Ukrainian Canadian

A court in Kiev sentenced the country’s most prominent opposition politician, Yulia V. Tymoshenko, to seven years in prison. European leaders have condemned the case as politically motivated, and hinted that they are unlikely to ratify a free trade and association agreement with Ukraine, a project four years in the making.

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“This is an authoritarian regime,” she said. “Against the background of European rhetoric, Yanukovich is taking Ukraine farther from Europe by launching such political trials.” As bailiffs led her from the courtroom, Ms. Tymoshenko turned in the doorway to wave goodbye, a small figure in a white coat and helmet of blond braids.

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But international legal experts saythat she seems to have been performing a routine administrative function for which she might conceivably be disciplined, if the government was displeased with her performance, but not charged with a crime.

With Ms. Tymoshenko’s trial at an end, European governments will have to decide whether to make good on their warnings that imprisoning her will freeze efforts to integrate with Ukraine politically and economically. On one hand, Mr. Yanukovich has defied intense diplomatic pressure from Western partners, crossing what one analyst called “the reddest of red lines.”

On the other hand, Ukraine has been under pressure from Russia to join its own economic bloc, along with Kazakhstan and Belarus. Even compared to the other former Soviet nations, Ukraine — with a population of 46 million, about the size of France — seems to waver between Europe and Russia, so that isolating it from the West could have profound consequences.

Mr. Yanukovich has made integrating with Europe a central goal, and he is likely to head off catastrophic damage by softening Ms. Tymoshenko’s conviction swiftly. One route to this would be decriminalizing the article under which she was convicted. In that event, her name will be cleared and she will be able to run in parliamentary elections in 2012, said Serhiy Vlasenko, one of her lawyers. This could occur as soon as next week, so that Mr. Yanukovich would be welcome at European Union talks in Brussels scheduled for October 20.

He suggested as much on Tuesday, when he told journalists, “This is not a final decision.”

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Tonight there is a demonstration in front of the Ukrainian Consulate in Toronto at 6:30PM: 2275 Lakeshore Blvd West.

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Here are some highlights from last week’s Toronto & Buffalo Ukrainian Festivals. I apologize for the lateness as I’ve been dealing with an internet outage (still ongoing) and it’s tough to get these uploaded without it!

If you want to relive almost the entire festival, watch this massive collection of videos:

And here’s my Toronto/Buffalo Festival video recap which pales in comparison:

Toronto Festival pictures:

Here are a few select photos from Facebook (Albums one and two):

Buffalo Festival pictures:

This weekend is your chance to celebrate Ukrainian culture on both sides of the border as Toronto and Buffalo put on their annual festivals:

Toronto Ukrainian Festival
Friday, Sept 16th – Sunday, Sept 18th, 2011
Bloor Street, between Jane and Runnymede

Discover Ukrainian culture in Canada and share the Ukrainian spirit at North America’s Largest Ukrainian Street Festival. This is your opportunity to experience Ukrainian culture and hospitality at its best. As always there will be non-stop entertainment with Ukrainian performers from the Greater Toronto Area, Canada, the USA and Ukraine which will include dancers, vocalists and musicians. Don’t miss the YOUTH segment on the grand stage at Jane Street! And if you wish – join the dancing at the evening ZABAVA/Street Dance on both Friday and Saturday.

You will find vendor kiosks: delicious authentic Ukrainian food and beverages, beautiful souvenirs, interactive pavilions, and more. This year you can also enjoy SIDEWALK SALE shopping at the local Bloor West Village businesses. There is a midway for kids and youth. Take in the colourful parade on Saturday morning at 11am and a new attraction this year is the Film Festival being held at the Runnymede Library (Sat) and The Village Playhouse (Sun).

More info

Buffalo Ukrainian Festival
Sunday, Sept 18th, 2011 Noon – 7PM
St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church Hall – 3275 Elmwood Ave.,  Kenmore, NY 14217

Dance music, traditional dance performances, indoor & outdoor seating, delicious food, scrupulous deserts, theme baskets, select vendors, indoor & outdoor and more.

More info

I will be attending both festivals this year, and will try to take lots of pictures and videos which I haven’t gotten much of a chance to do recently. Hope you can make it out!

The Canadian National Exhibition (also known as ‘the Ex’) is an end-of-summer tradition in Toronto with its assortment of games, rides, and new deep fried foods. I returned to the Ex after reporting on my first encounter with the ‘Perogie Chef’ stand three years ago where I met the owner Boris Hirniak who was serving me. A popular figure among the Ex, now residing in Brampton he used to commute from Winnipeg to his booth every year to serve his varenyky, holubtsi and kovbasa (sometimes in burger form) from his Baba’s recipes.

When I came back to the booth this year, it was exactly how it was three years ago like many of the booths that had occupied the food building for decades. I asked for Boris again in an attempt to a proper interview for the site, but I was shocked to learn that he had passed away:

Midway through last year’s Exhibition, Hirniak was diagnosed with lung cancer. He died Nov. 28.

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"We used to call him the Ukrainian don," Thurber said.

He was well-loved outside the Exhibition, too, whether he was staffing the bar at his wife’s pub or acting as marshal at the local golf course.

"Guys used to have arguments, and they would come to him. And whichever side he chose, that went," Thurber said.

Hirniak would celebrate his Aug. 29 birthday each year at the perogy stand. This upcoming year would have marked two milestones: his 65th birthday and his 25th year in the food building.

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His wife ran the booth the following year, but passed away soon after as well. Now the booth is run by a family friend who luckily hasn’t changed a thing:

If you’re lucky you just might find their brand of perogies in your local grocery store:

And while the line for this booth can get real busy, across the Ex’s food building is another vendor to try: Supreme Pierogies & Cabbage Rolls.

The Ex runs until Labour Day Monday, let me know in the comments if you get a chance to go. And as they say, smachnoho!

Tonight, Friday the 12th at 6:30PM, the second demonstration against the unlawful arrest of opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko will be happening at the Ukrainian consulate at 2275 Lakeshore Blvd West. The group is organizing the event and possibly more on their Facebook page.

The arrest was recently condemned by our own Canadian government with a statement from Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird:

Canada is concerned by the apparently politically motivated persecution, and now arrest, of Yulia Tymoshenko.

The appearance of political bias in judicial proceedings undermines the rule of law. Canada urges the Ukrainian government to strengthen judiciary independence and continues to support efforts to build a peaceful, democratic and prosperous society in Ukraine.

The weekly Ukrainian show Kontakt has put up coverage of the first demonstration on YouTube:

Thanks to this week’s ePoshta newsletter for providing coverage of this event.