Toronto

TORONTO is an exciting city with a lot of sights to see and places to go. It is full of contrasts - the soaring glass and concrete towers is commercial and financial heart of Canada and the parks and the gardens of "village-style' communities. The many virtues you have heard about Toronto are true: it is clean, it is safe and it is one of the world's greenest cities.

Toronto is one of the most cosmopolitan centres on the globe. Everyone who visits Toronto comes away with something different to say and it's no wonder.

The city has such a potpourri of treasures, pleasures and wonderful ways to pass the time. However, there is one thing one can't but agree on... Toronto is a very special place.

Toronto's history begins back in the 1700's when the French and Iroquoian nations established this location as an important port of trade, commerce and transportation. Unlike some cities of modern distinction, Toronto embraces its part by preserving its historical heritage.

Massive steel and glass skyscrapers dominate Toronto's downtown areas such as University Avenue, Bloor Street, and world renowned Bay Street which is home to the second largest Stock Exchange in North America.

Every day Toronto continues to grow with new and more fascinating buildings springing up everywhere. Without a doubt one of the most spectacular landmarks in the world has to be Toronto's CN Tower. It has been said that every visitor should start sight-seeing here. The reason is simple. In addition to being a breathtaking sight in itself, the tower offers a dazzling 360 degree view of the city that you just won't find anywhere else.

Opened in 1976, the CN Tower is much more than just a huge monument; it is a communication tower, a revolving restaurant, a nightclub, a long elevator ride and the world's tallest freestanding structure at 1815 feet, making it almost twice as tall as the Eiffel Tower.

On a clear day, you can see the spray of Niagara Falls from the tower's observation deck. One of the more recent additions to Toronto's already captivating skyline is the Sky Dome. It is the first major sports stadium to be topped by a fully retractable roof. Sky Dome has become a major Toronto's concert venue and home to baseball and football team of Toronto.

In the summertime Toronto is a pretty place to be. Canada's Wonderland is an amusement park which is filled with rides, displays, concerts, shows.

Canadian Nation Exhibition (EX as it is more commonly called) is a sentimental part of summer in the city. It is in fact, the world's largest outdoor fair right in the heart of Toronto. When the cool northern breezes start lofting into the city, it's high time to discover Toronto from indoors.

Ukrainians in canada

Over 1 million Ukrainians live in Canada. Desperate needs and life conditions in their Homeland made them look for their happiness over oceans and seas.

Ivan Pylypiv and Vasyl Eleniak are considered to be trailblazers of Ukrainian immigration. They arrived in Canada on the ship “Oregon” in September 1891. Both were 33 years of age when they came there from the Carpathian village of Nebyliv. In the next 25 years 250.000 of their countrymen followed them. Today their children live in peace, liberty and prosperity.

In 1991 a centenary of Ukrainian immigration to Canada was celebrated. Ramon John Hnatyshyn, Governor-general of Canada, a Ukrainian by birth from Chernivtsi, said in his speech: ’Ukrainians were indispensable to the economic growth of Canada!’

Most of the overseas Ukrainians no longer speak Ukrainian, but they still warship in their own churches and are aware of their origin. They are believed to be thrifty, enterprising, hardworking and conscientious. They are quick to attain a decent standard of living.

Ukrainian writing in Canada began in the first major wave of Ukrainians.

The first period of Ukrainian writing, 1897-1920 was permeated with folklore.

In the second period, 1920-50, the Ukrainian writing in Canada broadened thematically and became more artistic. In prose fiction, Illia Kyriak /Ellias Kiriak/ distinguished himself with his realistic trilogy ‘Syny Zemli’. It was translated and abridged as ‘Sons of the Soil’ in 1959. The trilogy shows a panorama of the life of settlers on the prairies.

The third period opened with the arrival of immigrants after WWII. In contrast to a previous realism, there appeared various literary trends and styles, including modernism.

Since the 1960 there has been a revival in Ukrainian literature in Canada.

Ukrainian authors in Canada formed their own literary society, which has published 8 volumes of the almanac ‘Slovo’ /1970-87/ and ‘Antolohiia ukrainskoi poezii v Kanadi, 1889-1973‘ in 1975.

The Ukrainian Academy of Arts and Sciences in Canada and the Shevchenko Scientific society have regularly published their proceedings and other scholarly books.

Despite the great variety of themes and significant ideas in Ukrainian writing, there are only some 15 Ukrainian Canadian authors whose artistic accomplishments place their literature on a level equal to that in Ukraine or higher.