Darlene Stakiw has been a major part of the multiculturalism in Yorkton, but that began years ago. The professional volunteer, as she describes herself, keeps involved in cultural activities in the area, whether that’s working with the Multicultural Council of Saskatchewan or Tourism Yorkton.
She said that for her, a lot of the inspiration started growing up, without television but with copies of National Geographic, books and board games about the world, imagining far off places like Reykjavik and what it would be like to visit them.
That interest began with her father, who was interested in history and different people. He encouraged Stakiw’s interest, which started her growing a stamp collection, which got her more interested in countries around the world.
But it was pen pals who were Stakiw’s first glimpse into people around the world. She said it was something schools encouraged, and she embraced it, with pen pals from India, Pakistan, England, Germany, Indonesia, Australia, Guatemala and Japan.
“As a matter of fact, my pen pal from Japan sent me a silk kimono, a short one, with an obi and beautiful embroidered shoes.”
With the interest in the world beginning from a young age, that influenced her future. She travelled to New Zealand for a year, with a Maori roommate. She taught in Trinidad with her husband, where her daughter was born. They never stopped travelling, making it to 24 countries, including a six week bus trip across South America.
“And it’s travelling, not the destination stuff they do now.”
Stakiw said their love of travelling comes down to meeting people and seeing their traditions and what they do.
“The interesting thing is eating with people, sampling foods, going to cultural things, that’s always been my interest.”
But it’s the people who Stakiw is most interested in, and she said you learn that people have the same wants and needs, but you go about meeting them in different ways.
“You meet so many interesting people, I have friends from I don’t know how many countries in the world. They contribute to my world.”
She said that even in her own life, it wasn’t always the case that people embraced their own culture. Coming from a Ukrainian background, Stakiw used food to illustrate how things have changed.
“If you ever had English people over you wouldn’t serve perogies and cabbage rolls, because we all wanted to be like the English... All of a sudden, perogies and cabbage rolls are everywhere! Everybody loves them!”
As part of the multicultural council, she said that they wanted to bring people together. One of the activities she is proud of being part of is a cross-cultural camps at Cowessess First Nation, with Grade 8 students from Yorkton and Cowessess schools. Their goal was to promote intercultural understanding. She also worked with Bernadette Marion to put on three Women and Healing conferences, which she described as a real eye-opener.
Yorkton itself has become more international, and Stakiw said that it’s something that the city can be proud of, with many different people contributing to the cultural fabric of the area. She said that this reflects the 1960s, when there was a lot of immigration to the area, including doctors. There was also an Open Door Society in the city, which was set up in response to the Vietnamese Boat People. While immigration had slowed down since, it has ramped up since, and she’s happy to see it.
“I think it’s wonderful.”
Of course, right now, it’s not a time when people can travel, but Stakiw points out the impact the international community in the area is having as the country deals with a major health crisis in COVID-19. She points out all of the doctors, nurses and others who are on the front lines through the crisis.
She doesn’t see herself stopping volunteering any time soon, and admits she can’t list all of the things she has been involved with over the years.
“I like to be with people and I like to do the things that make me feel good.”
She’s proud of the work she has done over the years, and how Yorkton has changed.
“Diversity makes us all better people.”
