80^th Anniversary of UNF

By Volodymyr Kish

On July 17, 1932, a group of Ukrainians met in Edmonton to establish a new organization by the name of the Ukrainian National Federation (UNF). This was in response to a number of challenges that the Ukrainian immigrant community then faced in Canada.

Prominent among these challenges was the fact that this was the height of the Great Depression and the Communist movement was making great inroads in the country, particularly among Ukrainians. By that time, there were over 150 branches of the Ukrainian Labour Temple Association which was affiliated with the Communist Party of Canada.

In addition to political divisions, the Ukrainian community was also splintered by religious, regional and generational conflicts. And so, the original founders and organizers of the UNF sought to create a non- sectarian, pluralistic, unifying organization that could counteract the Communist threat and be devoted to supporting the nationalist cause of freedom and independence for Ukraine, while at the same time fostering the development of the educational, cultural, linguistic and economic well-being of Ukrainians in Canada within the context of responsible Canadian citizenship.

Over the next four years, between 1932 and 1936, fifty more branches of the UNF were formed across the country. This growth continued until 1960, when the last new branch of the UNF to be formed came into existence in Kapuskasing in Northern Ontario. In all, some 91 branches of the UNF were started during its 80 year history in Canada.

These branches became the focal point of Ukrainian life in their local communities. Schools, choirs, bands, dancing groups, drama clubs, libraries and numerous other cultural organizations and activities came into being. Some of the most renowned dancing groups such as Shumka, Cheremosh, Rusalka, Dunai, Chaika and Kalyna have their roots in the UNF organization. The same holds true for such choirs as the Koshets Choir of Winnipeg and Boyan Choir in Toronto.

Another UNF offspring of particular significance was the creation of the first Ukrainian Credit Union in Canada in 1939 in Saskatoon. Others followed including the Ukrainian Credit Union in Toronto in 1944, which would grow to be the largest Ukrainian Credit Union in Canada, currently boasting some 22,000 members and over half a billion dollars in assets. Ukrainian credit unions not only provided credit and financial services to the large Ukrainian immigrant population who otherwise would not have had access to these services through the established banks of that time, but over the decades have played a significant role in financially supporting Ukrainian educational, cultural, sporting and other organizational events and activities.

While it is true that the UNF has shrunk from its peak size and influence during its heyday in the sixties and seventies, there are encouraging signs that there is a renewal in the works. Having reached a low of some twelve branches a decade ago, the UNF has succeeded in reviving four branches in recent years, bringing the total back up to sixteen. During the last decade, it has developed a forward looking youth leadership development initiative, experimented with “virtual” branches and the use of internet and social media technology, and recruited a newer younger generation of leaders. Several UNF branches have also achieved a certain measure of success in recruiting and engaging the latest “Fourth Wave” of Ukrainian immigrants who have arrived in Canada in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union.

No doubt, the challenges of redefining the purpose and priorities of the organization in the face of a rapidly changing world and a strong assimilationist reality remain. Nonetheless, as UNF delegates from across Canada gather in Edmonton several weeks from now to celebrate the 80^th Anniversary of a great organization, there is justifiable optimism that its commendable track record of achievements and accomplishments is still far from over.

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