St. Vladimir Institute Hosts Student Exchange

By Adria Pelensky

Despite Toronto’s uncooperative weather, residents from Edmonton’s St. John’s Institute and Winnipeg’s St. Andrew’s Institute united with those of St. Vladimir’s for a fun-filled student exchange the weekend of February 17-19. Arriving from Western Canada, the students immediately showed their interest in and energy for a true Toronto experience–Ukrainian-style.

It is a tradition of the four operating Ukrainian Canadian Orthodox residences to hold an annual student exchange.  Every year features a different host and location.  This year, it was Toronto’s turn.

Welcomed to St. Vladimir’s Institute with a hearty dinner, the participating students introduced themselves and began fraternizing like kindred spirits. After a brief tour of the Institute’s facilities, the students departed for the Royal Ontario Museum. 

These two culturally stimulating experiences left many of the students parched, so off we went by TTC/subway (a first for many), ending up at the Trembita pub where the York Ukrainian Students' Club was hosting an event. Our entourage of some 35 students felt right at home with all the platters of kolbassa, rye bread and raw garlic cloves. The evening activities continued into the morning, setting the tone of the weekend.

The next day, the students visited some of Toronto’s signature neighbourhoods.  Learning about the rich ethno-cultural history of Kensington Market, sampling delicious pork buns in China Town and window shopping along the trendy Queen Street was all part of the morning’s itinerary. After lunch in the Eaton Centre, some students braved the elements to skate at Nathan Phillips Square, in front of Toronto’s City Hall. The temperature was frigid, so we soon took to the nearest Tim Horton’s for a truly Canadian treat–hot chocolate and donuts. In the spirit of “all-things Canadian,” we then celebrated our national athletic pride at Olympic Spirit, a new interactive museum.

On Saturday evening, the students attended the University of Toronto Ukrainian Students’ Club’s Mardi Gras Zabava, featuring the Ukrainian-rock stylings of Ottawa’s “Ukrainia.”  There, we were joined by students from not only the University of Toronto, but also York, Ryerson, McGill, Queens, Guelph, McMaster and others. The capacity crowd of some 250 quickly took to the dance floor. The band did not disappoint their fans and performed a vibrant show. A special thank you needs to go out to the executive of USC, namely Marichka Galadza, Renata Hornich, Theodora Synyshyn and Roman Myndiuk, who hosted a magnificent party.

Sunday began with a Divine Liturgy in St. Vladimir’s chapel, conducted by Father Boszyk of St. Andrew’s College Theology School in Winnipeg. 

After brunch, the students wanted to see more of what Toronto has to offer.  They started at the Documentation Centre and the Museum at St. Vladimir Institute. Cultural Director Lidia Smilka showcased the Bandura exhibit, mounted by the Ukrainian Museum of Canada. 

Participating students then visited various Toronto neighbourhoods, including the Trinity-Bellwoods area, Little Portugal, Little Italy, and even ventured to the east-end’s Greek Town.

The student exchange ended with e-mail swapping, hugs and promises to meet again next year. Instead of goodbyes, the residents of St. John’s, St. Andrew’s and St. Vladimir’s said “see you later.” We thank all participants and eagerly look forward to next year’s student exchange at St. John’s in Edmonton.

Adria Pelensky is a member of St. Vladimir Institute's Board of Directors