An image of the UCPBF Logo

The
Ukrainian Canadian Professional and Business Federation

April 1998 UCPBF Newsletter

UCPBF Board Changes

Our UCPBF board secretary Hanya Skibo has resigned her position. Hanya and her husband Don are moving from Calgary to Fairmont, British Columbia and are building a new home there. All the best to both of you. We also extend our sympathies to Hanya on the recent death of her mother.

Our sympathies also extend to our Edmonton association president George Paleniuk, whose father recently died.

Western Regional Meeting

The big push is on this month to entice and encourage as many of our members and non-members to attend our western regional meeting and leadership seminar in Saskatoon, May 9 and 10, at the Ramada Inn. We have engaged a dynamic group leader, June Donaldson of Calgary to conduct the leadership workshop, to help us understand some of the changes that were undergoing and how to cope with them in our community.

We are specially encouraging our young people, members of University Student Organizations (part of SUSK) to attend, since they were the ones who initially asked us for leadership training. We are also encouraging our various associations to sponsor SUSK members from their communities. Calgary has undertaken to sponsor six students, Yorkton has agreed to sponsor as many students from the Yorkton-Kamsack-Canora area as are interested in attending.

Registration is $60 for any adult member of any Ukrainian organization; $40 for students. This is an important event and we urge each association to support this endeavour. This will help to strengthen us individually and also as a Canadian community.

An added plus, the Saskatoon Ukrainian community is holding its Vesna Festival that weekend, so our social events will be spectacular.

For registration information, contact Doris Watson before May 6. You may reach her by e-mail at: watsondd@cadvision.com or telephone her in Calgary at 403 242 6292. See you in Saskatoon!

UCC Congress in October

This is one of the first reminders that the tri-annual Congress of the UCC, our umbrella group, will be held October 9 to 11 in Winnipeg. Our UCPB Associations are entitled to 50 delegates - we urge every association to sponsor a group of members. UCC was established by an act of Parliament and is the most important Ukrainian organization in Canada. It deals with issues of vital importance to Canadians of Ukrainian origin. It is ours and we must support it and we must have a voice in its direction. Please consider attending this event.

Federation Dues Reminder:

Your Federation treasurer Ron Malashewski has sent out letters reminding you that your 1998 fees to the Federation were due April 1. Kindly forward your dues promptly so that your executive can continue to serve you in the manner that is needed to continue to fulfill our goals for this terms. Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Internment Commemorative Plaques:

The Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Association is placing commemorative plaques in Winnipeg (September 1) and Toronto (October 2) marking the Internment of Canadians of Ukrainian origin during World War I.

Neal Sher:

Neal Sher, the former director of the United States Office of Special Investigations (OSI) will appear at a Standing Committee of Justice in Ottawa on Thursday April 16. Sher has been hired by Canada's Justice Department to act in an advisory capacity to its War Crimes Unit.

His appearance in front of the Justice Committee at the request of Reform party Justice critic Jack Ramsay is to explain his role in the John Demjanjuk case. The Detroit automotive worker, John Demjanjuk was accused of being Ivan the Terrible in the Treblinka death camp. He had been deported from the United States to Israel, tried, and later acquitted.

Ukrainian News reported on February 25, "The OSI was found to have knowingly used forged documents, misrepresented witnesses, pressured the accused and their families to accept guilty pleas and withheld evidence that could be used to prove innocence from the defendants."

Justice Minister Anne McLellan has been pressured not to hire Sher as a special advisor on war crimes.

Peter MacKay, Conservative Party House Leader and MP for Pictou-Antigonish-Guysborough is willing to ask Neal Sher questions relevant to the committee hearing. You may write him at:

Room 452 - D Centre Block,
OTTAWA, Ontario, K1A 0A6;
Telephone 613 992 6022
Fax 613 992 2337
e-mail mackap@parl.gc.ca

Soup Kitchens

Since independence, economic conditions have been worsening in Ukraine. The GDP is falling, pension and wage arrears in public and private sectors top $5 billion. For many, the story is grim. People are literally going hungry.

Ukrainian Canadian Social Services Ltd. (UCSS) and branches of Ukrainian Social Services (USS) in Ukraine have established four "Soup Kitchens" in Ukraine to help feed the hungry and homeless. More are needed.

Each "Soup Kitchen" costs about $1000 (Can) to set up. $30 feeds one person for a month. They are run by volunteers. In the future, the goal is to have the soup kitchens run by organizations like churches and schools throughout the entire country.

Help from Canada

Ukrainian Canadian Social Services Inc. of Canada
National Headquarters
2445 Bloor Street
TORONTO, Ontario, M6S 1P7

Suggestion:

Individual organizations may wish to incorporate this as a fundraiser in commemoration of the 65th anniversary of the Ukrainian famine.

Further Inquiries:

Contact UCSS Headquarters:

1 416 766 5812 (Tue. & Thurs p.m.)
Or: Nicholas Turinski (VP government relations UCPBF)
Tel: 613 741 3415
E-mail Nicholas_Turinski@hc-sc.ga.ca

Virsky Tour

Virsky, the National Dance Company of Ukraine is touring North America as part of its 60th Anniversary. This spectacular performance is in the following Canadian cities:

Winnipeg President's Salute:

Best of luck to our Winnipeg association which is presenting the "President's Salute" on Wednesday April 30 - a tribute to the Winnipeg association's past presidents. It will be honoured with the presence of the 1946 president, Dr. Bachynski. Congratulations!

Teleconference Meeting:

Your executive held its second mini teleconference board meeting on April 20. It included all the presidents of our western Canadian associations and all our board members located in western Canada. Last month we included our Ottawa board members. We have held previous meetings with our Edmonton board members.

The arrangement is a manageable financially. On a multi-line call, the Federation pays hook-up charges and each centre pays its long-distance charges.

When there is a hook-up with only one city, the Federation pays the entire charges. Since your executive meets monthly, we plan to have at least one city on line for each meeting. This is to promote better communication among the board members and the associations and to help everyone understand what their executive is doing on their behalf.

Thank you for your co-operation.

UCPBF Newsletter, April 1998.

Return to UCPBF Home page: