'A happy culture':125 years of immigration from Ukraine celebrated

Celebrations Saturday noted 125 years of immigration from Ukraine.

Today, nearly 1.3 million Canadians can trace their heritage back to Ukraine. In Saskatchewan, about 13 per cent of the population have links back to Ukraine.

The Saskatchewan-Ukraine festival filled Victoria Park in Regina with colourful sights and sounds.

Among one of the singing groups was Olha Tkach, who iseight years old. She and her family arrived in Canada seven years ago from Ukraine.

"Ukraine is like a happy culture," Tkach said. "They have like really festive stuff. Not like really boring stuff."

Anya Shyian, 11, was also in a singing group. She came to Canada with her parents when she was two.

"Be proud of your culture," she said. "Be proud of your culture no matter what it really is."

The festival included a Ukrainian-Aboriginal cultural exchange element with a cross-cultural story to show the centrality of oral storytelling within both cultures.

Admission was free to daytime activities. The cross-cultural exchange events were set to take place throughout the afternoon until 5 p.m.