Diaspora

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...

One year ago, on 18 March 2014, the international community was witness to the most insolent since the Second World War violation of international law – the forceful annexation by the Russian Federation of Crimea, an integral part of the territory of the Ukrainian state. The United Nations, in the resolution Territorial integrity of Ukraine adopted by the General Assembly on 27 March 2014 on the illegal so-called “referendum” in Crimea held on 16 March 2014, declared...

2014 marked another year of growth and success for Buduchnist Credit Union. With net income totaling $2.7 million, BCU and BCU Foundation were able to provide over $1.4 million throughout the year in support of various community needs. 2014 was also a year without recent precedent for Ukraine and her people. The year saw the country take on new struggles in its quest for freedom and democracy, beginning with the EuroMaidan Revolution and culminating in the current, ongoing struggle for territorial sovereignty in eastern Ukraine. Sadly, these hard times have demanded continued sacrifice, and have demanded Ukraine’s sacrifice of her best men and women. Throughout all of these events, BCU...

On the first anniversary of the Maidan massacre of February 18-21, Ukrainians around the world gathered to mark one of the most tragic events in recent Ukrainian history. In Toronto, the Ukrainian community welcomed Andriy Parubiy, First Deputy Chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament and Commandant of the Maidan Self-Defence Forces, as the keynote speaker for its commemorative event, A Tribute to the Brave Defenders of Ukraine. The event – which was put on by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC), UCC Toronto Branch, and the EuroMaidan Canada Committee – also featured addresses by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Chris Alexander, and UCC National President, Paul Grod. Joined by Member of Parliament for Etobicoke Centre and...

The Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) expresses deepest condolences to the families of the victims of a criminal terrorist attack on civilians in Mariupol, Ukraine, on 24 January 2015 in which at least 30 people were killed and 100 wounded, including women, children, and the elderly, by targeted rocket fire. The UWC condemns this crime against humanity and draws the attention of the international community to another indiscriminate targeting of innocent...

The Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) urges the international community, including human rights organizations, to demand the immediate release by Russian authorities of former Ukrainian Air Force pilot, Member of Ukrainian Parliament and delegate to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Lieutenant Nadiya Savchenko, who remains imprisoned for political considerations. The prosecution by Russian authorities of Nadiya Savchenko, kidnapped in Ukraine and...

During a visit to Toronto early in the new year, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird met with local Ukrainian Canadian community leaders and stakeholders. The roundtable, hosted by Member of Parliament for Etobicoke Centre and Chair of the Canada Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group Ted Opitz, served as a forum during which the Minister was able to directly communicate the federal government’s priorities regarding Ukraine. “Ukraine remains a 2015 challenge, not just for Canada but for the civilized world,” Baird stated, “[and] it’s not exclusively about eastern Ukraine, we...

On December 19 – St. Nicholas Day – the League of Ukrainian Canadian Women (LUCW) hosted a benefit dinner for the “Guardian Angels Ukraine” project, the League’s newest humanitarian initiative, under the auspices of the International Council in Support of Ukraine. The event’s honoured guests included Special Advisor to Ukraine’s Minister of Defence, Dr. Vsevolod Stebliuk, Head Doctor of the Hospital of the Maidan and Chair of the Kyiv Region Social Services, Dr. Ruslan Dobrovolsky, and recently-elected Member of Parliament and anti-corruption activist, Tetiana Chornovol. The evening welcomed special...