Members of Barveenok Ukrainian Dance perform one of their routines during their year-end recital at the E.A. Rawlinson Centre on May 11, 2025. The Barveenok dancers will be one of the performers at Ukrainian Day in Prince Albert at Little Red River Park on Saturday. (Logan Lehmann/paNOW Staff)

By Logan Lehmann

Cultural Celebration

Ukrainian heritage to be celebrated in upcoming event

Sep 1, 2025 | 8:00 AM

The colours of Ukraine will be draped across Little Red River Park this coming weekend for the city’s Ukrainian Day in Prince Albert.

The event will run from 1:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6 bringing together newly arrived Ukrainians, people of Ukrainian heritage, and the wider community to share and experience the country’s culture through music, dance, food, and traditional art, while also raising awareness of Ukraine’s unique identity and ongoing resilience.

Charlene Tebbutt is one of the organizers of the event and said it’s a fairly new tradition that began just a couple of years ago.

“September is the month that the first Ukrainian immigrants arrived in Canada in 1891. So, September 7th, to be exact, is when the first Ukrainian immigrants arrived in Canada. So, over the last couple of years, together with the Ukrainian Canadian Congress and the Saskatchewan Provincial Council of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, different groups have been actively working to celebrate Ukrainian heritage and include that in recognition right across the province so that everyone can celebrate.”

(Ukrainian Day in PA/supplied)

Riderville

Now for the Hard Part

4h ago

Seniors Scene

Christmas is Coming

Dec 09, 2025

Grey Cup!!!

Everything you wanted and more

Nov 21, 2025

Saturday’s celebration will feature vendors, a fashion show, Ukrainian food, a photo booth, family games and other activities for all ages, as well as live entertainment with performances from P.A.’s Veselka Choir, Barveenok Ukrainian Dancers, Saskatoon’s Yevshan Ukrainian Folk Ballet Ensemble, and Dean Bernier and his Band. The Ukrainian Museum of Canada will also be in attendance, hosting a special embroidery workshop, while some of the newcomers will be showcasing how to make a traditional Ukrainian doll.

For this year’s Ukrainian Day in Prince Albert, Veselka and Barveenok have been working together with the Ukrainian newcomers.

“It’s not only a chance to collaborate on something that’s going to be a really special and meaningful event in the community, but the chance to learn other ways of doing things, learn more about this culture that we are all part of, and also share our culture with people in the community who might not know or might be interested.”

Tebbutt, a Ukrainian-Canadian herself, added that the ongoing war in Ukraine has made things difficult for some of the newcomers settling in Prince Albert, explaining the event will also shed light on the nearly four-year-old war.

“It’s been a struggle for people coming here from Ukraine, and of course, they’re very far from home, [but] they have persisted. They continue to make the best out of this situation, and they’re really a part of our community here in Prince Albert. Together, we’re all hoping for peace and praying for peace. And so, this is a chance for us to recognize our cultures, celebrate our culture, and also raise awareness at the same time.”

The Russo-Ukrainian War has been ongoing since February 2014, when Russia invaded and annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine. Eight years later, in February 2022, Russia launched their full-scale invasion of Ukraine, where the two countries remain in conflict today.

A look at the territorial history of the Russo-Ukrainian War as of Aug. 27, 2025. (ISW and AEI’s Critical Threats Project)

Back in Prince Albert, Tebbutt said she’s still working out the final kinks of Saturday’s event and is already looking ahead for future celebrations.

“I’m already thinking about next year. It’s just so fun to do this type of activity.”

Ukrainian Day in Prince Albert is free for all ages to attend, and those coming to the celebration are told to bring their own chairs.

—

loganc.lehmann@pattisonmedia.com

On Bluesky: @loganlehmann.bsky.social