Supporting the vitality of Latvian culture in Canada

The Latvian National Association of Canada (LNAK) is pleased to continue its close cooperation with the World Federation of Free Latvians(PBLA) by providing financial support to cultural projects of Canadian Latvian groups. This is a grant from the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia. Their support helps local communities to preserve and develop their Latvian cultural heritage by offering a variety of creative, educational and cultural activities to the wider community.

This year, PBLA supported several important projects in Canada, including the textile exhibition in Hamilton, “Nature, Essence and Technology”. This exhibition of international contemporary textile works by renowned Latvian and international artists will take place from November 7 to December 7 at The Cotton Factory, 270 Sherman Ave., Hamilton.

PBLA support was also granted to the Toronto Latvian Choir for rehearsals and a concert, as well as to several initiatives for the digitisation of archives – the Montreal Ev. lut. Trinity Parish Archives, the Latvian Artisan Association of Canada’s Archives and the Toronto Latvian Pensioners’ Association (TLPA) Archives.

In addition, the PBLA’s support has helped to cover rehearsal space rental fees for various cultural groups, including the dance group Daugaviņa, the Ottawa-Montreal combined choir Atbalss and the Ottawa dance group Rotaļa. It is an important support that helps us to continue our creative work, to meet regularly, to prepare for public events and to involve younger generations in Latvian cultural life.

These projects demonstrate the importance of cooperation between the PBLA and the LNAC in order to ensure that Canadian Latvian cultural groups are able not only to preserve, but also to develop their rich cultural heritage. They help ensure that Latvian language, art, music and traditions live on in the diaspora and that we all have the opportunity to participate in and attend important cultural events.

Laura Smith
Head of the Culture Sector at LNAK