Dear Reader
If you live in and around Toronto you have forgotten what a real
winter looks and feels like. So that you might count your
blessings in lower utility bills and comfort we decided to
remind you with our front page what real winter looks like.
These icy flowers grew not too many winters ago on our hall
window and invited us to record their beauty for a later date to
admire. Voila!
 And as we are looking forward to a short season with little ice
and snow, we are celebrating Karneval/Carnival, Mardi Gras, or
whatever you want to call it. Perhaps there are not as many
organisations putting up their own events, there still are a few
pockets of vigorous participants, K.G. Loreley Oshawa being one
of them. We are fortunate enough to hear about this lively
festivity straight from the “horse’s mouth”, namely it’s
President Holly Henninger.
We appreciate if the community participates in creating this
publication, so that others might know what we do as a cultural
entity in Canada. It is a great help to us.
February traditionally also is a month for music, starting with
a classical concert at the Hansa House and a via Salzburg
concert in Rosedale. Music is also the theme at the annual
Austrian Ball at the Delta Chelsea Inn, which will be followed
by the opening of Die Fledermaus at Opera York and Toronto
Operetta Theater’s celebration of the founding of York with a
professional world premiere of TAPTOO. (See ads and preview
announcements). It will be interesting to watch if the
production includes the German contributions to this event. We
know it is Canada’s best kept historical secret.
As you can see, there is a lot to do on the still dark wintery
nights to lift our spirits and prepare us for spring. We have
already been to a few events that are the hallmark of this
season and will attend more and report on them as we always do.
 One occasion was of course the wake of our friend and partner
Richard Altermann, which the President and Board of Directors
together with the Women’s Auxiliary of the Hansa Club organised.
We are very grateful and thank them.
The next issue will have a few entries with Austrian colours in
it. In this issue we will only mention the open New Year’s House
at the Consulate General of Austria at the end of January and a
preview of other Austrian events like the annual ball. The
Danube Swabians in Scarborough are also planning a gala in March
not to be missed with more fabulous Austrian operetta music.
Guest star is our own beloved Ursula Ivonoffski. This is a fund
raiser and thus important to support, as it will help enable the
club to continually further our German culture.
Hopefully we see you at some of the events like the Jaeger Ball
or the Valentines events or the Kindermaskenball at the Danube
Swabian Club. They also have a famous Gypsy band coming and are
preparing a fabulous Winterfest in early March.
Stay warm!
Sybille Forster-Rentmeister
As the editor of Echo Germanica Sybille reflects on cultural, artistic,
political and daily events within the German-Canadian landscape.
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