What does Integration look like?

It looks like a Kielbasa toss.

Hockey is synonymous with Canada. Fans tossing frisbees into a bucket to win a prize has also been done.

So what did the Manitoba Hockey Club do in the town of Dauphin? They hosted a Ukrainian themed hockey game. The event featured Ukrainian singing, dancing and food along with other activities. However, one of the highlights was the Kielbasa toss: a washing machine was hauled into the middle of the skating rink, and for $1, fans could purchase some "kielbasa" to throw into the washing machine for a prize. Meanwhile, they played a traditional song, "Who Stole the Kishka" (a slightly different type of sausage).

The "kielbasa" sold out, and the game had one of the best turnouts.

In respect and sensitivity to Ukrainian culture, which looks down on the throwing of food, the team wrapped 200 sections of hose in meat-packing paper to imitate the popular Ukrainian sausage rings.

When the first waves of Ukrainian immigrants came to Canada, they were widely discriminated against. They were considered backwards and smelly. A little later on, they were considered synonymous with Communists. Beyond farming and working on the railway, they frequently had trouble accessing good jobs. Their Ukrainian-language schools were shut down. My own ancestors found it preferable to abandon their cultural heritage to embrace the British norms.

Over one hundred years later, we throw kielbasa at washing machines at hockey games, to the delight of many.

Integrating a new culture does not have to be threatening. It will not replace the current culture. Nor does it mean newcomers have to give up their culture. However, it does open the door to these unique moments of fusion that enrich everyone's life.

Today, Canada does have Ukrainian-language schools and is home to some world-renowned Ukrainian dance troops. You will find borscht (beet soup) on many restaurant menus and workshops on pickling cabbage. At Easter, you may even see a beautiful pysanka (eggs dyed with a wax-resist technique). Canadians are more likely to eat garlic and onions than worry about "smelly" Ukrainians.

As Canada looks to welcome 25 000 refugees from Syria, I could worry about how this large influx could change Canada. Or I could look forward to seeing fattoush on menus, flower festivals, and Syrian poetry readings, as they become a part of Canada's cultural tapestry.