The Croatian Heritage Association
We are pleased to announce the formation of the Croatian Heritage Association of BC. CHA BC is an inclusive society, dedicated to creating opportunities for Croatian people of all ages to come together to showcase and celebrate Croatian culture.
We strive to bring people together, a large part of that will be hosting various events for the Croatian community of Vancouver, year round.
We also serve as a hub to connect Croatian individuals in BC, whether it be networking opportunities for professional adults, making sure the elderly that were instrumental in the creation of our community are not isolated but celebrated, and welcoming newcomers with resources and ways to get involved.
CHABC also functions as a hub for non-Croatians to get involved, learn about us and enjoy everything our community has to offer!
Croatians are an integral piece of Canada’s cultural mosaic, and we strive to connect with all other wonderful ethnic communities in BC.
What is CHABC?
CHABC exists to unite all Croatians, and promote Croatian culture across BC.
Want to know more about Croatian Canadian sports tournaments in BC?
Want to sing along to your favourite sevdalinke, klapa songs, or throwback hits at events we host?
Want to learn how to cook and explore Croatian cuisine?
CHABC is a hub for all your interests, questions and activities. We have a vision to bring our community together, and we hope you’ll join us!
Meet our Board
Domagoj Tomasic
President
Ante Prpic
Community Affairs
Dominik Svorinic
Vice President
Mauro Francis
External Affairs
Ante Svorinic
Treasurer
Ivana Prpic
Media Representative
Gabriela Barkovic
Secretary
Matteo Bratanic
Flag Bearer
Meet our Board
Domagoj Tomasic
President
Domagoj Tomasic is a proud Croatian Canadian who has been active in the Croatian Community in Vancouver for over 20 years. Domagoj danced kolo in Vitezovi and played Tamburica with TOKS. He has been both a player & team manager for Croatia SC Mladost since 2015; Domagoj is also a business owner who works with several Croatian businesses in Croatia in various industries such as wine, hospitality, and smart city infrastructure. Spends a portion of the year in Croatia working and visiting with family.
Dominik Svorinic
Vice President
Dominik graduated from UBC in 2022 and now works as an electrical engineer. He has been heavily involved in the Croatian community in Vancouver from a young age; he spent years as an altar server at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Croatian Parish and has performed as a member of both Hrvatski Vitezovi and Tamburica Orchestra Kardinal Stepinac (TOKS). Dominik currently volunteers as an instructor for TOKS’ music school and is an active member of the United Croats of Canada, King Tomislav branch. He enjoys playing Croatian music, being a part of the performing duo “Duo Zrinjski” and provides private accordion lessons to those hoping to learn.
Ante Svorinic
Treasurer
Ante is an experienced CPA and was born and raised in Vancouver; he has been an active member in the Croatian community his entire life. Ante has spent over 15 years playing and singing in Toks, and spends many Sundays in the Croatian church. In his spare time, he plays drums for “Pajdasi”, a Croatian band that frequently performs at functions in the community.
Gabriela Barkovic
Secretary
Gabriela was born and raised in the Croatian community in Calgary AB, where she was an active member of Our Lady of Marija Bistrica parish as well as a performer and teacher for various groups in the Croatian Heritage Society. She moved to the lower mainland 4 years ago to pursue her BBA with a specialization in Human Resource Management at Capilano University, which she will be completing in April 2024. She also participates in the Croatian community of Vancouver as the Grade 3 instructor for Croatian school.
Ante prpic
Community Affairs
Ante Prpic is a pharmacy student at UBC from Vancouver who spends much of his spare time aiding different areas of the Vancouver Croatian Community. Currently, he sits as the Music Director for Tamburaški Orkestar Kardinal Stepinac, a folklore group which he actively performs with, and also teaches the Tamburaška Škola. In other musical ventures, he is a member of the band “Pajdaši”, a member of the Tamburica band “Tamburaški Sastav Komšije”, and a member of the performing duo “Duo Zrinjski”. He has played soccer with Croatia SC since 2017. He is also an active member of the Church choir, which he assists by both singing and playing the Organ during mass when needed.
Mauro Francis
External Affairs
Mauro is the Executive Director of the South Vancouver Community Policing Centre and works in various capacities in Metro Vancouver, spanning non-profits, political affairs, community engagement and more. He is of European and Hispanic descent and values the contributions all European cultures bring to BC and aims to amplify them, the Croatian community being one of them.
Ivana Prpic
Media Representative
Ivana has been involved in the Croatian community of Vancouver since she was born; she spent her childhood singing in the choir at Immaculate Heart of Mary Croatian Parish, frequently participating in community functions at the Croatian Cultural Centre, and performing as part of Tamburica Orchestra Kardinal Stepinac, where she currently volunteers as a dance instructor. Ivana received her BA in Speech Sciences from UBC in 2019 and her M.Sc in Speech Language Pathology from UBC in 2021. She currently works to provide speech and language services to children with complex developmental conditions in the Lower Mainland.
Matteo Bratanic
Flag Bearer
Matteo was born and raised in Vancouver where he has been involved in the Croatian community all of his life. He is a member of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish and a former member of Tamburica Orchestar Kardinal Stepinac and Croatia Soccer Club. Matteo is currently completing his Bachelor of Health Science with a specialization in Radiation Therapy at BCIT and will become a CAMRT certified Radiation Therapist in April of 2024.