UCPBA

TALK TO YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT JOINING:

Let them know about the benefits of membership, the fun of being a member and the potential for community service.

NEWSLETTER & MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY

MEMBER EVENTS

• Speaker’s Dinners

• Golf Tournament

• Annual Barbeque

• Christmas Dinner

• Historical Walking Tours

• Crafts Workshops & More

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

• Yearly SCHOLARSHIPS: designed to assist undergraduates

• IVAN FRANKO LECTURE: Done in cooperation with the Chair of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Ottawa, this annual lecture brings the best of academic research on Ukraine and Ukrainians in Canada to Ottawa.

• THE RAMON HNATYSHYN MEMORIAL LECTURE: Also run with the Chair, this occasional  series takes advantage of high-calibre academics, politicians and others passing through Ottawa.

• DAVID BURLIUK EXHIBIT. He was the founder of the Futurist Movement in art and literature in Eastern Europe before the First World War,  We have been working the Winnipeg Art Gallery to do the show
  
  SO WHO ARE WE, REALLY? 
       We’re a service group, bringing together business persons & professionals with disparate political, religious and generational origins and viewpoints in the service of Ottawa’s Ukrainian-Canadian community.  We work hard, but also like to enjoy ourselves.  If you want to be part of the most dynamic group in the Ukrainian community of Ottawa, fill in the membership form and mail it in, along with your first year’s dues.

WHY JOIN THE BOARD?

You get to be one of the people who run the most active Ukrainian community association in Ottawa: one that serves the whole community. As a member at large, you get practice in running a whole range of events and projects, in teamwork, in administering a community service organization, in lobbying and a whole host of other areas.

Don’t worry, the whole pile doesn’t get dropped in your lap on the first day! You’ll work on a project or event of your choice, along with an experienced Board member who’ll show you the ropes.

Got an idea? Do you want to do something in the community, but don’t know how to get started? UCPBA(O) can offer you an organizational home and help. Convince the Board it’s a good idea and we’ll give you a hand.

If you’re interested, call anyone of the members of the Nominating Committee: Bob Seychuk, Ron Sorobey or Borys Gengalo. Their contact info is in your membership directory.

Find the membership form on:

http://www.infoukes.com/ucpbaott/docs/mem_appl.htm

POTENTIAL EVENTS FOR 2008-09

• Historical Walking Tour

• Ukrainian Independence Day (at the Royal Oak)

• An Evening with a Ukrainian Canadian Opera Star

• Wine Tour of Prince Edward County

• Christmas Dinner (including awards, scholarship and more!)

• Road Trip to the Trypillian Exhibit at the Royal Ontario Museum

• Hnatyshyn Lecture

• Franko Lecture

• AGM/BBQ

And: WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO?

 
Know Your Fellow Members : IRENA BELL

    Editor’s note: with this issue we begin a new series in the newsletter: profiles of our members and introduce our new columnist: Halyna Mokrushyna (see pg 3). These articles are in response to members’ requests to find a way to get to better know each other.

Irena Bell in red at the Parliament

     Even if our experienced editor had not suggested opening the series of articles on UCPBA members with Irena Bell’s profile, I would have chosen her anyway, for she was the first Ukrainian Canadian who welcomed me to Ottawa. I have come to appreciate Irena’s erudition and cordiality while working for her Ukrainian radio program. I was impressed by how much she knows about the Ukrainian community in Ottawa and by how many friends and acquaintances she has. This wide circle developed as a result of Irena’s warm and respectful treatment of people and of her many years of voluntary service to the community.

     Suffices to say that she has been, and is, on the executive of Ukrainian Canadian Congress and Canadian Friends of Ukraine (both – Ottawa branches).

     Since 1997 she has produced a monthly Ottawa Ukrainian- interest Events Calendar. After having hosted the Ottawa ‘Ukrainian profile’ TV program on Rogers TV, she has gone on to produce and host the weekly Ukrainian radio program on CHIN, 97.9 FM. Finally, she has twice been president of UCPBA, been its secretary and for many years was editor of the newsletter.

     When I asked Irena if she knew about the UCPBA when she moved to Ottawa at the beginning of 1970-s, she said she didn’t. But in no time one of Irena’s friends ‘got her involved’ in the organization. She got involved indeed, because almost right away she became member of the board of directors. At that time, recalls Irena, there were only 4 people on the executive – Cornell Popyk, Ron Tomosk, Dave Cherkewich and herself, and ‘obviously’, in her own words, she took on secretary’s duties.

     There were so many interesting events, meetings, lectures over all these years that it’s hard for her to remember any specific event. Flipping pages of 1989 issues of the newsletter she finds the annual list of UCPBA activities – dinner meetings, lectures, movie screenings, political debates and the Ivan Franko

     Memorial Lecture. According to Irena, UCPBA Ottawa’s role was crucial in founding the series of these lectures in cooperation with Carleton University 22 years ago, and with the Chair of Ukrainian Studies of the University of Ottawa later on.

     Irena was the editor of the UCPBA newsletter for several years and as an experienced librarian she kept all of its issues, donating to the National Archives of Canada. I say “an experienced librarian” because for over 20 years she worked in the National Library, lastly as Acting Chief of the multilingual Biblioservice Division, which distributed written works in 32 languages to libraries across Canada. Then, from 1996 to 2005, she was Coordinator for the Chair of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Ottawa. She is now on the board of Directors of the Chair.

     Irena was president of the UCPBA twice - in 1986/87 and 1990/91. She was on the executive for over 20 years. In 1995 UCPBA recognized her long-time commitment and substantial contribution to the Ukrainian Canadian community by nominating her as the first recipient of the Filip Konowal

Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2003 she received the Ontario Government’s 20-year Volunteer Service Award.

Behind all these years of volunteer service lies, in Irena’s own words, a very strong sense of social justice and civic responsibility. Antoine de Saint-Exupery once said ‘We come from our childhood as we come from our country (On est de son enfance comme on est d'un pays). Irena’s roots are in her parents, who where Ukrainian patriots, and her Plast background. She told me that she grew up knowing that there was no freedom in Ukraine, that there was no free development of national culture and language, that these liberties have to be fought for. Her parents never imposed their “Ukrainian-ness” on her; they wanted her to live happy and free as a Canadian. Maybe that’s why the interest and commitment to the Ukrainian Canadian community came to her naturally.

She’s involved in various Ukrainian Canadian organizations. Joining the UCPBA helped her find new friends in Ottawa, to expand her business contacts. According to Irena, this is what UCPBA is about – socializing and networking.

Irena Bell has contributed greatly to the development of UCPBA of Ottawa, as well as the whole Ukrainian community in this city. I hope that she will continue sharing with us her knowledge and warm-heartedness in many years to come.
 

Irena watches with amusement as husband Keith participates in the shenanigans at the UCPBA(O) Murder Mystery Dinner last October.
Now what could that man be possibly doing?

OUR NEWEST COLUMNIST

     Halyna Mokrushyna has taken on the role of Senior Member Features Columnist. Halyna comes to us with extensive journalistic experience, both in Ukraine and Canada. She is also the ‘significant other’ of our webmaster, Franck Lalande. Franck inherited the job after first agreeing to help Halyna. In the photo below Halyna appears with the Junior Member Features Columnist: Andriy Lalande Mokrushyn. He’s already had media exposure, his photo having been featured in the November ’07 edition of this here newsletter.
 

OUR WEBMASTER

     Franck Lalande met Halyna Mokrushyna in 2005 and Andriy joined the family in 2007.  Franck the UCPBA webmaster,  started by helping out Halyna in 2006.  At the time, he had his own computer business and already hosted his business web site.   He now works as a computer technician for St-Peter Catholic High School in Orleans for the Ottawa Catholic School Board.  He’s been upgrading his web designing skills by doing a certification at Algonquin College. Having already completed 75 hours of courses, he’s more than half way to getting his certificate in Web Design Studio.  

     Please have a look at our web page:  http://www.infoukes.com/ucpbaott/  and let Franck know you appreciate (or not!) the new look of our web site.  It looks cleaner and crisper!  Although not the original designer of the page, Franck has modified it substantially.  Please don't be shy to send relevant photographs (not 50 of them at once!) and he will try to post them on our web site.  If you also have additional information that you think should be on this web site, please forward it to him at francklalande@hotmail.com . If it needs further consideration he’ll pass it on to the Board before posting.

     A good part of the newsletter is available online some time after we send it out to members.  Go to the home page and follow the links.  Also check out Irena Bell’s monthly list of Ukrainian Community Events, previous UCPBA(O) Award & Scholarship winners, past activities, our constitution, membership form for those friends (or enemies) you’ve convinced to join, and more.

Want To Know What the UCC's Doing For You ?

     You can be put on the Ukrainian Canadian Congress’ (UCC: fondly know by its Ukrainian initials: KYK) e-mail list for their media releases.

 Everything from our support for the Tibetans to redress for the internment of Ukrainians during WW1. Just send your e-mail address to Osta
 

Ivan Franko Memorial Lecture - Carleton University

     Professor David Marples, of the University of Alberta delivered the 22nd Annual Ivan Franko Memorial Lecture: OUN, UPA, And The Writing of New History in Ukraine on March 20^th. The lectures first began as a mutual project with Carleton University. With the founding of the Chair of Ukrainian Studies, UCPBA(O) decided the new Chair would make a natural fit for the event and switched co-sponsors. The purpose of the lecture series is to bring the best of modern academic research on Ukrainian issues to the Ottawa audience.
 

SCHOLARSHIP : STUDY IN UKRAINE

     Not widely publicized is a Government of Ukraine scholarship available to members of the Ukrainian diaspora to study in Ukraine. It covers the costs of the first year of higher education at a Ukrainian institution. The deadline for this year (1 April) has passed, but keep an eye on the following links for information about next year. The first link is an explanation of the program, the second is the application form. Both are in Ukrainian:

http://www.usukraine.org/reports/Stazhuvannia_ukraine_school.doc

http://www.usukraine.org/reports/anketa_ukraine_school.doc

UCPBA member in Afghanistan

     UCPBA(O) member Major Michael Baran (standing- third from right) with his classmates on the Joint Counterinsurgency (COIN) course. They include Afghan National Army (ANA)and Afghan National Police (ANP) with their international mentors. The mentors include Canadian, British, US and Aussie senior NCOs and officers and RCMP (find them in the photo!) The Queen’s Palace in the background, the King’s Palace swimming pool immediately to the left. The ANA LtCol in the photo hit the King’s Palace with shots from his tank in the bad old days. Michael is the second in command of the engineer staff with the ISAF Regional Command South [RC(S)] Headquarters at Kandahar Airfield (KAF). He will soon be joined there by Lara Romaniuc, daughter of member Anatoli Romaniuc. Lara will be working with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Michael & Lara are sure to found the Kandahar affiliate of UCPBA(O).
 

UKRAINIANS BID ON ART TO ERECT SHEVCHENKO IN OTTAWA!

     15 March, in the Kyiv Teachers’ House, an auction was held of art works connected with the name of Taras Shevchenko. This was the culmination of the action “Shevchenko County (raion) for the Ukrainians of Ottawa”, which was carried out under the patronage of the head of that raion, Victor Pylypyshyn, in support of the erection of a monument to Shevchenko in the capital of Canada.

     Organizers of the auction offered collectors 64 paintings and two bronzes connected to the life and creations of the Ukrainian Prophet. Included were three portraits of T.H. Shevchenko, genre paintings based on the works ‘Nazar Stodolya’ and ‘the Chumaks’ (salt traders) and paintings of Shevchenko’s home town.

     Bidders included well-know philanthropists, collectors, members of the Rada, bankers, representatives of insurance and building companies and businessmen. Winning bids ranged from 2,000 UH to almost 200,000 UH. The total raised was almost 400,000 UH. The money will go toward covering the costs of a statue of the young Taras Shevchenko, to be erected in Ottawa.

     ‘We’re used to talking a lot about Shevchenko and his legacy, but now has come the time to show our respect to this figure through our actions. Today’s attempt is a real step in bringing closer the Ukrainians of Ukraine and Canada.’ Said the Chair of the organizing committee, Victor Pylypyshyn, who set the example at the auction by buying 85,000 UH worth of paintings.

Thanks to member Orest Duba, organizer of the Shevchenko Statue Project http://www.infoukes.com/tarasinottawa/ , for the item.
 

TALK TO US!

Do you know someone who has reached a significant milestone in their life (birthday, wedding, 1,000^th pint of Guiness and the like? Let Your Humble Editor© know! Embarrassing details/ photos are particularly welcome. Anonymity guaranteed.

Thanks to Vicki Karpiak, Irena Bell and Anonymous for items in this section.

     Our e-mail address!

To assist in the electronic distribution of the newsletter, we now have a new, permanent e-mail address:

ucpbaottawa@infoukes.com

You can use it to communicate with us.