About

Mission

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress-Alberta Provincial Council (UCC-APC) officially represents Ukrainian Canadians in Alberta, provides leadership and coordination, identifies and addresses the needs of the Ukrainian community in Alberta to enhance its sociocultural fabric, and promotes linkages with Ukraine.

Vision

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress - Alberta Provincial Council strives to be a pro-active regional, united, and self-sustaining body that provides a high standard of leadership in developing the destiny of Ukrainian Canadians.

Role

As an umbrella organization, Ukrainian Canadian Congress - Alberta Provincial Council represents over 300,000 Ukrainian Albertans in all their diversity before the government of Alberta.

Ukrainian Canadian Congress - Alberta Provincial Council:

• helps to coordinate cultural and educational activities for all sectors of the community
• prepares briefs on multiculturalism, language policy, education, arts, international relation, and other issues of concern
• works together with other ethno-cultural groups to protect human rights, fundamental freedoms and to eliminate discrimination
• develops and maintains programs and services to meet the needs of the Ukrainian community in Alberta
• encourages the participation of young people in social and cultural community life
• fosters unity, cohesion and cooperation among Ukrainian organizations
• protects, enhances and promotes the unique cultural identity of Ukrainian Canadians as an integral element of Canada's cultural mosaic.

History

Originally called Ukrainian Canadian Committee, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress was formed in November 1940 under the initiative of the federal government of Canada and mail non-Communist Ukrainian organizations to consolidate a large Ukrainian population under as umbrella-like structure for a united war effort during World War II and postwar period. Being politically and religiously neutral UCC played a key role in campaigning on behalf of the 200,000 Ukrainian refugees stranded in Western Europe after the war to the federal government of Canada for their resettlement in this country. Later the postwar changes in the community profile, including urbanization and trend toward professional education, naturally led to cultural and lingual assimilation.

Today UCC has a developed multilevel representation through its provincial and local branches that have become instrumental in addressing issues of concern to the whole community including specific needs of the new generation of Ukrainian Canadians at the appropriate government levels.