Association of United Ukrainian Canadians

The Association of United Ukrainian Canadians (AUUC) 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 within the Association.

It was established in Winnipeg in 1918 as an association of left-leaning cultural societies and community halls and the Ukrainian Social Democratic Party of Canada (USDPC), called the Ukrainian Labour Farmer Temple Association (ULFTA). By 1928 it had 167 branches across Canada. Labour Temples and other associated halls existed in cities like Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Toronto (1921) [http://www.tgmag.ca/magic/mt54.html] , as well as in rural communities in the Ukrainian Block Settlements. The group maintained a firmly Marxist orientation, and was affilited with the Communist Party of Canada (CPC). These Labour Temples competed directly with nationalist-related halls called "narodny dim" (national homes) to provide services and attract patrons, and the UFLTA competed against a plethora of nationalist and Church-backed cultural groups for the loyalty of Ukrainian Canadians.

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 1946 group adopted its present name [http://thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1SEC829439] . During the Cold War and following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and owing to the reduced flow of immigrants from Ukraine and the increasing assimilation of the existing community, the AUUC went into a steep decline. Today very few of the original Temples still exist.

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 great Ukrainian poet Lesya Ukrainka, a gift from Soviet Ukraine, on the grounds of the University of Saskatchewan in 1976. In addition, the AUUC still runs programs such as Edmonton's Trembita dance ensemble.

ee also

* Ukrainian Labour Temple, Winnipeg
* United Jewish Peoples' Order

External links

* [http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/association_of_united_ukrainian_canadians.html AUUC article] at The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan
* [http://www.ukrainiancentre-edm.ca/ AUUC Edmonton Ukrainian Centre website]