John Yaremko Memorial Exhibit Celebrates Ukrainian Ontarian
By John Pidkowich
Ukrainian
Heritage Day in Ontario celebrates the historic and important
contributions Ontarians of Ukrainian descent have made and continue
to make in the Province. By Act, the Ontario Parliament’s
Bill 155 has proclaimed September 7th of every year
as Ukrainian Heritage Day, acknowledged this year with a
ceremony and programme in front of the Legislature in Queen’s Park,
Toronto, and organized by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, Ontario
Provincial Council.
The Heritage Day programme continued at St. Vladimir Institute with special recognition of John Yaremko, Q.C., B.A., LL.D. (Aug. 10, 1918 – Aug. 9, 2010), the first Ukrainian Ontarian to be elected to the Provincial Parliament. The opening of the memorial exhibit The Hon. John Yaremko – A Life of Excellence was graced by the presence of Mr. Yaremko’s sisters Jeanette Cooke, Lucy Migus and Rosalie Yaremko, and his niece Hélène Yaremko-Jarvis and spouse Gary Jarvis.
Welcome and exhibit opening remarks were made by Paul Strathdee, President of St. Vladimir Institute in the Main Lounge prominently displaying a formal portrait of Mr. Yaremko, and wall showcases of photos and documents covering his outstanding academic and political career. In an address delivered by Ihor Bardyn, Chair of Ukrainian Studies Foundation, University of Toronto, the adage “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” was called upon to illustrate John Yaremko’s first step – taking the train from Hamilton in 1936 to Toronto to attend the University of Toronto. Subsequently, he attended Osgoode Hall Law School to receive an education that would be “the springboard to the success that followed” said Mr. Bardyn. “Education was a key and defining factor of generations of children of [early] Ukrainian immigrants to Canada… the common trait to success in the lives of [our] nation builders. They contributed to our country and to our community. And they set brilliant examples to follow,” generally stated Mr. Bardyn, but who includes John Yaremko in this exemplary group. He continued by offering to share some key points of John Yaremko’s lifelong association with the University of Toronto, his Alma Mater, which played such an important role in his career and further “steps” throughout his life.
The
exhibit celebrates John Yaremko’s contribution for over 25 years in
public service as elected Ontario MPP (Bellwoods 1951-1974), and in
government cabinet positions and appointments. Mr. Yaremko’s
contributions were not limited to the political sphere, but extended
into community service. In the spirit of Ontario’s role in
successfully welcoming immigrants to Canada, Mr. Yaremko intervened
on behalf of Hungarian refugees and assisted many communities in need
– immigrants to overcome barriers, Native reservations, and persons
with disabilities. Of course he helped his own Ukrainian community,
but his contributions extended into higher learning and the arts.
Particularly, he participated in establishing the Shevchenko
Scholarship and Chair of Ukrainian Studies at the University of
Toronto, the latter renamed and re-established as the John Yaremko
Chair of Ukrainian Studies, inaugurated on November 9, 2010, in
appreciation of Mr. Yaremko’s efforts at task and generous $2
million contribution to the Chair’s existing endowment fund.
Further a field, Mr. Yaremko and his wife Mary established
scholarships in their name at the Faculty of Law, and Music at the
UofT, in gratitude for the opportunity to study at UofT, studies
which John felt were the key to his success. It is now appropriate
that the memorial exhibit is housed right next to the university he
was so attached to - “an important part of his journey through
life”; an exhibit as “a permanent reminder of a good man, a
scholar,” concluded Mr. Bardyn.
The John Yaremko memorial exhibit was organized by the Ukrainian Museum of Canada, Ontario Branch, whose Exhibit Curator Daria Diakowsky provided a perspective of the exponents documenting John Yaremko’s Life of Excellence with reference to the Museum’s John and Mary Yaremko Exhibit in 2007, which suggested that viewing key items became a more “personal visit” to their home on Connable Drive in Toronto. The Hon. John Yaremko – A Life of Excellence, is a permanent exhibit, however, periodically, will change in content but still remain true to Mr. Yaremko’s excellence in education and successes in his political career in provincial parliament and government. To complement the exhibit display, also on show was a video interview with John Yaremko prepared by the Ukrainian Canadian Research and Documentation Centre.
Ukrainian Heritage Day celebrations proceeded into the evening with traditional Ukrainian cultural activities, starting with settlers’ fare for dinner, music and followed by a varied programme hosted at St. Vladimir Institute. Kosa Kolectiv lead all who wished to join in a Ukrainian folk song sing-along to accordion accompaniment. Live tsymbaly music certainly extended an invitation to toe-tapping if not provided the setting for a little Ukrainian folk dancing.
Opening that same evening was an art exhibit by Stanislav Khomenko, showing works including his oil paintings in the style reminiscent of the Canadian Group of Seven paintings and their scenes of the Northern Ontario wilderness. The art show runs until October 27, 2012, Mondays to Fridays 9am-6pm., and Saturdays 2-5pm.
St. Vladimir Institute is located at 620 Spadina Ave., Toronto, For more information, call tel.: 416-923-3318 ext.104.
PHOTOS
1 -Exhibit opening speaker Ihor Bardyn and Exhibit Curator Daria Diakowsky
2 - Yaremko Sisters (seated l.-r.) Jeanette Cooke, Lucy Migus and Rosalie Yaremko, and (standing rear) niece Hélène Yaremko-Jarvis and Gary Jarvis