Ukrainian Canadian Congress announces Shevchenko award recipients

Excellent choices for the Shevchenko Medal, the highest form of recognition that can be granted by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress. Congratulations to th recipients, as well as those of the Ukrainian Canadian Youth Leadership Awards.

Recipients have been invited to receive their awards at a ceremony to be held on November 6, 2010 at the XXIII Triennial Congress of Ukrainian Canadians in Edmonton, Alberta.

The Shevchenko Medal recognizes individuals of Ukrainian and non-Ukrainian descent, as well as institutions and organizations, for their outstanding national contribution towards the development of the Ukrainian Canadian community. Outstanding achievement is measured by the recipients' level of excellence and initiative, their sustained body of work, peer recognition and the recipients' broad impact inside and outside the Ukrainian Canadian community.

Shevchenko Medals are awarded in the categories of Community Development, Culture and the Arts, Education, Sport, and may also include the category of public service.

The Ukrainian Canadian Youth Leadership Award gives recognition to young adult Ukrainian Canadians for outstanding leadership which significantly contributed to the broader Ukrainian community and the betterment of Canada.

The Awards & Recognition Committee and the Shevchenko Medal Jury consisted of Chair lRoman Melnyk (Toronto), Radoslav Zuk (Montreal), Borys Sirskyj (Ottawa), Halyna Kvitka Kondracki (Toronto), Lesia Szwaluk (Winnipeg), Adrian Boyko (Saskatoon), Marko Levytsky (Edmonton). All jury members are past recipients of the Medal and provided expertise, community experience and geographic representation.

Award Recipients

Community Development

Bill (Wasyl) Diachuk of Edmonton ... in recognition of his dedicated and inspired community work, his commitment to public service as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, his active participation as a fundraiser, leader and volunteer. His exemplary initiative in helping the less fortunate in South America and Ukraine as well as his leadership with immigration and settlement issues have enhanced the fabric of Alberta and all of Canada.

Walter Kish of Oshawa ... in recognition of his dedicated community activism, especially his contributions as a journalist, author and columnist. Walter has been a leader in the Ukrainian National Federation of Canada, the Canada Ukraine Foundation, and the New Pathway newspaper.
 Orest Warnyca of Regina ... in recognition of his contribution to numerous Ukrainian Canadian organizations, and especially for his outstanding leadership in the Ukrainian Canadian Congress and the Ukrainian Self Reliance League of Canada. Special recognition is given for his efforts to have the Government of Saskatchewan recognize the 1932-33 Holodomor as an act of genocide.

Culture and the Arts
 Roman Brytan of Edmonton ... in recognition of his contribution to music and cultural celebration as host and producer of a daily Ukrainian program in Edmonton. Roman has also conceptualized major arts festivals and cultural programs and has promoted, encouraged and helped grow Ukrainian culture and arts in Canada, including the establishment of the Alberta Council for the Ukrainian Arts.

Halya Kuchmij of Toronto ... in recognition of her significant contribution to arts and culture as a director and producer of films. She has directed and produced over 70 films many of which have been on Ukrainian/Ukrainian -Canadian themes. Halya's films have been instrumental in disseminating widely the culture, beliefs, and history of Ukrainians and Ukrainian Canadians on issues such as the Millennium of Christianity in Ukraine, the Chornobyl disaster, and the life of William Kurelek.

Myron Momryk of Ottawa ... in recognition of his significant contribution in shaping and developing the Ukrainian holdings of the Library and Archives Canada. Myron oversaw the single largest archival collection dealing with Ukrainian Canadians, an invaluable source of documents critical to the history of Ukrainians in Canada and Ukraine-he has guided generations of historians and researchers through these collections, contributing to a better understanding of issues such as migration, Canada's First Internment Operations, and Canada's policy of Multiculturalism.

Dr. Valerian Revutsky of Vancouver  ... in recognition of his significant contribution in supporting and popularizing Ukrainian culture in Canada, for his works as an author of several books promoting Ukrainian theatre and culture in Canada and across the world. A Holodomor survivor, Dr. Revutsky has also written on the 1921-23 famine in Ukraine.

Education

Dr. Lubomyr Luciuk of Kingston ...  in recognition of his unparalleled success in informing Canadians about Canada's first national internment operations, and his work navigating the historic Internment Act and its $10 million settlement. Dr. Luciuk is the Chairman and co-founder of the Ukrainian Civil Liberties Association and author of dozens of books and countless articles. He has led many successful campaigns to set the historical record straight on topics such as the Canadian immigrant experience, the Holodomor, Ukraine's struggle for national liberation and Canada's first internment operations.

Dr. Manoly Lupul of Calgary ... in recognition of his instrumental role in furthering knowledge and understanding of Ukrainian Canadian issues. As founding director of the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, Dr. Lupul was instrumental in leading the field on the history of Ukrainian Canadians, multiculturalism and bilingual education.
 Dr. Bohdan Medwidsky of Edmonton ... in recognition of his tireless work in supporting Ukrainian education in Canada. As founder of the Ukrainian Folklore program and the Kule Folklore Centre at the University of Alberta, Dr. Medwidsky has stimulated and led research on Ukrainian culture and folklore in Canada. He has written extensively on Ukrainian folklore, folksongs and folktales.


Dr. Roman Serbyn of Montreal ... in recognition of his leadership role in the field of education on the history of Ukraine and his tireless work on researching and publicizing the 1932-33 Famine in Ukraine as genocide. Dr. Serbyn is a world renowned expert on the Holodomor, as well as having pioneered research on the 1921-23 Ukrainian famine, and on the topic of Ukraine and WWII.

Sports

Lucas Makowsky of Calgary ... in recognition of his achievements in the category of sport. An Olympic Gold medallist in speed skating, with a number one ranking in several distances in Canada, Lucas has excelled at the highest levels of athletic competition. This is reinforced by his strong involvement in the Ukrainian community through the dance ensemble Tavaria, Ukrainian Camp Trident and practicing the rich Ukrainian Orthodox traditions that he cherishes.

Michael Slipchuk of Toronto ... in recognition of his achievements in the category of sport. As a world class figure skater, figure skating coach and Director of high performance for skate Canada, Michael has been an international ambassador for skating. In addition, Michael was the team leader for the multi medal winning 2010 Canadian Olympic figure skating team. An Edmonton native, Michael has been involved in CYMK, and danced with the ensemble Zirka.

Public Service

Leo Ledohowski of  Winnipeg ... for his contributions in raising awareness of Ukrainian issues and philanthropy. Mr. Ledohowski produced the Holodomor DVD Documentary "Vichna yim pamyat", has made significant contributions to the Canadian Museum of Human Rights and promoted Canada's multicultural character by supporting Ukrainian Canadian Arts. Mr. Ledohowski is a prominent philanthropist and accomplished Canadian business person. He is the President and Chair of Canad Inns and serves on the Board of Directors of the Bank of Canada.

James C. Temerty, C.M.,Toronto ... for his lifelong support and leadership within the Ukrainian Canadian community. He was chairman of the Ukrainian Centennial Fundraising Campaign and chaired the 2004 Ukrainian Election Observers Campaign, facilitating 500 private sector election observers to the Orange Revolution presidential election. He was instrumental in launching the Kyiv Mohyla Business School of which he serves as Chairman of its Advisory Council and is a Trustee of the Children's Hospital of the Future in Kyiv, Ukraine. Mr. Temerty is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Northland Power Income Fund, Founding Chairman of UCC's National Advisory Council and was the Chairman of the Royal Ontario Museum Board of Governors. He is a recipient of many honours including Member of the Order of Canada.

Borys Wrzesnewskyj of Toronto ... for his lifelong support of the Ukrainian Canadian community and Ukraine's struggle for independence and democratic development. He has provided financial support to Ukrainian organizations and played a leading role advocating on behalf of the Ukrainian community with the government of Canada. A federal Member of Parliament since 2004, Borys has been instrumental in receiving government support for important issues to the Ukrainian Canadian community, including the 2004 Ukrainian observer mission to Ukraine, recognition of the Holodomor by Parliament as a genocide and seeking commemoration and acknowledgement for Canada's first national internment operations.

Ukrainian Canadian Youth Leadership Award

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress presents the Ukrainian Canadian Youth Leadership Award recipients for outstanding leadership and congratulates the jury for their work on the awards. The jury panel included: Chair Roman Melnyk (Toronto), Radoslav Zuk (Montreal), Borys Sirskyj (Ottawa), Halyna Kvitka Kondracki (Toronto), Lesia Szwaluk (Winnipeg), Adrian Boyko (Saskatoon), Marko Levytsky (Edmonton), Mychajlo Hantsch (Calgary), Robert Wuschenny ( Regina).

Recipients:

Adriana Luhowa, of Montreal for her work with PLAST, SUSK, Help us Help the Children, and with McGill and Concordia Ukrainian students unions. In addition, she successfully organized a charitable fundraiser for Ukrainian orphanages and was the main videographer for the documentary film on the Holodomor, "Genocide Revealed".

Olyana Grod of Mississauga for her work in positions of increasing responsibility and leadership in Ukrainian Youth Association CYM, including being the current national president. In addition to being instrumental in organizing the 2010 CYM World Jamboree, Olyana has been actively involved in the community, having organized Holodomor Education Week and Ukrainian Independence Day celebrations at Queen's Park. She has served on the executive of SUSK and has currently begun an internship with the Canadian Urban Institute in Kyiv.

Andrijko Semaniuk of Winnipeg. Andrijko has been active in the Ukrainian Youth group CYM and sits on their national executive. A business student at the University of Manitoba, Andrijko is also a member of the musical troupe Zrada which has travelled across Canada and the US as well as performs with the Hoosli male chorus. He is active in the Catholic community, having served as an altar boy and member of the choir at Sts. Vladimir and Olga Cathedral.

Roman Storoschuk of Alberta. Roman is currently studying Philosophy at the University of Calgary. He is also vice-president of the University of Calgary Ukrainian Student's Society. Roman is also actively involved with the Ukrainian Canadian Student's Union (SUSK). Roman has been profoundly involved in Plast - Ukrainian Youth Scouting Organization, where Roman is a councillor for both the younger and older youth. Roman has been involved with the Ukrainian Canadian Professional and Business Association of Calgary, The Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Foundation and the Calgary Ukrainian Festival.

Congratulations to all these deserving individuals!