Newcomer Ukrainians get taste of home in Saskatoon with youth scouting group Plast

With the war in Ukraine still going on and Saskatchewan now home to hundreds of newcomers fleeing the attacks, there’s been a resurgence of a youth group here in Saskatoon.

With the war in Ukraine still going on and Saskatchewan now home to hundreds of newcomers fleeing the attacks, there’s been a resurgence of a youth group here in Saskatoon.

The group promotes a connection to Ukraine, it’s language and culture, and it’s part of the scouting organization in Europe. Nissa Baran is one of the new leaders and proudly wears the uniform which represents her involvement in Plast, which is The Ukrainian Youth Organization of Canada.

“So Plast gives a place for youth to become responsible citizens and community leaders while maintaining their language and their ties to Ukraine and its cultural heritage,” Baran told CTV News.

Plast started in Ukraine in 1912. It has 75 branches in Canada which started around 1950.

In Saskatoon, newcomer Ukrainians have reinvigorated the group, which has been dormant since 2002 when membership fell off. This past weekend marked its official start.

“The Ukrainian community here in Saskatoon grows as Russia’s ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine has been persisting, some of those families actually did belong to branches of Plast back in their hometowns in Ukraine,” she says.

The uniforms may seem familiar to anyone who was involved with Scouts or Girl Guides.