The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC; ; French: ) is a nonprofit umbrella organization of Ukrainian-Canadian political, cultural, and religious organizations founded in 1940.
History
Pre-UCC
Ukrainians immigrated to Canada at the turn of the 20th century, settling mostly in rural areas of the prairie provinces. Given the church services were required all the more by the new settlers, and in 1918 the autonomous Ukrainian Greek-Orthodox Church of Canada was established. Between 1903 and 1920 Ukrainian Canadians started many organizations and institutions (Ridna Shkola, Taras Shevchenko Institute in Edmonton, Andrey Sheptycky Ukrainian Bursa in Winnipeg among others).
With the outbreak of WWI many Ukrainian immigrants were detained being deemed "enemy aliens" as they arrived from countries at war with Canada. Formed in 1917, the Ukrainian Canadian Citizens' Committee, consisting of various lay and church organizations sent a delegation to Ottawa to protest the classification of immigrants from western Ukraine as "enemy aliens".
A number of organizations became active in the '20s and '30s including USRL, UNF, the Ukrainian Catholic Brotherhood and others.
The need for unified action by the Ukrainian community became urgent in 1938 to react to events affecting Ukrainians in Europe and the beginning of WWII. The community was anxious to unite under one representative committee.
UCC The final and conclusive impetus for unity came in 1940 from the National War Services of Canada which was anxious that young Ukrainians enlist in military services.
Originally known as the Ukrainian Canadian Committee (by which it was known until 1989), it was established as a result of the efforts of the Ukrainian Canadian community in November 1940. The main reason that UCC was formed was to have an umbrella organization which could speak for all Ukrainian Canadians and co-ordinate their common goals. The first congress of Ukrainian Canadians occurred June 22–24, 1943. This was attended by over 600 Ukrainian Canadians. The slogan of this congress was "Victory and Freedom".
In 1952 to combat Soviet propaganda, radio services such as the Voice of America and Radio Canada International Ukrainian-language service, broke through the information blockade and broadcast into the Soviet Union. This was achieved in no small part due to the hard work of the UCC and the Ukrainian Congressional Committee of America.
By 1959, during the sixth Congress of Ukrainian Canadians 25 organizations comprised the membership of the UCC. Resolutions were approved dealing with financial, organizational, social, educational, cultural and political issues as well as student and women's activities, all aimed at strengthening the community and the UCC.
In 2007, the Toronto branch of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress awarded 173 former members of Carpathian Sich, Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), Ukrainian National Army, Canadian Armed Forces and the British Army the Medal of Merit for their sacrifice.
In August 2022, Russia designated the Ukrainian Canadian Congress as an "undesirable organization".
Since fall 2022, after the passing of Resolution of the XXVII Triennial Congress of Ukrainian Canadians, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress has been awarding the Ukrainian Canadian Sacrifice Medal to Canadian citizens who have been killed or wounded while serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Leadership The UCC National President is Alexandra Chyczij. The previous UCC National President was Paul M. Grod (2007–2018), who later became the President of the Ukrainian World Congress.
List of presidents of the UCCNo. NameTerm of officeDuration1Wasyl Kushnir1940195313 years2Antony Yaremovich195319574 years3Serge Sawchuk195719592 years–Wasyl Kushnir1959197112 years4Dr. Peter Kondra197119743 years5Serge Radchuk197419806 years6John Nowosad198019866 years7Dmytro Cipywnyk198619915 years8Oleh Romaniw199119987 years9Eugene Czolij199820046 years10Orysia Sushko200420073 years11Paul M. Grod2007201811 years12Alexandra Chyczij2018Present6 years
Shevchenko Medal The UCC has issued the Shevchenko Medal to the following recipients within the last 12 years:
2013 Triennial Conference (Toronto)
Juriy Darewych Edward Klopoushak Iryna Mycak Roman Borys Peter Shostak Juliette Augustine Sysak Cavazzi Daria Darewych Valentina Kuryliw Iroida Wynnycka
2016 Triennial Conference (Regina)
Daria Vera Luciw Halya Lypska Wilson Paul Migus Yuri Shymko Olya Odynsky-Grod Myroslava Pidhirnyj Tanya Dzulynsky Iryna Jendrijewska Mary Pidkowich Nestor Olynyk Orysia Tracz Ken Krawetz
2019 Triennial Conference (Ottawa)
Roman Waschuk Irena Bell Bohdan Kordan Paul M. Grod Markian Shwec Ron Cahute Zorianna Hrycenko-Luhova Oksana Rewa Oleh Romanyschyn Orest Steciw Borys Sydoruk Mary Ann Trischuk Lt. Gen. Paul Wynnyck
2022 Triennial Conference (Winnipeg)
Ukrainian National Federation of Canada Ukrainian Shumka Dancers Irene Shust-Dankowycz Leslie B. Salnick Taras Pidzamecky Pavlo Lopata Andrew Hladyshevsky Victor Hetmanczuk Jaroslaw Balan Wayne Babych Dave Babych Hon. Lloyd Axworthy
2025 Triennial Conference (Toronto)2025 Shevchenko Medal Recipients/UCC Website
Brian Cherwick Peter Kondra Oleh Lesiuk Olesia Luciw-Andryjowycz Roman Petryshyn Oksana Prociuk-Ciz Oleh Romanyschyn
Members
Provincial Councils and Branches There are six Provincial Councils under the UCC National umbrella, which bring together hundreds of provincial Ukrainian Canadian community groups.
Branches of the Ukrainian Canadian community work at the local/civic level. They are all under the umbrella of UCC National however they are separate legal entities.
Member organizations In addition to its provincial councils and local branches, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress consists of numerous national members:
Notes
References
External links Ukrainian Canadian Congress Archives of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, under of the former name Ukrainian Canadian Committee (Ukrainian Canadian Committee, or, Komitet Ukrayints's iv Kanady fonds, R3729) are held at Library and Archives Canada