The Association of United Ukrainian Canadians (AUUC; uk, Товариство Об'єднаних Українських Канадтсив) is a national cultural-educational non-profit organization established for
Ukrainians in Canada. With branches throughout Canada it sponsors such cultural activities as
dance groups, orchestras, choirs and children's activities, and is involved in social justice and solidarity activities in partnership with other ethnocultural organizations, peace groups, and community organizations.
History
Establishment
The Ukrainian Labour Farmer Temple Association (ULFTA) was established in
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749, ...
in
1918 as an association of cultural societies and community halls and the
Ukrainian Social Democratic Party of Canada (USDPC). By 1928 it had 167 branches across Canada. Labour Temples and other associated halls existed in cities like
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749, ...
,
Edmonton
Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...
, and
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
(1921), as well as in rural communities in the Ukrainian
Block Settlement
A block settlement (or bloc settlement) is a particular type of land distribution which allows settlers with the same ethnicity to form small colonies. This settlement type was used throughout western Canada between the late 19th and early 20th ...
s.
As no form of public medicare was available at the time, ULFTA founded the Workers Benevolent Association (WBA) in Winnipeg in 1922, with branches and membership rapidly spreading throughout Canada; it even extended its membership to all workers, irrespective of ethnic origin.
In 1940, the ULFTA was banned under the wartime
Defence of Canada Regulations
The ''Defence of Canada Regulations'' were a set of emergency measures implemented under the ''War Measures Act'' on 3 September 1939, a week before Canada's entry into World War II.
The extreme security measures permitted by the regulations ...
, and a few of its leaders and journalists were interned. Several Labour Temples were confiscated by the federal government as "enemy property" with several being sold off.
Name change of 1940
In 1940, the ULFTA underwent a name change and became the Association of United Ukrainian Canadians (AUUC).
Few post
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
immigrants joined the AUUC as most were opposed to the Soviet Union and Communism.
However, the AUUC has a legacy of senior's homes, children's camps, monuments and museums to Ukrainian literary giants, most notably the monument to the Ukrainian poet
Lesya Ukrainka, a gift from
Soviet Ukraine
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic ( uk, Украї́нська Радя́нська Соціалісти́чна Респу́бліка, ; russian: Украи́нская Сове́тская Социалисти́ческая Респ ...
, on the grounds of the
University of Saskatchewan
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...
in 1976. In addition, the AUUC still runs programs such as
Edmonton
Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...
's Trembita dance ensemble.
See also
*
Ukrainian Labour Temple
The Ukrainian Labour Temple is a hall and cultural centre in the north end of Winnipeg, Manitoba. It is run by the Association of United Ukrainian Canadians and is located at 591 Pritchard Avenue.
The labour temple is one of the few left in a onc ...
, Winnipeg
*
United Jewish Peoples' Order
The United Jewish People's Order is a secular socialist Jewish cultural, political and educational fraternal organization in Canada. The UJPO traces its history to the founding of the Jewish Labour League Mutual Benefit Society in 1926.
History ...
*
Federation of Russian Canadians The Federation of Russian Canadians is a left-leaning cultural organization for Russian immigrants to Canada and their descendants.
It is the successor of the Russian Farmer-Worker Clubs which were closed by the government at the beginning of World ...
Archives
There is a
Association of United Ukrainian Canadians fondat
Library and Archives Canada. The archival reference number is R3120, former archival reference number is MG28-V154.
The fond covers the date ranges 1929 to 1996. It includes 8 meters of textual records; 7 photographs; 3 film reels.
References
External links
AUUC articleat The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan
AUUC Edmonton Ukrainian Centre website AUUC Vancouver website
{{Authority control
1918 establishments in Manitoba
Ethnic organizations based in Canada
Community centres in Canada
Ukrainian-Canadian culture
Labour history of Canada
Canada–Soviet Union relations
Communist Party of Canada mass organizations
Organizations established in 1918
Ukrainian cultural centres
Ukrainian diaspora organizations