I had an extra few hours on Sunday morning before the drive back to Edmonton to catch my flight home. I was spending the weekend at the Jasper Park Lodge to experience Malanka, the Ukrainian New Year, as well as do a few outdoor things like skating on Lake Mildred and skiing on Marmot Basin.
So, [...]

Yesterday I posted a video showing the Bukovynian dance and today is a clip of the always-popular Ukrainian Hopak dance. This was performed during Malanka (Ukrainian New Year) celebrations at the Jasper Park Lodge in Alberta, Canada. Enjoy!
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Performing at the Malanka Ukrainian New Year celebrations at the Jasper Park Lodge in Alberta, Canada, the Vohon Ukrainian Dance Ensemble does a Bukovynian dance for the audience on opening night.
See the video below to watch them entertain the crowd with this folk dance.
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Who would have thought that the main reason for travelling to Jasper, Alberta in January was to celebrate the Ukrainian New Year? The Jasper Park Lodge has been partnering with local Ukrainian organizations for 14 years now to offer a special Malanka package for those who want to experience the Ukrainian Christmas and New Years traditions [...]

After my first ever time skiing on Marmot Basin, I had another first this weekend: skating outdoors at the Jasper Park Lodge in Alberta.
Vancouver doesn’t get cold enough for lakes to freeze over, so I’ve only ever skated indoors (and at the manmade rink at Robson Square downtown).
I picked up my rental skates at the [...]

I’m so relieved to never have to say the phrase, “I’m from Vancouver but I’ve never been skiing” again. This weekend, Travel Alberta brought me to Jasper so I could get my first ever skiing lesson on Marmot Basin in Jasper National Park (in the Canadian Rocky Mountains).
It started off well when staff arranged for Jezz, [...]