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
Jubilation and gunfire as Syrians celebrate the end of the Assad family's half-century rule
Syrians poured into streets echoing with celebratory gunfire on Sunday after a stunning rebel advance reached the capital, putting an end to the Assad family's 50 years of iron rule but raising questions about the future of the country and the wider region.
Trump calls for 'immediate ceasefire' in Ukraine after meeting Zelenskyy in Paris
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump on Sunday called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, shortly after a meeting in Paris with French and Ukrainian leaders, claiming Kyiv 'would like to make a deal' to end the more than 1,000-day war.
Baby found dead in south Edmonton parking lot: police
Police are investigating the death of an infant in south Edmonton.
Digging themselves out: With Santa Claus parade cancelled, Londoners make best of snowy situation
Londoners continue to dig themselves out from this week’s massive snowstorm.
Quebec Premier meets with Trump, Zelenskyy and Musk during Paris trip
Quebec Premier François Legault met up with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.S. president-elect Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk while visiting Paris this weekend.
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly focused on re-election, doesn’t explicitly rule out future Liberal leadership bid
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly insisted she supports Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and is focused on her own re-election, but wouldn't explicitly rule out a future Liberal leadership bid, in an interview on CTV's Question Period airing Sunday.
Superior Court authorizes class action against junior hockey league over abuse of minors
The Quebec Superior Court authorized the institution of a class action aimed at compensating all minors who suffered abuse while playing in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).
Longer careers in hockey are linked to greater risk of CTE: study
The largest study ever done on the brains of male hockey players has found the odds of getting a neurodegenerative disease caused by repeated traumatic brain injuries increases with each year played.
opinion The Trump shadow presidency forces Biden further into the background
Not waiting until the official swearing-in, Donald Trump has already begun to exert his influence over U.S. foreign policy as president-elect, writes Washington political analyst Eric Ham in his column for CTVNews.ca.