Irena Bell Receives Queen’s Jubilee Medal

Ottawa (UCC) - The Ukrainian Canadian Congress is pleased to congratulate Irena Bell of Ottawa upon being presented the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal by Senator Raynell Andreychuk in a ceremony on Parliament Hill on April 16, 2013, attended by UCC Executive Director Taras Zalusky and Ukraine’s Ambassador to Canada, Vadym Prystaiko.

“It is with great pride that I awarded Irena the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.  Her record of community service and her dedication to issues of importance to Canada and our community is remarkable,” stated Senator Raynell Andreychuk. “Irena has been and continues to be one of our community’s unsung heroes who deserves to be recognized.”

Born in Krakow as her parents fled the Communist Soviet take-over of Western Ukraine, Irena Bell (nee Zajszlyj) grew up in Montreal, where she was active in the Ukrainian community. She received a teaching diploma, a B.A. degree from Loyola in Montreal, and a B.L.S. degree from the University of Toronto.

In Ottawa, she worked from 1974 to 1995 in the federal government’s multicultural program, lastly as Acting Chief of the Multilingual Biblioservice Division of the National Library of Canada. Then, from 1996 to 2005, Irena Bell was Coordinator for the Chair of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Ottawa. She is fluent in English and Ukrainian, and has some knowledge of French and other languages.

Since 2003, Irena produces and hosts the weekly Ukrainian radio program in Ottawa (CHIN, 97.9 FM) that is also accessible via the Internet (http://chinradioottawa.com). She previously hosted the Ottawa ‘Ukrainian Profile’ TV program on Rogers TV.

Irena continues to be involved in Ukrainian and other community activities. Since 1997, she produces a monthly Ottawa Ukrainian-interest Events Calendar that has wide distribution via e-mail, web sites, media, and in community venues. Irena has been on executives of Ukrainian organizations, and organized many events over the years. She was twice President of the Ukrainian Canadian Professional and Business Association in Ottawa (UCPBA), editor of the UCPBA newsletter, and Vice President of UCC Ottawa Branch.

Irena is on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Foundation for Ukrainian Studies, and Senior Advisor to the Board of Directors of the Chair of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Ottawa.

Irena was Canadian advisor at the State Historical Library of Ukraine, Kyiv, in 1995, as part of the Canada-Ukraine Partners Program project, funded by the Government of Canada via the Institute of Public Administration of Canada.

Irena has previously been active in Ukrainian Youth Association ‘Plast’, the Marunczak Dance Ensemble (Montreal), and teaching Ukrainian school.

Irena Bell was the first recipient of the Ottawa UCPBA’s Filip Konowal Lifetime Achievement Award, in 1995, for long-term volunteer service to the Ukrainian-Canadian community. She also received the Ukrainian Canadian Congress volunteer service award, and the Ontario government’s 20-Year Volunteer Service Award.

PHOTO

Irena Bell (right) received Jubilee Medal presented by Sen. Raynell Andreychuk