resettled in Calgary opens Thursday at the Collector's Gallery of Art in Inglewood. There's a free reception with live music performed by Ukrainian musicians between 5 and 9 p.m. Above: Your Wrinkles, Oleg Arkhanhorodsky, Carbon Print on Hahnemulhe bamboo Paper - 20” x 30"
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Motive unclear as New York police hunt for masked killer who shot health insurance CEO
Investigators are searching for clues that could help them identify the masked gunman who killed the leader of one of the largest U.S. health insurance companies on a Manhattan sidewalk, then disappeared into Central Park.
AI modelling predicts these foods will be hit hardest by inflation next year
The new year won’t bring a resolution to rising food costs, according to a new report that predicts prices to rise as much as five per cent in 2025.
DEVELOPING School bus cancellations in parts of Canada due to wintry weather
School buses are cancelled in parts of Canada Thursday as wintry weather moves in during the first week of December.
Canada Post stores continue to operate during strike — but why?
As many postal workers continue to strike across the country, some Canadians have been puzzled by the fact some Canada Post offices and retail outlets remain open.
'It was like I was brainwashed': 2 Ontarians lose $230K to separate AI-generated cryptocurrency ad scams
Two Ontarians collectively lost $230,000 after falling victim to separate AI-generated social media posts advertising fraudulent cryptocurrency investments.
Gunman may have targeted California religious school in shooting that wounded 2 kindergartners
Two children were in 'extremely critical condition' after being shot at a tiny religious K-8 school in Northern California and the gunman died at the scene, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot, police said.
Canada's new public-sector payment system is still years away from being implemented
After half a decade of testing and an investment of nearly $300 million, the federal government is still years away from fully implementing its next-generation pay and human resource cloud platform to replace the problem-plagued Phoenix payroll system.
'Name what things are': Recognizing 'femicide' 35 years after the Montreal massacre
Ahead of the 35th anniversary of the Montreal Massacre, Annie Ross, a mechanical engineering professor at Polytechnique Montreal, said she often thinks of those who lived through the tragedy but still suffer silently.
Congo government says it's 'on alert' over mystery flu-like disease that killed dozens
Congo's health minister said Thursday the government is on alert over a mystery flu-like disease that in recent weeks killed dozens of people, nearly half of which were children