The Hungaria Gala Ball: Canadian History Analysis

One of the distinct features of Canada’s history is the arrival of mass amounts of immigrants deciding to call this country home. For a long time, Europe was the main source of immigration, but people arriving nowadays come from every corner of the globe, as Canada becomes more and more diverse. Today, one in five people in Canada are born elsewhere. The Hungaria Gala ball is a very good example to demonstrate the strength that the Hungarians have in Canada. They have come here and built a fervent community representing the aspects that make up what it is to be Hungarian. The majority of Hungarian immigrants experienced hopelessness and precarious plights as refugees. It is inspiring to see the many hurdles that they overcame to get to where they are now. Now that the Hungaria Gala Ball is present we are able to celebrate our culture in a diverse country where we are not judged. The Hungarian immigrants did not have an easy transition into Canada. Faced with a language barrier and a difficult time finding jobs, they connected with each other to form a strong community. Over 100, 000 Hungarian immigrants came to Canada in 1956, along with many other Europeans to escape the communist rule.

Within this exploration I will highlight key dates throughout Canadian history focusing on the Ukrainian-Canadian immigration as well as Chinese-Canadian immigration.

In doing so I will demonstrate the hardships that many individuals from diverse cultures face by choosing to take on a new identity in a new country. It is not easy leaving behind what is familiar and welcoming a new identity, having to build a new home. I take this subject very personally as my parents’ immigration process to Canada was one of hardship and joy, it also made them feel alienated at times. Through discovering Canada and the different cultures it holds they welcomed it and started a family in a new land. In doing so they experienced the accepting and amicable nature that Canada held in

pride.
There are many inspiring and famous people that represent the pride that Canada holds. In order to fully understand these symbols we must also know their origin and what they mean for people who are not Canadian. I am proud to know that we, as a nation, are recognized for our friendly nature and amicable personalities.

During the late 1800’s, Canada opened for mass settlement, and became home to millions of immigrant settlers seeking a new life. From 1867 to 1914 the immigration boom created key industries still important to Canada’s international role like agriculture, mining, and oil. Among these new settlers were the Ukrainians, moving in large numbers to Canada due to economic and social situations in Europe that lead to increasingly challenging conditions. The first wave of Ukrainian immigrants came alongside Hungarians and Romanians in 1891. 170,000 Ukrainians fled the oppression from the Austro-Hungarian rule, overpopulation and unemployment were definitely the main prompts for the migration to Canada.
The Ukrainian people developed block communities, also known as compact settlements populated heavily by a specific ethnic group, in the prairies, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. Although Ukrainian skills of agriculture hindered their expansion in their native country, once in Canada they thrived. The agriculture development in Canada required knowledge of pioneer farming techniques, making the Prairie immigrants very valuable. Two specific Ukrainian farmers, Vasyl Eleniak and Ivan Pylypiw prompted other Ukrainians to emigrate to embrace the farming conditions in Canada. Once these immigrants fled, they faced new challenges as they were promised “lots of land” by shipping companies only to arrive to nothing. Most of the young children suffered the most as forty percent of infants under two years of age died due to malnutrition and lack of shelter, making the early years very difficult for the settlers. Once they did not get the farming land that they needed they were subject to working in coal mines and lumber camps to make ends meet.
In September 1990, a letter by Myron Kostaniuk, a Ukrainian settler, explained the hardships that people faced when looking for work:
“Because I was a peasant who had no trade, I was only able to do hard
labour for which the pay was very low. If there were no jobs in Winnipeg,
like others I got work on railroad extra gangs. We traveled on freight trains from one place to another. I remember working in Wynyard, Saskatchewan, where the boss treated us so roughly that we quit. Another time a few of us walked miles to get to Yorkton where, we
were told, jobs were available on extra gangs. However when we arrived, tired and hungry, we were told that we had come too late, and that there were no jobs for us. Catching freight
trains to places where we were told jobs were available became part of our life, but we were often chased off the trains”
This letter is especially touching as these people suffered only because they chased jobs in order to feed their children and support their new lives. Much like my parents, they did not know the language or the way of life and worked day and night to get to where they are today. The aforementioned bloc settlements made it easier for them to come together and support each other in their immigration process. The second and third wave of immigrants came between 1920 and 1952 as the Ukrainian people fled from Communism, Civil War and Soviet rule. As the Ukrainians suffered from economic and national oppression, the Ukrainian state collapsed and the greater portion of Ukraine became a republic in the USSR. These people emigrated to escape the harsh rulers of communism and create a better life for their children. Much like my parents from Romania, they did not abide by the communistic rule and fought back for freedom. In doing so, they emigrated to Canada after the Second World War. Amongst the immigrants were war veterans, intellectuals and professionals, as well as rural farmers. 34,000 Ukrainians arrived in Canada between 1947 and 1954, representing the most complex socioeconomic group.
The courage and strength needed to move to a new country and build a new life was demonstrated by the Ukrainian people. As the Hungarians escaped the Tyranny of the Soviet Union in 1956 to come to Canada it was demonstrated how people turn to Canada for support from their own country’s political and economic instability. Ukrainian immigrants and their descendants have left a profound mark on the development of Ontario and Western Canada. Roberta Bondar, the first Canadian woman to walk in space was in fact Ukrainian, proving the importance of the diverse peoples in Canada. Today there is a “Paul Yuzyk Award for Multiculturalism” which commemorates the late Senator Yuzyk’s, (a man born of Ukrainian immigrant parents in 1913) pioneering legacy in establishing multiculturalism as one of the fundamental characteristics of Canadian heritage and identity.