Experiencing Toronto From a Slovene and Tourist Perspective

dekliški +pollak -toronto
Maria Ahačič Pollak with St. Stanislav Girls’ Choir

After some sightseeing in Toronto and admiring an imposing view of this cosmopolitan city from the 553-meter CN Tower, the following afternoon was spent in another Slovene parish Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Catholic Church in Etobicoke. The parish priest Tine Batič, uncle of internationally renowned Slovene choir conductor Martina Batič, gave the party a warm welcome. There was a lot of publicity for the concert – also on the local radio Voice of Canadian Slovenians, thanking to the producer Maria Ahačič Pollak, a former ensemble Avseniki singer. No wonder the concert was very well attended. It was an absolute honour to welcome Cveta Arhar Stojko, who attended the concert together with her spouse Štefan. Cveta Arhar Stojko is a long serving supporter of St. Stanislav’s Institution. AS the founder if Frank Arhar Scholarship Fund she has been financing the tuition for 3-5 DCG students annually since the reestablishment of the Diocesan Classical Gymnasium in 1993.  »What divine singing!« she commented after the concert. »My thanks go to the artistic director Helena Fojkar Zupančič and St. Stanislav’s Institution. We spend such a lovely evening together!« Equipped with all the choir’s CDs, she took home a piece of concert and lots of girls’ enthusiasm, for which she felt most grateful. The audience was especially moved by the following songs Cold wind, What is the matter young lady?, My Slovene Land and Oh, Triglav, my Home. When the last song Now the Work is Done was performed and quietly sang along, the girls felt the audience’s gratitude for bringing on the stage a piece of home land. A touching moment indeed for everybody in the church. BTW – Happy Birthday Ana Lucija! Best people celebrate in February, don’t they? /Lily Schweiger Kotar/