Ottawa Book Launch Pays Tribute to Archivist

By Borys Gengalo

A standing-room-only crowd of almost 100 people showed up in Ottawa on June 7 for the launch of a new book on Ukrainian Canadian history and to honour the person who made it possible.  The publication, Re-imagining Ukrainian Canadians: History, Politics and Identity, is edited by Rhonda L. Hinther and Jim Mochoruk and dedicated to archivist Myron Momryk.  The event, held in the central atrium of the National Library and Archives (LAC) building, with its marble hall set off with brass and steel fixtures and windows etched with literary and figures and historians, was sponsored by Friends of the National Library and Archives and private individuals from the Ukrainian community in Ottawa.

Peter DeLottinville, Director of LAC’s Political and Social Division, reviewed Mr. Momryk’s long career in the national archives, which included the receipt of the Queen’s Jubilee Medal.  In passing, DeLottinville mentioned this was the third time he had spoken at an event honouring Myron’s work.

The editors, Dr. Rhonda Hinther, Head of Exhibits Research at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, and Dr. Jim Mochoruk, Professor of History at the University of North Dakota, thanked their co-writers, explained the genesis of the book and acknowledged all who made it possible.  Both emphasised the key role of Momryk, who assisted greatly with the Ottawa archival research that provided much information for many of the articles. As they wrote in the dedication:

“This volume is dedicated to one of the great unsung heroes of Ukrainian Canadian scholarship: Myron Momryk.  In a career spanning for decades, Myron has been a tireless advocate for multicultural history, an archivist and scholar of Ukrainian and Canadian history, and perhaps most important, a mentor to entire generations of scholars of ethnicity in Canada….”

The Master of Ceremonies, Borys Gengalo, ended the formal portion of the event by reminding the audience that Myron had collected not only Ukrainian materials, but those for other East European groups in Canada as well, stating that he did much to save the collective memory of a large segment of the Canadian population.    The Ukrainian Canadian Congress had recognized Momryk’s accomplishments by awarding him the Shevchenko Medal.  Guests then gathered for informal discussion around wine and cheese.

Although present, Mr. Momryk himself declined to speak at the launch, stating that the focus should be on the book itself.  Reimagining Ukrainian Canadians is a collection of essays by thirteen Canadian historians, most of Ukrainian descent, organized in five thematic sections.  The whole is bounded by two short historiographic essays from the editors.

Part 1, “New Approaches to Old Questions,” begins with an essay by Hinther on the post-War generational gap within the leadership of the Association of United Ukrainian Canadians.  Going through it, the reader will identify very familiar issues found across the full range of Ukrainian-Canadian organizations.  Karen Gabert’s work deals with how the founders and developers of the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village near Edmonton constructed one version of our identity through the selection of themes and buildings for inclusion.  Basing herself on Ukrainian-Canadian fiction and poetry, Lindy Ledohowski writes about our gradual estrangement from the classic image of farmer settlers.

In Part 2, “Leaders and Intellectuals,” Peter Melnycky presents the biography of Paul Rudyk, a pioneering Ukrainian businessman and philanthropist.  Jars Balan does much to publicize and refurbish the reputation of Ukrainian-Canadian novelist Illia Kiriak.  Orest Martynowych provides a nuanced and carefully researched article on the attitudes of the leaderships of the Nationalist and Hetmanite movements in Canada towards Hitler’s Germany and the Jews in the interwar era.

Part 3 is titled “Diplomacy and International Concerns.” In it, Jaroslav Petryshyn examines how the Ukrainian community in Canada influenced Canadian-Soviet relations from 1917 to the collapse of the USSR.  Serge Cipko describes how concerned Canadian public servants monitored the USSR’s ‘Return to the Homeland’ campaign in South America, seeking to draw lessons for Canada.  Jennifer Anderson’s work on the Canadian-Soviet Friendship Society’s early post-War years shows its integration into left-wing ethnic organizations and how the USSR supported the group.

In Part 4, “Internal Strife on the Left,” Jim Mochoruk presents the history of the Stalinist takeover of the Ukrainian left-wing organizations in the late 1920s and 1930s.  Andrij Makuch describes the split caused by Danylo Lobay within the Ukrainian Labour-Farmer Temple Association that resulted from that takeover and the growing persecution of Ukrainians in the USSR.

Part 5, “Everyday People,” begins with an essay by S. Holyck Hunchuck on Ottawa’s Ukrainian Labour Temple, describing how in its early years the political and social lines between various Ukrainian groups were not as firmly drawn as was the case later on.  Stacy Zembrzycki, writing on newspaper coverage of serious crimes in the Ukrainian community in Sudbury, demonstrates a shift in attitudes between 1913 and 1939, as subjects described initially as strange and foreign eventually starting to be represented in more sympathetic Canadian terms.

In a short interview at the launch, Myron Momryk stated that “This is the book I’ve always wanted to see.”  He noted that the volume not only deals with a broad range of Ukrainian-Canadian topics, but does so in a different manner.  The first generation of historians tended to write from a particular community bias, seeking to gain acceptance in Canadian society.  The second generation of historians, represented in this volume, takes a more analytic approach and is not afraid to tackle the blank spots in our history that were regarded as untouchable by the previous generation.  Overall, this thought-provoking book is definitely worthwhile reading for anyone who wants to improve their understanding of the Ukrainian-Canadian experience.

Borys Gengalo is an active member of the Ukrainian community in Ottawa.

PHOTOS

1-      Myron Momryk (L) shares a laugh with Peter De Lottinville, Director of the Political and Social Archives at LAC

2-      Co-editor Prof. Jim Mochoruk addresses the crowd

3-      Co-editor Dr. Rhonda Hinther speaks to the audience in atrium at LAC