UCC Montreal Reports on Activities at AGM

L. to R.: front row - Nadia Cechmistro, Bohdana Klecor-Hawryluk, President Zorianna Hrycenko-Luhova, Zenon Bryniawsky; back row - Yaroslav Czolij, Prof. Roman Serbyn, Lesia Prystupa-Shwec, Ivan Prokaziuk, Pavlo Showhaniuk, Marta Bilyk, Olena Kulishova, Hryhory Kowryha and Serhij Savchenko at the UCC Montreal AGMUCC Montreal:  The Ukrainian Canadian Congress Montreal Branch and Quebec Provincial Council held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Saturday, May 5, 2012 at the Ukrainian Youth Centre, unanimously re-electing Zorianna Hrycenko-Luhova, M.A., as President for a third term. UCC Board Members for the 2012-13 term include: cultural-educational chairperson, Bohdana Klecor-Hawryluk; secretaries Lina Hawryliw and Olena Kulishova; treasurers Yurij Kulycky and Andrij Dragan; vice-presidents Bohdanna Klecor-Hawryluk, Prof. Roman Serbyn, Pavlo Showhaniuk and Zenon Bryniawsky, Past-President Marika Putko, representing Northern Quebec, James Slobodian and others.  UCC Montreal, founded over 70 years ago, currently represents thirty-one community organizations, including youth and church organizations.

The AGM was chaired by Yaroslav Czolij.  Reports were presented by Lesia Prystupa-Shwec from the Montreal Ukrainian School Board; Nadia Cechmistro from Ukrainian Social Services “Suspil’na Sluzhba”; and Bohdanna Klecor-Hawryluk, head of the UCC Cultural-Educational Committee and others.

In the UCC President’s report, among the many projects organized or supported by UCC Montreal, several were of special significance and highlighted.  The official inauguration of Camp Spirit Lake Internment Interpretive Centre at La Ferme on November 24, 2011 was attended by Montrealers and Canadian government representatives (the complete ceremony is available on YouTube: www.yluhovy.com). This interpretive centre, the first such in Canada, is a major accomplishment, sparking renewed interest in the early history of Ukrainians to Quebec.   Also in November, the annual Holodomor commemoration, included a community service, screening of the documentary film “Okradena Zemlya’ and its English-language version “Genocide Revealed”.

UCC Montreal engages with other ethno-cultural communities in Montreal and participated in the Montreal Lithuanian community’s commemoration of their annual Independence Day on February 19, 2012, attended by representatives of the Latvian and Estonian communities.

Another major highlight was the UCC Round Table Forum held on April 29, 2012 with power-point presentations on various aspects of today’s Montreal Ukrainian community. Chairing the organizing committee was Prof. Roman Serbyn with the aim to discuss the present and future of the Montreal Ukrainian community with registered Forum participants and making suggestions as to how to strengthen the community’s effectiveness.

An unexpected donation was made by Ivan Prokaziuk, President of Prosvita - Verdun and former member of the UCC Board of Directors, towards the ongoing work of UCC Montreal.  Prosvita - Verdun’s board members recently sold their building due to the passing of their elderly members and diminishing membership. Prosvita - Verdun was established in 1913, and was one of the key early cultural-educational organizations that helped develop Montreal’s Ukrainian community.   

The UCC Montreal AGM concluded with a reception as a “Thank You” to its members for their hours of volunteer work throughout the year. 

 

PHOTO

L. to R.: front row - Nadia Cechmistro, Bohdana Klecor-Hawryluk, President Zorianna Hrycenko-Luhova,  Zenon Bryniawsky; back row - Yaroslav Czolij, Prof. Roman Serbyn, Lesia Prystupa-Shwec, Ivan Prokaziuk, Pavlo Showhaniuk, Marta Bilyk, Olena Kulishova, Hryhory Kowryha and Serhij Savchenko at the UCC Montreal AGM