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Winnipeg Free Press
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Celebrating Ukrainian independence
Winnipeg POINT DOUGLASRIVERGROVE Ukrainian Independence Day is both a display of Ukrainian culture and a show of support for Ukraine as its war with Russia stretches into a fourth year. Organizer Maryka Chabluk extends an invitation for all to attend the celebrations at Access Centre (48 Holland Rd.) in West St. Paul on Sunday, Aug. 24 for a full day of food and entertainment. But get there early, Chabluk advised, as the first two events were filled to capacity. The free, family-friendly event opens at 1:30 p.m., with programs at 3 and 5 p.m. Prayers for Ukraine are scheduled for 2:30, and a flag unfurling at 4. A zabava, slated for 6:30, promises music, dancing, and sing-alongs. Please bring a chair or blanket and enjoy kids' activities, soccer, a bouncy castle, Ukrainian food, and 35 vendors, along with a beer garden. Supplied photo Ukrainian Independence Day will be celebrated at Access Centre (48 Holland Rd.) in West St. Paul on Sunday, Aug. 24 with a full day of food and entertainment. Chabluk said Independence Day was established in 1991 following the Soviet Union's dissolution, when 92.3 per cent voted for freedom. The agreement was signed on Aug. 24. 'We were very excited that Ukraine had the opportunity to govern itself and was no longer under the auspices of the USSR,' Chabluk said. 'We acknowledge that day and continue to hope that Ukraine maintains independence and has its own government.' Chabluk said Ukrainian newcomers' spirits are buoyed when they see they are part of a community dedicated to preserving Ukrainian culture. Independence Day celebrations help newcomers integrate into the Ukrainian-Canadian community. 'Craft vendors have become popular,' Chabluk said. 'They have become a lifeline and connection for people who sell these crafts in addition to their day jobs. Mriya, a newcomer youth choir, and Vodohrai, a newcomer adult choir, are also performing. 'It's a nice opportunity for them to continue in the talents they brought with them and to support each other.' The 4 p.m. flag unfurling promises to be a highlight. Chabluk has ordered a huge flag that the crowd will unfurl as they sing the Ukrainian national anthem, Shche ne vmerla Ukrainy i slava, i volia. An overhead drone will capture the moment. Supplied photo Ukrainian Independence Day will be celebrated at Access Centre (48 Holland Rd.) in West St. Paul on Sunday, Aug. 24 with a full day of food and entertainment. 'It's a very emotional opportunity to say we stand with Ukraine and are heartbroken with what exists there now,' Chabluk said. 'Prayer for Ukraine has also become an important part of this day. Peace is what everybody longs for.' As much as Chabluk and the organizing team give to Independence Day, they get plenty back. During the first celebrations, the groups sang Christmas carols, the same ones taught for generations. An already strong connection was further deepened. Mondays A weekly look at news and events that matter in your communities. 'Even though we were once thousands of miles apart, we can still share something special,' Chabluk said. Come for the food, entertainment and fellowship. Buy some traditional food to take home. While there's no charge, feel free to donate to defray costs. 'We're very thrilled to have everybody join us,' Chabluk said. 'We're doing our best to unite the Ukrainian people, whether they've been here three, four, or five years, or they've just arrived. Supplied photo Ukrainian Independence Day will be celebrated at Access Centre (48 Holland Rd.) in West St. Paul on Sunday, Aug. 24 with a full day of food and entertainment. 'We're united as one family.' Sponsorship opportunities are available. To learn more, contact the Ukrainian Canadian Congress at or 204-942-9348. Tony ZeruchaEast Kildonan community correspondent Tony Zerucha is a community correspondent for East Kildonan. Email him at tzerucha@ Read full biography Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Daily Record
02-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
World's biggest aeroplane 'Skytanic' dwarfs Boeing 747 in size longer than football pitch
The plane is set to take off in 2030 The world's largest plane, cheekily nicknamed 'Skytanic', has shocked aircraft enthusiasts with its gigantic size, with its vast measurements rivalling the length of a football pitch. The vessel will take flight within the next five years. Energy firm Radia is spearheading an audacious project to construct a mammoth aircraft named WindRunner. The plane, measuring 108m in length, would outsize a Boeing 747 by carrying twelve times its load and being 38m longer. The impressive aircraft has a unique mission - transporting enormous wind turbine blades to remote locations. Given their size, these blades are among the world's longest objects, potentially limiting the cargo jet to carry just one at a time. Some of these gigantic blades weigh in at approximately 26,000kg, reports the Mirror. Paul Hanna, Radia's vice-president of marketing, spoke about the complex transportation issues associated with wind turbine blades, explaining: "It takes a year and a half to plan a move of these things down a highway. "You've got road bridges to get underneath, traffic signs that need to come down, homes that are near the off-ramp that may have to be moved." Radia's goal is to tackle significant logistical challenges involved in moving these hefty offshore blades, currently a complicated process due to their immense size, and could potentially facilitate the expansion of wind farms. In the near future, wind turbine blades are predicted to extend from 70 metres to 100 metres in length, enabling them to capture more wind while rotating in a slower, less disruptive manner. Already, some companies have had to construct special roads to transport blades of current lengths, as they pose considerable difficulties when navigating through tunnels and under bridges. Radia has identified a novel solution to the logistical challenges of transporting turbine blades by taking to the skies. Over the last ten years, they've been developing the WindRunner, an immense aircraft boasting a cargo space twelve times that of a Boeing 747. The firm aims to have the aircraft airborne before the decade's end. Once operational, it will claim the title of the largest plane ever flown, surpassing the Ukrainian Mriya jet, which met its demise at the start of the Russian invasion in 2022. Rocket scientist Mark Lundstrom is instrumental in shaping the design. He declared that the "only viable solution" for moving large wind turbine blades is to construct a colossal aircraft, thus leading to the creation of the WindRunner. Despite its staggering size, with a height of 24m and a wingspan of 79m, the aircraft can transport just one 105m blade or a maximum of three 80m blades at once. Hanna has unveiled high hopes for Radia to initiate airborne blade transportation by 2030, telling Aerospace magazine about his visionary target. He said: "We have the opportunity to take a dramatic and lasting amount of CO2 out of the atmosphere and we're giving the aerospace industry the chance to participate in reducing the cost of energy by as much as 30 per cent." Speaking at the World Economic Forum, Lundstrom underlined the primary impetus for their initiative. "The necessity to fight climate change is something that's a big motivating factor," he went on. "It's very unique to be able to have an aerospace solution to climate change, as opposed to contributing to the problem. For an aerospace engineer or company to contribute their skills to fighting climate change, instead of just optimising passenger seat miles or making a defence product, is a unique opportunity for the aerospace industry to get exposure into the energy world and also be able to take many percentage points of CO2 out of the world." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
