The Ukrainian Canadian Servicemen’s Association (UCSA) grew out of the social and religious gatherings of Ukrainian Canadian servicemen stationed in England during the Second World War. The first social gatherings were held by the Ukrainian community at the Ukrainian Social Club in Manchester. Under the leadership of G.R.B. Panchuk and others, these social gatherings developed into the UCSA which was formally constituted in Manchester on 7 January 1943. In June 1943, the UCSA obtained its own building in London, England. The UCSA provided a center of social and recreational activities for Ukrainian servicemen on leave. Visitors and guests also included Ukrainian servicemen from the United States, England, Poland and other countries. After June 1944, the UCSA expanded its activities to assist Ukrainian refugees and Displaced Persons in Western Europe. The UCSA was formally disbanded on 9 January 1946.

Returning servicemen founded the Ukrainian Canadian Veteran’s Association (UCVA) in Winnipeg on 14 June 1945. Within the next few years, branches were formed in most of the major cities in Canada. These branches were also affiliated with the Royal Canadian Legion.

The UCVA became a member-organization of the Ukrainian Canadian Committee (UCC) which continued UCSA’s work in assisting Ukrainian Displaced Persons and Refugees in Western Europe. The association printed its own bulletin and later the journal Opinion. Until 1950, the national office was located in Winnipeg and thereafter transferred to Eastern Canada.

From 1965 to 1970 there were two executive branches, the East and the West. Various other organizational changes were attempted to facilitate the national administration of the UCVA. The association held its conventions every three years.

The UCVA devoted its efforts to promoting and maintaining Ukrainian culture in Canada and providing social and recreational activities for its members. The association supported various cultural projects including the research and publication of studies on the history of Ukrainians in Canada and Ukrainian Canadian participation in the Canadian war effort during the First and Second World Wars.

The collection was donated in 1980 by G.R.B. Panchuk, Director of the UCVA Archives Project. Additional material was received from John Yuzyk in 1982.

Each volume is a box containing 20 cm. of files. Photographs were transferred to the National Photography Collection of the Public Archives of Canada. A file of posters was transferred to the horizontal filing storage area in the Manuscript Division. Issues of Opinion and Newsletter were transferred to the National Library.

Some information regarding the UCSA and UCVA is found in the Ukrainian Canadian Committee Collection (MG 28, V 9), Stephen Pawluk Collection (MG 31, D 155) and the G.R.B. Panchuk Papers (MG 31, D 118).

A modified Library of Congress system of Ukrainian transliteration is used in this finding aid, however some personal names, titles and words previously transliterated according to other systems were left in their original form.

This collection is of particular interest to researchers in the history of Ukrainian Canadians especially their contribution to the Canadian war effort during the Second World War. The collection also contains some information on Ukrainian Displaced Persons and Refugees in the post-Second World War period.

This collection was organized with the financial assistance of the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, University of Alberta, which co-sponsored the Ukrainian Archives Internship Program at the Public Archives of Canada for 1986.

Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies
25 Years 1976-2001 (pdf)
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Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies