Oseredok Unites Canadian Ukrainians 

The Ukrainian Cultural and Educational Centre (Oseredok) is one of North America's largest and most unique Ukrainian cultural and non-profit heritage resource centres with a museum, art gallery, library, archives, cultural programming and a boutique.

This "Community Hour" episode features Anna Shypilova, reading room coordinator, "Oseredok." 

They are actively working on programs and workshops to help Ukrainians quickly adapt to Canada. These include English language courses, Ukrainian language courses, and workshops on settling in Winnipeg and finding housing. Shypilova also touched on immigration and the preservation of Ukrainian culture. 

The first wave of Ukrainian immigration to Canada began in 1891. Since that day, Ukrainians have been trying to preserve their culture, and 200 years later, that culture is still alive in Canada. However, there is a big difference between Ukrainian and Ukrainian-Canadian cultures. Anna talks about the differences between these two cultures and how to reduce the difference between them.

Ukrainians face many challenges in Canada, and there how to overcome them. Shypilova has this advice to newcomers, be open-minded. If people are going to still live with the Ukrainian mindset here, they will not be successful just because they have to explore details of Canadian culture to be able to adapt to the environment they are living in right now. She emphasized that it is crucial to be open to new changes. 

Contact Yuliia Kovalenko, our civic journalist, to share your story and explore civic issues at mail to: yuliyakovalenko@u-channel.ca

Stay tuned for more Civic discussions on Community hour.

The project is funded by the Department of Canadian Heritage and administered by the Canadian Association of Community Television Users and Stations (CACTUS).