Serbs of Toronto

The Serbs of Toronto (Serbian language: Срби у Торонту, Srbi u Torontu) are a Canadian minority, Toronto is said to be home to the 3rd largest Serb diaspora population after Vienna and Chicago.

Demographics

The 2006 census showed that the total of single and multiple ethnic origin responses for Serbian was 25,160. Single ethnic origin responses were 17,265 while multiple ethnic origin responses were 7,890.[1] The total of single and multiple ethnic origin responses for Yugoslav was 12,685. Single ethnic origin responses were 4,950 while multiple ethnic origin responses were 7,725.

Toronto Population by Language in 2001 showed 13,635 Serbians.[2]

History

One of the first Serbian immigrants in Toronto was Sremac Herceg. He arrived in August 1903.[3] A great number of Serbian settlers that came in 1912 were from Niš region. Between the Balkan Wars and World War I, more than two hundred Serbs lived in Toronto.[4]

Culture

In 1954 the Serb Youth Club in Toronto was formed, and its folk-dance group Stražilovo became one of the first highly successful dance groups in Canada.

Toronto’s folk-dance group Hajduk Veljko (founded in 1964) danced at the Montreal Olympics in 1976 and at Expo ’86 in Vancouver, and Toronto’s Oplenac (1973).

From the early 1950s to 1984 the Serbian Cultural Club St Sava was active in Toronto, publishing eight volumes in Serbian dealing with Serb history.

In 1968 the Serbian Orthodox Church of St Michael the Archangel hosted the "Belgrade" pavilion of the Toronto Caravan cultural festival, organized by the late Colette Sekulovich (née Leroy) which displayed many Serbian cultural artifacts, showcased Kolo dancing and other performance arts and gave the people of Toronto a chance to taste Serbian delicacies. The annual festival ran for over 30 years winning, in 2001, the Zena Kossar "Best Pavilion Award".

The Serbian Heritage Academy (Srpska Nacionalna Akademija), formed in Toronto in 1981, has organized academic conferences, exhibits, and lectures. In 1984 it installed a bronze plaque at the University of Toronto’s Medical Sciences Building honouring Canadian doctors and nurses who had worked as volunteers in Serbia during World War I.

Serbian Cultural Association Oplenac was founded in 1987 in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Serbian folk dancing has been a major activity in SCA Oplenac since its inception as a non-profit organization. All proceeds from the events organized by SCA Oplenac go to the preservation and presentation of Serbian culture and tradition in North America. In 2012 it reached the company consisting of 8 large ensembles, Choir and Orchestra as well as a large recreational ensemble. They established Drama school for children that performs theatre plays on Serbian language as well as Serbian language school. Since 2000 it was clear that the association is undoubtedly the biggest Serbian folklore group in North America http://www.oplenac.ca

Serbian Theatre Toronto ( Srpsko pozorište Toronto) was established in 2004 and is the oldest Serbian theatre in Canada and North America. In more than 10 years of activity, The theatre has produced more than twenty plays by Serbian writers. The theatre group has more than 20 members but has had three times as many in the past. Serbian Theatre Toronto has performed in many cities in Canada and the USA. More about SPT at: www.serbiantheatre.com

The first Serb bookstore, Srbica Books, was opened in Toronto in 1990 by Živko Apić.

Established in 2008, Toronto's Pulse Theatre (or Пулс Театар) is the biggest drama club and theatre for children in Serbian Language in Canada. http://www.pulsteatar.com

Media

• Newspapers
  • Novine Toronto [5]
  • Vesti [6]

• TV
  • Serbian Television Toronto [7]

Prominent individuals

• Daniel Nestor
• Peter Zezel
• Mike Stojanović
• Boris Spremo
• Luigi von Kunits
• Black Mike Winage
• James Trifunov
• Nick Cvjetkovich
• Bronko Lubich
• John Bosnitch
• Miloš Mladenović
• Miloš Raonić
• Mike Bakić

Churches

• St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church
• St. Archangel Michael Serbian Orthodox Church

See also

• Serbian Canadian
• Serbian White Eagles FC

External links

• St Sava Serbian Orthodox Church, Toronto
• Serbian Cultural Association Oplenac