The Ukrainian Canadian Professional and Business Federation

UKRAINIAN CANADIAN PROFESSIONAL and BUSINESS FEDERATION
913 Carling Ave.,
Ottawa, ON K1Y 4E3
tel: 819-771-0723
fax: 819-775-9488
ucpbf@infoukes.com
www.infoukes.com/ucpbf

September 4, 1999

To the Presidents
Ukrainian Business and Professional Associations of Canada

Dear Friends,

I hope that all of you have had a fine summer and that your Association's activities are ready to kick-start the new season. I wish you much success.

As you may know the Federation has held several Executive meetings and two partial Board meetings in Toronto following the principle of meet- as-we-can. As a result we have, I hope you'll agree, some interesting initiatives. I have sent this letter with attachments to you by mail as well as I hve had feed-back on e-mail fron only a very few and have no way of knowing if we'ge connected unless you respond.

The Priorities and Plans document sets out the overall objectives that the Federation will be pursuing and identifies supporting projects. The record of decisions, part of my letter to the Board and to the Presidents of August 26, provides a state of the projects update.

There are several exciting projects which rest on the participation of the VPs in the six regions and keen support from the 17 local Presidents. Among them:

• Mentoring project - a one-on-one connection between Canadian Ukrainian , or other, business and professional persons interested in establishing a professional relationship with a Ukrainian counterpart. The enclosed Mentoring one-pager from Peter Sorokan, Executive VP and Project Lead, explains more fully. Please submit the names and brief statement of interest to Peter. His e-mail is sorok@ftn.net We would like to have a sizable list of interested persons by the end of September. I will be in Ukraine in October and can begin to make connections;
• Millennium project - a lasting tribute to the contribution of Ukrainians in Canada. The approach is under discussion at this time and Marilyn Dolenko, Executive Secreatry and Project Lead would like to hear what has been done in your area; what focus to take in this undertaking; who might be interested in working on the project. Please advise Regional VPs or Marilyn. Her e-mail is mdolenko@kpmg.ca;
• Trip to Ukraine - an organized, UCPBF led excursion for members and non-members. Early input into possible dates, costs, itinerary programming are welcome. Ihor Kuriliw, Bloor Travel Toronto, Ivanka Paska, Montreal, have indicated an interest in developing this project. If there are other travel agents throughout Canada that might be interested please advise your regional VPs or me at khepburn@fox.nstn.ca;
• Caregivers from Ukraine - we need feed-back to determine the interest of our community in having child and elderly caregivers from Ukraine permitted for temporary or permanent stays in Canada. Please provide views to regional VPs;
• Communications - John Chilibeck will be establishing a Ses-to-Sea update on our activities locally, regionally and nationally. Marika Lawrentiw, VP Ontario is the contact point for that province. Other VPs are asked to designate someone from their region with whom John can work. FYI John is a young journalist in St. John who wrote a Masters in Journalism thesis on the assassination of some key editors in Odessa. His e-mail is jchilibeck@nb.sympatico.ca;
• Finally, we are attempting to put a little uumpfff on our website and e-mail. They exist, but are rarely used! Help us interconnect
  • Publicize the website and email addresses to your members
  • Provide Roman Zakaluzhny, Director of Communications, with the e-mail list of your members to ensure full communication. His e-mail is rwzakalu@ucalgary.ca
  • Provide John Chilibeck with news, issues, questions for discussion, etc., to start "Sea-to-Sea Talk-Back."

These are some of the initiatives which require your support to become a reality. Do not hesitate to communicate with the Executive and Regional VPs on what has been raised here or on any other issues of interest or concern. Also, members of the Executive would be pleased to meet with you in Ottawa on your travels, or in your territory on ours. I will be at the kick-offs in Toronto and Montreal in September. Let's keep in touch.

Much of the information provide her is already on the web. However, many of our members do not have access to electronic communications. Please ensure hard copies for them of our communications.

I hope to hear from you soon and to meet with you in the near future. With warm regards, great success in the new season, and dopobachennya,

Oksana Bashuk Hepburn
President

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