Pioneers in the Park Program at Vegreville

Pioneers in the Park Programat Vegreville

Rosanne Fortier News Correspondent

Children between 6 and 12 years of age were able to experience pioneer life in East Central Alberta before 1930 at the Pioneers in the Park Program at Vegreville Elks/Kinsmen Park on August 20.

This free event featured socially distanced crafts and activities as well as lessons in Ukrainian dancing.

Ashley Halko-Addley, Seasonal Program Service Manager for Friends of Ukrainian Village Society, said this organization normally has children programming at the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village.

“However, since we are not doing the children programming at the Ukrainian Village because of the COVID-19 Pandemic, we decided to bring some of our activities to communities. Then all of our activities are pre-portioned. So, there are little paper bags that the children can take home with them. These bags have crafts in the bags; there is the Morse code, a yarn doll craft, and an activity with the Ukrainian alphabet.

There were several socially distance sessions of Ukrainian dancing lessons where Roxy Iszcenko, one of our Interpreters for Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village is the instructor,” Addley explained.

Addley said the society wants children to be able to connect with the pioneers’ heritage of East Central Alberta. “The Ukrainian Village represents a very specific location and time. We are hoping the children learn a bit about what it was like to be a Ukrainian kid in East Central Alberta in the past.”

The Pioneers in the Park program was held adjacent to the Pysanka Park Market. The Friends of Ukrainian Village Society worked with the Pysanka Park Market and Explore Vegreville to make this event possible.

The Pioneers in the Park program was also presented at Lamont on August 21.