UCC National Visits Western Canada
A Report from Connor Moen (UCC/SUSK National Coordinator)
This October, I had the opportunity to attend the UCC Annual General Meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia. There I was floored by the strong community activism in Vancouver, particularly from the newly established community from Ukraine. In Vancouver, I delivered a well-received presentation on digital communications with my colleague Cassian Soltykevych, and made sure to visit one of the Ukrainian Canadian Students Union’s (SUSK) newest member organizations, the Ukrainian Youth in Vancouver, which is experiencing fascinating growth from newcomers from Ukraine.
Following Vancouver, I made a stop in Calgary to meet with local community leaders and engage the new generation of the University of Calgary’s Ukrainian Students’ Society. We discussed possible areas of cooperation in partnership in the upcoming year. We have exciting updates that I can not wait to share with the general community – stay tuned!
The last leg of my trip out West was to return to my native Saskatchewan, where I met with the student clubs both in Saskatoon and Regina, as well as the Prairie Centre for the Study of Ukrainian Heritage (PCUH). I spoke with the clubs about community development and possible points of cooperation. My meeting with PCUH member, Dr. Natalia Khanenko-Friesen, involved identifying common points of interest between the PCUH’s mandate to enhance Ukrainian studies in Saskatchewan and beyond and how SUSK’s 25+ network of student organizations can be leveraged.
I am constantly inspired by the strength of our local communities across Canada. I am grateful to UCC National for supporting my initiative to greet and engage youth organizations across Canada and forge a stronger continuity of leadership in the Ukrainian Canadian community. Щиро Bам дякую!
Connor Moen
National Coordinator
SUSK & UCC National
