Learning Over Lobster

By Natalie Witiuk

On October 26, 2011, twelve young people from across Canada greeted one another at Pearson Airport in Toronto for the first time. They were about to depart on a five-day educational excursion to Nova Scotia, organized by the Paul Yuzyk Institute for Youth Leadership. These participants embarked to learn about the Ukrainian experience at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 in Halifax, Nova Scotia’s Ukrainian Canadian legacy, intercultural understanding, and much, much more! Within hours, the group arrived in Lunenburg where they explored the Fisheries Museum, observed the reconstruction of the Bluenose II, and tried their hand at fishing. Although some caught more fish than others, it was clear that every one of the students would return home with new ideas, informed perspectives and a renewed commitment to strengthening the Ukrainian organizations they came from.

The students shared their stories and backgrounds over freshly caught lobster (a new experience for most of them), and learned that they came from 8 different cities: Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, St. Catharines, Toronto, Sudbury, Ottawa and even Kyiv, Ukraine. These participants were anxious to learn about one another and the roles they play in the communities and organizations they came from.

On the second day of the excursion, sharing and dialogue continued, but were heavily influenced by the places visited. At the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, the students participated in an immigration simulation exercise which provided insight into their ancestors’ immigration experience upon arriving in Canada. After Pier 21, the focus of the trip shifted towards building leadership capacity in the Ukrainian community by learning from, and learning about other cultures or heritage-based communities. The students participated in a cultural exchange program with the Indian Brook School - a First Nations school that teaches Mi’kmaq language and culture to students as part of its curriculum. By experiencing first-hand how this school has addressed the challenge of educating young people in the Mi’kmaq community, the visiting students gained insight into how their own organizations might keep people engaged and invested in their community. The second day in Halifax concluded with a community dinner where the students had the opportunity to connect with members of the Ukrainian-Canadian Association in Halifax - a small but passionate group of Ukrainian-Canadian families in the Halifax-Dartmouth area who have found ways to actively celebrate and promote their heritage despite their limited numbers.

On the third day of the excursion, the students visited Peggy’s Cove. After taking in the beautiful view and the brisk sea breeze, they were off to Dartmouth to visit the Black Cultural Centre of Nova Scotia. Dr. Henry Bishop delivered a lively presentation about the importance of embracing and maintaining different forms of cultural expression such as language, music and dance. They were captivated by “Dr. B’s” engaging account of his journey to realize the importance of his cultural roots. At the end of the trip, many of the participants shared that it was the visit to the BCC that inspired them to get more involved in their Ukrainian community at home. This day ended with a more informal cultural experience - a ceilidh (traditional Gaelic social gathering) in Blues Mills, where the students shared their Ukrainian culture with others by performing traditional Ukrainian songs and dances for the residents of this rural community.

The next day started in Sydney, Nova Scotia. The students visited the Fortress of Louisbourg, and drew parallels between the expulsion of the Acadians who inhabited the area and that of the resettled Ukrainians of “Zakerzonnia” in Poland. In the afternoon, the participants got a taste of the type of work that Ukrainian immigrants found when they came to Canada. The students visited the Glace Bay Miner’s Museum and walked through old mine tunnels with hard hats and walking sticks to navigate the mine, where in some areas was barely 4 feet tall! The day concluded with a cross-cultural seminar at Cape Breton University (CBU) where Dr. Marcia Ostashewski, along with her colleagues from CBU, discussed different communities and cultures on Cape Breton, and allowed the students to actively participate in Gaelic and Mi’kmaq activities such as a smudge ritual practice.

On the final day of the trip, the students attended Liturgy at Holy Ghost Ukrainian Catholic Church, and then visited nearby St. Philip’s African Orthodox parish. The trip ended with a wrap-up session that pulled together all of the lessons learned through the different experiences the students had shared over the last 5 days. They discussed their new insights, and shared ideas about how they’d like to get more involved in their Ukrainian communities. Most importantly, they talked about how they could help one another with initiatives they’d like to see in their communities, and build strong ties with one another that will last and be remembered for much longer than their delicious lobster dinner!

PHOTOS

1 – In front of the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21

2 – All smiles as the group concludes their journey with a wrap-up session in the Ukrainian Catholic Men’s Club Room at Holy Ghost Church in Sydney, Nova Scotia

3 – Students visit the “Vitayemo” Immigration Memorial in Halifax, commemorating 100 years of immigration of Ukrainians to Canada

4 – Smudge Ritual: Students experience traditional Mi’Kmaq cultural practices at Cape Breton University