Diaspora

On Saturday, October 1, Jars Balan (Coordinator, Kule Ukrainian Canadian Studies Centre), Bohdan Klid (Assistant Director of CIUS), Volodymyr Kravchenko (CIUS Director), and Alla Nedashkivska (Director of the Ukrainian Language Education Centre), spoke at a session entitled “40th Anniversary of the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies: Past Present and Future,” before an audience of delegates and guests of the 25th Congress of Ukrainian Canadians, held in Regina, Saskatchewan. The session was chaired by Dr. Roman Yereniuk from the University of Manitoba. Dr. Kravchenko spoke on the founding of CIUS, the challenges it faces, and vision for the future; Jars Balan on his early years at CIUS and some of its early publications, focusing on Ukrainians in Canada; Dr. Nedashkivska on the work of the Ukrainian Language Education Centre in support of Ukrainian language education (including the bilingual program), as well as on research in this area; Dr. Klid on some of the lesser known activities of CIUS in support of the development of Ukrainian scholarship, both in Canada and in Ukraine...

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) expresses its gratitude to high-level representatives of both Canada and Ukraine for their participation in the historic XXV Triennial Congress of Ukrainian Canadians. The XXV Congress was held on September 29-October 2 in Regina, SK, where over 250 delegates set the agenda and priorities for the Ukrainian Canadian community for the next three years and elected the leadership of the UCC. "On behalf of the UCC, I would like to express my gratitude to the high-level delegations from both Canada and Ukraine who participated in the historic XXV Congress," stated Grod. "Their insights and expertise to our engaging deliberations and discussions contributed greatly to the success of the XXV Congress."...

The Ukrainian Canadian community is mourning the loss of a community leader, someone who inspired others to follow in his footsteps, regardless of the odds, to serve the Ukrainian Canadian people. John B. Gregorovich, known to many as 'JB', lived a life of commitment, leadership and perseverance in the face of discrimination, injustice and deceit. His life was dedicated to serving and supporting Canada's Ukrainian community. "It is with deep sadness that I extend condolences to the family and friends of John B. Gregorovich," said UCC National President Paul Grod. "He was a man of exceptional courage, integrity and acumen. John was stalwart, intense, passionate in his commitment, yet also good-humoured, encouraging and supportive of the next generation of activists. Canada and our Ukrainian Canadian community has truly lost an important leader."...

The historic XXV Congress of Ukrainian Canadians concluded yesterday in Regina, SK. Over 250 delegates from coast to coast elected the Ukrainian Canadian Congress Board of Directors and Executive Committee officers for the next three years. The XXV Congress re-elected Paul Grod National President of the UCC. Alexandra Chyczij and Andrea Kopylech were elected Vice-Presidents; Walter Dlugosh was elected Treasurer; and Yaroslaw Borys was elected Secretary. The first Board meeting was held after the conclusion of the XXV Congress. Sworn into office by Ukrainian World Congress President Eugene Czolij, Paul Grod expressed gratitude to the UCC Saskatchewan Provincial Council and its President MaryAnn Trischuk; UCC Regina and its President Orest Gawdyda; and Oksana Zwarych, Chair of the XXV Congress Organizing Committee; the staff of the UCC Saskatchewan office and UCC National, and all those involved in organizing the Congress for their warm hospitality, dedication, commitment and hard work in ensuring the resounding success of the XXV Congress...

On 27 August 2016 the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) concluded its three-day Annual General Meeting (AGM) which took place at the Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University. 184 delegates and guests from 26 countries participated in the AGM which officially opened on 25 August 2016. The official portion of the AGM started with prayers led by the Head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Kyiv Patriarchate His Holiness Patriarch Filaret and the Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church His Beatitude Patriarch Sviatoslav (Shevchuk), and a tribute to Ukrainian heroes, who fought for an independent Ukraine, followed by a performance of “Plyve Kacha” by the “Dnipro” Choir. Welcoming remarks were delivered by the Chairman of the Parliament of Ukraine Andriy Parubiy. Participants of the AGM were also greeted by the Minister of Culture of Ukraine Yevhen Nyschuk, Acting Minister of Health of Ukraine Dr. Ulana Suprun, Rector of the Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University Dr. Leonid Hubersky, Members of Parliament of Ukraine Refat Chubarov, Valeriy Patskan and Ivan Krulko, Special Envoy of the President of Ukraine for Children’s Rights Mykola Kuleba, Director of the International Institute for Education, Culture and Diaspora Relations of the National University “Lviv Polytechnic” Dr. Iryna Kluchkovska and Prorector for Academic Works of the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv Dr. Roman Gladyshevskii...

On 29 January 2016 in Washington, U.S.A., Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) President Eugene Czolij and Atlantic Council President and CEO Frederick Kempe officially signed a Memorandum of Agreement to renew the cooperation between the UWC and the Atlantic Council, that began in September 2014. In accordance with this Memorandum, the UWC will continue its cooperation with the Atlantic Council on implementing the “Ukraine in Europe Initiative”, which aims to galvanize international support for an independent, sovereign and territorially integral Ukraine, including Crimea. This...

General Wesley Clark, Hon. Yevhen Marchuk and Larysa Ivshyna, Dr. Col. Vsevolod Stebliuk and Dr. Olena Burlaka, Most Rev. Bishop Andriy, Consul General of Ukraine Ludmyla Davydovych, Distinguished Members of the Diplomatic Corps of Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, Heads of Ukrainian community organizations in Canada and the USA, Ladies and gentlemen: Tonight’s gala event is a celebration of the invincible spirit of a nation that has refused to be annihilated because it cherished the gift of life, the pursuit of liberty and the right to be masters of their own destiny, even if it meant sacrificing life itself. Tonight we welcome three individuals who...

War has a way of putting things into perspective. It forces people to re-evaluate their lives, to look at the society within which they find themselves through a different lens. Oftentimes it either reinforces or deconstructs the values (and stereotypes) upon which a nation is thought to be built. It is often thought that western Ukraine was and continues to be the stronghold of Ukrainian nationalism, a bastion of all things patriotic. And while this still runs true, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has revealed a new, somewhat unexpected face of modern Ukrainian nationalism; that, which is currently being demonstrated in Ukraine’s eastern territories. In the late summer and fall of 2015 three leading members of the League of Ukrainian Canadians...

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress will host Ottawa’s first annual Ukrainian summer festival to recognize, celebrate, promote and nurture Ukrainian arts, heritage, and culture. Traditional, authentic Ukrainian food, including varenyky (“perogies”) will be served to an estimated minimum of 5,000 Festival patrons from around the world. Those devoted to classics and ancient traditions will also be able to enjoy Lvivske 1715 (Львівське) from the oldest still-functioning brewery in Eastern Europe. Several popular artists and musicians will draw in crowds beyond the Ukrainian community as they entertain non-stop on Saturday and Sunday. The Festival is...

On the week of 10-16 May 2015 a total of 54 reconstructive procedures were performed on 29 patients at the Main Kyiv Military Clinic. These procedures were performed by Canadian surgeons and nurses on the second medical mission of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF). Many patients and medical professionals came back from CUF’s first medical mission in November 2014. One of those returning for the mission was Toronto nurse Damien Lyn. He was on the first mission because of his long history with other humanitarian medical missions to countries that have been affected by...